Ais

=__**My profile**__=

I am a Tlingit. Mt name is Ais. I am 20 years old, a men whose favorite is berries especially blueberries dipped in fish oil. The skill, or strength, I have that makes me most proud of is how quiet I can run and how graceful and fast. I think that the others in my clan admire me most for my skil with a bow and arrow since I never missed my mark.A fear I have is that I might accidentally kill a first people and they will come and get me, and this goes along with the weakness that I have which I sometimes hunt animals as little as possible even though I am throwing a potlatch.Something else is that I had that I want you to really know is that even though I am a good hunter it takes me a long time to hunt a bear.

=__**This is me holding my hunting bow.**__=



=__Today__=

I woke at the crack of dawn and pushed away the furry bear-skinned blanket. I heard the crackeld of the fire as the slaves started them. I hopped out of the mattress and joined my best friend Dis. We headed down to the river to bathe. As we scrubbed our skin I allowed the cool water to run around my skin, and shaking away the sleepyness. I was wide awake this was really heaven the best time of the whole day. I scubed until it was nice and clean. I walked back to my house and slipped into my pounded cedar clothes. I removed my weapons from the hard cedar plank bark wall, slung my bow and arrows onto my back and tuck my daggers into my belt. I was ready to go hunting. “Ais!” called Koox. “Hurry!” I knew why he was in a rush. Yesterday people claimed to have seen a whole family of bears in a cave so we have to go and get some food for dinner. I hurried to the forest, past the canoe makers in the river and past the fisherman who was killing salmon with great skill. Dis ,I saw was with Aas. They were the Totem pole carvers. The symbol of the power of our cheif. We took a long walk in the forest cedar trees were everywhere. I stopped for a drink in my woven bark canteen. Then we finally spotted the opening of the small grey cave. “I’ll take the front end and you can take the back.” I said. “Go!” I darted in front of the cave and peered in sure enough there was four bears. Then there was a movement in the air, yelps and then Silence. Koox had them, and then a roar split the air. Koox had only got 3 of them. Now I had to get one. I drew my bow and got the bear on the leg. It scratched me hard. I then managed to hit it straight in the heart. It was dead. We had slain the whole family of bears. Koox got me up and helped me back to the village. I felt proud as we carried the bears. I could tell tat the chief was impressed. “Go to have some food before going to the shaman.” He advised. I nodded. I limped over to where everybody else. “Got hurt, huh?” remarked Dis. I smiled grimly and scooped up some food. I ate some salmon stew and some berries dipped in fish oil. The sweet taste burst into my mouth .After my belly was full I then, cre pt over to the small hut where the shamans lived. “Yak’ei!” I called. “ What?” “ Someone needs help.” She hobbled out and inspected my wound. She then put some strange healing herbs and did a dance and murmured some special words. When she finished her first healing step she put more plants on the scratch and continued her dance. It took her all the way to dinnertime until she finish. I wince from the pain as she peeled of the medicine. This was the worse time I had in the whole entire day. “ Watch out for the bad spirits.” she warned. I hopped over to the dinner place and gobbled down my bear meat steak with extra blueberries that the childrens had pick today. quickly and went into my house with Dis arms to support me. Yak’ei came to check on me and wrapped my leg with the “magical herbs” and said a special prayer to keep the “evil ones” off. I changed into my soft clothes, snuggled into the silky fur blanket and then I close my eyes. I finally fell asleep into the night and under the dark blue sky.

=__**This is my house.**__= == = = = = =__**The Potlatch**__=

Yesterday's potlatch was a magnificent potlatch, everybody came to the potlatch,even the chief and I am going to tell you everything about it. First when I entered I was very nervous everybody was wearing the most beautiful clothing. I had been to many potlatches but this one was the most fancy one ever. The host and the hostess came out and greeted everyone. the room was wide and the tables were covered with lot's of food. I tried to find Dis and when I did the cheif came. He came on a canoe and everybody stopped talking, everybody was staring at him and me and Dis was just standing there feeling very nervous. We were staring at the most important person in our village. The host then announced that it was time to eat.

I loaded my plate and sat down with Dis. At first the eating was wonderful their were awesome delicates like salmon stew, salmon this and that and many different types of fish and my favorite berries! I ate as many berries as possible, and of course I put fish oil on the. But then at the end I was so stuffed that when I tried to walk my stomach hurt. This was the worst time of my day. The host then announced that it was time for the competitions to begin. The first competition was the swallowing as many whale blubber as possible. I didn't do it though, I was way to full. Those blubbers were huge, slimy and there was lots of them. Then it was the competition for the carvers like Dis. You had to carve the most beautiful carving ever and the judge was the chief.I fell asleep a little since I was so tired and Full but when I woke up I found out that Dis had won the competition.

Then it was the competition for hunters like me. I placed my hand on my bow and gripped. The competition had begun! I raced into the forest and I use my best tracking skills. I checked the ground carefully and saw faint foot prints of some kind of animals like deer maybe. I strained my ears and then I heard a rustling sound of leaves .A clue! I looked at the area very carefully I crept forward to a huge bush and managed to find a whole family of deers!! There were all hiding in the bush. I killed all of them with my arrows just before the time was up. Then, as I carried my prize up to the front I saw Koox carry only one elk! Which meant that I had won!! As the cheif gave me a prize and everybody was cheering for me, the taste of victory was awesome it was the best thing ever.

The host then said that it was time for a little dance around the fire. We were going to see how brave the chief was. We gathered around the fire and then someone came out dressed like a bear. He tried to act like real bear and was trying to scare the chief. Even though real bears are even more fierce the cheif was pretty brave. He didn't even flinched when the "bear" was pretending to claw him. The drums were pounding. And since the drum had a picture of a Thunder bird the pounding of the drum sound a lot like thunder. The cheif was very brave the "thunder" and the "bear" didn't even make him move nor did the fire. He was standing motionless like stone. Weall agreed that our cheif was a very brave man. He was worthy of being our chief.

Then the baby came out from babyland!!!! It was the cutest thing ever!! Woman came up to the baby and cooed. Then us men started to cheer. The host started to scurry around the house like a mouse helping the baby in every way. All of us said hello to the baby and some of us blessed it. Their was a translater that could tell the baby what we said. When it was my turn. I said "I hope you turn into a strong hunter like me." The woman told that to the baby and the baby gugled happily. When all of us finish saying hello to the baby. The host announced for us that the gifts were going to be given soon. The commoners like me and Dis we were given elk skin blankets The nobles were given dentalicum shells. The chief who is in the highest rank, got goat fur blankets, a copper sheild and even a slave! The poor slaves though that were invited got nothing. I saw though, at the end of the potlatch was busy talking to some of the guest they were going to invite him to their potlatch too. so he didn't have to worry about getting poor. I finshed talking to my sister about the potlatch. It was very fun. She said she was very sorry to miss it.