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Discover the enduring legacy of the Pawnee tribe through the eyes of the Earth Lodge, a powerful symbol of warmth and survival. Follow their story from ancient traditions to modern-day challenges. Witness the transition from teepees to wooden houses, from buffalo hunts to city life, all while honoring their roots and preserving their heritage. Experience the resilience, traditions, and hopes of the Pawnee people.
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Earth Lodge of the Pawnee I, the powerful earth lodge, keep my people warm through the cold winter night. Great and comfortable, my brother the teepee shelters my people as they hunt furry, brown buffalo. In the garden, my friends, the three sisters – corn, beans and squash, provide vegetables for my people to survive. Thankfully and joyfully, my mother, the great river, supplies them with fresh, cool water for drinking and cooking. Soaring above the hawk stalks its prey while a teeny black mouse scurries through the grass. This is the story of the Pawnee, people of the Plains, my people.
Loud and unhappy, the tanned muscular men hunt towering buffalo, using bones for tools. In the wet earth lodge, the women make soft buckskin clothes from buffalo hides. Herding the energetic horses, the children lead them to pure, sparkling water. Quickly and swiftly, the men pull in their empty fish traps from the clear, blue river. Racing into the earth lodge, the children smell delicious buffalo roasting over the blazing fire. Then the conquistadors came and demanded shiny rocks from the river. With sticks that shoot fire and skin like turtle, these odd men with face like bear rode deer without antlers.
The Pawnee had never heard of such things, but these white men did not listen. Taking our food and water, they left nothing for my people, people of the river. Angry and dejected, the Pawnee packed their tall teepees in a heavy travois and followed the massive herds of buffalo. No longer do my people live in teepees, but they remain in wooden houses in the city. Instead of riding horses, they drive cars. Living on reservations, the Pawnees still respect the way of their fathers. Intelligent and cheerful, the tanned children attend the white mans school. Gladly and cheerfully, Pawnee men and women wearing pressed suits manage jobs in enormous cities.
I, the earth lodge, predict that the future of the Pawnee will be pleasant. Clever and decent, their native language will never disappear. At powwow, my people will maintain the delightful traditions of their elders. I, the earth lodge, will remember the splendid days of my tribe. This is the story of the Pawnee tribe, people of the earth, my people. By Michael #27
