The Native American indian princess awakes from the jostling of the giant bull she is strapped to as he makes his way across the plain. Laying spread eagle facing the sun, arms and legs bound with leather, she wonders who she is, where she comes from, and why she is strapped to the back of the bull.

Managing to free one of her hands, she twists around to see where she is as she works on freeing her other bounds. The savannah is scattered with small scrub bushes and few trees that offer scarce shade from the blazing sun. In the distance appears the edge of a forest promising shade, water and cool relief from the desert heat… or is it just a mirage? As she works on freeing the last leather strap from her remaining bound ankle, the bull slows his lumbering as if arriving at a predetermined destination, stops, and stoops his front legs and then his back legs as he eases his massive body down against the earth. Releasing the last knot, she slips her foot out of the restraint and slides down the side of the bull onto the ground. The bull looks at her as if to offer encouragement.

She thinks how strange, but then again it seems unusually familiar, as if she knows what to do next. She kneals on her knees, pulls a small wooden spoon from her loincloth, scoops a spoonful of dry dirt from Mother earth and begins to eat it. After swallowing the mineralized humus, she again scoops another spoonful and with much difficulty swallows it. Finally, as the last bit of dirt descends her throat, she looks up and is startled to see a Kachina standing before her. This ancestral spirit has the wings of an eagle. She suddenly remembers stories of Omigizi (oh-mee-gee-zee), the ancient shaman chief of a tribe protecting and healing the community and talking story among the elders around the great fire. The tribe was known as the Eagle Clan, descendants from the Anishinaabe. Kachina inhabit the sky and come forth on the wind when called or needed. They are spontaneous beings made from primordial aether and invoked by the divine breath, invocation, and prayer. Although she cannot see the kachina’s face for the sun lay directly behind it, she does see it raise its hands over her, clasping what looks like sage. As the Kachina begins pulverizing the herb allowing its particles to shower down upon her, she instinctively opens her mouth and receives the blessing into the core of her being. Deep in her mind she hears the Kachina whisper.

“Princess Noojimo’iwe, you’ve been chosen to fulfill your destiny as tribal medicine healer. Go forth to the ground of your ancestors and seek counsel from the wise ones. Learn their ways of healing the spirit, dream the eye of the eagle, and then return to the great valley beyond the mountains to lead your people into the peaceful land. You will be known as ‘Iwe’ (ee-way).”

The Kachina vanishes. She thinks, “Lead my people, I don’t even know who my people are, much less where the grounds of my ancestors are. Why…” Before she could continue her internal questioning, she spontaneously stands up and draws a circle around her in the dirt with the handle of the spoon she still grasps. Raising her arms to the heavens, she looks into the sky and begins to chant.

Ah-ee-o Great Spirit ah-ee-o,
Come from the heavens of the four directions,
And bless us with the winds of breath, the fire of soul, the rain of emotion, and the substance of body.

Ah-ee-o Great Spirit ah-ee-o,
We acknowledge your presence and thank you for the gift of life.
We beseech you; remove the thunderclouds of confusion and allow the lightning of your wisdom to enliven and enlighten us.
Show us the way to our ultimate destiny, or destroy us before one more day has passed.

Ah-ee-o Great Spirit ah-ee-o,
May the celestial kachinas be pleased with our prayers,
May the ancestral spirits weave their waves of grace upon our people,
And may we find our way back home to the Sacred Mother.
Ah-ee-o Great Spirit ah-ee-o!
It is done.

Somewhat bewildered and thinking how strange it is she knows just what to do, she resigns herself to the fact of her current situation – out in the middle of the desert; a day or more ride to the forest where she hopes to find food and water; and feeling weak, parched, and confused.

She looks at the bull who had arisen and was feeding on some nearby scrub grass. From the ground where the bull had lain, she gathers up the worn leather straps that had bound her. Tying them together gave her just enough strap for a single rein. Soon she is on the back of the bull guiding him towards the distant forest. Mystified, she tries to remember where she comes from, who her people are, and how she came to be in this place.

“If I only I could remember, I would return home to my people, warm with food, shelter and safety.”

Suddenly, a majestic golden eagle comes out of the sky swooping within inches of her and screeches an ear-shattering cry, spooking the bull into a galloping run. Quickly clenching her hands onto the muscular neck of the bull and digging her heals into his ribs, she barely hangs on as the bull runs for its life. Across the savannah, through the gullies, dry riverbeds, and cactus fields the bull runs. After what seems like hours, the bull finally slows, stops, looks into the Princess’s eyes and falls over, throwing her to the ground – knocking her unconscious.

Sometime later, Iwe awakens in a small circular dwelling. It has a fire pit in the center and roof-hole directly above the fire allowing the smoke to escape. She looks over and sees a small table with an array of meats, vegetables, spices, and flowers next to an old woman huddled over a pot of soup cooking on the fire. The old woman is humming a familiar chant while adding a pinch of this and a bit of that to the pot.

“Where am I?,” asks Iwe. The old woman turns, smiles a big toothless grin and rises to take a seat by her. She looks at Iwe and examines her head by pressing on various pressure points. “Ow, that hurts,” exclaims Iwe. “Who are you?”

“I am your grandmother. My name is Aanikoobijigan but you can call me Aani (ah-ah-nee). You’ve been missing for many moons, but the Great Spirit has brought you back to me.” Iwe hugs her. “You’ve had quite a tumble my dear. If I hadn’t come along, I fear you would have been dinner for the wolves. The cool aloe poultice under the dung mask will keep the swelling down, but what you need is rest for it to heal.”

Her voice is soothing and calming, thought Iwe. Aani returns to the soup pot and ladles a heaping full into a wooden bowl, while praying, “Oh Great Spirit, thank you for the sacrifices of the plants and animals who nurture us with this food. Thank you for all of life. And thank you for your guidance, compassion, and blessing as we fulfill our earthly existence. Gichi-manidoo miigwech! Thank you Great Spirit.”

Handing the bowl to Iwe, Aani sits back, watches Iwe gulp the soup down and says, “Let me tell you a story my dear. It will answer many of your questions.” Before Iwe can say anything, Aani begins to speak.

“In the not-too-distant moons of the Eagle Clan, there was a young one born of royal lineage, a princess with Spirit-given powers of the five elements; earth, wind, water, fire, and aether. However, these powers were not to become fully active until she matured beyond the Ring Pass-Not (the manifested world). As a small child she seemed just like all the other children, except for one notable feature, her eyes were an azure blue like the waters of the ocean. Her mother would spend hours looking into the eyes of her daughter, transmitting sacred history and wisdom to the little one’s fast-evolving inquisitive mind.

While other children were playing with dolls, running foot races, and swimming in the rivers, this princess was more comfortable walking in the forests and mountains, talking with the animals, and gazing at the sky, moon and stars. She would spend hours sitting in meditation and contemplating the mysteries of the Great Spirit.

When she was fifteen, her mother died of a mysterious illness that stopped the breath unnatural to the normal life-breath pattern. Just before her mother took her last breath, she gave her daughter a small wooden birth spoon the princess was teethed on and fed with as a baby. It had an eagle carved into the handle and in the center of the eagle was inlaid an eye of turquoise. She said, “Take this spoon of destiny. It holds the eye of the eagle to always remind you to take solace in the Great Spirit.”

Her mother closed her eyes and died with a great sigh of gratitude and love for her daughter. Tears streamed down the princess’s cheeks as she experienced the pain of separation death forced upon her. Grief-stricken and realizing she would never see her mother again, she ran into the forest and lived on roots and berries for many moons.

One day, the Medicine Man from her tribe suddenly appeared to her in a vision and said she was destined to become a great healer, but first she must return to the village for the initiation. He told her he was sent by the spirit of her mother to find her and bring her back. The princess reluctantly returned to the village to undergo the initiation…”

As Aani continued her story, Iwe drifts off into a deep sleep. Aani smiles, rises, and retires for the night..

The next morning, Iwe awakes in the abode alone. She wonders where her grandmother is. She gets up, rubs the sleep from her eyes, and carefully steps toward the front entrance. Pulling the animal hide aside covering the entrance, she slips out into the brisk morning air to find Aani strapping provisions to the bull. Water in leather bags, dried meat, nuts, berries, plant material and a special powder that sparkles in the sun.

“Is that my bull? I thought he was dead!,” exclaims Iwe as she strokes the animal’s ears and fur.

“Yes my dear,” Aani chuckles, “it seems he needed his rest as much as you did.”

Iwe eyed the provisions. “Are you going on a journey?”

Aani smiles as her eyes twinkle. “Oh no my dear, I am too old and frail to travel any farther than to collect food and water from the forest. It is you who are going on a journey.”

Iwe looks at her grandmother with trepidation.

Aani continues, “Remember who you are my dear, a great Indian princess born into the Eagle Clan and destined to heal the tribe and lead your people into the promised land of peace and harmony. The legend speaks of a healer with special gifts and abilities, a dark-haired beauty with the eyes of wisdom and a heart of love for all. You are that living legend.”

Aani finishes strapping down the provisions, and continues with instructions. “You will leave today and travel to the mountain beyond the forest. Don’t tarry in the forest too long for there are forces in the night that can trick the mind and test the body beyond its limits. Once you reach the mountain, look for the hermit’s temple cave. Take your rest there for he is a well-known and respected priest who will not harm you. But do not rest too long. Your future is calling you on the wind. Ascend the mountain to the summit where you will encounter the Ancient Ones. They will help you discern that which you must know and forgive that which must go. For it is in the wisdom of the elders that the answers flow.”

Iwe suddenly recalls what the Kachina said yesterday. “Go forth to the ground of your ancestors and seek counsel from the wise ones.”

Aani pulls an amulet from around her own neck. “This is for you.” She places it over Iwe’s head. “It will protect you and bestow a special power when you ingest a little bit of that powder.”

Iwe looks at both the amulet and the powder glass among the provisions. The amulet was made of silver, a circle encompassing a four-corners cross with what looks to be red coral stone and a silver feather dangling from each corner. In the center of the cross was a round polished turquoise stone. The back of the amulet opens which she discovers is filled with the powder.

Aani continues, “You put a pinch under your tongue. It will protect you, give you temporary vision through the eagle eye and the ability to see the future. However, a word of caution. Only use when the moon is full or you will risk losing your way to this reality.”

Iwe hugs her grandmother and thanks her for the amulet, provisions, and guidance, but still has some burning questions. Looking into Aani’s eyes she asks, “Where is my father?”

Suddenly a great wave of compassion like a warm embrace flows from Aani to Iwe. “He is in spirit sitting among the elders. A great chief among chiefs, many tribes still remember and share stories of his kindness, power, and justice. He watches over you always, even at this moment.”

Iwe felt a pang of sadness she never got to know her father, but also a feeling of joy for fleeting memories of his face, laughter, and strength. “And my grandfather Omigizi?,” Iwe inquired.

A tear fell from the corner of her grandmother’s eye.

“That my dear is a story I shall save for when you return. Now be off with you for the day is shortened from our talk and your destiny awaits.
May the Great Spirit protect you,
The Sun spirit warm you,
The Moon spirit soothe you,
The four directions give you guidance,
And our Ancestors help you learn the ways of Spirit.”

Aani turns and enters the abode, leaving Iwe alone.