Gift from the Ancients: An Agate Spear Point

Contents

Introduction

Seeking a Vision

Agate Spear Point

The Great Bear

Thunder

Moon Cloud

Raiding Party

Spotted Elk

War Party

The Pony Herd

Yellow Flower

Changing Times

The Gift Continues

This book is dedicated to all those who have held a chipped point and wished it could tell you its story.

Introduction

The Great Spirit showed Ta-Na where to find the beautiful agate stone from which he would fashion a spear point that would become the symbol of his people. Follow this beautiful agate spear point as it effects the lives of all it touches.

Hundreds of years go by and the spear point is just as beautiful as it was when it was first created. Each time it is found the new owners wish it could tell them about the past it has seen and maybe even, what the future has in store.

Treasured as a true gift from the Ancients by all who find it, the agate spear point protects and enhances the lives of all that possess it.

Seeking a Vision

The driving rain came in sheets as the wind pushed it onward. It was a warm summer rain and the ground drank deeply of the raindrops as they pelted the grass. He sat there huddled against the side of a huge boulder, shielding himself against the storm. The wind howled and whistled through the tops of the tall pines standing overhead. Lightening flashed in long dagger-like bolts across the dark sky followed by the rumbling of thunder steadily getting closer. Suddenly a blinding lightening bolt split the dark sky overhead immediately followed by a loud clap of thunder that seemed to shake the ground. He watched a squirrel, confused by the loud noise, run in panic from one tree to another. Lightening flashed again followed by another booming clap of thunder. As the storm raged on, the dark sky seemed to be split apart at times from jagged bolts of lightening. Each time it was pierced by lightening, it would rumble its defiance as claps of thunder shook the air. He could smell the lightening in the air; it was so close at times. The rain was starting to lessen as the wind pushed the storm down off the mountain and onto the plains below. He could hear it getting farther and farther away as the rain suddenly quit falling. Being drenched by the rain felt good he thought, as he left the side of the boulder. The air was filled with the fresh smell of the earth, grass, and pine trees. He breathed in deeply through his nostrils, enjoying the freshness of the different scents in the air that immediately followed a rainstorm. The ground was muddy and water stood in puddles in some spots. Sunlight was shining through the clouds now as he stepped out into its warmth to dry out.

Standing in the warm light, he was of medium build with long, stringy, black hair hanging down his shoulders. Around his waist was fashioned a breechcloth made from an animal skin. He wore a whole deerskin draped over his shoulders and tied under his chin. Untying the hide, he removed it and shook the water off. His legs and arms were bare and were a black color from years of being in the sun. A full beard covered his wide face and he had a large thick nose and high forehead. His eyes were black and seemed to watch everything from behind his thick black eyebrows. His name was Ta-Na and he was the medicine man of a small band of Nomadic people. He had come to these mountains from the valley and open plains below to seek a vision. Fasting for five days and only drinking a little water each day, he continually prayed for a vision. Finally, just before the storm, the Great Spirit gave him his wish. In his dream he saw a magic place surrounded in a cloud-like mist. At the end of a small valley a mountain spring fed a small creek that wound its way down the mountain. In his vision he was told to go there and take a beautiful stone from the spring’s waters and fashion a long spear point from it. This spear point would become the symbol of his people and bring them good fortune.

Standing there letting the warm sunshine dry him out, he tightly closed his eyes and could see the mountain spring and small valley in his mind. A light breeze was blowing gently across him now, helping the sun dry him. He felt weak and very hungry after having fasted for so long. A large leather bag hung over his shoulder on a strap and rested on his hip. Reaching into the bag, he removed a small piece of dried meat and treated himself to his first food in five days. Savoring the flavor and taste, he let each bite slowly melt away in his mouth until unable to control his hunger, he chewed it up and swallowed it. After eating a thinly sliced piece of the dried meat, he made himself leave his last piece of meat in the bag. Around his waist was a makeshift belt holding his breechcloth up as well as a small leather bag on his right hip. In it he kept his hand knife and other tools he had fashioned. In one hand he carried a strong wooden bow partially wrapped in rawhide with a soft leather handle. Over his shoulder and across his back was a quiver with four stone-tipped arrows inside.

Smelling again the freshness that only follows the rain, Ta-Na looked down at his wet, moccasin covered feet and decided he would dry out better if he were on the move. The voice in the vision had said to find the spring, yet he didn’t know which way he should travel to find it. He decided to go in the direction the storm had come and moving quietly, disappeared into the timber. Traveling through the timber, he watched at all times for any signs of danger or opportunities to take food. He could feel hunger pains twisting through his stomach and knew he had to have food and rest soon. Several times ahead of him he heard the chattering of squirrels. Placing an arrow in his bow, he would sneak up quietly only to see them scamper away at the last second. For the rest of the day he traveled from one timbered ridge on the mountain to another. He was dry now and stopped to drink from several rain puddles before they all disappeared. Unable to stand it any longer, Ta-Na took the last piece of his dried meat from his leather bag. Forcing himself to eat very slowly, he made the dried meat last as long as he could. Soon it would be time to stop for the night and build a fire and rest, he thought to himself as he left the timber and saw the sun hanging just above the mountaintops.

He decided he would travel through a thick stand of timber ahead of him and camp for the night at the timber’s edge. He was still hoping to run into some fresh meat before it got dark and maybe in the thicker timber he would find something. Moving quietly through the trees, he slowly made his way up the side of the mountain. Then he saw them: two grouse were walking just ahead of him across the forest floor. The birds were a light gray color with short legs supporting their plump bodies. Their small heads, supported by a long neck, bobbed up and down as they walked carefully along. They knew he was there and were starting to get nervous, almost ready to fly. Walking faster they tried to sneak away, hoping he hadn’t seen them. Ta-Na removed an arrow from his quiver with a special stone point he had made for this very prize. It had a wide blunt point and yet was much smaller than the other arrowheads he hunted larger game with.

Placing the arrow in his bow, he drew the bow back and taking quick aim, released it. Feathers flew as the arrow buried itself deep into the grouse’s side. Flapping its wings, the grouse jumped up in the air and then fell back to the forest floor. Ta-Na watched carefully after shooting the grouse to see what the other grouse would do. As the arrow struck the grouse, the second grouse ran a few steps then flew away through the thick timber. Quickly Ta-Na ran to the downed bird and removed his arrow. Placing it into his bow again, he picked the grouse up by its feet and quickly went towards where he had seen the other fly. As he got close to where he thought it might be, he looked carefully all around including the lower hanging branches of the pines. Then he saw it starting to get nervous again. It was just ahead of him, sitting on the bottom branch of a large pine tree. Drawing back his bow, he sent his arrow towards the grouse just as it started to spread its wings to fly away. Almost in flight, the arrow pierced its body and sent it flapping its wings in death towards the ground. Ta-Na was elated! This was just what he needed to help him replenish his weakened body.

He must be going the right way he thought to himself as he picked the grouse up and removed the arrow. The Great Spirit was pleased with his travel and had given him two fat grouse for his supper. Carrying the two grouse by their feet, he quickly headed to where he wanted to camp for the night. He reached the timber’s edge just as the sun was being cradled gently by the mountaintops.

Quickly he gathered small twigs and scraped out a small fire pit. Removing some dried grass and wood shavings from his bag, he carefully shielded them from the light wind as he struck a piece of flint with a finger-sized hard rock he had found long ago. It was much harder than the flint and caused light sparks to fly gently into the downy grass when he struck the pieces together. He watched closely as a spark flew into the grass and remained red. Blowing ever so gently he caused the spark to grow brighter. Lifting the ball of grass, he carefully moved it about, raising his arm up and down to very lightly fan the glowing spark. Looking closely at the smoldering ember in his hand, he blew gently until smoke started to appear. Placing the smoking grass in the fire pit, he quickly stacked a few dry shavings and small twigs around and on it. On his hands and knees he blew gently on the smoking grass until flames appeared. Repositioning the twigs slightly over the flames, he watched as they engulfed the grass and ignited the twigs. Taking larger twigs and branches, he carefully stacked them on the flames until he soon had a roaring fire going.

Quickly skinning the birds with a hand held, stone knife, he spitted them on two medium sized branches over the fire. The sun was below the mountaintops now as the last rays of daylight fell on the open mountain face below him. The wind was blowing harder and caused the tall pines to sway slightly back and forth. Smoke from the campfire curled into the air and then was whisked away in the breeze. Soon the smell of burning pine was joined with the delicious smell of grouse cooking. Ta-Na kept turning the birds to cook them evenly as he added more wood to the fire.

It seemed like forever but finally the birds were cooked enough to eat. He wolfed down the first grouse and then started on the second. By the time he was through with the second, he was still hungry but his stomach pains were gone. Putting more fuel on the fire, he lay down and closing his eyes, fell asleep.

Several times he was awakened during the night by wolves howling. They were higher up the mountain and then later, down below him on the open mountain face. Each time Ta-Na would sit up and place several stout limbs on the fire’s coals to keep it burning. Once satisfied it was the wolves that woke him, he would pull the deer hide around him and curl up next to the fire’s warmth.

At daybreak he awoke and rubbed his arms and legs to get his circulation going and warm himself as he watched the first rays of sunshine cascade down on the mountainside. Standing, he yawned and stretched and then checked to be sure his fire was out. Stirring the coals he could see a few were still hot so he threw several hands full of dirt on the fire and stirred the coals again. Satisfied that they were out now, he grabbed his bow and walked out into the warm sunshine. Just below him several hundred yards away, he saw a large herd of