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| Chief Mountain by � wetzelbill Many years ago there was a young Blackfeet warrior who was renowned for his great courage and bravery. In his young age he had fought many battles, distinguishing himself as a leader and had become very well respected among all members of his tribe. As time went on, this young warrior gained more experience and many accolades until he, at last, was deemed worthy of being made a war-chief. Shortly, thereafter he fell in love with a young girl in his tribe, who was of amazing resplendence. His love was so strong for her that they soon married and he never took another wife. More surprisingly, vowed never to go on another war party again, as a sign of his devotion to her. They lived a life of love and bliss, eventually having a child together, which added even more to their happiness. Several moons had come to pass and the war-chief had sent out a war party to strike down and raid the Blackfeet's enemies, but something had gone awry. The war party had come upon misfortune and their medicine was not strong on this occasion. They had been attacked and nearly all of them were obliterated and sent to the Sand Hills. Only four of the party had survived to make it back to the Blackfeet camp. As the survivors told their story of woe, the young war-chief became greatly troubled and saddened by these events. As he was lying awake that night he looked over at his sleeping wife and child, then came to his decision. He knew these enemies had to be struck swiftly and made to pay for the attack on his war party. Otherwise, they would have no respect and would eventually raid the Blackfeet camp. The very next day the war-chief called a gathering of all the young men in the band and they had a large war feast. Once they had feasted and eaten their fill, the Chief stood up to speak. He began somberly and lamentative for the issue at hand was a grave one.. "Friends and brothers" his voice boomed throughout the camp in resonant tones. " We have all heard the tale that our four young brothers have told us." The Chief paused for effect and stared at each one of the young men in front of him. All eyes were on him and they looked hungry and eager to avenge their fallen brothers. "These four men have survived and we give thanks to Napi for this, but many of our friends and relatives have gone on to the Sand Hills. Our enemies have made us cry. Now we must avenge our fallen and make them cry even more." The Chief paused again. This time his eyes hardened and he felt rage toward the enemy. He felt the lust for battle once again. "We who are living must form a war party, we must engage our enemy so that they don't think we are weak and try to attack us within the confines of our camp." The Chief paused one final time before making his final statement. Neither the young men in the camp breathed nor their animal brothers in the woods made a sound. The evening air hung in the moments before the Chief spoke the last words of his speech. "I will lead this War Party and bring us vengeance in our victory. Who among you are brave enough to follow me? To find the courage to avenge the deaths of our fallen brothers? To make our enemies cry for what they have done?" One by one each young warrior stood up and gathered around their leader. All were somber. All were silent. All were strong. They knew the danger up ahead and what needed to be done. As the men prepared to leave for battle, the Chief's wife wept for his decision. She tried valiantly to join the war party so she could be with him. She asked but was told no, time and time again no. He would not allow her to go, until finally she told him. "If you go on this war party. If you leave without me, you will return to an empty lodge." The Chief did his best to calm her, he could not bear to be without her, but his people needed him to lead them just this one time. He promised his safe return and reiterated his love for her and their child. Finally, he had sufficiently convinced her that this was what was best. She was needed to stay among the women, children and old men. As the Chief's wife they would need her while he was gone. In this way, she decided to stay at the camp, which was at the foot of a high, regal, mountain. The Chief left camp with a large contingent of young warriors. Some experienced in battle while others who were preparing for their first taste of war. They all had on their war paint-were prepared for battle-and the Chief led them to the enemy camp. They met the enemy and a great battled ensued. The Chief fought valiantly as he had done many times before and led his men to a resounding victory avenging the defeat of their war party a few moons before. But as the battle was nearing the end the Chief was killed by one of the enemies and the men, saddened by the loss of their leader, carried his, battered and broken body all the way back to the Blackfeet camp underneath the majestic mountain. Upon seeing her dead husband, his wife became overcome with grief and inconsolably distraught. She had lost her heart and mind due to her extreme sadness and in the following days began to wander about calling her husband's name and searching for him. She refused to believe that he had left her like that. Her eyes had become vacant and she seized to function as she always had when her life was whole. Her friends had hoped her mind would become clear again and she would come to her senses returning back to her normal life. They tried their best to take care of her and her child, but she fell deeper and deeper into the despondence of her grief. This went on for some time until one day she could not be found anywhere in or near the camp. Everyone searched for her but it was all in vain. She and her baby were nowhere to be found. Then one of the young hunters, who had very sharp, keen eyes, spotted her high up on the side of a mountain, the tall one that rose up above their camp. She stood precariously on a ledge, her baby in her arms and the same vacant look in her eyes staring out across the world. The elders of the camp sent the fastest runners up the mountain after her, but she waved from the top of the mountain that no one should try to reach her. All of the members of the band watched in horror as she threw her baby off the mountaintop and then seconds later plunged to her very own death as well, joining both her husband and child in that regard. Saddened by the tragedy, the people buried both her and the child's bodies in the very rocks where they had fallen to their deaths. They then carried the body of the Chief and buried him next to his child and the woman that he had loved so deeply. From that time the mountain where they were buried became known as "Minnow Stahkoo�, which can be translated to mean "Mountain of the Chief" or "Chief Mountain. To this very day, if you are to look closely at the face of Chief Mountain you may see the figure of a woman standing with a baby in her arms. These are the silhouettes of the wife and only child of the Chief as they are about to jump to their deaths unto the rocks below. Retold by Bill Wetzel from an old Blackfeet tale |
