Guardian Yearlong Blog originally posted 8/6/13
Tamarack arrives at camp to the Seekers sitting in a circle. He sits down, and this is what was shared…
Tamarack: Well, what’s new?
Firebeard: Everyone made it back alive. But you haven’t heard the story about how.
Tamarack: Whoa. Sounds like a story. A fireside story.
Firebeard: Just sharing it now. We’re on the edges of it.
Tamarack: Continue, please.
Blondie: So, there was this Cedar forest where I slept. When I got there, just as I described before, there was this huge piece of wood, how do you call it again?
Big Eyes: Burl.
Firebeard: Burl.
Blondie: Burl. Right. In the tree. Right about the height where the second green leaves are growing, there’s a huge branch, and then another one, small, which has leaves on it, about this height — it looked like a face was watching me. So I was walking around and gathering a little firewood — it was cloudy and a little rainy, moisture in the air. I set up my tarp, had a little fire, nice dinner, and went out to explore a little. I walked in a little circle. It was already getting dark, so I decided to cool myself down and relax for a little while. I sat down at this spot — the bottom was shaped with huge, mossy rocks, a lot of sharp edges, and there were also holes in the ground with water from the bog, which was from the river, I guess. So many trees were standing, not straight, but bent, in one direction or the other. Roots wove around the stones and it looked like they were grabbing them.
I sat there for awhile and watched; I recognized how different the Cedar forest is in comparison to this forest here. Somehow the atmosphere was magical.
So I was in my sleeping spot, which was pretty close to the shore, where I had a drink. After that, there were clouds, and then I was looking over the bog, over the open surface, and I saw these stars, like the stars flying on the ground, like these little—how do you call them again?
Laughs Loud: Shooting stars?
Blondie: No. Fire.
Seeker: Fire Flies.
Laughs Loud: Fire Flies. Oh, wow.
Blondie: And they were all over the bog. I went back into the forest and waited until it was dark, and at the time where it was dark dark, there were, I don’t know, thousands all over the bog. It was a great moment. And I was thinking about you guys here and I actually wanted to bring everybody there to see that beauty. And at the same time, I felt comfortable with being there alone. It is definitely an awesome spot.
It was rainy when I began to turn back, so I waited until the rain was gone and rested for a little while longer until I started the journey back. Must be about high sun, something like that, when I started, and there were a lot of Zagime. I was on the river again. I felt my arms, which were tired from last sun, and I looked around again. I could see dark clouds, and I was looking through the forest for a place to shelter. I thought, there are actually more places than the sun before, everything’s there. I could see there, or there, that might probably be a good site too; here’s water, I can drink here. I have my shelter with me all the time. All I need is a little food to travel further.
It was just a great feeling. I felt like I was home, and I still feel it. I want to be there, all the time, and I want more opportunities to do that. I was even thinking about staying there longer, for a quarter moon, maybe. Maybe with someone else, and we can go together.
The way back was so much faster; I would say it took a third of the time I spent to get there. I saw the tracks of two people. I looked around, and saw, oh, it looks like there were canoes here before. I went closer, and I saw footsteps going through the forest, which was very tight and bushy; it’s not easy to go there. And then I continued. Finally came back here. My mind was here way before I actually got back here with you. I was thinking, hey, is that the shore? Hmm. That might be the shore where they are. I got there…Oh, it’s not the shore. I continued the pattern maybe three or four times. That’s the story. Aho.
Group: Aho.
Tamarack: A couple of observations: This is just what happens when the Guardians come home and tell their stories of what they’ve discovered, what might be there for the clan, what might not be there. And an inspiring story like this is going to get the whole clan excited about going. This is how life is. This is how life used to be, and how life can be again. It is how life is here for you now.
As you get more adept at this, you’re going to be going out and exploring this and that and that, and all the stories you’re going to come back with, you’re going to assess these stories: “Well, is this good for us? Is that good for us? How about that? And are we ready to go? Let’s prepare.”
This is our beginning. This is how we are living. It’s how we’re going to continue living.