After a long day of mixing seaweed and fish in a huge barrel to put in the ground for fertilizer I had complained to many people about the prosses but I soon learned what an honor my job was to the rest of the people around me. While sitting in a circle an old native took up the eagle feather and paused for a long moment before saying “Today I will tell you of michi-nichiiwad'' When the thunderbird taught us to grow food. Many years before the time of the longhouse we travelled turtle island following the deer and the fish, we ate what grew and walked in the great forest. After one long cold winter our food would be short and there was always fear of raids from other tribes for what food was left in the cash’s One spring our people came to the shores of the big water the day was dark and stormy thunder heads piled high and the trees turned there leaves knowing the coming of a fearsome storm. The people moved to the safety of the trees travelling far into the woods and made quick camps as the winds turned the treetops the wind whistled and whipped threw our shelters.
The thunder bird spoke bringing rains and ice, we could hear the strong winds from the force of his giant wings beating, waves pounding far up upon the shores.
The thunder bird continued to scream long into the night and lasting several nights one morning the storm had finally passed.
Some of the braves went back to the big water weeds and dead fish had washed high onto the shore making a rotting dead smell lingering
The smell was so bad and it looked like nothing had survived the battle everything destroyed the people again moved to the safety of the trees to find food but most of the animals had run away and the tender leaves of the plants beaten down by the rain and ice made finding food impossible.
After travelling several weeks with no real food they called on the raven to ask the creator to send some small gift of food from the animals.
When the raven returned he only had one message "go back go back"
So the tribe gathered there things and with little hope in there hearts they walked again for the big water after days of travel they again came to the spot where the storm had hit shore but this time tall plants like yellow corn and big berry’s bloomed everywhere growing threw the dark soil where the fish and seaweed once washed high up open the shore the fish and seaweed had gone deep into the soil seeds scattered by wind from the thunderbirds mighty wings had grown healthy strong plants.
Just then the raven again appeared to them saying "not all storms bring only destruction some come to teach us important lessons."
From that day we started collecting and scattering seeds we would place the fish and seaweed into holes to give the earth the strength of the thunder bird the creator has given us no need to travel to find food for winter we built long houses and lived together we shared our gifts and teachings with other tribes and raiding parties slowed, we began trades and shared crops pelts and arrowheads with each other the thunderbird had brought peace through his lesson of life.
The thunder bird spoke bringing rains and ice, we could hear the strong winds from the force of his giant wings beating, waves pounding far up upon the shores.
The thunder bird continued to scream long into the night and lasting several nights one morning the storm had finally passed.
Some of the braves went back to the big water weeds and dead fish had washed high onto the shore making a rotting dead smell lingering
The smell was so bad and it looked like nothing had survived the battle everything destroyed the people again moved to the safety of the trees to find food but most of the animals had run away and the tender leaves of the plants beaten down by the rain and ice made finding food impossible.
After travelling several weeks with no real food they called on the raven to ask the creator to send some small gift of food from the animals.
When the raven returned he only had one message "go back go back"
So the tribe gathered there things and with little hope in there hearts they walked again for the big water after days of travel they again came to the spot where the storm had hit shore but this time tall plants like yellow corn and big berry’s bloomed everywhere growing threw the dark soil where the fish and seaweed once washed high up open the shore the fish and seaweed had gone deep into the soil seeds scattered by wind from the thunderbirds mighty wings had grown healthy strong plants.
Just then the raven again appeared to them saying "not all storms bring only destruction some come to teach us important lessons."
From that day we started collecting and scattering seeds we would place the fish and seaweed into holes to give the earth the strength of the thunder bird the creator has given us no need to travel to find food for winter we built long houses and lived together we shared our gifts and teachings with other tribes and raiding parties slowed, we began trades and shared crops pelts and arrowheads with each other the thunderbird had brought peace through his lesson of life.