Clifford create for special Sings. Yet because they were a way of connecting a patient to higher powers, they had to be destroyed after each ceremony.
Clifford sat on a sheepskin on the dirt floor at the south side of the hogan, as was customary, while Ella took a seat on the blanket placed on the north end.
“You look as if you haven’t had a good night’s sleep in days,” he saidgently. “It must be hard for you when your daughter’s away with her father. And now with your injured friend . . .”
“Which brings me to the reason I’m here,” she said, not wanting to get into personal matters now. After explaining that the Tache family was requesting his services, she added, “Will you come to the hospital with me?”
“Of course.”
As he started to gather his ritual items, shestood at the doorway. “Where’s Julian?” she asked, curious. It was unusual not to see him hanging around his dad.
Clifford’s expression darkened. “My son’s visiting a friend who has a big-screen TV.” He shook his head slowly as if still trying to understand the unexplainable. “Last week he told me he’s longer interested in becoming a
hataalii
. He wants to leave the Navajo Nation as soon as hefinishes high school, and go to college somewhere outside New Mexico. At the moment he can’t decide between Los Angeles and New York.”
He paused, then in a heavy voice, added, “In a lot of ways he’s starting to remind me of you at that age. The reservation was your home, but you didn’t make it so until after you saw what the rest of the world had to offer.”
Ella remembered how badly she’d wantedto leave home. She’d wanted nothing to do with the hardships and poverty that surrounded them here. “To find myself, I had to leave. Have you ever understood that?”
“Eventually I did. I just never thought my son would go through the same thing you did. I’d hoped he would find his path among us. Here, he would have been protected just as we are. Our sacred mountains watch over the
Diné
and ourways continually guide us. We know the power of the spoken word and are careful not to call evil to us. We greet the dawn with an offering of pollen, the gift of life, and walk in beauty,” he said, then fell silent. “That’s the world that I wanted to share with him.”
“He’s thirteen, and is starting to realize that he’s not just an extension of you. He wants to be himself, but first he has tofind out who that is.”
“I know. It’s all a natural progression, but it still worries me. Right now he’s with his friend, and the boy’s father is a medical doctor. Their beliefs and ours . . .” Clifford took a deep breath, then shook his head. “Let’s not get into this now. We have other business to attend to,” he said, gathering his medicine pouch, and adjusting his white headband. “Once we’reat the hospital, I’ll speak to the family first. Then as soon as the doctors give me permission, I’ll do a pollen blessing over the patient.”
“You won’t have any problems.” Doctors who worked on the Rez soon learned that, to walk in beauty, the spirit of a Navajo needed its own medicine.
SIX
S
oon Ella and Clifford were on their way to the hospital in her vehicle. As they traveled down the highway, a long silence stretched out between them.
“What’s bothering you, sister? I sense something is,” Clifford said at long last.
“Dr. Jane Lee was the one who invited you to do your talks at the college, right?”
“Yes, and I agreed because I think our youngpeople would benefit from them. They’re being taught all about Christianization among the
Diné
and I think there should be more balance. I plan to do my part to provide that. Is there a problem?” he asked.
“No, not at all. How about letting me drive you to your lectures, to and from, at least for a while? I need a reason to be around Dr. Lee. I’d also like you to help me keep an eye on her, andsee if she’s in regular contact
Clifford sat on a sheepskin on the dirt floor at the south side of the hogan, as was customary, while Ella took a seat on the blanket placed on the north end.
“You look as if you haven’t had a good night’s sleep in days,” he saidgently. “It must be hard for you when your daughter’s away with her father. And now with your injured friend . . .”
“Which brings me to the reason I’m here,” she said, not wanting to get into personal matters now. After explaining that the Tache family was requesting his services, she added, “Will you come to the hospital with me?”
“Of course.”
As he started to gather his ritual items, shestood at the doorway. “Where’s Julian?” she asked, curious. It was unusual not to see him hanging around his dad.
Clifford’s expression darkened. “My son’s visiting a friend who has a big-screen TV.” He shook his head slowly as if still trying to understand the unexplainable. “Last week he told me he’s longer interested in becoming a
hataalii
. He wants to leave the Navajo Nation as soon as hefinishes high school, and go to college somewhere outside New Mexico. At the moment he can’t decide between Los Angeles and New York.”
He paused, then in a heavy voice, added, “In a lot of ways he’s starting to remind me of you at that age. The reservation was your home, but you didn’t make it so until after you saw what the rest of the world had to offer.”
Ella remembered how badly she’d wantedto leave home. She’d wanted nothing to do with the hardships and poverty that surrounded them here. “To find myself, I had to leave. Have you ever understood that?”
“Eventually I did. I just never thought my son would go through the same thing you did. I’d hoped he would find his path among us. Here, he would have been protected just as we are. Our sacred mountains watch over the
Diné
and ourways continually guide us. We know the power of the spoken word and are careful not to call evil to us. We greet the dawn with an offering of pollen, the gift of life, and walk in beauty,” he said, then fell silent. “That’s the world that I wanted to share with him.”
“He’s thirteen, and is starting to realize that he’s not just an extension of you. He wants to be himself, but first he has tofind out who that is.”
“I know. It’s all a natural progression, but it still worries me. Right now he’s with his friend, and the boy’s father is a medical doctor. Their beliefs and ours . . .” Clifford took a deep breath, then shook his head. “Let’s not get into this now. We have other business to attend to,” he said, gathering his medicine pouch, and adjusting his white headband. “Once we’reat the hospital, I’ll speak to the family first. Then as soon as the doctors give me permission, I’ll do a pollen blessing over the patient.”
“You won’t have any problems.” Doctors who worked on the Rez soon learned that, to walk in beauty, the spirit of a Navajo needed its own medicine.
SIX
S
oon Ella and Clifford were on their way to the hospital in her vehicle. As they traveled down the highway, a long silence stretched out between them.
“What’s bothering you, sister? I sense something is,” Clifford said at long last.
“Dr. Jane Lee was the one who invited you to do your talks at the college, right?”
“Yes, and I agreed because I think our youngpeople would benefit from them. They’re being taught all about Christianization among the
Diné
and I think there should be more balance. I plan to do my part to provide that. Is there a problem?” he asked.
“No, not at all. How about letting me drive you to your lectures, to and from, at least for a while? I need a reason to be around Dr. Lee. I’d also like you to help me keep an eye on her, andsee if she’s in regular contact
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