After my last post I found myself cruising around the vast prairie getting the lay of the land. It was a strange kind of beautiful that made you feel naked in the presence of all those ground squirrels. The ethereal moment came to an abrupt halt when a distinctive clunk shook the back of the truck. The transmission was toast. I managed to make the short distance into a town called Cut Bank and filled up, not knowing whether I'd have to nurse the rig back to East Glacier where my belongings were, thirty-some miles distant. Wouldn't you know it, but the only Chevy dealer in the area was at the far end of town? I had two options: Wait a week until the parts could be shipped and installed or; buy a new truck and complete my research. It's really interesting when you don't have enough money for repairs, but you can get into a new vehicle with a trade-in and no cash. It was a lost day, but I was able to get back into the saddle at the end of it. On my way back to my motel I couldn't help but notice that same expansiveness and wondered what the Blackfeet must have felt when a horse came up lame. It would've been an awfully long walk with my walking stick! More about the Indian Days experience in a future post after It has been a while since my last post due to travel and a well-spent couple of days with my Son and Grandson in Wenatchee, WA. I'm based in East Glacier, MT and rove around the Blackfeet Reservation from here. All of the motel rooms in the area are booked due to the North American Indian Days festivities going on through Sunday, the 13th.
I sit on the edge of a huge, grassy, rolling prairie that looks like it goes forever. I'm at the edge of Glacier National Park where there are an abundance of pines and quaking aspen with a backdrop of jagged mountain peaks commanding the land. My goal is to gather research on the countryside and the Blackfeet Tribe, whose headquarters is Browning some 12 miles away. I haven't been disappointed so far. I'm finding that you can't always believe what you read. Local folks are much more succinct in describing their way of life and generally leave out all of the PC nonsense going around these days. They aren't afraid to call themselves Indians. The North American Indian Days pow wow is going on now. The grand entry was last night. Awesome regalia. Tribes from all over the U.S. and Canada are represented. Once I figure out my new camera, I'll post a few pictures to ponder. Meanwhile, breakfast is calling, so I must go and soothe the savage belly! I already know that I'm going to need to change my storyline, so the wheels are turning. At least I didn't write the whole book before I discovered it. |
AuthorMy paternal Great Grandfather was full-blood Cherokee and his wife was full-blood Kickapoo. The rest of me is a Euro-mix. Archives
August 2015
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