Furred Traditions Chapter 1
#2 of Furred Traditions
The white men tell me the year is 1856. I never understood their time system, but I follow it just the same. I often visit their town called Hutchinson in the Land of Sky-Tinted Waters, or Minnesota. I can speak the white man's language, so the elders often send me to trade and negotiate. The white men came here about a few seasons ago, and for the most part have been peaceful and cooperative with us.
My name is Friends With Dog, and I am a member of the Dakota tribe. Like most Dakota, I migrate with the Buffalo herds and the seasons. We stay in large tents called tipis as we travel, they are simple and can be set and dismantled quickly. I am like most Dakota, only one thing is different; I'm not human.
I am, as the white men call it, an anthropomorphic Husky. I always thought the white men overdid the word; we just call people like me animal men. There are other animal men in the tribe too, but we are fewer in number than humans and I am the only Husky. The white men have animal men too, but they are treated lesser than the humans. In our tribe we are all brothers, so no one is treated differently because of their furred bodies.
But I have gotten off topic. It is the Spring of 1856, and I am visiting the settlement of Hutchinson. Now that the winter is over, I'm meeting with the white men again to trade and hear their news. I'm accompanied by Wise Beyond His Years, a Fox animal man and one of my best friends. He often knows the best trades to make, but I must translate the white men's language when he's with. Together, we walked the few miles into town, carrying our goods to trade.
Wise Beyond His Years and I were immediately welcomed upon entering the town. The white men say they are always happy to see us and that we are welcome to visit whenever we please. They treat us better than they treat some of there own animal men, which is a mystery to me. We found our way to the trading post and were greeted happily by the owner and friend, John Eisner.
"Well, if it isn't Friends With Dog! How've you been, my friend?" he asked me as he took my hand and shook it up and down. I still do not understand why the white men greet this way, but they are friendly.
"I have been well. The winter was a calm one, so we have gotten by just fine." I answered him.
"Well that's good. So, what've you got to trade today?" he asked as he walked behind his counter. I motioned to Wise Beyond His Years to show John our inventory. He placed a sack up on the counter and John emptied it. "Oh, you've got some good stuff this time. Let's see, some pelts, furs, beads, feathers, and even some meat."
"Yes, that meat is for you." I told him "It is a gift from Chief Scarred Face."
"Isn't that nice? Please thank him for me." John looked through the goods. "What would you like in return for these?" he asked. I asked Wise Beyond His Years, Chief Scarred Face had told him what to get.
"Wise Beyond His Years says that we need ammunition for rifles, a few pots and pans, baking powder, and tobacco. Will this be enough to trade for those items?" I asked.
"Oh certainly. Heck, I could even throw in a horse if you wanted." John offered. I consulted with Wise Beyond His Years.
"Thank you my friend, we will accept the horse." John smiled and filled the sack with our requested items. He handed it to Wise Beyond His Years and walked towards the door.
"Come on boys, let's get you that horse." We followed him behind the shop to a small stable. He walked out a tan colored horse and handed me the reins. "Now you might get home faster." He chuckled "Now you boys come back anytime you feel like it; you're always welcome in my home."
"Thank you John Eisner, you are a true friend to the Dakota people." I said with a slight bow. I directed the horse and we were off back to the village. Wise Beyond His Years sat on the horses back as I guided it through the streets. We were just on the edge of town when someone called out.
"Friends With Dog!" I turned to find the source. Running towards us was Susan Hanson; she was a Husky animal woman. I had met her when the whites first came here. She is the only other Husky I've ever met. She wore a nice blue dress and had nicely kept long brown hair on top of her head; she was also carrying a small bag.
"Hello Susan." I said.
"I'm glad I found you!" she panted "I heard around town that you were visiting and I wanted to give you this." she offered me the small bag. I took it and looked inside. "It's beef jerky, a special treat. I thought you might like it." She said with a slight blush. I smiled and slung the bag around my arm.
"Thank you Susan, I will enjoy this food. How have you been?" I asked.
"I've been doing ok, I guess. I'm still living with my friend and her husband, and I've got a job helping John Eisner at the trading post."
"That is good." I smiled "That means when I come to town I will see you more often." Susan giggled and blushed a little more. Wise Beyond His Years poked at me and said we must go. "Very well. It seems we must go Susan. Please, the next time I am in town, seek me out. I will have a gift for you as well."
"Ok, that sounds great! I'll make sure I'm at the trading post next time." She teased. I offered a bow and went on my way.
On the way back to the village, Wise Beyond His Years started to ask many questions. "Friends With Dog, why do you like the white men so much?" He asked me.
"They are kind people. Didn't you see how they greeted us when we entered town? I know you can't understand what they're saying, but they often tell me to visit and that they like it when the Dakota come to see them. They are generous in their trading; we practically got this horse for nothing. The white men are good to us."
"But haven't you heard the stories of the whites destroying entire tribes? How do we know these whites won't do the same?"
"I trust that our whites won't attack us. We do nothing to harm them, nor they us. We have a trade system with them; they won't be quick to damage that. You may be called Wise Beyond His Years, but you are still too young to understand the white culture without experiencing it." What I said was true; Wise Beyond His Years was still quite young; the white man's calendar would say he was about 17 years old. I would be about 21 or 22. Wise Beyond His Years was given his name because of his vast wisdom. He knew things that most people didn't know until they were much older. Because of his wisdom and active mobility, he is often chosen to participate in hunts and tribal negotiations.
"Were did you learn the white man's language?" he asked me.
"Susan taught me. When the white men first came here a few seasons ago, I and a few others were sent to scout. Some of the white men spoke our language and we were able to communicate. They introduced me to Susan because she was another Husky. Even though she doesn't speak our language, she offered to teach me theirs. She has been very kind to me and has taught me much about white culture."
"I see. Do you have feelings for Susan?" he questioned. I didn't expect such a question and was taken aback. I thought of what to say and the words puttered out of my mouth.
"Um... uh..., no" I lied "She's just a very nice person who has done very good things for me." Wise Beyond His Years smirked. "If you say so." He teased. 'Clever Fox' I thought.
We had arrived back at the village just before the sun began to set. The white tipis beckoned to me that I was home The children all came to us laughing and happy, curious about how things had gone. Chief Scarred Face came to us as well. He had someone take the horse with the others.
"How was your visit to the white settlement?" he asked.
"It went well." I replied. "They warmly took us in and traded with us all of our goods."
"I did not ask for a horse." Scarred Face added.
"John Eisner gave it to us as a gift. He also thanks you for the meat."
"Good. John Eisner is truly a friend to the Dakota people. Did you get the other items I asked?"
"Yes Chief," Wise Beyond His Years said, offering him the sack "We have them all in this sack." Scarred Face took the sack and grinned.
"Good. You boys have done well." Scarred Face praised and walked back to his tipi. Wise Beyond His Years and I walked down to the river side to clean ourselves off from the long day.
"It's good that we can please our Chief." Wise Beyond His Years said. "Sometimes I think he won't be as hospitable because we're animal men."
"Don't talk like that." I said as I washed out my fur. "You know that we're all Dakota, regardless of our appearance. Human and animal man live in harmony here."
"Is it like that in the white settlement?"
"For the most part, yes. They get along, but the humans think of themselves as higher than the animal men. They live well together, there's just some discrimination." I shook myself dry and put my clothing back on. "I'm going to go see Strong As The Wolf. Do you want to come with?"
"Not today. I'm going to go back to my family's tipi and rest." I nodded and left the river.
Strong As The Wolf was another one of my good friends, and a Wolf animal man. According to the white calendar, we would be about 15 or 16; this made him the youngest animal man in the tribe. He often is teased for his name by the young human boys; they don't think he is as strong as an actual Wolf, which doesn't make much sense because he is a Wolf. He has told me that he looks up to me as an inspiration to him. In a short time, he is to take his first hunt to prove his manhood and he has asked me to accompany him.
I had found his family tipi, but there was nobody there. Disappointed, I walked back to my own tipi. I have no family, so I live in a tipi of my own. At the entrance my tipi stood Strong As The Wolf, looking inside.
"Strong As The Wolf?" I asked. He jumped back out of my tipi in surprise.
"Oh, there you are Friends With Dog. I was just looking for you."
"I was just looking for you." I said.
"Well it looks like we found each other." He smiled. "I wanted to talk to you about my hunt."
"Anything for you my friend." I put my arm around this shoulder and we walked down to the riverside, talking about his upcoming hunt.