Red Leaf

By Patsy Stanley

Red Leaf is a young Native American boy whose grandfather is teaching him the traditions of the sacred path their ancestors walked. First, Red Leaf learns to be a Fire Keeper. Then he goes in the sweat lodge and out on vision quest. The preparations and traditions described in this charming, coming of age story are still practiced today.  &

• Language: English
• Publisher: Patsy Stanley
• Release date: Feb 13, 2019
• ISBN: 9781733737104

Patsy Stanley

Patsy Stanley is an artist, illustrator and author. She has authored both nonfiction and fiction books including novels, children's books, energy books, art books, and more. She can reached at:[e-mail] for questions and comments.

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Red Leaf

By Patsy Stanley

Patsy Stanley © 2018-revised copyright. This book and its text may not be reproduced in any form of media of any kind at any time without the legal consent of the author, Patsy Stanley.

ISBN 978-1-7326193-0-2

ISBN 978-1-7326198-1-9

ISBN 978-1-7337371-0-4 (e-book)

LCCN 2018908938

Contents

Red Leaf, Fire Keeper

Red Leaf Turns Twelve

Red Leaf Learns About the Sweat Lodge

The Four Sacred Foods

Red Leaf Goes in the Sweat Lodge

Time to go in the Sweat Lodge

Medicine Sweats

Red Leaf’s Birthday Arrives!

Red Leaf’s Manhood Ceremony

Red Leaf’s Dance

Red Leaf’s Vision Quest

Red Leaf Prepares For Vision Quest

Red Leaf’s Vision

Red Leaf’s Giveaway

Red Leaf, Fire Keeper

Red Leaf’s family lived on the Great Northern Plains on a reservation. Red Leaf’s grandfather had named him Red Leaf in honor of their family’s ancestral name of Red Leaf Many Walks.

Red Leaf had many brothers and sisters and relatives. They all lived together in a big wood frame house that rambled all over the unfenced piece of prairie the house sat on. Once it had been a little house, but it had grown as the different men who had married into the family, built on to it.

The rooms the men added on were large or small, depending on the work and money they had been able to put into it before they lost interest.

Now there were four porches, four bedrooms and two bathrooms, one of which worked most of the time. Out back stood an outhouse, just in case. A wringer washing machine stood on one of the back porches. A clothesline was tied between two tall posts out in the back yard.

The large family had no freezer, nor did they think about getting one. There were cake mixes and macaroni and cheese in the cupboards in the kitchen. Part of the time, there was hamburger to fry up, and a couple of gallons of milk in the refrigerator.

Red Leaf’s family found entertainment in joking and taking it easy. It didn’t matter to them what the next day might bring.

They would enjoy it or get upset over it, but it would still be enough to keep them from being bored.

Part of the family was young enough to catch the old yellow school bus that drove by the house. Some of the older ones in the family worked and some of them didn’t.

Red Leaf watched all of them. The only things they seemed to be afraid of were the usual things, like rattle snakes or getting burned on the stove, or dreaming of being forced to get their hair cut. None of them seemed to be wondering about things they couldn’t put a name to.

When Red Leaf‘s inner questions grew too big, he went outside and ran hard until he felt better. None of the rest of the family seemed to notice. They quarreled and laughed, and were noisy. They drove their old cars around, and took long trips to see their relatives living in other places whenever they had any extra money.

Red Leaf’s grandfather was an Elder of their tribe. He was a stern man who wanted his relatives to stop playing so much. He wanted them to work harder, and walk a strong spiritual path. But his family politely ignored him, and went on their lighthearted way.

His daughters cleaned the kitchen thoroughly when they knew he was coming to visit. They had learned respect for their Elders and old people in general. They had trained his granddaughters how to treat their grandfather properly.

His granddaughters dried corn and ground it up, and parched it for him to carry in the pouch that hung at his belt. But none of them or their men liked the taste of the parched corn, and