"Yes, whenever something major happens, one tribe sends a messenger carrying wampum to inform the other tribes and negotiate the time and place for a grand council meeting."
"And where will this meeting be held?" I asked nervously.
"Grandma said it's best to hold the meeting at the Onondaga tribe, since that's where the central fire is lit, and the Tree of Peace is located. But Tanacharison wants the meeting to be held here in the Ohio Valley, so all the tribal leaders would gather here. He believes that would benefit us more, as it could help unite the tribes to defend the Ohio Valley. But they haven't decided on a location yet, so no messengers have been sent out. The earliest the council could be held would be in two to three months."
"Oh, two to three months," I exhaled in relief.
"Are you nervous?" Little Stream asked, her innocent, wide eyes fixed on me.
I quickly shook my head. "Of course not. I'm just looking forward to attending the council."
I glanced around furtively. Good, there weren't many people nearby.
Taking advantage of the moment, I finally asked Little Stream the question that had been weighing on my mind. "Little Stream, why do you all think I'm your *peacemaker*?"
After asking, I felt as though a heavy burden had been lifted from my shoulders. This question had haunted me ever since I arrived here, but I'd been too afraid to ask anyone. I feared that once the question was out, they'd realize I was an impostor and take my scalp.
Reincarnation was really no easy task.
Little Stream tilted her head in thought, and my heart began to race.
"Because the prophet said there would be a solar eclipse on that day, so we needed to hold a ceremony and pray. The night before the ceremony, Grandma and many others had a strange dream. They dreamed of someone falling from the sky. The prophet explained that dream, saying that the Peacemaker, who had descended from the heavens centuries ago to end the bloodshed and violence among the Haudenosaunee tribes and bring them peace, had promised that if the Haudenosaunee ever fell into bloodshed and sorrow again, he would return to lead them to peace."
Little Stream's words left me stunned. This logic… actually seemed… surprisingly coherent?
Could I really be the person they believed had been sent by the heavens?
"Does the Great Peacemaker have doubts?" A sudden voice behind me startled me.
"WTF?!" I turned around hastily and found myself face-to-face with Tanacharison, his eyes darting mischievously and his lips curled into a smirk.
"Chief Tanacharison," Little Stream greeted him sweetly.
Tanacharison walked over to Little Stream, patted her head, and pulled a few candies from his pocket. "Go play now. I need to discuss something with the Peacemaker."
Little Stream skipped off with her candies, leaving me standing there alone.
I cleared my throat. "Hello, Chief Tanacharison. Little Stream told me you're the leader of this village, is that correct?"
"Yes, you could call me that. My authority comes from the confirmation and authorization of the Great Council of the Six Nations. Just as your identity must also be confirmed by the Great Council."
I looked up to see Tanacharison smiling at me, his expression unreadable.
"What do you mean?" I asked, trying to sound confident to bolster my own courage.
But it was clear that my bluff had no effect on him.
"I know you're not really the Peacemaker." His first words sent a chill down my spine.
Noticing my nervous reaction, he smiled in satisfaction but quickly reassured me. "You don't need to be so tense. We are not enemies. In fact, we might even be able to work together."
"Work together? What do you need my cooperation for?" I asked warily.
Tanacharison gave me a sly smile and leaned in closer. "Look, I don't care where you came from or whether you're actually sent by the Great Spirits. What's clear is that my people truly believe it. Dreams hold immense significance in Seneca culture. Everyone trusts their dreams and follows their guidance without hesitation. Whatever they think they've seen or done in their dreams, they feel absolutely compelled to act on it as soon as possible. And on that night, most people really did dream of someone falling from the sky."
He looked at me mischievously and said, "So, you know what that means, right?"
"It means they all believe I'm the real deal?"
Tanacharison nodded with satisfaction. "Exactly. No one will question your identity, even though you have white skin. Everyone trusts the guidance of their dreams."
"And what do you want me to do?" I asked, knowing there's no such thing as a free lunch. Tanacharison's sudden friendliness had to come with strings attached.
Throwing an arm around my shoulder, Tanacharison said enthusiastically, "Don't worry. I wouldn't ask you to do anything that would harm you. I just need you to speak up for me when the time comes. That's all. In return, I will support you as the Great Peacemaker. How about that?"
"What do you need me to say?" I asked instead of agreeing. After all the hardships I'd been through, I'd learned not to trust others so easily.
"Nothing much. It won't affect you at all. The French have been eyeing this land greedily. They even had the audacity to send people here, ordering us to expel all the British. This is our land, but the British and French both act as though it belongs to them. The French, in particular, are vile. They murdered my father and boiled him alive to eat him. I hate the French."
"They boiled your father and ate him?" His words left me utterly dumbfounded.
I mean, sure, the French are baguettes grinder and escargot destroyer.
But boiling people? Did they come up with a new recipe for haute cuisine?
"Yes. They murdered my father and ate him," Tanacharison said through gritted teeth.
Judging by his expression, I decided it was best to drop the topic. Boiling people alive wasn't something I planned to add to my bucket list anytime soon.
Still, his proposal seemed… not entirely bad.
As we talked, the villagers working in the fields began returning to the village, most of them women.
Seeing me standing there, they started gathering around, whispering to each other.
Some of the younger women boldly made eye contact with me, even flirting.
Before long, they began chanting a single word in unison.
I turned to Tanacharison in confusion. He smirked. "Looks like you're quite popular with the ladies."
I rolled my eyes at him. "What does that word mean?"
"They're calling you *Skyman*."
"Skyman? What does that mean?"
"In our legends, before the world was created, there was an island in the sky where the Sky People lived. One day, a pregnant Sky Woman fell through a hole left by an uprooted tree. She eventually landed in the ocean. The animals of the world gathered to help her. Birds caught her and gently placed her on the back of a giant turtle. Otters, beavers, and other aquatic creatures prepared a place for her on the turtle's back. They brought soil from the ocean floor and spread it on the turtle's back, creating the land where we now live.
The turtle's back became the Sky Woman's home. She brought plants from the Sky World, including tobacco and strawberries, which became her medicine. She created the world and is the mother of all Haudenosaunee life."
After pausing, Tanacharison looked at me with a complex expression and said, "They believe you, too, are a Skyman who fell from the heavens."
Wow, I thought. So many identities. I instinctively straightened my posture and waved flamboyantly at the women, flashing what I thought was a charming smile.
My dramatic gesture immediately won their approval. The women looked at me boldly, laughing and joking with each other.
Unfortunately, I couldn't understand their language, so I couldn't join in their conversation.
The commotion began to attract more people, and soon Aliquippa arrived, leaning on her cane.
Aliquippa was highly respected. The women who had been laughing and joking quickly quieted down and showed deference upon seeing her.
After greeting me, Aliquippa announced to the crowd, "To celebrate the Great Peacemaker's recovery, we will host a feast tonight."
The crowd erupted in cheers, thrilled about the upcoming celebration.
As night fell, people dispersed enthusiastically to prepare for the evening party.