'Spirit Journey'
By Ralph Moisa, Jr.

    His Mother and I taught him for over 19 years. Til the day he left to walk his own road. He was always tugging at the strings wanting to go just a little further than we thought he should. But the day had come, and he left.

    I wondered at what kind of man he would become. I saw the things he was doing and was proud of most of them. I accepted what I did not understand as his own ways of using the thoughts and tools given to him by his Elders.

    Even in the face of oppression he stood tall in his Indian pride and would not be silenced by his teachers or his school. I saw him stand up to two car loads of young men shouting obscenities at our Race, our Family.

    I saw his anger as someone drove by our home and shot out the window in our car. I remember thinking "I should have prepared my young better. To know that being an Indian in the city has a strong responsibility. But also that being one of only a handful will make us target for any Idiot."

    We hoped that he would grow to understand and be a leader among our people. Perhaps to one day teach the ignorant and in so doing protect our very young and very old from the ignorance of unbridled racism.

    I do not know what thoughts were going through his head when he made his morning walk. Maybe he remember his Mother nursing young animals found disturbed from their nest. Giving them life and returning them to their home in nature. Maybe he remembered our talks on the sacredness of our winged family members. The Hawk, the Eagle. Whatever the reason, he saw a Hawk in need and tried to help his winged brother. He climbed the power pole to do what he could.

    Did he know the danger? Yes. He climbed them for a living. He knew the power surging through the transformers, through the wires. I will never know why he did not ask for help. Perhaps there was no time.

December 5, 1995

    The coroner said, "They both died at the same moment. It looks like he was working the Hawk's foot free when the bird became startled and spread his wings. The tip made contact with the bare lines. Thousands of volts went through them both."

    I remember the service. We put the Hawk on Our son's chest. His wings spread in and embrace that would keep them in our memories forever. Hundreds came that day whom we did not know. It seems our hopes were met. As he walks in places we cannot yet go. He has taught many.

Events | "Sacred Hoop" | History
Newsletters | Photo Gallery | Contact Us | Home