Previously: "Linda, flushed with the praise Liz was giving her, changed the topic.

"Tommy, does this beautiful blanket we're sitting on and hopefully haven't messed up too much, have a story?"

*******

Tommy's voice shivered as he began speaking. "Remember my aunt I told you about who disappeared with her daughter? It was when we were telling about our dreams."

Both Linda and Liz sadly acknowledged remembering him tell about someone noticing his Aunt Wise Fox and Sweet Juniper his cousin hadn't returned from their walk. They recalled how everyone had looked for her and her daughter off the road on side trails to no avail.

"She became one more statistic of the MMIW, meaning murdered and missing Indigenous Women for whom the Federal Marshals have skewed statistics. There were 116 murdered or missing accounted for in their records when in reality there were 5700 cases of Native women in the US and Canada who went missing in one year. Aunt Wise Fox is who made that blessed blanket you are sitting on. "

Tommy gathered his nerves to continue with the story of Aunt Wise Fox and Sweet Juniper working together using the traditional finger weaving technique to make it.

"I'm not sure how much Juniper, my cousin did, but it was fun to watch them working together and singing some of my favorite healing chants. I can still hear them in my hurting heart and shattered souls"

His Aunt Fox always said it was like meditation and prayer to just let her fingers work. They seemed to know just what to do without her having to think.

"Is that different than the way people usually do weaving?" Linda inquired.

"Yuh, I have a friend who has a weaving loom to make rugs. Like Linda asked, how is the way she weaved this blanket different?"

Tommy informed them that there were no looms, separating combs or boards used, just fingers. In this traditional weaving method, they separate every piece of yarn from the next one. "Some might say it takes a long time."

"I must have taken forever; this blanket is absolutely beautiful." Liz gushed.

"Aunt Fox had a good attitude about the time it took for her labors of love." Tommy described how Native Americans have always perceived time differently than non-Natives. They don't think of time as others do.

"So even though you ladies might think of time in amounts, Aunt Fox did not. She just thought of it as the rhythm of life."

Liz asked about the arrow patterns. "What is the symbolism of the arrows facing each other?"

Tommy reiterated the theme of balance. "Aunt Fox was all about looking at ideas with harmonious eyes. Neither arrow is overtaking the other; they are poised in a parallel pattern."

He shook his non-driving fist through the thick air. "And she of all people was treated like an animal going to market, to be branded and sold to the highest bidder and possibly to be slaughtered."

Liz did not allow the sad anger to permeate the group mood. Deciding to focus on the positive findings, she said, "Since this blanket is rich with meaning, I'm sure the choice of colors is important.

Tommy described the colors in the blanket as symbolizing the light and dark of the seasons. "Notice how the colors of the weaving slowly change shades and hues. As you can see, she even thought of that. She has included the colors of each direction.

"The color for North is icy white, the golden yellow sun rising for East, brilliant red sunset in the South and the color of West is crow black. I will tell you later why West's color representation is black later."

Liz and Linda shifted to look to the right; they tipped to the left and lifted their butts to check out the patterns and shades of the narrative their storyteller was unraveling.

Liz gestured to Linda toward the accumulation of dried mud crumbling from their clothes. Those discoveries were followed with grimaces morphing into expressions of dread. The floor around their feet was powdered with light brown.

"Since we are eventually heading East, how will we be protected?" Liz was concerned with what other adventure might stare them in the face. They'd had enough and just wanted to get home.

"As we saw, Spring is the season for East. This vision of browns and charcoal burnt land will replace itself with the vibrant greens that surround you in your homeland."

He continued, naming Wabun their special Spirit Keeper. Wabun gives the power of illumination and wisdom. The times of Wabun are the times of new beginnings.

"Tribes and Nations have different colors to represent the 4 Directions, therefore you may notice different flags. Some have the color green to represent West. The fact ours is black revolves around a story about Crow and why he is black. Now I will elaborate on why our Crow tribe has black for the color for east.