The Chokeberry Bush

It was the girl’s secret gathering place to hide from the rest of the tribe. They especially loved doing their work under the full moon. The river adding the bonus- reflections of light and shadow from the trees.

Creatures of the night watched as three of the five girls started unwrapping their bundles. Two of the girls, Aponi and Catori, went searching for dead branches to build a fire. Sparks were needed to stoke their imaginations to design their ribbon dresses.

Catori’s job was to ignite the branches. She loved watching the flames try to escape the dead bark. Some force beaconed the fire to embrace the moon. Most believed the fire was a Grandfather spirit. But not Catori. She believed it was a Grandmother spirit.

Aponi laughed at Catori’s face she was making while trying to imitate the flames.

“Come on, Catori. We got to finish these dresses for the Ceremony and we need you to start the ribbon cutting.”

The young girl was reluctant, “Okay, I’m coming.” She said while adding more fuel to the fire.

The girls sat in a circle and began ripping the scraps of fabric into squares and rectangles forming the basics of their design.

The crackling fire inspired the girls to sing as they tore the material. The rhythm and the melody embraced their love of sisters long gone.

Aponi said, “Catori it is time for me to fly.”

Catori looked around at the surroundings. She had to be sure that no outsider was watching.

“Okay, let’s go!” Catori grabbed Aponi’s hands and the two began to dance.

A third girl begged them to stop. “You can’t do that! It is the men’s dance!”

“No men around, so what is the problem?” asked Catori.

Aponi teased the young girl. “Catori means spirit so why shouldn’t she dance the spirit dance of men.” The young girl pointed her toes to touch the sacred soil. The heels followed the beat adding red clay particles to the blue beads on her moccasins. Stomp!

“Yeah and how can you prevent a butterfly from flying?” added Catori matching her stomp to the rhythm of the crackles.

Aponi smiled then laughed. She was grateful that her parents gave her a name meaning butterfly.

The warrior wannabes continued with the dance.

“You are going to get us in trouble!” insisted the outsider.

“Stop worrying and add some more wood to the fire, please,” begged Catori. She loved how the sparks from the fire was like dancing among glitter bugs.

Aponi grabbed one of the ribbons. Catori joined in with two ribbons. The other girls couldn’t resist. They also joined with their scraps of material. They became ribbon warriors preparing for battle. Awakening the Earth! Begging the Earth with prayers! The moon lighting the way. Sparks adding the fuel to the stomps! Stomp! Stomp! Stomp!

A young boy was watching from a chokeberry bush. He was called Dakota which meant he was a good friend and companion. But that didn’t matter because he didn’t have friends. They felt his spirit was too strange, too odd.

Sparks and the colors of the ribbons reflected in his eyes. Dakota was fascinated by the free spirits. The ribbons intertwining with the girl’s long hair being lit up by a background of flying sparks, their spirts embraced by the moon.

Dakota wanted to leap from the chokeberry bush and join the frolic. The young boy could easily point his toes. Even stomp on top of his toes! That had to be kept a secret. Though, he wondered if the tribe knew of his talents creating the most beautiful and intimidating outfit to wear and stomping on top of his toes!

Dakota suppressed a laugh at the faces he would see if he did such a thing. No, his pusch (the Native American word for penis) would keep his spirit from ripping material into beautiful patterns.