Nah Hap Peo: “Big Paw”

By Naomi Clay Horse and Nei-nei Freeman

American Indigenous People passed knowledge through storytelling for thousands of years. There was, and is, a universal acknowledgement of a Creator. In the United States, stories were destroyed with the decimation of hundreds of tribes by Old World intruders. By spiritual motivation, remnants of stories were patched or reinvented to preserve cultural identification. The Creator is still not truly understood by American Indigenes. Once held truth may have been intentionally eliminated due to fatal ordeals imposed by Christians.

American Indigenes were primed to receive the Gospel when Europeans landed in their New World, our Old World. Had it been realized, a different world may have ensued. Shock upon shock imposed upon tribes made it evident that the god of the New Comers was not the God of The People: God was The Creator of the universe and everything within it. He was revered and all His creations were respected. Consequently, Native Indigenous People repelled Jesus Christ, seeing him as a White god.

Perhaps through this story, Native Indigenous readers will rediscover The Creator, who is God; the Creator Spirit who was, is, and is forever. This is also a theory about how Native life may have been Once Upon A Time. Included herein is an anthology based on American Indian thought and laudations which I personally composed from Scripture.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Dec 14, 2016
• ISBN: 9781512760101

Naomi Clay Horse

Although a heritor of European and American Aboriginal cultures, Naomi Clay Horse is greatly influenced by Native Grandmothers. Her poems and books reflect that heritage. An education background in Sociology and Cultural Anthropology impels her to search for a realistic view of her Grandmothers’ Peoples. Other books by Naomi Clay Horse are I Killed Mom…Again! and A Day with Mica Feldspar.

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Copyright © 2016 Naomi Clay Horse.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Names, language and circumstances in this book are fictional. Non-fictional facts are used to enhance the integrity of the story.

WestBow Press

A Division of Thomas Nelson & Zondervan

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Bloomington, IN 47403

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

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and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

ISBN: 978-1-5127-6009-5 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5127-6010-1 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2016916589

WestBow Press rev. date: 12/13/2016

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CONTENTS

Note from the Author

Chapter 1   The Bad Pup

Chapter 2   Nah hap peo Claims His Camp

Chapter 3   Teacher and Apprentice

Chapter 4   Big Game

Chapter 5   A Raid

Chapter 6   Saving Nah hap peo

Chapter 7   Unyielding Devotion

Chapter 8   The Vision

Chapter 9   Buffalo Hunt

Chapter 10   Re-Living the Story

Chapter 11   Father Teaches Haistcha Vista

Chapter 12   Old Medicine Woman’s Story

Chapter 13   The Other Family

Chapter 14   Thoughts from the Heart

Chapter 15   The Spirit Speaks

ANTHOLOGY

Prayer Feather

Silence

Walking

Today

Who Am I

Understanding

The Arrowhead Maker

Alone

SPIRITUAL WALKWAY

Sing a New Song

Prayer

A Sincere Heart

Open My Mind, My Heart, My Eyes

Homage

I Believe

Beauty in Me

I am He

He is My Hope

Understanding the Spirit

Caumseh Word List

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DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to canines from the beginning of their service to mankind to today: dogs filling homes with affection and protection; dogs serving handicap citizens; dogs herding other animals; dogs serving in military units; dogs serving as police officers, and dogs serving as rescuers. I thank God for the creation of the wolf from whence came such devoted and faithful companions to man.

This book is also dedicated to the memory of my maternal grandmother who was half Comanche. Grandmom taught me that dogs have a unique purpose for their existence.

Lastly, I dedicate this book to my companion dogs whose lives have fulfilled my life with love and laughter.

NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR

It is believed that approximately six hundred years ago a nomadic and warring people moved into the southern plains of the United States. They arrived from the northern region of the country. Neighboring Indians called the new warrior society Kumanchi. The word referred to them as ‘not friendly’ or enemies. Those powerful people called themselves Caumseh - meaning The People.

The Caumseh lived freely in territories they conquered. They defended their lands from raiding tribes to assure plenty of game to feed their own people. A vast territory allowed The People to move with the changing seasons. The open territory also nourished the wild herds. Bull bison, elks, big horn sheep, deer and bear defended their territories as well. They multiplied and provided rich sustenance to The People. The People learned from their environment. Their territorial concept may have developed by observing wildlife defending boundaries for their own subsistence. Although there was no concept of owning any part of the earth, the Caumseh were fiercely territorial and the possession of land was theirs.

Members of the tribe lived and played without fear within their boundaries. Young warriors roamed their borders to repel intruders. The Caumseh were people who were born not only to fight, but to win. They were greatly feared by other tribes. The new nomads were keenly aware that warring strength maintained peace and safety for their survival. The People prospered and grew in numbers.

The People hunted on foot until they discovered a magnificent animal, the horse. Unbeknownst to them, a herd had been left behind by Spanish Conquistadors in the 1500s. It was a deliberate action; for horses would breed and establish a supply of mounts upon their return from exploring the New World. Spaniards failed to understand that the New World had already been discovered and conquered by nomadic tribes. The Europeans also failed to understand the ingenuity of indigenous people. Natives looked at the horses and desired them. The animals were lean, swift, and fast like deer. Their bodies were powerful. They were intelligent. Having no name for this kind of animal, the Caumseh called them Sata Peo, Big Dogs. The excellent warriors realized very quickly the importance of using the Big Dogs to their advantage. They could gain dominance over other nomadic tribes in the Southern Plains. They captured the animals and made them an integral part of their lifestyle.

Caumseh warriors were short in stature, muscular, stocky and agile. They were built to ride and control the Big Dogs. These men had incredible stamina. They held onto the animals’ manes until the animals could no longer move from exhaustion. Physical human stamina matched physical animal stamina. Once subdued, the animals were easily trained by whispered words and the singing of sweet songs into their ears. The People did not use bits in the horses’ mouth to control them. A lariat around the Big Dogs’ muzzles turned their heads to a desired direction. Strong hands stroked the animals gently.

When a Caumseh warrior mounted his Big Dog he became one moving, fighting machine. As anticipated, The People gained superiority over the land. The horse made the Caumseh more fierce than ever before. They became the proprietors of the plains, as well as parts of the Southwest which included a large part of present day Mexico.

Warriors pampered their valued ponies. They broke new horses for hunting or for battle. Tails were brushed and rolled into a bun tight against the rump. The purpose of the bun was to remove the tail as an obstacle in battle. So considerate were the Caumseh to their horses that cutting the tail was not an option. This would hamper the horse’s necessity to swish flies away from their flanks while they were at pasture. As with all animals, The People viewed horses as possessing a spirit that required respect.

The bun was tied with red cloth. Red symbolized the Good Road. The spiritual foundation of the Good Road, or the Red Road, was built upon The People’s knowledge of a Creator. Manes were decorated with feathers. Feathers waving in the wind made the horse look majestic, fierce and triumphant. Lastly, the warrior’s identifying mark was painted on his horse’s chest or hind quarters. The Caumseh were proud warriors. Their horses, too, looked proud and fearsome. The mere mention of a Caumseh warrior made other tribal People tremble.

My imagination stems from stories told to me by my maternal Native Grandmother. She was born shortly after the settling of Indian tribes into restrictive Reservations. It was imperative that past memories not be forgotten, especially for Indians who broke tribal ties to run; to avoid being wards of a foreign government. Caumseh were meant to be a free people. My great grandfather never surrendered. He passed stories to his first born daughter, who passed them on to me. Past centuries seemed like yesterday.

I loved Grand Mom more than any other person in my family. Countless hours were spent listening and learning; learning that seemed so irrelevant to the Twentieth Century. In the innocence of youth, I rudely asked Grandmother why her legs were bowed. Rather then chastising me for insolence she set aside her chores to address my curiosity. She gave me a brief response, To hold tight to the horse. We rode bare back. That was the old Indian way of instruction: not with harsh words but with teaching words that opened understanding. I accepted Grandmother’s answer logically. Many years later I understood. Toddlers rode horses as soon as they could sit unsupported. Tender bones were fashioned into gripping tools. Young warriors had to learn the skill of riding on the side of a horse at full gallop while shooting arrows with deadly accuracy. It was of utmost importance.

The Canine was also an integral part of Indian society. Grandmother’s father bred horses and mules in the 1870’s, as well as dogs. Dogs were not only man’s companions, they served as security guards for store houses during a time when essential staples and supplies were scarce. Dogs were an extension of a man’s nose, eyes and ears. Such an eminent place was held by canines that a wife was considered third in line for a husband’s affection! First, there was his horse; second his dog; and third - but not least - his wife. This may have been a woman’s joke. She was, in her own right, held in high esteem in her society. Nevertheless, the wife understood the importance of safety and provision for her family. She may have maintained the same priorities.

Being a great lover of dogs, I theorize my story on one of the two important animals of The People: the dog. In reality Nah hap peo is the parent of all dogs, the wolf. Some wolves surrendered themselves to man due to the