Secrets of the Medicine Pouch

By Robert Hunton

Crystals filled with mysterious powers.

Hidden wisdom protected by ancient spirits.

A desert people on the edge of destruction!

With his final breath, Chief Jonathan Gray Horse, known as ‘coyote-meeter,’ foresees catastrophe for the Tohono O’odham nation. A mysterious sickness, dying livestock, and a disastrous fire are only the beginning! Wise Joseph and his grandson Danny Rivas risk their lives to unravel the secrets of Jonathan’s medicine pouch and save their people. Will they find and decipher the ancient wisdom of the O'odham in time?

"I was swept up in the life of Danny Rivas. I found myself deeply immersed in the tension and unfolding mystery. Love and Native American spirituality are woven throughout. They are well worth the read.”
Lisa Barker, Biblio Reads – Children’s Book Review

• Language: English
• Publisher: Open Books Press
• Release date: Apr 17, 2012
• ISBN: 9781452407203

Robert Hunton

Robert L. Hunton is the author of novels of mystery and adventure for young readers, including the Borderlands Trilogy—Gift of the Desert Dog (2011), Secrets of the Medicine Pouch: Adventure in the Borderlands (2012), and Coyote-meeter’s Abyss: Adventure in the Borderlands (2014). Hunton’s career as a middle school teacher in the Colchester, Vermont School District spanned thirty-two years, during which time he taught 7th and 8th grade language arts/social studies. He is an active member ofthe League of Vermont Writers, the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, and the Society of Southwestern Authors, currently serving as president.

Book preview

"A carefully researched and reverent look at Tohono O’odham culture. The Borderlands series follows a twelve year-old boy who is identified as a leader of his people. The Tohono O’odham tribal council thanked the author for his ‘respectful consideration of their traditions and customs."

J. C. Martin Arizona Daily Star

Middle-schoolers will find this series an exciting way to learn of the history and beliefs of the Tohono O’odham people. I like the way Hunton writes and the way the history of southern Arizona is woven into the stories.

Ned Lord Green Valley News and Sun

"Gift of the Desert Dog, the first book in the series, grew on me. I started the first few pages, and then read far into the evening to finish it. Young teens will love these books not only because of the dandy plots, but because Native American mythology is woven into the stories so nicely they can’t help but absorb some of it. They will see themselves in Danny’s struggles. Great choices as classroom reads!"

John Clark TCM Review

These stories are even more than the descriptions put forth. They are wonderfully warm and patiently told tales of a boy coming of age and embracing his heritage in the Arizona desert. I was swept up in the life of Danny Rivas. I found myself deeply immersed in the tension and unfolding mystery. Love and Native American spirituality are woven throughout. They are well worth the read.

Lisa Barker Biblio Reads – Children’s Book Review

I wish more authors would write books like these for young people. Hunton did his homework in researching the books. Main character Danny is a very believable twelve year-old, and his adventures make me want to go out and experience the desert more myself. As a middle school librarian, I search for these kinds of stories to recommend to my students….Bravo!

Jerri Blackman, librarian - Valencia Middle School, Tucson, AZ

These books introduce heart, spirit, and soul to adolescents. The ties to American Indian culture and mythology are great!

Peggy E. Gillard, Assistant Principal, Colchester, VT Middle School

Secrets of the Medicine Pouch

Robert L. Hunton

Published by Open Books Press, USA

http://www.openbookspress.com

An imprint of Pen & Publish, Inc.

Bloomington, Indiana

[phone]

[e-mail]

http://www.PenandPublish.com

Copyright © 2012 Robert L. Hunton

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Dedication

For my sons, Bob and Peter, with love

Acknowledgments

I would like to again thank the tribal council of the Tohono O’odham nation of southern Arizona and Sonoran Mexico for their ongoing support of The Borderlands Trilogy project.

Sincere thanks are extended to the talented writers in my critique group: Lynn Rogalsky, Karen Liptak, and Susan Simon; all of Tucson, Arizona, who along with the author, are active members of S.C.B.W.I. – The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, Arizona Chapter.

Much credit goes to my agent, Andrew Whelchel, of G.T.R. Inc., Elizabeth, Colorado, for his belief in me and these stories. Thank you, Andy.

To my readership - all the young hearts and minds that read Gift of the Desert Dog; the opening novel in this series, I am most grateful for your enthusiastic comments and support. Please keep it all coming!

My careers as a public school teacher and then writer would not have happened without the gifts of love, encouragement, and never-ending trust given to me by my wife, Julie. I love you back.

Table of Contents

Key to the Illustrations

Important Words/Phrases in the Story

Foreword......A Book of the Ancients

Part One......The Crystals of I’itoi

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Part Two......The Feather of Kuhkwul

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Part Three......The Claw of Wishag

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Part Four......The Santa Cruz Stone

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty-One

Chapter Thirty-Two

Afterword......Coyote-meeter’s Truth

About the Author

Additional Books Recommended for Students

Source Materials for Teachers and Students

Key to the Illustrations

The sacred medicine pouch given to Danny by Jonathan Luhya Gray Horse containing the crystals of I’itoi, the feather of Kuhkwul, the claw of Wishag, and the Santa Cruz stone

The crystals of I’itoi in the shape of a ceremonial medicine wheel representative of all of creation and how it works within the seasons; color, moons, life cycles, and orbits of the planets

The feather of Kuhkwul with antelope grip and tassels symbolic of the elf owl, hunter of the mouse, and protector of the Tohono O’odham people

The claw of Wishag from an age-old sketch found in the Sonoran village of El Correo and carried into Arizona by Jonathan Luhya Gray Horse’s father

The Santa Cruz stone held tightly in the missionary’s grip jutting from the sanctuary wall within the mission San Xavier del Bac

The mission of San Xavier del Bac known throughout Christendom as the ‘White Dove of the Desert’ and the holy place where Danny and Joseph make an earth-shattering discovery

Important Words/Phrases in the Story

adobe ~ sun-dried mud used in building desert homes

agave ~ century plant of Mexico, used to make tequila

Ali Chuk ~ Tohono O’odham words meaning ‘Canyon of Roses.’ The canyon is located in a remote area just south of the U.S. border in Sonora, Mexico

Anima Sola ~ ‘lonely soul,’ Catholic depiction of a sufferer

apatite ~ phosphate mineral found in the West

arachnid ~ arthropod, i.e. spider, scorpion

Baboquivari ~ sacred mountain of the Tohono O’odham

bark scorpion ~ venomous arachnid

beaver moon ~ end of November on the O’odham calendar

carne seca ~ Mexican beef jerky

Chartres ~ town in north-central France, home to medieval cathedral

chile relleños ~ poblano chiles stuffed with cotija cheese, baked

cholla ~ cactus of the Sonoran desert

chorizo ~ spicy Mexican sausage

coon tail ~ nickname of the diamondback rattlesnake

cotija cheese ~ dry, aged Mexican cheese, used in chile relleños

cottonwood ~ stately tree of the Southwest

‘Coyote-meeter’ ~ O’odham tradition, one who has befriended Coyote

‘coyotes’ ~ guides hired to bring illegals from Mexico to the U.S.

crucifix ~ representation of Christ on the cross

Cucupa ~ ancient language of Sonora

Dias De Los Muertos ~ All Saints Day/All Souls Day, Nov. 1 & 2, Catholic religious observance honoring the faithful departed

Franciscan ~ Roman Catholic order founded by St. Francis ofAssisi

Geronimo ~ Chiricahua Apache chief, Indian resistance leader

gila monster ~ venomous, beaded reptile of the Southwest

ginskud ~ stick and dice game of the Tohono O’odham

graffiti ~ inscription or design scratched/painted on a wall

hematite ~ iron oxide mineral found in the West

Hiani ~ ancient language of Sonora

himdage ~ ‘way of life,’ O’odham tradition

Hohokam ~ archaeological tradition of the Southwest, a pre-historic people of the Southwest

Huhumu ~ ancient language of Sonora

hypothermia ~ dangerous condition where a person’s core body temperature drops below 95 degrees F or 35 C

I’itoi ~ ‘the man in the maze,’ god who brought the Tohono O’odham people from the underworld to the surface of the earth

javelina ~ or collared peccary, wild pig of the Sonoran desert

jet ~ mineraloid, minor gemstone, usually black in color

kih ~ traditional house of the Tohono O’odham

kingfisher ~ variety of diving bird

ko’owi ~ Tohono O’odham word for rattlesnake

kuhkwul ~ Tohono O’odham word for elf owl

Leet Keel ~ Hohokam village, Sonora, Mexico

‘Little Cactus Mouse’ ~ Joseph’s name for his Toyota Celica

makai ~ healer, spiritual clairvoyant among the Tohono O’odham

medicine wheel ~ representative of American Indian spirituality, within the wheel are the four cardinal directions

mesquite ~ low-growth hardwood tree of the Southwest

Mogollon ~ prehistoric people of the Southwest, a geographic feature of Arizona known as ‘the rim’

monsoon ~ seasonal rains of the Sonoran desert, summer

nakshel ~ Tohono O’odham word for scorpion

Nogales ~ twin towns on the U.S./Mexico border, Nogales, AZ, Nogales, Sonora, Mexico

obsidian ~ igneous volcanic glass, Indian arrowhead material

ocotillo ~ cactus of the Sonoran desert, long spiny arms

oidag ~ Tohono O’odham word meaning ‘big field’

open range ~ farm/ranch law of the West allowing free movement of livestock

palo verde ~ low-growth tree of the Southwest

Pan Tak ~ village on the Tohono O’odham reservation, Joseph’s home

Peña Blanca Lake ~ recreational/reservoir lake near Nogales, AZ

petroglyph ~ image on a rock created by carving or digging

poblano chile ~ mild southwestern chile used in Mexican cooking

presidio ~ fortified position or wall built by the early Spanish in Mexico

pueblo ~ Indian village of adobe houses

raptor ~ bird of prey, i.e. hawk, eagle, owl

refried beans ~ from the Spanish ‘refritos’ meaning ‘well-fried,’ pinto beans added to a variety of Mexican dishes

Rincons ~ mountain range east of Tucson, AZ

rondelle ~ circular jewel or jeweled ring

rune ~ character from an ancient Germanic alphabet

sage ~ sweet-smelling bush plant of the Southwest, herbal

saguaro ~ giant cactus of the Sonoran desert

Sahuarita ~ town in Pima County, AZ, south of Tucson

Saint Francis of Assisi ~ Catholic patron saint of animals, founder of the Franciscan order

San Miguel ~ O’odham reservation village near the Mexican border

Santa Cruz ~ river/valley running north/south through Pima County, AZ

Santa Ritas ~ mountain range south of Tucson, AZ

San Xavier ~ small mission district on the Tohono O’odham reservation, mission church known as ‘the white dove of the desert’ built by the Spanish with Indian labor

Sasabe ~ small Pima County, AZ border town

Sells ~ tribal seat of the Tohono O’odham reservation, town

sepapu ~ in Hopi tradition, entrance to the spirit world

Seri ~ ancient language of Sonora

Shoshoni ~ American Indian nation of the southern plains

Sonora ~ northern governmental district of Mexico, desert region

stucco ~ lime, sand, and water mixture used to plaster walls

sûpap ~ Huhumu word meaning ‘four’

tamale ~ from Spanish ‘tamal,’ meaning steam-cooked corn dough, usually filled with meats/cheese/spiced chile mixture

Tarahumara ~ ancient language of Sonora

tarantula ~ large desert spider, arachnid

Tatkum Vo ~ Tohono O’odham village south of the Mexican border

tequila ~ distilled liquor made from the agave plant

terra cotta ~ clay-based ceramic used in pottery, construction tiles

Tohono O’odham ~ American Indian nation of Southern Arizona

Tom Charro ~ fictitious character in the novel, Gift of the Desert Dog, reservation police officer

torta ~ folded tortilla sandwich, Mexican baked or fried, filled with meats, beans, cheeses, etc.

tortilla ~ rolled flat corn/wheat dough, Mexican fried, filled with meats, beans, cheeses, etc.

Vakamok ~ Tohono O’odham village south of the Mexican border

vestibule ~ hall or antechamber between an outer door and inner rooms

‘White Shadow’ ~ Joseph’s name for his old Ford sedan

Yaqui ~ Indian nation originally from Sonoran Mexico

Yucca ~ spider-like cactus of the Southwest

Yuma ~ American Indian nation of southern California/Arizona, & city on the Arizona/California border

Foreword

The Book of the Ancients

Desert wind cut through a broken window pane in the back road adobe of Jonathan Luhya Gray Horse. It rustled the soiled curtains, sending a puff of tiny dust particles into the air. They drifted like timeless microbes through the shaft of sunlight streaming in.

A sweet-smelling mesquite wood fire blazed in the corner beehive while all about the smoky room sounds of chanting mixed with a rhythmic drum beat. Groups of elders, gatherings of three and four, stood close by the antelope skin litter upon which the aged chief rested. They murmured in tongue, reciting age old verse along with special power words to ward off evil. And there lying before them was the ancient one, oldest among the people, and known by all as ‘Coyote-meeter.’ The call had gone out the previous afternoon that Jonathan had taken a turn for the worse, and now the death watch had begun.

Unexpectedly, the old man’s arm lifted from his side and a crooked hand motioned for a certain attendant to draw near. By his litter through the long hours of the night, Joseph Estes responded quickly, bending forward to listen. Jonathan’s voice was weak, and yet the urgency in his tone was unmistakable. He gripped Joseph’s arm with a strength belying one so close to death.

You are beside me as I begin the long journey, my brother, he rasped, just as you have always walked with me in life.

Joseph answered with steadfastness. My chief, I see in your eyes the greatest of tokens. The clouds have lifted and they are clear again. Your face...it shows no fear.

Jonathan smiled. I am unafraid of those who beckon from the east. They are the good spirits of my ancestors and have shown me the path that I must travel. He coughed hoarsely. I will carry our friendship to them as a gift.

We have come a long way, you and me, said Joseph.

Yes, it is...true, Jonathan whispered, fighting for breath. I remember well those times when we hunted and fished together. And when we watched our families grow. His hand began to tremble. But before I turn away from you this last time there is something of great importance I must share.

Coyote-meeter, your knowledge is like a salve that renews my spirit. Please, go on...

Jonathan pulled Joseph close to murmur in his ear. We have always followed the ways of the ancients. This is well known.

Yes, and you have worn the badge of healer and storyteller to the people through many seasons. All are grateful for this.

A smile creased Jonathan’s wrinkled face and his voice grew suddenly stronger. It was a task I loved, my friend, for our story is a sacred one, passed from mouth to mouth and heart to heart.

You speak the truest words, Joseph responded calmly.

Jonathan continued. But only a few of us have known that each word...every phrase...must be repeated in the same way that our ancestors repeated them.

How so? asked Joseph.

In the tongue of the first-born, Jonathan replied, and then only while holding the ceremonial talking stick.

Joseph’s eyes narrowed. You are referring to the spirit book...the complete record of our people, preserved in the minds of elders over centuries of time.

Yes, yes, Gray Horse answered, his eyes aglow, tales of the O’odham. But what you do not know, my brother, is that such a book actually exists.

Wha...? What are you saying? Joseph uttered, his lips suddenly trembling.

Jonathan settled back. I have said it and it is true.

Joseph shook his head in disbelief. It cannot be, he insisted.

Gray Horse kept a steady gaze. Oh yes, he repeated. Anything is possible in a world so full of mystery.

But how? Where?

Jonathan’s breathing slowed. I was told of the book by one who left us long ago...a makai among our brothers and sisters in Sonora. He said it was in four parts, like the four directions, and hidden with the cunning of a fox. He began to slip in and out of consciousness. Desperately he struggled to stay alert. I...like you...did not believe it at first, so I went in search of proof.

Joseph focused on a glint in the old man’s eyes. And what did you discover? he asked.

The book...it is real, Joseph. I used my...c-crystals... the crystals of I’itoi...to learn where the first part is hidden.

The crystals?

"Yes, they are in the antelope pouch...I gave to...Danny.

The book...it is very beautiful. There are strange symbols and the writing is very old..."

Then it is too precious and must remain a secret.

No, Joseph, no...it is in the signs. Our people face greater dangers than ever before. You must find it, you and Danny, our little Coyote-meeter. He is very young, but he grows stronger in the ways of the elders...each day.

Joseph searched the chief’s face worriedly. Why are we in danger, Jonathan?

Gray Horse began to choke and wheeze. His breath rattled unevenly. "The...drought...it has been nine seasons now...with no end in sight. There will be great...sickness...and