I Am Algonquin Page 19

  After what seemed an eternity, the ground was cleared and we continued our march toward the falls. The portage was half a league long and took about two hours to travel with boats and supplies. We had neither, but were slowed down by the uncertainty of what lay ahead.

  After travelling for about half an hour, the enemy struck. Arrows rained down upon us from the woods. They struck down many of the men before they could raise their skin and wooden shields up for protection. During the initial onslaught, my small force lost three warriors to wounds. Two of the runners had been hit, plus Nìjamik. All had been struck in the upper bodies with arrows.

  Because of the slow travel, Mitigomij had been able to keep up. I turned to look at him from our hiding place and observed as he slung his slingshot high into a pine tree. The result of this action was watching a man tumbling down through the tree snapping branches as he fell with a resounding thump to the ground.

  Ozàwà Onik and Ojàwashkwà Animosh gathered all of the men who had large wooden shields and faced them forward. Then the rest of us with the smaller skin shields gathered in the middle with them over our heads. With a blood-curdling Ouendat scream, Ojàwashkwà Animosh led us to battle into the woods. The dog and wolf were at my feet as we charged. Arrows rained down again and some men dropped from the formation as they were struck through openings in our moving fortress. We reached the thick pine woods with a crash. The enemy had pared our force down by about sixty dead and wounded from the time we had come ashore, but now it was hand-to-hand combat.

  The first man I crashed into drove his war club into my shield with such force that he knocked it out of my hand. He then caught my right arm with a knife slash that sliced my skin open three or four inches. Swinging my club I caught him a glancing blow off his shoulder, knocking him to one knee, where he proceeded to catch me on the left shin with his club, knocking me to the ground where I thought I would meet my death. I rolled away just in time to see the small dog and Ishkodewan lunge at the man and tear chunks of skin from his body as he screamed in pain and tried to crawl away from the pair.

  Now the whole battle seemed surreal as I lay there with my two animals guarding me. I was in immense pain from the knife wound and my badly gashed leg.

  I watched as the two warrior women Agwanìwon Ikwe and Kìnà Odenan along with Kànikwe hacked two Haudenosaunee to death with their knives and clubs. The two twins fought side by side with their father Kàg and uncle Mònz. They were battling through the enemy trying to reach their mother who was tied to a tree.

  However, the strangest thing I saw was an Innu man with what I thought was an enormous knife. He killed one enemy warrior by cutting his head off with a two handed swing of the weapon. Then, swinging the weapon again, he cut a man’s arm off.

  Lying propped up on my good arm, I watched as the Haudenosaunee were slowly dying from our overpowering force. Then, turning my head toward the screaming of Mitigomij’s panther, I watched as the final death dance took place.

  Makadewà Wàban had two men cornered against a large boulder. One man lunged at him with a spear, but the big cat effortlessly jumped over the weapon and came down on the man with bone-crushing fury. The screams of the man and cat caught the attention of all who were fighting, bringing the battle to a standstill. Makadewà then turned and faced the other Haudenosaunee, but Mitigomij called him off. The man turned to look at my brother, and I could see the scars. This was the great chief of the Haudenosaunee, Panther Scar.

  Mitigomij said, “It is I who you want. We have unfinished business, Panther Scar. I should have killed you all those years ago!”

  “My people say you and that cat are shapeshifters, but today I will kill you before all your people and allies showing them you bleed the blood of a man, and that you are not a creature of the gods,” said Panther Scar.

  Now all eyes were turned toward these two adversarial warriors.

  It was at that moment I arose and proceeded toward the two warriors.

  “Panther Scar, it is I who you fight today!”

  “And what or who are you?” he replied.

  “I am Algonquin! My brother spared your life once; therefore he has not the right to go back on that gesture and slay you here today. It is I who will take his place in this struggle. You will die at my hand. You know what I am. Now, who I am is Mahingan, brother of Mitigomij, leader of the Omàmiwinini.” I then turned toward my brother. “Mitigomij, today you have to grant me the grace to fight this battle.”

  “Mahingan, I am proud to relent in your stead,” he replied.

  “It does not matter to me who I kill first,” interjected Panther Scar. “Because, Mahingan, after I have delivered my death strike to you, I will slay your brother!”

  Panther Scar rushed me with his war club in his right hand held high and his knife in his left.

  I was seeping blood from my wounds and my left leg was almost numb from the pain. I dropped on my good knee just as Panther Scar swung his weapon. The war club made a swooshing sound as it narrowly missed my head. I drove my knife into his left thigh as he lunged past me. His screams from the sudden pain echoed through the forest. Turning, he lashed out at me with his knife and gashed a chunk of skin from my left shoulder. Turning aside the pain in my body I gripped my war club with two hands and swung with all my might at the back of his legs. I could hear bone break upon contact. As he dropped to the ground, I rose to my feet and bludgeoned him until he quit moving. At that moment there was a sudden stillness on the battlefield and forest. Not a sound was heard except for crows’ echoing calls from over the river. I turned and looked at Mitigomij and he nodded his head in my direction.

  Not a word was said from all who watched. It was stone silence until a Malecite warrior ran up the trail shouting that there was more of the enemy coming up the river above the falls.

  Mitigomij turned to him and said, “Take this Panther Scar’s head and put it on a spear. Carry it to the river along with any prisoners. Hold the spear up so the ones who come up the river can set eyes on who it is. Then kill the captives and shove them into the river for them to see. They will turn back because they will then realize that only death will greet them here.”

  With those words from my brother, the head of Panther Scar was skewed on a spear and taken along with the captives to the river.

  As I stood there looking over the field of slaughter, I wondered what the future held for me. My wounds would heal. I had a son to raise and still two brothers to hunt and fight beside, but our village was destroyed.

  Then, as I was still pondering my days ahead, the Innu with the large knife walked by.

  Stopping him, I asked, “What is your name?

  “Makadewà Nigig (Black Otter),” he replied.

  “What is that weapon?” I asked.

  “It is called an ajaweshk (sword),” said Makadewà Nigig.

  “Who made it for you?”

  “No one. I won it in battle.”

  “What Native warrior carried that?” I asked.

  “It was not a Native. The man I took this from had hair the color of the kìzis (sun) and skin the color of the wìgwàs mitig (birch tree). He was covered in furs and wore a hat as hard as a rock with horns in it. He came in a big boat with many paddles and many men. They tried to take our women as they were fishing along the big river shore. Our men attacked and drove them off, but not before many died on both sides. These men fought with great skill. The man I had slain killed at least three of my brethren with this weapon before I shot him with an arrow. He was a great warrior and this weapon has powerful magic.”

  Makadewà Nigig then said, “When you get better, Mahingan, maybe one day we will fight these strange men side by side.”

  “Makadewà Nigig, where did these strangers come from?”

  Without a word Makadewà Nigig disappeared into the forest.

  “Mahingan, Mahingan!” It was Kàg. “When we rescued my wife Kinebigokesì a group of the Haudenosaunee escaped with some captives. We followed them as they
ran to the river. They quickly were rescued by the group that had come up river. As they were loading the captives in the canoes I was shocked to see one of them was Wàbananang! Mahingan, your wife, she is alive!”

  Glossary

  For an Algonquin talking dictionary, please go to www.hilaroad.com/camp/nation/speak.htm.

  Adjidamò

  Squirrel

  Àgimag

  Snowshoes

  Agwanìwon Ikwe

  Shawl woman

  Agwingos

  Chipmunk

  Ajaweshk

  Sword

  Ajowà Okiwan

  Blunt nose

  Akandò

  Ambush

  Amik

  Beaver

  Amik Pìwey

  Beaver fur

  Amik-wìsh

  Beaver lodge

  Amikwànò

  Beaver tail

  Andeg

  Crow

  Àndjig-o

  Pregnant

  Anìb

  Elm

  Anìdjànìl

  Doe

  Animosh

  Dog

  Anit

  Spear

  Anokì

  Hunt

  Asin

  Stone

  Asinwàbidì

  Stone elk

  Askootasquash

  Squash

  Ayàbe Mònz

  Bull moose

  Ayàbe Tibik-kìzis

  Buck Moon / July

  Azàhan

  Beans

  Chìmàn

  Canoe

  Cluskap

  The creator force

  Epangishimodj

  West

  Esiban

  Raccoon

  Gichi-Anam’e-bizhow

  The Fabulous Night Panther

  Haudenosaunee

  Iroquois

  Hochelagans

  A tribe from the island near the rapids of the big river

  Ininàtig Nòpimìng

  Maple forest

  Innu

  Montagnais

  Ishkodewan

  Blaze

  Kabun

  God of the west wind

  Kàg

  Porcupine

  Kàgàgi

  Ravens

  Kaibonokka

  God of the north wind

  Kàkàskanedjìsì

  Nightingale

  Kànikwe

  No hair

  Kigàdjigwesì

  Hunter

  Kìgònz

  Fish

  Kìjekwe

  Honoured woman

  Kìjik Anìbìsh

  Cedar tea

  Kìnà Odenan

  Sharp tongue

  Kinebigokesì

  Cricket

  Kinebik

  Snakes

  Kiniw

  Eagle

  Kinònjepìriniwak

  People of the Pickerel Waters below Allumette Island

  Kinòz-i Ininì

  Tall Man

  Kìshkijigewin Tibik-kìzis

  Harvest Moon / September

  Kitchi Manitou

  Father of Life

  Kitcisìpiriniwak

  People of the Great River

  Kìzis

  Sun

  Kòkòkòhò

  Owl

  Kwìngwayàge

  Wolverine

  Kwìngwìshì

  Gray jay

  Mahingan

  Wolf

  Makadewà Kìkig

  Black sky

  Makadewà Nigig

  Black otter

  Makadewà Wàban

  Black dawn

  Makòns

  Bear cub

  Makwa

  Bear

  Mànabìsì

  Swan

  Mandàman

  Corn

  Mandàmin Animosh

  Corn dog

  Màng

  Loon

  Manòmin

  Rice

  Mashkodesì

  Quail

  Matàwackariniwak

  People of the Bulrush shore along the Madawaski River

  Michabo

  The Great Hare Trickster God

  Mìgàdinàn-àndeg

  War crow

  Mìgàdinàn Pagamàgin

  War club

  Mìgàdinàn Wàgàkwad

  War axe

  Mìkisesimik

  Wampum belt

  Mikkwì

  Blood

  Minisìnò

  Warrior

  Minòkami Màwndwewehinge

  Late spring call together

  Minowez-I

  War dance

  Mishi-Pijiw

  Panther

  Mishi-Pijiw Odjìshiziwin

  Panther scar

  Misise

  Turkey

  Miskominag Anìbìsh

  Raspberry leaf tea

  Miskoz-i Animosh

  Red Dog

  Miskoz-i Kekek

  Red Hawk

  Mitigomij

  Red oak

  Mitigwàbàk

  Hickory

  Mòkomàn

  Knife

  Mònz

  Moose

  Mònzwegin

  Moose hide

  Nàbe

  Buck

  Nàme

  Sturgeon

  Namebin

  Sucker fish

  Nanapàdjinikesì

  Mice

  Nasemà

  Tobacco

  Nibachi

  Near Muskrat Lake

  Nìbawiwin

  Marriage

  Nigig

  Otter

  Nìjamik

  Two Beaver

  Nika

  Geese

  Nòjek

  Female bear

  Nokomis

  Earth Mother

  Nòpimìng

  Forest

  Odàbànàk

  Toboggan

  Odey

  Heart

  Odeyimin Tibik-kìzis

  Strawberry Moon / June

  Odjìg

  Fisher

  Ogà

  Pickerel

  Ogìshkimansì

  Kingfisher

  Ojàwashkwà Anismosh

  Blue dog

  Okanisì

  Grosbeak

  Okwàho

  Wolf clan

  Omàmiwinini

  Algqonquin

  Onàbanad Tibik-kìzis

  Crust Moon / March

  Onigam

  Portage

  Onimikì

  Thunder

  Onzibàn

  Sap

  Ouendat

  Huron

  Ozàwà Onik

  Yellow arm

  Ozàwàbik

  Copper

  Pàgàdowewin

  Lacrosse

  Pagamàgin Ozid

  Clubfoot

  Pagidjiwanàn

  Resting place on a portage

  Pangì Shìshìb

  Little duck

  Pashkwadjàsh

  Coyote

  Pijakì

  Buffalo

  Pijiw

  Lynx

  Pikodjisi

  Blackfly

  Pikwàkogwewesì

  Blue jay

  Pimidàbàjigan

  Travois

  Pineshìnjish

  Birds

  Pìsà Animosh

  Small dog

  Pìtòshkob

  Pond

  Piwàkwad

  Ball

  Sàgaiganininiwak

  People of the Lake

  Sagime

  Mosquito

  See-Bee-Pee-Nay-Sheese

  River bird

  Shawano

  God of the south wind

  Shàwanong

  South

  Shigàg

  Skunk

  Shìshìb

  Duck

  Shìwanìbìsh

  Dandelion

&nb
sp; Sìbì

  River

  Wàbananang

  Morning star

  Wàbàndagawe Animosh

  White dog

  Wàbanong

  East

  Wabidì