The Way of the Wild Dog

The journey had been long and difficult, it was meant to be. A vision quest must be full of hardship and pain, that is if one is to be successful talking to the spirit world. It was no different for Hok’ee , it was his time, he was old enough to go looking for his spirit guide. He had failed twice before, but this time he was ready to face whatever the spirit world could throw at him, no evil would stop him from finding his way.

As was Navajo tradition, he made his way up the sacred mountain to the place of the glowing graves. Many of his people had been buried on this holy mountain, his own mother had been laid to rest there. He never got to know either of his parents. His father did not return from a hunting trip, it was said he lost a battle with the great cat of the mountains. His mother had passed during child birth, his birth. A widowed lady in the tribe adopted him, gave him his birth name, which means the abandoned one. She had taught him much and cared for him while he grew up. He knew to honor her and his birth parents that it was time for him to meet a spirit that would guide him in battle and in life.

The vision quest must take place on the cliff over looking the river, he could see the water rushing out to the sea in a long ribbon of blue green color. The sky fills the horizon as far as the eye can see, distant clouds look like snow capped mountains. Hok’ee sat on the ledge motionless, he had placed the small dream catcher above the place where he was to sleep, The catcher would stop all of the bad dreams from entering his mind and only let in the best dreams, hopefully his spirit guide would finally find him. He could not be a man of the tribe with out his guide. No woman would have him, he could not hunt with the rest of the braves and could not become part of the tribe elders. A spirit guide would help him in ways that he could not be sure of now, but he felt that the rest of his life depended on this quest.

Hok’ee sat on the mountain for two days before the visions started to appear. Just like in his last vision quest the wind spirit talked to him first, “you must go back, there is nothing here for you.” Hok’ee replied,” wind spirit, why do you taunt me so, why do you not help me?” There was no answer, just air rushing around his head, unseen but felt. Hok’ee sat in the darkness of night when the next spirit came to him in his visions. It was the rain spirit, and he said,”you must go back there is nothing here for you.” Hok’ee asked,” rain spirit, giver of life, why do you taunt me so, you like things to grow, but you will not help me?” There was no answer to his question, only a tempest of rain and wind struck his face. A very uneasy feeling entered his mind, maybe the great spirit had not blessed him, had not taken him in as a young child, had not chosen a road for him to walk.

After a long time he cried, the tears where small and his eyes were almost dry, the thirst and the hunger had almost over come him physically, and now he was having doubts about a spirit guide or a path that he could walk as a warrior, or even as a man of his tribe. He was feeling sick and weak, and almost ready to break his fast and leave this place, and then it happened. The storm started to subsided and the his vision cleared. In front of him he saw a coyote, the animal almost blended into the back ground of rocks and low growing brush. A voice echoed in his ears, “you have been faithful to your quest, you have honored your people and your path is set.” For an instance he felt like a hand was on his shoulder, the voice was close to him now. “I shall be your guide, the coyote, the wild dog of the step. Cover your war shield with my skin and know that you will have my protection. Your tribe will call you dog soldier from this time forward. Tell the shaman what I have told you.”

From the mountain Hok’ee slowly walked. He was very tired and hurt all over but he was excited inside. The shaman must know his story, his war shield must be built, the shaman must give him his new title. Sleep will come tonight and the morning will bring a new path.


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