In a small Seminole village in the Everglades lived two sisters with their pooshe. Their waache and taate died trying to hide from the colonizers. Therefore, the maternal pooshe took them in to raise them. The girls were two and four. They went by Hayatlek and Tenetke. They grew up inseparable, bonding through the fact that they only had themselves. They spent every moment with each other. Whether they were playing stickball with the rest of the kids, or they were dancing around the fire to the beats of the drum during corndance, they stood side by side, always, especially when with their pooshe.

However, as they grew up into their teenager years something changed. Hayatlek became outgoing and had a deep understanding of nature. In contrast, Tenetke was more introverted than Hayatlek and was conflicted between herself and her beliefs of her people. During this change between the girls, Pooshe Hyatlee, their grandma, started them on their spiritual journey. As children, the sisters followed traditional ways but knew little about the meaning behind what they partook in. So Pooshe Hyatlee started teaching them what the Creator wanted everyone to know: The medicine He provided for His people and the importance of the rituals and dancing, specifically the Green Corn Dance. As every Native American knows, keeping the culture and traditions alive is very important. Hayatlek was interested in the traditions of her people, as she should be. Tenetke, not so much, which is understandable. However, Pooshe Hyatlee was extremely set in the Seminole ways. Pooshe Hyatlee noticed the change of interest in Tenetke and was worried. “Would my own granddaughter not follow our ways?” she often thought to herself. She felt as if Tenetke had betrayed her. As time passed, Tenetke was straying away as Hayatlek was becoming more devoted. So as any Native grandma would naturally do, Pooshe Hyatlee started spending more time with Hayatlek. Teaching her how to make her own shakers for when Green Corn dance comes around. Showing her the different kinds of medicines and what they are used for. How to sew a skirt with a matching shempathagee. All the cultural ways and traditions that were taught to the girls and boys of their age. Hayatlek often questioned Tenetke’s dissent towards their peoples’ ways. She was always asking Tenetke questions like “Why aren’t you in here learning?” or “Pooshe wants to know if you would like to join us in making shakers for the upcoming Green Corn Dance, just this once?” Tenetke became more and more annoyed from all of the questions and lack of attention. She just wanted something finally for herself. Then she thought of a plan, out of jealously. She did not know how soon it could be put to work though.

That same night it started storming. The fapleechee was blowing strong. Everyone was in their chickees, sleeping, ready to ride the storm out. However, Tenetke had different plans.

“Hayat.. Hayatlek,” she whispered loudly.

“Heyla, what do you want?” Hayatlek asked annoyed.

Tenetke replied, “Let’s go to the great oak tree next to Lake Okeechobee.”

“Are you crazy? Pooshe is going to kill us,” Hayatlek answered.

“No she won’t. At least not you, she loves you,” Tenetke explained.

“Well you’re not wrong. Let’s go, I guess.” Hayatlek agreed. Tenetke was shocked that her plan had worked so easily, “Surely nothing could go wrong” she thought to herself. As they arrived closer to the lake, it started drizzling. Then the rain got heavier, and heavier. They ran for cover under the oak tree. This particular oak tree was the biggest there was near the village, this is where most council meetings took place. They decided to wait there until the storm calmed. The storm became calmer but the fapleechee was still howling. This meant that Tenetke had to put her plan to work. She tried convincing Hayatlek to go for a swim. Hayatlek was unsure since she was not the best swimmer. Tenetke started calling her a scaredy cat and how she never wants to be adventurous. Hayatlek, being the outgoing person she was, agreed to go. As she was getting ready to jump into the big lake, Tenetke pushed her in. In panic, Hayatlek forgot how to swim. Screaming, pleading for help, Hayatlek started drowning. Through the howling of the fapleechee, she could only be heard by her sister. Something came over Tenetke and she soon realized what she had done. She jumped in to try to save her baby sister. She could not, it was too late. She tried her best but she could not even keep herself up. She started crying for help. Her piercing screams also could not be heard; the fapleechee was blowing too strong. They both drowned.

The next morning, Pooshe Hyatlee could not find them. She asked around the village and no one had seen them since before they went to their chickee to sleep. Pooshe started worrying. She went to the Creator for help, and help did the Creator do. He guided her to Lake Okeechobee. She instantly fell into tears, knowing what this meant. Her wonks were gone. The village performed the traditional ceremony of passing. They waited three days to bury them. During that time they did everything else: they tore up the sisters’ clothes, so that in the afterlife they would be able to have perfect clothes. They threw away the sisters’ belongings. On the third day, Pooshe Hyatlee laid them to rest. Ever since that night, whenever a storm came, Seminoles see a great bolt of lightning striking near the oak tree, the exact place where Hayatlek drowned. And closely behind the lightning follows the thunder, the cries of Tenetke trying to save her baby sister. That is why lightning is called Hayatlek and thunder is called Tenetke in Elaponke.

Photo Credits: Photo by Earl Cunningham via Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Michael and Marilyn Mennello via https://americanart.si.edu/artwork/seminole-indian-summer-camp-32772