Alo 

I  had just turned 16 years last week. My father Callian, the warrior chief, had made plans for us to go hunting today. Of course I was excited but also scared. My Magoo (Grandma) had told me stories of her brothers who went out hunting and didn't return. 

I finally gave in today. When I woke up I saw my sister preparing the eating area and my mom making breakfast. Kimi came up to me and I guess she could read my emotions because she asked me what was wrong. 

I told her my fear of hunting and she tried to reassure me. Once breakfast was done,  Kimi and mother served us. My father came around the lodge and sat down, and we ate. 

“We’re going to go hunting now,” he said. 

I saw the worried look on my mother’s face and at that moment realized that hunting might be more dangerous than I expected.  When we stepped outside of our lodge, I looked around and saw my friend Mika gathering up weapons for the hunt near the horses . 

We grew up together. His father Hopi was the peace chief and my father the warrior chief were best friends despite the difference in the occupations.My father, Mika, Hopi and I got on our horses. We were hunting for buffalo meat. 

Mika spotted a buffalo; he pulled out his bow and arrow and began to shoot. He got a perfect shot in the stomach. His father Hopi hopped off his horse and checked to see if it was dead. He came back minutes later. 

“The buffalo isn't fully dead,” he said, “but he’s hurt enough that he won't get up.” In reply to that my father suggested we continue to hunt for more meat and pick it up on our way back. 

At this moment I started to think about home. Right about now would be the time my mother and sister would be gardening with Lomasi and her mother, Aponi. After all, Lomasi is Kimi’s best friend and is also Mika's sister. 

Our families are very close, mostly because my mother was pregnant with Kimi when Aponi was pregnant with Lomasi. They really bonded over it. They quickly became close friends. So naturally me and Kimi bonded  with Mika and Lomasi. 

Mikas voice took me out of my thoughts. 

“We should get back and have your dad prepare the buffalo meat. We killed about 5 buffalos, that's enough to feed the whole tribe we were going to feast tonight,” Hopi said. 

On our way back people cheered as we carried pieces of the buffalo on horseback. We let Hopi and Mika go back to the lodges while we carried our portion of the buffalo meat. Walking into our lodges quickly after I put the meat down, Kimi came rushing toward me, tackling me. 

“ALO” she screamed “How did the hunt go?” She asked happily. 

“It was not as bad as I anticipated,” I admitted. “Father is going to prepare and distribute the meat for the rest of the tribe. We killed 3 buffalo -  that should be great for a feast!” I said smiling. 

“That's great. Alo - me and mom will work with our portions. You should help Dad and ask Mika and Hopi if they would like to help as well.”

  I told my mother I was going to help dad. She dismissed me and said I was very brave. That made me smile all the way to Mika’s lodge. When I knocked on the door, Mika’s little sister Aiyana jumped on me and yelled for her brother. 

“Mika, Alo, here!” said Aiyana. 

“Ok coming” Mika's voice boomed through the lodge as he walked out the kitchen. 

“Hey Mika i was wondering if you and your father would like to help me and my dad with distributing the meat to the rest of the tribe”. I asked.

 “Of course I would let me get my dad," he said, running to his dad’s room. About 2 minutes later he came back with his father. Mika,Hopi and I went to look for my father. We found him giving meat to the v village elders. We took some of the meat off his hands. Once everything was over, Mika, Hopi, Aiyana, Lomasi, and Aponi came over to our house for dinner and we feasted.

Kimi 

Kimi woke up to a rough shaking. As she got up, her mother whispered to her, “I need help with the cooking.” Kimi got up even quicker after that realization. She ran into the kitchen and started to help prepare the meal. 

Kimi’s brother, Alo, was going to go hunting today, so their mom made a hearty breakfast of flatbread, beans, squash and dried buffalo meat.

 When Kimi’s brother woke up, Kimi had just finished setting up the eating area outside the lodge and their mother had just finished making corn flatbread for breakfast. 

“Good morning Alo!” Kimi said, smiling. 

“Good morning Kimi.” Alo said with a sigh. 

Kimi was always good at reading Alo’s emotions. So she asked him, “What’s wrong Alo?” 

“I’m a bit scared to go hunting…” He said, admitting defeat. 

“Don’t worry! You’ll do great!” Kimi said encouragingly. Alo smiled but Kimi could tell it was forced. 

“You know that Magoo’s stories are from 60 years ago! No one even knows if it's true!” Kimi said, hoping to cheer Alo up. Finally Alo gave Kimi a relieved look, but this time it wasn't forced. 

“Thanks for cheering me up, Kimi.” Alo said and Kimi just smiled. 

After they finished breakfast, Father got up from the table. “Come my boy Alo, let us go hunting together!” he said smiling. Alo gave a small smile, but it was a real one. 

When Alo and Kimi’s Father left the house, Kimi left their lodge and went a few lodges down the path from them. As she knocked on the wooden frame to the opening of their earth lodge, Aiyana burst out and tackled her. Suddenly Kimi was on the floor. Aiyana had run straight into her. 

“Lomasi, do you need help?” Kimi asked. 

Lomasi sighed and said “You know I need help Kimi, why do you even ask at this point!?” 

Lomasi and Kimi started to laugh. Lomasi called out to her mother after Aiyana got off of Kimi. 

“Mom, can I go and help Kimi and her mom in their garden?” Lomasi asked. “Yes, you can, but you have to finish helping me with the garden first!” 

Lomasi’s mother, Aponi, called back. 

“I’ll help!” Kimi said. 

“Ok! Let's go!” Lomasi said, smiling. 

After they finished helping in Aponi’s garden, Kimi and Lomasi went to Kimi’s lodge and started to help Kimi’s mom. After they finished, Lomasi went back to her earth lodge and Kimi and her mom started to make dinner. When they were about to start, Alo and Kimi’s father walked into their earth lodge. 

“Alo!” Kimi shouted, tackling her brother. “How did the hunt go?!?!” 

“It wasn’t as bad as I anticipated, I admit.” replied Alo. “Father’s going to prepare and distribute the meat for the rest of the tribe!” 

“We killed 5 buffalos that would be great for a feast!” Alo said, smiling. “That's great Alo, me and Mom will work with our portions. You should help Dad and ask Mika and Hopi if they would like to as well.” Kimi offered. 

After Alo left, Kimi and her Mom started to make dinner. When they were close to finishing, Kimi’s Mom spoke up. 

“Why don’t you invite Lomani’s family for dinner tonight, I would love to talk to her mom!” 

“Ok Mom!” Kimi said, smiling. Kimi ran over to Lomasi’s earth lodge and knocked on the entrance frame. 

“What do you need right now Kimi?” Lomasi said, running over to the frame. Kimi could hear Alo and Mika talking in the background but she focused on Lomasi. 

“My mom was wondering if you would want to eat with us! Can you please come?” Kimi asked Lomasi. Lomasi smiled. 

“Of course Kimi! Let me ask my mom!” Lomasi went into their lodge and came back with her mom, Aiyana, Mika, Alo, and Lomasi’s father. 

“Let's go!” Kimi said smiling. 

“Wanna race?” Lomasi asked. 

Kimi turned to her and grinned. “Of course!”  

Mika

At 10 o'clock at night I couldn't see myself falling asleep.  I was too excited for tomorrow. My father, Alo, Calian and I were going to go hunting together tomorrow. I couldn't wait for the morning, but I finally fell asleep. 

Not only did I get to spend time with my best friend, I could show him all I learned from my father’s hunting stories. When he was my age his uncles would take him hunting and after he became chief his love for hunting never left him. 

The next morning I woke up bright and early to the sound of my mother making breakfast.  When I got dressed and ready to eat my mother was preparing the eating area. I peeked into the room next to me to see Lomasi sleeping. Of course, I thought to myself, she always wakes up later than everyone else.

 I sat down with my father at the table and my mother served us. Father was talking to my mother about allowing me to go hunting with him. It took some time to persuade her but she finally gave in. Before we left, our mother put some of the breakfast to the side for Lomasi.  

My father and I walked outside, and he asked me for help loading up the weapons and gathering the horses. While I went to gather the horses, my best friend Alo came outside with his father. We got onto our horses and headed into the woods.

After a few miles searching in the woods and across the prairie, I spotted a buffalo. I slowly grabbed my bow and arrow, took aim at the buffalo and let the arrow fly. I got a perfect shot behind the shoulder. My father got off his horse and examined the buffalo. “ It isn't dead, but it’s hurt enough to the point it will be there when we get back. 

We continued across the prairie -  in the end we took 5 buffalo in total. After cutting up the edible parts we headed back. On our way back we decided that Alos' dad should be in charge of sharing out the meat to the village after taking his family's portion. When we got home my father and I took our portion of meat to our cooking table.

Calian

I arose that morning far before my family had risen. It was early morning and still dark and foggy all around our village. I collected my spear from the wall along with a buffalo skin sling full of arrows and slung it across my back. My bow was then taken down from the wall as I slid my hand tenderly along the string, looking down at it with a soft expression in my eyes.

As I exited our earth lodge I paused and took one last look back upon my sleeping family before strutting out into the village. There was much work to be done before my son Alo and I could go hunting. 

I got busy collecting tinder and sticks to prepare the fire in the center of the village. I carefully placed these into the pit so that they may nurture a fire rather than smothering it. I swiftly rubbed two sticks together until a small flame was produced and gingerly placed this newborn flame among the tinder in the center of my prepared sticks. 

I observed for a while to make sure the fire was latching on to the teet of the wood, occasionally blowing into the flames to give them enough oxygen. Once the fire was steady I left it to the duties of whoever else would rise from their mats. 

For breakfast I scarfed down a stalk of corn and a few pieces of dried buffalo meat.

Soon after I had finished my food Mika came into view. Mika bounding up to me as if there were wings on his feet. 

“Hello chief! Are you prepared for the hunt?” He inquired excitedly.

“I am Mika, are you prepared?” I replied with a jokingly stern tone. 

“That's right! I've been prepared since I was able to see past my hand.” Kimi retorted.

  I chuckled for a moment before turning to Mika and stating to him “We must fetch my son Alo now so we can begin.”

We treaded our way to my family’s earth lodge where Alo, my daughter Kimi, and my wife Catori sat around the small table in the center of our lodge. 

 “Come my boy Alo, let us go hunting!”

Alo complied and grabbed his bow and followed Mika and I from the lodge. Alo’s father Hopi proudly walked up to us and joined us in our trek to where the village kept the horses. 

I hopped up onto one of our stallions and grabbed my son’s hand to assist him onto the horse, sitting behind me. 

“Hold on to me tight my boy, for fear you fall.” I cautioned him.

Hopi climbed onto the horse beside us.

“Let us go now!” I proclaimed. 

We rode steadily down through the woods into the wide, open Great Plains. We perched up on a high hill to get a good view of the plains before us. In the plains we saw a great herd of buffalo.

  “Come Alo, we stalk our prey.” I sternly whispered to him.

  We rode rapidly towards the buffalo herd, however before they could run my son sunk an arrow deep into the stomach of one of the larger buffalo, incapacitating it. 

We continued to ride alongside the buffalo, slowly picking them off with our arrows and spears. Once we had killed about 5 we ceased our pursuit of the herd. We tied the buffalo corpses to our horses so that we may drag them back home. As we trudged back home a sense of pride came over me, my son truly now was a warrior of the tribe. Tonight, we feast. 

Aponi

I started my day just as the sun shone upon my face, stirring me from my sleep. My daughter Lomasi was quietly sitting at the cooking table nibbling on breakfast. My son had already bounded off to meet up with Calian bright and early as he was very excited.  My daughter Lomasi was quietly sitting at the cooking table nibbling on breakfast. 

My son Mika would be going with his friend as well as chief Calian and my husband Hopi to hunt for us all in the great plains today.  I have much work to do to prepare for the great feast that is to follow the hunt. 

I began to take some of our corn from a woven basket and shuck the husks away from the pearly yellow kernels within. My daughter, soon after finishing her meal ,came to join me in my monotonous task, shucking away the husks into another woven basket. It would be a shame to let them go to waste as they make good kindling. 

After a while of shucking corn we hear a knock on the wooden frame of the entrance to our earth lodge. It was my daughter's good friend Kimi! Lomasi bounded towards her and tackled her to the ground. 

A short conversation ensued and I heard my daughter call

 “May I go help Kimi and her mother on their farm?”

  “You may.” I replied, “But first you have to help me on our farm!”

  “I’ll help!” Kimi exclaimed excitedly. 

Together we went on our way to our small garden and began to snap corn from stalks and harvest beans from their bushels, gingerly placing each into woven baskets. 

After a time of doing this as the sun beat down upon us we collected our baskets and began to head back towards the main village. As we returned my daughter and Kimi placed down the baskets of food into mine and Kimi’s earth lodge and the two of them ran off towards Kimi’s earth lodge.

 I had more work to do on my own if we were going to have enough prepared food for the entire village tonight. 

I opened the basket of corn and peeled back the husks, once more admiring the colors beneath. Once I had finished shucking corn I took up the basket of beans and began to peel back the outer shells of them, tediously working for many hours on end, peel after peel after peel. 

Just as I had finished my basket of beans, my good friend Catori excitedly knocked on the wooden frame to our earth lodge.

 “Come in!” I exclaimed in a sing-song voice. 

“I’ve wonderful news, my friend!  The men have hunted 5 Buffalo! We shall not go hungry for many moons to come.”  Catori happily explained to me.

  “This is wonderful news. See here I have prepared corn and beans for our feast tonight!”