The Blessing Way

Typical Indian -- he completely neglects to mention that The Holy People are not Alive People.

There is an ancient Indian saying that 

Something Lives only as long as The Last Person Who Remembers it. 

My People have come to trust Memory over History. 

Memory, like Fire, is Radiant and Immutable 

while History serves only those who seek to control it, 

those who douse The Flame of Memory in order to put out 

The Dangerous Fire of Truth. 

Beware These Men, 

for they are Dangerous Themselves 

and Unwise.

Their False History is written in The Blood of Those Who Might Remember and of Those Who Seek The Truth.

 

The men who had come and threatened us did not return to our house again but the following day... Some of the boys from the reservation came to tell us they had seen buzzards flying out near the quarry where Eric had first encountered the men.

The buzzard is a large but cowardly bird. 

It does not work for its prey, letting others provide the kill. 

When I see them circling in the desert, this can only mean that something has died and they are going to pick its bones... or that Death is close and they are waiting for it to do its work for them. 

We did not see what they saw but I remembered something I had seen as a younger man. 

Just as my grandson had done, I, too, had found a body at the quarry in a hole, half-buried under rocks, but the buzzards, who will eat anything, would not touch it. 

This spot is where we found what the buzzards had come for. 

We could not tell at first who or what it was but I knew what the buzzards knew... that the smell of Death was upon it.

The Desert does not forgive Man his Weakness. Weak or Strong, it takes no mercy and can kill A Man in less than a day.

To survive, one must develop skin like leather, know where to find water and when to take shelter.

The F.B.I. man would have surely died had he not stayed underground, protected like The Jackrabbit or The Fox. 

Even so, death was near. 

In accordance with our ancient traditions, we put for twigs on the beams of the hogan to summon the holy people and tell them that a ceremony will be held.

It is called "The Blessing Way" chant. 

Only the holy people can save the F.B.I. man's life now.

He is in their hands.