Christine Reding
During the winter skies, the Natives hunt birds
Mergansers, long tailed ducks and golden eyes
Listening carefully the quail and grouse they heard
Skimming the sparse grasses in order to disguise
Stealthily walking the naked and dried up grounds
Utilizing blow guns to capture their unsuspecting prey
Blending in with elements as they surround
Much needed meat to consume for that day
From the mountains they search for cones of the pine
Acorns from the dwarf oak sweet and satisfyingly pleasing
Digging up turnips cubing chunks for a stew so very fine
Eating shriveled vegetative plants not necessarily appeasing
Men wearing breechcloth and leggings with leather straps
Women wore buffalo skits and straight jackets trimmed with teeth
Teepees constructed of canvas, reed mats and sheets of blanched bark
Tinder and bundles of kindling providing evenly bursts of heat
The Iroquois combined ceremonial rituals of praying and healing
Native men seriously gambled losing animal skins and possibly a horse
The winter solstice began a season of legends and storytelling
Survival tactics were implemented in tribal force