The Curse of Dead Horse Canyon: Cheyenne Spirits

He set the blanket aside and got his sage bundle from the mantel. He lit it, waited for it to smolder, then smudged himself and the four directions. As the familiar scent cleansed the room, he felt his anxiety dissolve, confident he'd receive the guidance he needed.

He lifted the wheel from the nail on the wall and gathered the fetishes. Positioned again on the floor, he set each in place. The rock figures glistened in the fire's light, tiny eyes sparkling as if alive.

A cold draft from beneath the front door prompted him to return the blanket to his shoulders. His eyes closed as he offered a prayer to Maheo. Feeling peaceful and receptive, he regarded them, expecting mole to beckon.

Nothing. Was mole offended?

He sat up straighter, surprised a call came from Eagle. He closed his eyes and imagined soaring high above on powerful wings, earth spread out below. Eagle's sharp eyes spotted its prey from a great distance. Yet over all, it was the big picture. A distant perspective, background to its primary goal. The great bird feared nothing. It would dive into a herd of sheep to gather a lamb, flaunting its speed and strength to humans guarding the flock.

Eagle took what he wanted.

His jaw tensed.

No wonder the white man chose it to represent their plundered country.

Sometimes, however, Eagle's arrogance delivered his own demise. He remembered a juvenile eagle fishing in Lake Wilson. It hooked a huge fish, probably a large-mouth bass, that it could barely lift from the water. It struggled to fly, but couldn't, its catch too heavy for immature wings.

Eagle talons could only release their prey on solid ground. This assured they wouldn't drop their meal before arriving at their nest. But in this case it delivered destruction. Exhausted by its vain attempts to fly, the bird eventually fell into the water and drowned.

There was some figurative prey for him to capture. But he should be cautious, not take on more than he could control. Flying into the white man's domain was required, but he must maintain his ability to escape.

Was it a warning? A reminder not to sacrifice his values and be drawn into the white man's world? Or something else?