Wild Bird Feathers

Summer Rose was going to a petting zoo.  Now this was a special place for her, she was now old enough to try out her gifts as an Indian maiden.

Her Dad has taught her as a very small child that the maker of all, placed special gifts inside each and every person that is born. But you have to work with them and help them to grow. He wanted her to love animals and know how they feel and think and felt it was time for her to try to do this.

Summer's Dad wanted her to be one with them, to love them and know they were a gift from God.  A few days before they were ready to leave for the zoo, he told her the story of a deer.  He explained to her it was his first time to hunt for food as all the young Indian boys were made to do at one time or another. The fathers before him explained that some deer are made for food and there are others that are a Mother with small deer that need to be left to do their job of raising their young. He had to learn which one was the Mother and which one was there for food for his family.  He explained to her about the ritual they would go through as he did as a young boy.

This excited Summer Rose, to be involved in a real Indian dance with the campfire.  They had to make plans for the ritual and have all the things they needed.  Dad had his own big drum that belonged to his Dad and his Dad before him.  It was beautiful.

He told her he would build the campfire because she was too young for that right now.  He told her of the dance which was very special and she would have to wear her Indian outfit her Mom had made for her.  He told her the smoke from the campfire would let him know where the deer would be found.  The deer has beautiful markings on them and you have to know them when you see them.  We will ask the great maker of All to show you a special deer at the petting zoo when we go.

Now he said, "in the morning we must go to the wooded area in back of our home and look for wild bird feathers, they have to be from a wild bird. We'll pick flowers to put around the campfire while we're there, wild flowers, there are many things we will need.  We will also need some tobacco sprinkles to place on Mother earth, we'll get some from grand father. The tobacco will go in the fire and raise the spirits of the deer so we can pick her out."

It is now the night before and Summer Rose can hardly sleep.  As she was laying there her Mother brought in to her a surprise, a beautiful headband to wear with her outfit. "Now," Mom said, "tomorrow you and Dad get those wild bird feathers and I'll add it to your head band. Also here is a little leather purse I made for you to carry the tobacco in for the fire."

Morning light could not come quick enough for Summer Rose.  She heard her Dad and Mom in the kitchen.  Mom had fixed them a lunch and off they went. Summer had her little bag and she sure hoped and prayed some wild birds would let them pick feathers from them.  Her Dad smiled when she said that. As they went into the woods Dad let out a loud yell and smacked his hands together and up from a grove flew a huge flock of birds, they were wild turkeys. Now she thought, they are all gone and we'll never get a feather. About that time floating in the air was several feathers, like they were sent from heaven.  She begin to pick them up.

Summer Rose's Dad said, "take no more than you need.  Remember we only take what we need and no more, we never throw anything away but make use of what we have."

They sat on an old tree log and ate the lunch Mom had packed for them and talked about Indian legends and stories, it was a wonderful time with Dad.

Summer Rose was ready now for her campfire dance, she was so excited.

The next evening as the sun went down she and her Dad headed for the back yard.  There to her surprise was a campfire already started.  She was in her outfit and Dad showed her the dance of the Indians and how to sprinkle the tobacco on the flames and as it fell to mother earth the sparks and smoke showed a perfect picture of a deer.  Summer Rose knew this was the deer she would see at the zoo.