|
|
As told by George "Deer Tracks" Tyler
There was a time when the people were going through a draught that lasted for more than a year. The private storage as well as the community storage was gone. A man who lived in a valley some distance away, had saved a large storage of blue corn in the years of plenty. This man could always be depended on to supply seed corn for the growing season. He had a dream that told him that the people would be coming to ask him for and make demands for the seed corn for food to sustain them. He was told to give a little to each, but to explain that they were to keep some to plant when the rains return. The giving of what he had to them and the potential to take care of themselves in the future, was the gift of "The Sacred Blue Corn".
As the people began to come, he gave the corn to them along with the instructions. Each would come and later when they had eaten all the corn, they would return and ask for more blue corn. New people would come along with those who had already had a share before. Everyone would demand more help from the man.
In another dream he was told that he should stress the fact that his storage was not endless and that the people should help themselves. They were given enough "Sacred Blue Corn" to sustain them and to let the plant for the future. He tried, but the people would not listen. They stepped up their demands for more of the corn. They were saying that without it they could not live on their own. They were saying that the man owed it to them to share what he had because the "Sacred Blue Corn" was community property.
Once more in a dream, the man was told that he must take the remaining "Sacred Blue Corn", now only enough for himself and seed for the next growing season, and flee to a safe place. The man said he was still willing to give up his food share, but not the seed stock. He was told that if he did not care for himself, even though the others would suffer the pain of a teaching, all would be lost. He would be lost and also the "Sacred Blue Corn". because of the greed of the people. He was to give to others only of his excess. He was to care for himself so that he could care for the "Sacred Blue Corn". The corn must survive so it will feed the people to come.
Even though the people didn't understand and kept demanding of the man, he left so the "Sacred Blue Corn" would survive.
Copyright (c) 1993 by George "Deer Tracks" Tyler. May not be reproduced in any form without express written permission from author.