Eureka

Chapter Four

We are in this big hall lit with torches, that lit everything in the room. The room is a perfect circle, and the rounded walls, carvings, carvings of when the whitemen came to our shores, and threatened our people. It shows how we fled into the caves, and built our network of tunnels, and rooms. This is the room our people waited in while we made the decisions on this civilization. And know this is where we hold all of our ceremonies. And at the moment it was total chaos.

My entire family is running all over the place, preparing for my nephews ceremony. As I explained before him being the first born of my sister, now holds a special authority we'll call it. His mother, my sister, had that authority, since she is the oldest child in our family.

Authority is more like a responsibility. It was, and is still my sister's job to stand up for us, and look out for us. In Eureka all the members of the family have a different role. The mother raises the children, and teaches them. The father protects and provides. The oldest child helps the mother in looking after the younger siblings, and all of the children, from oldest to youngest job is to bring honour, and pride to the family, whether it be by the work they do, or the people they marry. If your child becomes a healer, or a member of the Counsel, not only them, but their family gets treated with high respect, and gets slightly better treatment than the other citizens.

So you see, why my family (especially Khwn'a) are so worried. It is our belief that the family's good fortune relighs on this ceremony, and the well being of this child. If Bedzeyh doesn't grow up to be a good, healthy man, it will reflect poorly on this family.

"Quickly, they're starting to come!" Khwn'a voice rang across the hall.

There are healers, and counsel members starting to arrive, the citizens that choose to come,will be here any minute.

These ceremonies are open houses. Whoever wants to come will come. It tends to be that the more important the person is the more people show up. Khwn'a husband Bedzeyh being a member of the counsel, there is expected to be many people attending, mostly to gain favour of the counsel.

When everyone finally arrives, drumming starts. The drummer's beat there hide drums and sing in powerful voices. The song they sing is a welcoming song, both to the new child and family, and to the guests that have arrived. They sing four rounds of that song and move to the next. This is a blessing song, that we use for healing, and for blessings, they sing eight rounds of this, and while they sing a healers comes along and starts to smudging with juniper, all around the room, they smudge the all the people in the room, and then they smudge all the food, and drummers, they did themselves, and finally ended with the family, and especially the small Bedzeyh, asking the Creator for blessings upon this baby and his family.

After the songs and prayers, the Chief stands up in front of everyone, and starts his speech. The current Chief is named Tu, he is big and burly like a bear, just as his name means Black Bear, and to be honest is not a public speaker.

"Good evening people of er, Eureka!" he struggled to say, but nevertheless he continued. "Today we are here for uum the blessings of this new child, Bedzeyh, to this people. When the Whitemen threatened the people of Eureka, our ancestors fled into the caves, and built the tunnels we know today. It all started in this cavern. This is where, uum Eureka was born, and aa this is where this young child's journey will begin!" he definitely improved over the couple years of being Chief, his public speaking that is. "Bedzeyh will be a great help, to his family and community. Whether he becomes an important member of the counsel, and helps make and keep laws and help the wellbeing of the people here."

"He could be trained in the arts of healing to lead the ceremonies, and sacred acts, of the people, as well as nurturing the wounded and sick. Or the important work that the Hunters and Gatherers do to feed, and provide for our people.

Even the citizens that do work in the caves, and tunnels have important work. Without the smokers who would preserve our food? And our fire keepers, how would we be warm, and get light? We have much to thank our Elders, who make our regalia, and drums. They keep our stories alive, and never let our ancestors die. They are our most important citizens. And let's not forget the mineral seekers." (here we go) "once our people were dying off because of illness due to lack of vitamins and minerals. These people saved us from extinction! They deserve more credit than they get."

"All jobs in Eureka each have important values, like every person." He turned to my family, and gestured to the infant in my sister's arms, and smiled. "I can tell that this baby will bring great honour to everyone."

And he did.

He was always a responsible older brother, who never dishonoured his parents. He became the head hunter at quite a young age just like his Aunt Ddhel. He met a Whiteman from our world on the surface, and they made peace with the past and eventually, with a lot of hardship and pain. A lot of blind faith, Eureka finally came to the surface, and stayed.

They had land where they lived their own ways, slowly letting in parts of the modern world. It took a long time for the people to get used to the new lifestyle, and to trust the indigenous, and non indigenous people of Alaska. It was not the one they left behind. They were finally whole again, with the sun on their faces. This is what they missed.

Bedzeyh Junior, was made Chief for the great service he did for the people of Eureka, and lived a long life. Until we meet again.

–Eureka