Wanuskewin

I can feel my cheeks burning

Faces shining, embers glowing

Waiting in anticipation of the hunt

Smoke billows up, twisting, curving into shapes

An eagle emerges, the beak forming an arrowhead

The Great Spirit is with us, providing for us

I cautiously map the distance to the edge of the cliff

plotting, rehearsing my every move

As I lie in wait, pressing my ear to the ground

I hear a distant roar

Thunder echoes off the walls of the jagged canyon

The earth is roaring, my heart beating in perfect unison

To the cadence of the drums

An eagle soars above, calling out my name

Signalling the time has come

Birthing forth, the buffalo and I as one

These wind-raked plains are my home, the buffalo my friend

We live together in perfect harmony

One people, one tribe, one voice

We come to Wanuskewin seeking, searching

Hoping to find peace

And humbly taking our place