People ask me how I know when an animal is one of my helpers. Golden Eagle is one of my helpers! My answer is simple. When one becomes aware of these things then an animal will show itself in a way that you will know. Believe me, you will know!
My Native brother, Nish, and I were traveling through Wisconsin one time a few years back. We had just come from Hannahville Reservation where we visited my teacher and Nish’s dad. Nish got a call from his sister, Neveena. Never a dull moment on the Rez!
A social worker and a sheriff were at her house and she knew Nish was nearby. “I need your help” Neveena pleaded. “They are going to take my son Jeremy! They say he beat up another kid at school. It isn’t true! He wasn’t in school today but the welfare worker won’t listen.”
Nish and I were about twenty miles from the Rez when he got the call. I asked him what we should do. Nish said, “Turn left here and go up to a farm house I know of on this road.” I thought to myself, okay, we are going to do something and I will just follow his instruction.
We came to the farm house and Nish got out of the car. He turned to me and said, “I’ll wait here. You drive on down this road and you will come out on the Rez. Go over and help my sister. You’ll know what to do.”
My jaw dropped about a thousand feet. “What!” I said, “You want me to go in there?” He answered, “I can’t go on the Rez! They will arrest me. You have to do this.”
I started down the road. I was beginning to sweat and felt so anxious that my skin tingled. I thought, “I am fifty five years old and a white guy not known to these people and I am driving on an Indian Reservation to stand up for an Indian woman that I barely know. This is not just crazy. It is stupid.” Each moment the tension was building.
Just then a bird flew up out of a ditch in front of the car. It was a beautiful Golden Eagle. Golden Eagle represents the veterans that stand for the people. I watched him as he continued to fly in front of the car for about a quarter of a mile. I thought of the values that Golden Eagle represents to the people in Native teachings I had been given. Values like stand for the people and protect them above self.
I remembered! I am a veteran and I stand for the people! Somehow that seemed to help me relax.
I pulled up in front of the house where Neveena lived. I got out of the car and stood there. The sheriff came up and asked who I was and why I was on the Rez. I told him that I am this woman’s brother and her father is my teacher. I will just wait here and watch. The sheriff did not seem to know how to respond to that so he went back to the social worker. They talked and then got into their vehicles and left.
Neveena came up to me. “I am glad you came! This would have ended differently if you had not come. The authorities don’t like witnesses when they do these things” She said. They said they had some research to do but would be back on Monday. They didn’t come back!
Copyright © 2011 James B. Beard
All rights reserved.
Since 2005 Jim resides at Monadnock State Park in Jaffrey, New Hampshire on Mt. Monadnock. When not traveling to do programs and ceremonies throughout the United States and Canada he works in the park as a ranger, emergency responder, interpreter and park camping host. During the summer he travels to many parks in New Hampshire and Vermont to provide storytelling to guests. In 2011 Jim is overseeing the building of a Native American educational area in the park that will include structures and craft areas for visitors to the park.