A Indian Christmas

(A legend of the camp by the spring)
ON Christmas night the Indian camp was a noisy place. The fires were burning brightly in every tepee, and shouts and laughter told of the good time that was being had by everyone as a part of the celebration that the old French priest had taught them to have.

Outside the wind was blowing cold, with skiffs of snow. A strange boy wandered into the camp. He stopped at the tent of the chief and asked that he be admitted and given food and allowed to get warm. The chief drove him away. He went to the tent of Shining Star and tried to be admitted, but Shining Star grunted, and his boys drove him away with whips. He then went to many of the tents, including those of Eagle Eye and Black Feather, but none would receive him, and at one they set a dog upon him. His feet were bare, and tears were frozen on his cheeks.

He was about to leave the camp, when he noticed a small tepee made of bearskin off by itself. He walked slowly to it, and quietly peeped in. Inside he saw the deformed Indian, who was known everywhere by the name of Broken Back. His squaw sat near him, preparing a scanty meal for them and their children. The children were playing on the ground, but were watching their mother closely, for they were hungry. The fire was low, and the boy started to turn away, and broke a twig that lay on the ground.

Broken Back ran out and stopped him as he was about to turn away.

"What do you want?" he said.

The boy commenced to cry.

"I am so cold and hungry," he said, "and I have been to all the tents, and they will not let me in."

Then Broken Back took him by the hand and led him into the tent, and they divided the food with him, and built up the fire until he became warm and happy. They urged him to stay all night and until the storm was over.

So he sat on the ground near the fire and talked and played with the children until it was time to go to sleep.

Then he stood up, and they all noticed that he was tall, and as they looked they saw that he was a man instead of a boy. His clothes were good, and over his shoulder hung a beautiful blanket, and over his head was a bonnet with feathers of strange birds upon it. As they looked, he reached out his hand and said:

"Broken Back, you have been good to a poor, cold and hungry boy. You and all of yours shall have plenty."

And Broken Back stood up; and he was deformed no more, but was large and strong and well, and his squaw stood by his side, and both were dressed in the best of Indian clothes. The children jumped about with joy, as they noticed that they were at once supplied with many things that they had always wanted.

"Broken Back," he said, "you shall be chief of your tribe. And all of your people shall love and respect and honor you. And your name shall be Broken Back no longer, but shall be Holy Mountain."

And as they talked, all of the Indians of the tribe came marching about his tent shouting in gladness, "Great is Holy Mountain, our chief, forever."

As they shouted, he disappeared, and they saw him no more.

The next day the good priest came to the camp, and they told him what had happened, and he said, "It was Jesus."

* * * * *
From the 1917 book by A. M. Harvey:
Tales and Trails of Wakarusa

Native American Christmas Story

Gather round children and let us teach you a song that helps us to remember the sacred things of our Grandfather and the reasons that He came to walk our Land, clothed in Red Dirt. We are excited to learn the things He accomplished for us, among us, and through us. We are most excited that all the ways we have walked before now pointed us to this moment, when we mere humans would be able to walk as sons of the Most Holy One.

On the First day of Christmas, Grandfather gave to me... an Eagle sitting on a cedar tree. (Remember children, the eagle climbs the highest and takes our prayers to the High places, and the eagle is Jesus, the One who was able also to climb to the heavenlies once and for all, to take our prayers, He is the Intercessor for all men.

On the second day of Christmas, Grandfather gave to me two wise owls (Remember children that the owls represent both death and sacred messages from the Holy places… and in this song they represent the Old testament and the New laws that brought death and mercy that brought life and spiritual wisdom).

On the third day of Christmas, Grandfather gave to me three sacred drums (for the drums beat out the sound of our Mother Earth while we pray to the Grandfather.. so as you hear them beat, remember we now know that there is faith, hope and love in The Father, Son and the Holy Spirit).

On the fourth day of Christmas, Grandfather gave to me four talking feathers (for the feathers remind us that Matthew, Mark, Luke and John were given the talking feather by the Grandfather Himself, to tell His story to us all).

On the fifth day of Christmas, Grandfather gave to me five prayer ties (for we must remember that the law did not vanish and though we live by grace, there is a law to be followed and we humbly submit to that law, in offering our prayers to the Holy One).

On the sixth day of Christmas, Grandfather gave to me six hawks a laying (For we celebrate the creation of our mother earth, and thank Him for giving us all life, through our prayers, often using the feathers of this creature to smudge ourselves in preparation of that prayer time).

On the seventh day of Christmas, Grandfather gave to me seven stones for sweat lodge (For we must remember the gifts of the Spirit are seven fold, and we learn how to walk in these gifts through our fear and awe of our God, we do this praying in our lodges)

On the eighth day of Christmas, Grandfather gave to me eight great buffalo (For we want to remember the beatitudes, the blessings Jesus promised to come to His people, The buffalo represent His provision for our health, our very existence, as did the blessings He invoked on the people, the meek, those who weep, the poor all people have provision in Him).

On the ninth day of Christmas, Grandfather gave to me nine precious elders (For as we sit at the feet of our elders we hear how we can walk in the fruits of the Holy Spirit, they have always taught these truths, we just didn't know that they were the same truths taught by the talking leaves the white men brought to us).

On the tenth day of Christmas, Grandfather gave to me ten eagle dancers (For our eagle dancers dance for the people, to protect the people, to keep the people in wholeness, and wellness.. as the ten commandments were also set to keep the people whole, to protect them from their own evil thoughts).

On the eleventh day of Christmas, Grandfather gave to me eleven braids of sweet grass (For as we send the smell of sweet grass to the heavenlies, it invites those of the realm of the Grandfather, to enter into our world to help us… in this we remember the faithful eleven who stood ready to help our Savior, ready to do His will and work, so it is with those we invite to help us, if sent by Jesus).

On the twelfth day of Christmas, Grandfather gave to me twelve drummers singing (For the drums He gave on the third day can not help us to pray if they do not have four drummers each to beat out the heartbeat of the earth and its people to our God and when natives are on the drum, we call it singing, because it is much more than just drumming).

Native American Christmas Story

Gather round children and let us teach you a song that helps us to remember the sacred things of our Grandfather and the reasons that He came to walk our Land, clothed in Red Dirt. We are excited to learn the things He accomplished for us, among us, and through us. We are most excited that all the ways we have walked before now pointed us to this moment, when we mere humans would be able to walk as sons of the Most Holy One.

On the First day of Christmas, Grandfather gave to me... an Eagle sitting on a cedar tree. (Remember children, the eagle climbs the highest and takes our prayers to the High places, and the eagle is Jesus, the One who was able also to climb to the heavenlies once and for all, to take our prayers, He is the Intercessor for all men.

On the second day of Christmas, Grandfather gave to me two wise owls (Remember children that the owls represent both death and sacred messages from the Holy places… and in this song they represent the Old testament and the New laws that brought death and mercy that brought life and spiritual wisdom).

On the third day of Christmas, Grandfather gave to me three sacred drums (for the drums beat out the sound of our Mother Earth while we pray to the Grandfather.. so as you hear them beat, remember we now know that there is faith, hope and love in The Father, Son and the Holy Spirit).

On the fourth day of Christmas, Grandfather gave to me four talking feathers (for the feathers remind us that Matthew, Mark, Luke and John were given the talking feather by the Grandfather Himself, to tell His story to us all).

On the fifth day of Christmas, Grandfather gave to me five prayer ties (for we must remember that the law did not vanish and though we live by grace, there is a law to be followed and we humbly submit to that law, in offering our prayers to the Holy One).

On the sixth day of Christmas, Grandfather gave to me six hawks a laying (For we celebrate the creation of our mother earth, and thank Him for giving us all life, through our prayers, often using the feathers of this creature to smudge ourselves in preparation of that prayer time).

On the seventh day of Christmas, Grandfather gave to me seven stones for sweat lodge (For we must remember the gifts of the Spirit are seven fold, and we learn how to walk in these gifts through our fear and awe of our God, we do this praying in our lodges)

On the eighth day of Christmas, Grandfather gave to me eight great buffalo (For we want to remember the beatitudes, the blessings Jesus promised to come to His people, The buffalo represent His provision for our health, our very existence, as did the blessings He invoked on the people, the meek, those who weep, the poor all people have provision in Him).

On the ninth day of Christmas, Grandfather gave to me nine precious elders (For as we sit at the feet of our elders we hear how we can walk in the fruits of the Holy Spirit, they have always taught these truths, we just didn't know that they were the same truths taught by the talking leaves the white men brought to us).

On the tenth day of Christmas, Grandfather gave to me ten eagle dancers (For our eagle dancers dance for the people, to protect the people, to keep the people in wholeness, and wellness.. as the ten commandments were also set to keep the people whole, to protect them from their own evil thoughts).

On the eleventh day of Christmas, Grandfather gave to me eleven braids of sweet grass (For as we send the smell of sweet grass to the heavenlies, it invites those of the realm of the Grandfather, to enter into our world to help us… in this we remember the faithful eleven who stood ready to help our Savior, ready to do His will and work, so it is with those we invite to help us, if sent by Jesus).

On the twelfth day of Christmas, Grandfather gave to me twelve drummers singing (For the drums He gave on the third day can not help us to pray if they do not have four drummers each to beat out the heartbeat of the earth and its people to our God and when natives are on the drum, we call it singing, because it is much more than just drumming).