By: Cooper Couden

My name is Sahale (means “falcon” in my language)

I am part of the Chickasaw tribe.My family and I live in the southeast region of

America

This is my story …

This moon we must build a new chickee for a new addition to the tribe. Oh, I am so sorry for not introducing myself! I am Sahale, and this is my sister and brother and father. This moon my father told me to go out to get some river cane bark for the roof of the chickee. I helped thatch it on. Then father and me tied the wooden poles to the thatched roof. Whew, that was definitely hard work! Finally, we had to make the floor. Father made the floor with specially carved wood and we raised it up so it was the appropriate height above the ground. There! Then it was finished. The new family moved in and loved it.

Ohhh, ewww! Look at all of the mud I have gotten on my moccasins. Its even on my deer-skinned leggings. It’s a good thing that it at least did not get on my breechcloth. The bad part is we don’t clean the clothes until three moons from now. At least my mother and sister aren’t muddy. Their skirts of deer skin and even their moccasins aren’t dirty! In winter there poncho-style blouses don’t have a scratch. They keep up so well with the house. Even when mother must clean up all of the hair strands when she cuts our hair into scalplocks on top of our heads.

I am so excited! This moon we are going to have a feast! Last moon my father and his men had a very successful hunt. Mom and sister have spent so much time growing and cooking these wonderful foods. Oh, and the feast will have so many delicious things; soups, cornbread, squash, deer, salads of papayas, chocolate, avocado, pumpkins, wild rice, tomatoes and sweet potatoes. There’s even more food like turkey, pheasants, trout, salmon, rabbit, ducks, clam, shellfish, whale and so many more delicious, mouthwatering treats to eat! You might as well come join us!

This moon is a very special moon. This moon is the green corn festival! It is the changing from the golden time (summer) to the time of white rain (winter). Father is going to wear a head dress of turkey feathers and everything! Mother has put out her hearth fire, and she has also broken all of her pots. I am not sure if that one is part of the festival, though. Father has gone out with all the other men to paint the buildings and mend the old quarrels. Now, we shall go out to town square to fast and pray to the gods above. I can not wait to bathe in the stream and feast once more!

I awoke early. It was only the dawning hour when I rose. I did my usual routine. I had some papayas and set off to do my chores. They were simple. Things like cleaning and drying the clothes, organizing the chickee, and more chores like that. The next thing I had to do was train how to use a bow with father. I will need it when we hunt. Then I sat at the small table in our chickee and ate some salmon from last moon. Finally, I could play! Me and my brother headed to the toli field and had a game with the other kids. Last but not least, dinner!

This moon me and some friends decided to explore the marsh. Its always wet so (of course) mother has told me to wear my hunting moccasins. With out them all of my body would become covered with mud. They are longer than my regular moccasins. Anyway we were out in the marsh and something INCREDIBLE happened! We have discovered a new camp! Not just any camp, but a camp with white men. This is very, very rare. Not only because they are white men, but because we are very good with direction. We will absolutely NEVER get lost. Its in our nature. Now, just a few days earlier, we were out here and there wasn’t any sign of inhabitance any where. Now father and the whole tribe is worried.

Last moon I had to work so much! Father told me and my sister to harvest the family crops, which consist of corn, bean, pepperbush, squash, and a few patches of willow oaks and American elderberry. We love the fruits that grow on them. Father also said I could go on the next hunt with him, its such a special honor, especially at my age (11). We will hunt deer, wild turkeys, small game, and fish. We might even get a chance at killing a Northern Right Whale!

This moon was very fun! Me and my brother, Paco (means “powerful eagle” in my language), were playing Toli in a moist drizzle of rain with some kids in the village. All of the sudden, the rain came down on us harder. The field became muddier. It was even more fun than before!

This moon it was very humid and drowsy outside. This goes to show that even after a big rainstorm, it can be very, very hot.

This moon a large storm came. This happens much, so I was not fearful. But the storm didn’t stop. On through the night the storm raged. It eventually became a “tropical storm” said Mother. These happen most days of the golden time, (summer) but I have never been in one before. Trees are ripping from their roots and our crops are being flooded and are spoiling. I started worrying even though Mother told me not to. The old chickee roof starts to leak. I try to plug it up but the rain and winds become. too strong. Our gods (Abaꞌ Binniꞌliꞌ which means Sitting or Dwelling Above) must’ve been very angry this moon.

Last moons storm was very intense. Most of our village walls were destroyed. Only the southern portion survived. Nobody got hurt, but some houses were demolished by the pure force of the storm. The ball field where we played Toli (like one version of lacrosse) is gone because all of the grass was pulled up. Our village was torn apart, and now we must put it back together again.

This moon will be very exciting and deadly! You may have thought by now we are a peaceful, calm tribe. We’re not! We fight, steal, raid, and kill! We join and cause war. Just because our distant brothers, the Choctaws, are known as peaceful, doesn’t mean we must be. Anyway, This moon we will raid the neighboring tribe, the Natchez. They have grown lots of corn and somehow were not affected by the past tropical storm. This is going to be FUN!

The Chickasaw Tribe Seal• was adopted in 1856• shows great Chickasaw tribe leader

‘Tishomingo’• “Tishomingo” Lived to over 100 years• Holds bow and deer skin shield• Stand for tribes determination, and glory• The arrows in his hand stand for the

two ancient branches of Chickasaw people

I am not sure how I feel this moon. This moon these strange white men came to our village. I am scared. I have heard of other tribes that have been moved to other parts of Turtle Island (North America) against their will. They have big sticks that blow something out of the end at an alarming rate.

The next moon…I am very scared now! They have made us

move along a trail that seems like forever. They are moving us to a place called “Oklahoma”. They say we can have the land forever. I’m not so sure.

I am proud of turning this in and on time. It was very frustrating and hard when I can NOT find any information on my tribe (especially the climate/weather). With me stepping out of character for the end, I found the project to be pretty challenging. Overall, it was an interesting topic, I did like the project and would like to see more of it in the future. These kinds of projects are important for me to understand how our world started. The Native Americans had a very difficult time living and sometimes I take my own world and life for granted and it teaches me to be grateful. Even though I feel confidant in the work that I put into this, I don’t think I got an A++. Who knows what Mr. Barber will give me? Thanks for reading!

Ciment, James. Scholastic ENCYCLOPEDIA of the North American Indian. 1st edition. U.S.A: Scholastic Inc., 1996. Print.

Pierce, Griffin. The encyclopedia of Native Americans. 1st edition. New York, New York: Penguin Group Inc., 1995. Print.

Hakim, Joy. The First Americans. 1st edition. New York, New York: Oxford University Press Inc., 1993. Print.

Redish, Laura and Lewis, Orrin. Chickasaw Tribe Indian Fact Sheet. 1998. Web. 13 Sept. 2014. <www.bigorrin.org>.

"Native Americans for Kids: Chickasaw Tribe." Ducksters. Technological Solutions, Inc. (TSI), Oct. 2014. Web. 15 Oct. 2014. <http://www.ducksters.com/history/native_americans/chickasaw_tribe.php>.