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The great peace has finally started. I don't care much, but my people are happy.
The five tribes in our area (Nachagoes, Twains, Taiwan, Fiapio, and us, the
Chiapas) have finally all agreed to sign a treaty. The great man sent a
messenger to give us the treaty. Our people only agreed because too many of our
men were dying. The wars were killing us.
I am Swift Runner. Well, that's not my real Indian name. My real name is
Hasdoge but, that is to hard for my people to pronounce so they named me Swift
Runner. Although they have never seen me run. The people think I am lazy and
that I never leave my home. I lived with my grandmother when my parents died.
But onto the story I have to tell...
Some of our men have wanted to walk the trails for years. We sent out a group
of men. They were supposed to return in 3 days. The 3 days passed and no men
returned. We waited another day. Our people worried, so another group went out.
We waited 5 days and we never saw them again. Our wise women, called the clan,
thought we should send our bravest man. All of the men of our tribe went to the
meeting to choose the men.
"Who ever can take these wan-puma beads from me will be a great warrior," the
Chief exclaimed. He walked past most of the men. "Will no on take these beads?
Do we not have a strong, brave warrior?"
"Chief, what about Swift Runner?" Chico said. The tribe laughed. Chief Waialua
held the beads in front of me. I took the beads.
"Do you accept the challenge?" Chief Waialua asked me.
"I guess. No one would miss me if I was gone," I replied.
I took the beads and went home. My grandmother had already heard. She told me to
throw a rock a long way and said I was ready since I threw it far enough.
We believed it was the Fiapio who were killing our men. I went out on the
trails. I found out it was a bear killing them and chased him for days. I ran
and ran. On the 4th day I caught up with whoever it was. I had found out it was
a bear. The great bear, Hagan, was killing my men. I had heard stories about him
and knew how to kill him.
Hagan told me to shoot him in the heart but I, I knew so much better than that.
I told him I knew his weak spot was his paw. He was worried, so he told me that
I could take his great powerful teeth and he would leave forever. I agreed and
went back to a cave. I found all my tribe's bones and healed them. From then on
the great peace was never threatened.
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