Ayashe

Ayashe's Journal

I was fine before they came.

I was safe. And I wasn't alone. Matwaûquand was always with me. The War Spirit.

My mother called him to protect me just before I was taken from our home. Just before she and my father were killed.

He tried to shelter me but I was taken from him, too. It's funny, Indians are treated like we don't matter but when you don't belong to them they want to own you so badly. Anyway, The War Spirit was my guide for awhile. He kept me safe when I was young. Real young. My parents died when I was just seven years old. But he knew I needed to be among people, so he took me to the Crow.

The Crow Nation knew about kids like me. Special kids with gifts that were given to them by the Great Spirit to protect our people. I was safe with them for a few years and Matwaûquand was still with me, visiting me in my dreams and keeping me in his favor. When we were forced into the boarding schools he made sure I was never hurt. I lived there until I was old enough to break free before they could notice how slowly I aged. Kids like me, we are meant to be here longer so that we can protect our people with strength and wisdom.

The kids at the boarding school talked about the boogeyman. He would come at night and snatch a couple of kids. Administration didn't care. One less Indian to feed. I wasn't scared. I wanted to know where this boogeyman was taking the kids. It couldn't be worse than the boarding school. So I waited..

And I waited...

And finally he came for me.