YOU ARE
HERE

Contents

Preface                                                                    vi

Prologue                                                                  ix

  01  Awakening                                                         01

 02  Groundwork                                                      20

 03  Enter the Bear                                                   31

 04  Dream Worlds                                                   59

 05  Shamans of Old                                                  63

 06  The Apprentice                                                   81

 07  Discoveries                                                          91

 08  The Arrival of Spring                                        103

 09  Šipa·puli·ma Found                                            115

 10  Sacred Offerings                                                133

 11  The Messenger                                                   149

 12  Zuñi Bound                                                         165

 13  Encounters                                                         195

 14  The Pilgrimage                                                   211

 15  Powerful Medicine                                              227

 16  After the Fact                                                     245

 Shamans' Genealogy                                                252

"Dancing With Sunsets"

Šipa·puli·ma Found      

 
          
           The two Zuni were quite excited to find that their little stream was initially fed by a most particularly clear-flowing spring pouring forth at a point just short of the crest of this lower portion of the southern half of the Sandia Mountains.  This unanticipated but more than welcomed discovery of a thriving spring on a mountaintop was a mystical/spiritual event for the both of them.  They felt with a great deal of confidence that they had actually discovered that most sacred of all of the telaššina·we because this was near a mountaintop that was surely somewhere close to šipa·puli·ma, and within their sight they surely beheld the most beautiful spring gushing forth the refreshing tasting and purest water that either of them had ever previously experienced.  There is no doubt that the excitement of their discovery certainly added to their perceptions.  They spent the entirety of that night just fasting and only drinking of these invigoratingly cold waters from this most sacred of all springs that flowed so abundantly from ·awitelin citta, Earth Mother.  Early the next morning at the first glimpse of the sun when they had awakened for no other apparent reason; they immediately discovered a rather large brown bear in their otherwise peaceful presence that was ever so casually drinking from this sacred spring.  They were calmly astonished by the incident and looked on ever so quietly at this wild beast that displayed no obvious signs of being at all disturbed that some strangers had obviously invaded its otherwise exclusive territory.  There was an atmosphere of total tranquility and when this great bear had finally finished drinking, it gave a curiously fleeting look at the two Zunis who were now securely holding each other in their blankets and then departed slowing, giving one last look over its shoulder at the strange yet somehow very familiar visitors.  This impressive brown bear had emulated the most serene feelings of strength and confidence in the keen sense of knowing his own importance as part of the larger scheme of things.  Kiasiwa and Raquel took this rather unexpected but certainly welcomed incident with another great bear as a further sign that they had indeed discovered not only a most sacred telaššina·we, but most certainly that most sacred and revered šipa·puli·ma; exactly what they had initially journeyed so far from Zuni, and it was, as they had been told it would surely be; somewhere east of the Zuni homeland and most assuredly in the vicinity of the Sandia Mountains.
          Kiasiwa and Raquel remained for the rest of that exciting morning near the spring’s side and were both rather quiet, appearing in a tranquil state of spiritual meditation.  At noon they both finally prepared to depart without any verbal communication between the two just as though it was that appointed time to return to their adobe.  The return journey down the mountain was certainly easier to make and they were able to reach the little adobe just as the sun was beginning to set.  Kiasiwa had been for some time considering the commencing of Raquel’s education in the sacred ways of a Zuni Medicine Man.  This was quite reasonable for Kiasiwa to have considered under their rather inimitable circumstances, particularly where there were to be no children born of this celebrate union and likely no son to train and carry on the sacred tradition.  It was the next morning that Kiasiwa had taken the time to explain to Raquel that he wanted her to eventually be initiated as a full-fledge Medicine Woman.  Even though this was not a common practice for the Zuni to initiate women, Kiasiwa felt very strongly that Raquel’s acquired knowledge to that point, being the actual daughter of a powerful Medicine Man and bearing the mark of the Bear all combined to confirm Kiasiwa’s own intuitively felt feelings that this most unusual individual of all Zuni women was predestined to follow this gifted path of healing.  It was at this very moment that Kiasiwa gave to Raquel a small glass vial that he had previously acquired as a gift from Padre Manuél.  It was a special vial that Padre Manuél had had in his possession for the specific purpose of carrying ‘holy water’ when he was away from the convenience of the sanctuary.  It was not more than four centimeters long and had been sealed with a small bit of bee’s wax.  Kiasiwa in presenting this little gift to Raquel instructed her to place this empty and sealed vial in her medicine bag for safekeeping and told her that she was to wear the medicine bag henceforth every day.  Kiasiwa told Raquel, “one day you will discover what will be your most powerful of all medicines and that sacred medicine is to be placed in this tiny vial and then sealed.”
          On the next occasion of Kiasiwa meeting with Padre Manuél, he shared his personal thoughts of initiating Raquel as a Medicine Woman and told Manuél that he had already given her that little vial to be placed in her medicine bag.  Padre Manuél had initially made the offer to Kiasiwa that he would be very pleased to fill the tiny vial with ‘holy water’ from the church if he so desired.  Kiasiwa had thanked Manuél for his very thoughtful offer, but graciously declined, stating, “there is a stronger medicine that Raquel will more likely discover for herself some day that is not unlike but perhaps a bit more powerful in its nature than your church’s blessed ‘holy water.’  Your holy water has already more than previously sanctified this special little vial and even more significant is the love that you displayed in giving me that vial and that love will accompany this vial forever.  Your holy water is not part of our Zuni medicine and we place in our medicine bags only those things that we understand from our own Zuni traditions; only those things and elements that will have a particular meaning to the one that bears the medicine bag.  I hope you understand this and are not offended!  I believe that Raquel will always appreciate that this gift came from one that we both love so dearly.”  Kiasiwa also joyfully disclosed their rather astonishing discovery of the telaššina·we that was so appropriately located at the very top of the Sandia Mountains and what this numinous espial had so significantly meant to the both of them as well as their rather remarkable and certainly dramatic encounter with that awesome brown bear; that bear that so casually shared those mutually and memorable exchanged glances.  Kiasiwa went on to further relate to Padre Manuél that it was that very next morning during his spiritual coming together and union with the sacred spring that he had also arrived at the inspirational thought of one day initiating Manuél into his curing society and thus having him confirmed as his spiritual brother in the clan of the Bear.  Kiasiwa stated that this would aptly come only after some rather lengthy instructions in the spiritual and healing ways a Zuni Medicine Man; that is of course, if Padre Manuél would be willing to accept this extraordinary challenge.  There should be no surprise that José’s spiritual companion Padre Manuél was taken quite emotionally with this most unusual and certainly unexpected offer that was no doubt motivated by love and enthusiastically accepted without even the slightest of hesitations.  Manuél viewed this totally unsolicited proposal as some sort of fulfillment of an earlier unspoken fantasy that he had always imagined as a means of accomplishing his passionate desire to establish a more meaningful relationship with his native neighbors that was closely and spiritually aligned to those indigenous peoples of his beloved homeland.
          José wasted very little time commencing with the rather intensive training of the two most intimate members of his own spiritual retinue.  That entire winter José would spend a great deal of time carefully going over the unique intricacies associated with that of being a Zuni Medicine Man and most particularly, many of those more deeply rooted lessons that he had been so fortunate to have learned from your own father, Popé.  Raquel had already acquired a rather comprehensive understanding of many of the more traditionally accepted tenets of becoming a full-fledged Zuni Medicine Man from her beloved kaka, and most significantly she had already acquired an extensive knowledge of a vast assortment of indigenous herbs and their various and sundry curing applications.  Manuél, on the other hand, had already acquired an inspiring and deeply sensitive understanding of that uniquely special connection that should always exist between ones deeper spiritual essence and their physical and emotional well-being.  As much as José would share his own acquired knowledge and vast experiences with these two exceptionally spiritual beings, he often found himself expanding his own profound understanding of that absolute necessity of maintaining that especially delicate balance between each of our individual requirements for what we each consider as a full life and those universally held laws that govern so much of humanity.  These endless, meaningful and mutual exchanges continued to illustrate for each of them that it was in our own innate acts of giving that is more often than not our greatest blessing than the generous offerings of our fellow brethren.  This peerless trinity of human spirituality had in essence been blessed with three heads, three hearts and three beautiful souls that each gave and received in the spirit of a collective passion that was truly more powerful in a way that totally transcended all of their natural and uniquely anthropological differences.
           For almost every lesson that José would present in his Zuni fashion, Manuél would share the teachings of Jesus that more often than not would so consistently parallel the same deeper meanings found within the Zuni’s more sacred teachings and traditions.  It was Raquel whose spiritual growth had probably benefited the greatest from just listening to the Socratic dialectic ramblings between her two friends and paying close witness to the endless and exciting exchanges between these two 19^th Century men of exceptionally intuitive intellect that were always lovingly accompanied by an extraordinary compassion for all of mankind.  It was precisely the liberal arts foundation of Manuél’s Jesuit education that had the most benefit profound for José by expanding his worldview beyond anything that he could have ever imagined as some isolated Zuni native.  And in the same instant José had so naturally demonstrated for Manuél that innate goodness that aptly exists in all of mankind despite the likelihood of their often geographic and cultural segregation or isolation.  Manuél explained to both José and Raquel that it was his experience, that even within his own of thought-to-be superior culture that had such an overwhelming and unlimited opportunity to be fully exposed to all sorts of liberating knowledge, that most poor souls simply chose to remain in their own contrived state of blissful ignorance.  Manuél would repeatedly state just how eternally grateful he was to have had these two exceptional beings enter his life and share so much that gives real and even greater meaning to our otherwise meager existence in this miraculous Garden of Eden.  And it was Manuél’s perception that this Garden of Eden should not be possessed or dominated by any one nation or group of people, much less one single individual, whether that domination is temporal or spiritual in nature.  Perhaps the most revealing revelation for Manuél was the discovered reality that there was absolutely no discernable innate differences between man and woman, and it was Raquel’s recondite presence and personal strength, both intellectually and physically, that most dramatically demonstrated this new reality for Manuél.  Manuél had been raised in a traditionally patriarchal culture that had in its usual fashion, over-emphasized the unfounded superiority of the male.  Manuél was repeatedly and always impressed with the immense presence of Raquel’s innate intellect as well as her almost infinite potential for the profound expression of such deeply passionate issues.  Raquel, in her own traditionally stoic manner, represented the ultimate antithesis of what Manuél has once held to be the given inferior state of woman; and to the humble credit of Raquel, Raquel never once considered herself as a superior individual in any fashion.  Raquel simply felt that she was a most fortunate soul to have been given the opportunity to manifest her own spiritual and intellectual potentialities without any limitations or social constraints. But paramount to all of this was the sincerely high degree of esteem and sincere appreciation that was so consistently and lovingly displayed by José for his life’s most unusual and certainly closest companion.  There was one special and repeated occurrence that would often eclipse the wonderment that these three exceptional souls held for each other’s constant presence.  It became almost a closing ritual for the three of them at the end of their numerous exchanges, which often extended late into the night, to lie on the ground and just stare off into the infinite space of those dark heavens.  None of them had even the slightest conception of what actually existed in that dark abyss that appeared to have no outer boundaries.  These shared quiet moments were amongst those most humbling events of all that persistently reminded all three of them that this amazing universe was infinitely greater than most men would ever admit to or perhaps capable of ever conceiving in one’s unassuming lifetime.  As the days passed and grew colder into the winter months, these three grew ever closer and closer and when the three were assembled, they displayed a spiritual radiance that must have assuredly immerged from somewhere deep within each of their individual mortal beings.  The only lamenting that any of them had ever verbally shared or expressed was that others outside their tightly-knit circle could not share in that unique joy that they had found in each other’s love for one another.
          As spring approached Raquel was even more anxious to explore the surrounding nearby countryside in hopes of discovering some new medicinal plants as well as checking up on the state of previously discovered patches of perennial herbs.  This vast knowledge of these ·awitelin citta’s (Earth Mother’s) healing plants had taken generations of discovery on the parts of so many different Medicine Men, and it was the expectation of each of these contributors to the whole that they would each discover and add one or more new herbs to this collective.  Raquel was certainly no exception.  She also enjoyed just being alone at those specially appreciated times just to ponder the ever-growing wonderment of her own life and the unique relationship that she had come to share with these two exceptionally loving men.  She considered her rather curious circumstances a gifted blessing that more than compensated for her otherwise lack of becoming a mother amongst the countless other natural imbued privileges and sometimes expectations of being a woman.
          It was sometime in the early spring of 1821 that Raquel had ventured to the east and slightly south of their modest adobe dwelling to the top of an expansive horseshoe shaped ridge.  It was outside of and along the northwestern portion of this horseshoe ridge with its enclosed valley that José and Raquel had settled into their modest adobe and where Raquel maintained her garden.  Raquel, in her search of new herbs was following atop this horseshoe ridge in an easterly direction to where it began to then gently curve towards a southerly direction and at the same instant the elevation was gradually descending.  It was just about midway in this southeasterly downhill curve of the ridge that Raquel had come upon a most unusual formation that was shaded from the mid-afternoon western sun by an old Piñon tree growing out of the rocky edge of the ridge.  This rock formation or partially decimated boulder as it may have been was like a giant flat table that had jetted out from the earth in a western direction leaving at least a third of itself noticeably exposed with no visible under support.  The rather flattened but uneven top of this rock had a noticeable indentation towards its sheared-off center that had been darkened most likely by the obvious collection and standing of rainwater from the infrequent precipitation of the area.  There was also some visible evidence that some small animal, probably a ground squirrel, had made use of the flattened rock as its own private dining area.  There were some messy remnants of a dried red pear from a cactus along with a totally butchered seedpod from an indigenous yucca both of which were quite common to the area.  Raquel quickly imagined that small animals probably frequented this natural creation if only to have taken advantage of those collected rainwaters when they were otherwise unavailable.
          The initial encounter with this unusual rock formation quickly became a numinous, spiritual and certainly personally enhancing experience for Raquel, and she almost immediately and without any added cognitive thought process christened this sacred feeling and appearing slab of granite protruding from the earth as Medicine Rock.  Raquel proceeded to sit rather erect upon this newly discovered rock with her legs crossed in a meditative state, and did so in such a natural and familiar manner, facing the mid-afternoon western sky.  Her eyes almost immediately followed the outline/skyline of the Sandia Mountains to a point that she imagined was the probable actual location of that very special place known to José and her as the Zuni šipa·puli·ma.  Raquel remained serenely seated on this unusual rock until the sun had fallen just behind the crest of the mountain just south of that sacred spot.  She then in a most hurried fashion returned to her modest abode most anxiously hoping to share her new discovery with José.  It was as exciting as possibly discovering a new herb.  She was so excited to have encountered what she had perceived as being a most sacred place and was equally confident that this mystical occurrence was just one more of those special events that was another integral part of their shared journey leading to and affirming the discovery of the Zuni’s most sacred šipa·puli·ma.
          Raquel’s timely return to their adobe was doubly rewarding because she was able to share this fortuitous discovery with Manuél as well.  This sharing led into another of those more philosophical exchanges between the three, the essence of which was the part that ‘fate’ plays in any of our lives; “the manner in which we deal with the discovery and the acceptance of new things and ideas can be a true measure of man’s innate divine nature.”  All three of them agreed that it was the divine nature that resided within Raquel’s own being that was actually the spiritually felt nature of this mysterious Medicine Rock and not some innate characteristic or quality of the rock itself.  The rock was more assuredly blessed and made holy by Raquel’s own intuitive and spontaneous christening as well as the naturally impulsive assignment of an appropriate name and meaning.  The reality of the rock’s presence and its perceived uniqueness could have remained eternally anonymous and certainly insignificant without its chance discovery by one who is so spiritually inclined.  In all of this, Raquel, José and Manuél alike came to the mutual realization that it was the very best part of the innately and inner nature of man that had more likely imbued our mythological gods with their mysterious and mystical powers.  Manuél had tactfully offered the suggestion that perhaps it was our gods that were actually made to resemble the better parts of man’s noble nature rather than that commonly decreed postulate of the Christian that so authoritatively suggests that “man is made in the image of God.”  Raquel was most anxious to personally share this new discovery with her two friends and insisted that Manuél remain there that night so that the three of them could visit Medicine Rock together early the next morning.  She confessed to them that part of her wanting to return so immediately to this special rock was that, in her great excitement with it’s discovery, she had inadvertently left behind a small store of herbs that she had gathered earlier that day.  Manuél accepted the encouraging offer, and as usual, the three of them spent their last waking minutes before retiring just gazing up at the endless night sky in such total wonderment.  The last words spoken were from José’s lips and he simply and humbly uttered, “Perhaps it is man himself and not some ghastly god who has actually imbued these marvelous heavens with the majesty of their extraordinary grandeur.  Just a thought!”
          As the spring seemed to have all to quickly passed and the summer was seemingly short, Manuél was having less time to get away from his increasing duties at the Iglesia de San Felipe de Neri.  It was in this same year that Mexico had finally gained its independence from Spain and as a result, many of the Spanish Franciscans that had once so dominated the Roman Catholic Church’s sometimes-austere presence in this desert territory lost their strong grip on the church’s politics.  This deliberate and political purging of the Spanish Franciscans from this enchanting territory serendipitously opened the door for Father Manuél’s further advancement, and being of the more respected Jesuit persuasion of the French linage, he was immediately asked to assume the role of the sole pastor at the Iglesia de San Felipe de Neri.  The ensuing twenty-five years became known as the “Mexican period.”  Even though the previous acts of oppression were often with the restrained blessings of the Franciscan priests, wherein so many of the Pueblo Indians were totally castrated of their own beliefs, the Mexican period did not provide sufficiently needed relief to that already established and entrenched state of religious slavery and oppression that had consistently been the sole mission of the Roman Catholic Church.  By any other name or designation the principal theme of the Catholic Church remained the same whether it was marketed as Franciscan (Spanish style) or Jesuit, and that ominous bit of contrived theology was always summed up in just one word: OBEDIENCE.
          Even with the added responsibilities of the church that now fell squarely on the broad shoulders of Manuél, the three courageous soldiers of freedom and seekers of truth continued to share in their ongoing discovery of new ideas and often just the rediscovery of old ideas and the world around them with the promise of a new perspective.  José in the following three years read almost every book that Manuél had acquired for his personal library.  This not only expanded and enhanced José’s vocabulary; it provided him with vast stores of new and exciting ideas that dramatically and continually changed his own view of the world.  José would frequently read many of these books aloud so that Raquel could share in the further exploration of this New World, and when the three were together they would often engage in lively discussions that were rightly fueled by José’s forever wanting further explanations of what he was reading.  Just when the three would think that they had probably read just about all there was, there came word that another caravan of trade wagons had arrived from St. Louis over the newly established Santa Fe Trail conveniently ending in Santa Fe, and that often meant that there was another special delivery for Manuél.  A small packages of two to four books would usually be left at the Cathedral of Saint Francis in Santa Fe and eventually find their way to “Father Manuel Ortiz” in care of the Iglesia de San Felipe de Neri.
          It was in 1821 when Missouri was admitted as a state that William Becknell first established this foreign trade route known as “the Santa Fe Trail.”  Being that this was also the beginning of the twenty-five year Mexican rule of this southwestern territory, the route was established primarily to further the commercial trade between this most northern providence of Mexico and the United States.  This Santa Fe Trail was unlike that of the Oregon and California trails in that they were established some twenty years prior and severed mostly the rather steady immigrant movement of pioneers headed for the Pacific coast.  While Manuél had been a seminarian student in St. Louis, he had fortuitously developed a particularly close relationship with one of the Jesuit priests that had acquired a particular fascination with Manuél’s uniquely inquisitive and rather liberal intellect.  This Father François was constantly on the lookout for any westward bound pioneers or merchants that were headed for Santa Fe or the village of Albuquerque, and would often elicit them to make these occasional deliveries to Father Manuél in care of the Cathedral of Saint Francis in Santa Fe.  There is no telling how many additional books may have been lost en route for countless untold reasons.  These trail masters weren’t always reliable even if they were generously tipped, and there was no established mail service at that time in history.  Occasionally there would be an enclosed note with these books that gratefully acknowledged the receipt of letters from Manuél in which he had expressed his continued gratitude for the gifts of these books.  Manuél, would on every occasion of some books being delivered attempt to send a letter, usually via some returning guide that had led a party of merchants/traders to this Spanish territory, probably along this same Santa Fe Trail.  St. Louis along with Kansas City sort of became the most popular departing points for most of the western-bound travelers—these gateways to the west were also the entry points for so much of the silver that had originated from mines that were situated throughout Mexico.
          Manuél, in the late winter of 1823 took a brief leave of absence from his church duties and took José with him to visit St. Louis and to personally introduce José to Father François.  When the two finally reached their destination, this Father François was noticeably beside himself to have had these two men visit him so unexpectedly, and the three of them immediately commenced to spend the better part of three weeks’ stay just immersing themselves in each other’s vast intellectual and spiritual reservoir.  Father François had since his initial arrival in St. Louis from France, had fortuitously established a number of academic associates that would continually supply him with all sorts of the most currently published books and translations of many of the classics.  These mostly academic contacts were from both his own home in Paris and a number of Jesuit priests living throughout the eastern United States.  Among the most intriguing books for Father François that were outside the confines of theology was a volume by Nicolò Machiavelli’s The Prince written about 1513 and the rather limited writings of Marcus Arelius sometime in the Second Century; most notably, Meditations.  Most fascinating to the rather endlessly inquisitive minds of these intellectual clergymen were some of the published writings of such controversial scientists as Galileo Galilei (1564-1642), Sir Isaac Newton (1642-1727) and Christiaan Huygens (1629-1695).  All three of these notably distinguished scientists contributed revolutionary theories that seriously challenged both the papal authority of that time and likewise the all-encompassing and until then, unchallenged biblical mythology that had historically been forcefully propagated by the Roman Catholic Church as the absolute truth.  In one profound manner or another these three exceptionally gifted scientists had explored those vast heavens above and with such heretical fervor, postulated with such certainty that our little planet was, after all, not that imagined center of this cosmic and infinite universe as had originally been so erroneously postulated in the Book of Genesis.  José shared with these two priests the Zuni beliefs that their own known world was also considered to be the center of their known universe not too unlike those primitive and archaic beliefs of our own naive forefathers of Western civilization.  Manuél suggested to his two friends that perhaps many of the other long-held and unchallenged traditions of the Catholic Church might equally fall to the wayside as other new discoveries are revealed?  It was equally intriguing to these three progressive thinkers to consider as to just how the physical sciences might ultimately affect the entirety of the religious and social order of all of mankind.  After all, most of what men had previously held to be the truth of their very existence was usually explained by the religious priests whose authority was rarely questioned by the masses.  Father François enthusiastically shared with his two liberal friends, the most recent communications from Rome that amusingly reported that the leadership of the Church was seriously considering that all future decrees of the Pope be taken by all as the absolute and infallible word of God.  “We, the Pope and God do declare and/or decree….”  François suggested that this newly contrived concept of the infallibility of the Pope and this rather drastic redirection in papal authority was apparently seen by many of these scientifically threatened clerics in Rome as something that was absolutely necessary in light of the fact that so many of the then recent discoveries and scientific theories had so authoritatively and dramatically undermined the traditional theology and beliefs of the Church.
          Manuél and José left St. Louis with a number of newly arrived books graciously given to them by François and a renewed fervor for seeking and discovering the truth.  It was on the occasion of the first night of the return journey that José and Manuél gazed at the night sky with newly enlightened eyes.  There passed between them almost no words as they both pondered the majesty of the heavenly bodies, and the in the depth of their mutually diverse universes, José lamented to Manuél the noticeable absence of their dearest friend, Raquel, and wished that she could have been present to have shared what the two of them had just learned from François.  Those heavens now possessed a new and certainly profound meaning that only added to the wonderment that these friends had always shared on those nightly occasions.  The challenge was going to be their ability to share all of this newly discovered reality with Raquel, but of course, there was no question that this most unusual Zuni woman would be aptly able to eventually grasp almost anything that her two intellectual friends might have to offer.
          It was on this particular occasion of this return journey from St. Louis that Father Manuél lovingly suggested to José that he might wish to become more actively involved with the Catholic Church.  José made it quite clear to Manuél that even though he was unequivocally fond of him personally and most appreciative beyond any measure of his warm and thoughtful friendship for a multitude of reasons, he simply had too little interest in becoming a Catholic; not that this was at all what Manuél was actually suggesting to José.  Manuél, after offering some clarification of what he was actually seeking form José, finally persuaded him, on the compelling and well-founded grounds of incorporating José’s unique skills that were justly perceived by Manuél as something quite indispensable in ministering to the various Pueblo Indians--sort of an unofficial ambassador of the Catholic Church.
          It was that following spring of 1824 that Manuél, in his authoritative capacity as the sole pastor of the Iglesia de San Felipe de Neri, appointed José to the position of a Deacon of the Church.  It was most naturally José’s specific and often assigned duties to attend to the special needs of the different Pueblo Indians that might frequent the Church in Albuquerque and to conscientiously assist the pastors of some of the outlying churches that were located in the various Pueblos.  In the spirit of fair play and exchange, José solicited Manuél’s personal assurance that he would willingly join him in a missionary venture to Mexico City sometime in the future.  This special request bore the pregnant hope that some day these two unusual crusaders would make an earnest attempt to persuade the governing body of the Mexican Catholic Church to restore at least some portion of the indigenous people’s own religious traditions that had been so wrongly usurped, not that the Church had any inalienable right to have taken it away in the first place.  Of course, Father Manuél was more than agreeable with this most rational and certainly reasonable condition stated by José, and since Manuél had himself acquired such an unyielding and ever-increasing respect for many of the Pueblo Indians and their extraordinary religious beliefs, he was equally anxious to encourage some needed changes in the Church’s illiberal policies.  There was little question that José’s own unselfish contributions and unabashed commitment to this unique, unusually intense and mutually rewarding relationship, went a long way to cement Manuél’s own personal resolve to protect these challenged and often compromised inalienable rights of the Pueblo people that had been for all too long, dastardly violated and ignored in the name of that Christian God and that Holy Catholic Church.
          That winter Raquel was in her 26^th year and began what was to become her lifelong calling.  That winter there was an unusually early snowfall, and travel on the east side of the Sandia Mountains was rendered most difficult.  There was a Spanish woman living in the nearby village of Tijeras that was expecting a child at any given moment and was sadly unable to obtain the services of her usual midwife.  This woman had previously met José and Raquel at the Iglesia de San Felipe de Neri on several special occasions and was aware of their supposed healing skills.  Knowing that the trip to the village of Albuquerque would be treacherous under these winter-storm conditions, the woman asked her husband to summon Raquel in the hopes that she would be able to assist in the delivery of their child.  The husband succeeded since the little adobe wasn’t more than a few kilometers away, and with no apparent complications, it was an entirely successful delivery.  Raquel remained at the woman's home for several additional days following the fortunately routine delivery of the newborn and had assisted this kind woman with her other three young children while the mother was recovering from the labor of delivering a new son.  This more than grateful woman not only discovered that Raquel was qualified as a caring midwife, but most sensitive to the basic needs of young children.  As a result of this first successful experience and certainly with the rapid spreading of the word by this most grateful woman, others living on the east side of the Sandia Mountains soon engaged Raquel for her newly discovered skills and domestic services.  Most of the families seeking Raquel’s domestic skills were from the villages of Cañoncito, San Antonito and Golden, all rather close to her little adobe on the east side of the Sandia Mountains.
          This brutal winter of 1824 had to have been the busiest winter for all three of these courageous souls.  As pastor of the Church in Albuquerque, Manuél was inundated with all sorts of demands from every quadrant.  Most notable amongst these demands were the constant and annoying reminders arriving from Mexico City stating that it was an imperative that the Pueblo Indians fully submit to the Catholic religion with the total exclusion of any of their “primitive pagan rites.”  There were constant requests for reports stating the progress of the Church in these matters of religious conversion.  This was a most difficult task for Manuél since he was intimately aware that the unwanted presence and spiritual nuisance of the Catholic Church did not necessarily spiritually enhance the lives of these beautiful people.  Manuél would share his constant and unresolved disgust and frustrations with José, and they would both often find themselves driven to tears.
          Raquel was as equally concerned as José, and this subject of the unabashed religious conversion of the Pueblo Indians often dominated those sessions in which José was attempting to further the instructions necessary for his two special and loving students to eventually be fully initiated ·ona· ya·naka ·a·šiwani, ‘priests of the completed path’, who alone possessed the knowledge of the healing herbs and their proper application.  José would on more than one occasion stress the importance of establishing an intimate and trusting relationship between a Zuni Medicine Man and the recipients of his healing powers.  Most importantly José emphasized the fact that the Medicine Man could never maintain any manner of harsh judgments against his patients at any time, as this would inevitably interfere with the success of any healing process.  José would repeatedly state that the successful healing of the body could only be achieved in the presence of a loving heart and a healthy mind that was totally free of any form of judgment.  Manuél was amazed at just how similar this understanding was to the profound teachings of Jesus in that Jesus would minister to every strata and station of mankind without any judgment or prejudice.  Manuél would marvel at the similarities between these Zuni teachings and those of Jesus and would constantly share with José and Raquel, those parallel teachings of Jesus, who was after all, just another loving and marvelous Medicine Man from the desert of another place and time.  José, would on more than one occasion, lovingly suggest that Jesus must have been a Zuni Medicine Man to have been so very wise and so loved for all that he most obviously shared with those that gathered around him.  José, “Sometimes when you are talking about this Jesus, it reminds me of the stories of my grandfather whom I had never met, Naiyutchi, because they were both so loved by their people and both of them sought to bring only love and healing to their troubled souls and ailing bodies.  I often wonder if we might be speaking of the same spirit?”  Manuél would always lightheartedly but seriously retort that José’s father, Popé must have been a good Christian to have taught him that he should love his enemy and do equally good for him as he would for any of his beloved Zuni neighbors, and José would always retort that his father had learned almost everything that he knew from one that was considered even greater, his own father, Naiyutchi.  At the end of these frequent exchanges these two spiritual and compassionate men and Raquel, very much included would often share warm embraces and not without an occasional tear of shared joy; and then they would gaze once more into those vastly enchanting night skies with ever-renewing wonderment.

           
                  Sacred Offerings  
             
           

                The Messenger

               

          With such a powerful and inspiring start to a brand new year, each of the three Shamans embraced their daily tasks and responsibilities with a renewed vigor that was reflected in everything they accomplished including a noticeable little bounce added to their already proud strides.  In fact, there was so much going for the rest of that eventful year the time passed all too quickly.  Between the usual tending to her garden and delivering another child almost every month, Raquel hardly had the necessary time to devote to all of the reading that she had prescribed for herself.  She had been so impressed with all that José had accomplished the past few years just by reading so many of Manuél’s books, she felt compelled to ‘catch up.’  The longer days of the summer were a bit better for this intellectual project because it gave Raquel better light in the early evenings.  As summer was coming to a close, José bought Raquel an exceptionally nice oil lamp with a mirrored reflector so that she could continue her reading even after the sun had gone down.  Prior to this, the old oil lantern and occasional candle just wasn’t sufficiently bright to keep Raquel from constantly squinting at the pages.  She would have probably benefited from the use of some eye spectacles, but when José had tactfully suggested that remedy on several occasions; Raquel could only suggest that she didn’t need any help from those strange Spaniards.  Her persistent reading, if at times rather sketchy, had only one significantly long interruption and that came in mid summer when she took it upon herself to help one of the mothers by caring for her children while this distressed woman had returned to her parents’ home to care for her own dying mother.  The care of these four young children lasted for about five weeks, and because Raquel had the necessity to live in this woman’s home for that period of time, it was difficult to find any additional time for reading even though she had brought along her new oil lamp and several books.  The other challenge at this period of time was Raquel’s being able to make it back to her own home every couple of days just to tend to her thirsty garden.  José made it a point to visit her on the occasion of several evenings only to bring a book and read it to her while she was still preoccupied with some of those persistent domestic duties like the cooking of the evening’s meal.  “José, you’re just too good to me; shouldn’t you be doing something else with your valuable time?”  Raquel further expressed to José that this beleaguering experience certainly had cured her of any lingering doubts that may have remained about her having chosen to live her life without a spouse and “the constant demands of a bunch of needy children who just seem unable to do anything for themselves.  I just don’t get how Victoria (the name of the woman for whom she was substituting) puts up with all of this, and to think, its on a daily basis; and with no time for herself with the exception of this bit of time-off, only to be further burdened with the tender caring for a dying mother!  I really am very very fortunate!”
          It was now the fifth year of the Mexican rule over this territory and with each year more than ever there were increasing demands placed on the local clergy to “sew up any loose ends” and ensure that the Catholic Church thoroughly dominate the religious milieu of this most northern Mexican providence.  These kinds of unmerited and thoughtless directives coming from Mexico City were found to be rather offensive to Manuél and he often shared with José just how fortunate he felt that at least the weekly services within the church itself were conducted in a language that even he was often pressed to fully understand; Latin.  Manuél sort of paid lip service to the whole political scene and instead, ministered to his parish in such a manner as to only address their most immediate needs; christening, confirmations, weddings, final rites and of course, those inevitable burials.  In fact, Manuél was so overwhelmed at times with just these routine duties that he couldn’t have addressed these unwarranted directives from Mexico City had he even agreed with them.  José kept reminding Manuél that when the time was right, they still needed to embark on that promised personal pilgrimage to Mexico City and directly address those rather naïve church authorities, most of whom have never even bothered to make an investigatory visit to this area of so much apparent and stated concern to them.
          As the winter was setting in, José and Raquel had an unexpected but certainly welcomed visitor from Zuñi.  It was the first-born son, Popékâke of Raquel’s favorite uncle, Koškáti.  Popékâke was Raquel’s most favored childhood buddy.  He had made this particular journey just to inform his displaced relatives of all the current events that were happening to each of their families back in Zuñi and Pescado and to finally pay a long overdue visit to his beloved yikina (father’s sister’s daughter).  Popékâke went straight to the Iglesia de San Felipe de Neri when he first arrived at the village of Albuquerque, as he had been told by his family that it was there that he would be able to get in touch with Kiasiwa (José) and Raquel.  Fortunately he arrived at a time when Manuél was busy working in the church itself and Popékâke had no difficulty at all in communicating who he was and what he had wanted because Padre Manuél had pretty-well mastered much of the Zuni language by that time.  It was late in the day, and Manuél suggested that Popékâke spend the night at the church, get some needed rest due to his trying journey and that he would be delighted to personally escort him the next morning to the other side of the mountain.  Manuél was particularly pleased to have this most unexpected guest because it gave him an added opportunity to learn even more about his good Zuni friends.  Popékâke and Manuél spent a good portion of that evening just trading stories about José and Raquel, and what was possibly the most intriguing exchange of all came when Manuél shared his exceptional experience with having been recently initiated as a Zuni Medicine Man.  Popékâke was only momentarily surprised at this unexpected report, but as Manuél continued to express just how moved and meaningful the whole experience was to him, it became apparent to Popékâke that this white man more than deserved an honor that was usually reserved only for those who were born Zuni.  Popékâke then disclosed much of his own recent initiation as a Medicine Man back in Zuñi and they both formed an even closer bond for having shared something so familiar and that had meant so much to the both of them.  Before the two finally retired for the evening they became close friends, much in the same manner as Manuél had become with José, and certainly Raquel as well.  Manuél shared the experience of that nocturnal tradition of the three now eastern Zuni Shamans of just simply lying beneath the night ski and pondering its infinity, and then suggested that they might share the same that very night.  This totally unabashed acceptance of Manuél by another initiated Zuni Medicine Man was the initial groundwork, which would eventually lead to Manuél being taken into one of the ·annoti·we (clans) of the Zuni as well as a most welcomed acceptance into a Zuni tikanne (curing society).  This was an equally exciting connection for Manuél and by the next morning one could easily detect some added degrees to that already increased bounce in Manuél’s stride.  The feelings were certainly mutual.
          By the time that Manuél and Popékâke had reached the little adobe on the east side of the mountain at just about mid morning, José had already departed for San Antonito, a little settlement just north of them, to help with some needed but rather minor repairs to their sanctuary.  José was still very involved and preoccupied with the Catholic church in the village of Albuquerque, but he was also beginning to pay some added attention to his own neighbors on the east side.  Raquel was very excited by the unexpected guest that had been so enthusiastically brought by Manuél, and Raquel insisted that Manuél remain to at least share a mid-day meal with she and Popékâke, her long-lost and beloved papa (mother’s brother’s son) someone for whom she was anxious to get reacquainted.  Manuél remained just long enough to eat and expressed that he really needed to get back to the Iglesia because he had left a number of chores that needed his immediate attention that very day.  He left and when he did, Raquel suggested to papa that he only share that bit of news that might not involve José so that when José returns later that evening he could tell all to the both of them together.  To fill some of the time Popékâke joined Raquel in her garden and the two of them passed the early afternoon with the needed harvesting the last of Raquel’s vegetables, mostly squash and then tilling under some of the remaining vegetation as much needed mulch for the next growing season.  The news that was probably the most enjoyably shared by the two Zuni cousins until José would return was that of Popékâke’s newly acquired hom citta, Símacoya, whom he had courted in the more traditional fashion of those nightly nuptial visits and had finalized the ritual only three years prior to this timely visit.  The added and perhaps even more exciting news was the birth of Popékâke’s, first child, his hom kacik·i (daughter). Popékâke had insisted on naming the child Šumačale, for his only and lovely yikina (cousin).  Raquel was more than honored and realized that even in her long absence from Zuñi and Pescado she had been fondly remembered and remained very much a part of her Zuni family and people.  Her other unspoken thought was that the name her mother had so lovingly given her, Šumačale, was finally going to be actually used by another lovely child.  Raquel always appreciated the reasons that her maternal family had always called her “Raquel” and at the same time she had always loved her Zuni name, mostly because it so connected her to her mother.  In Raquel’s mind there was little doubt that Popékâke had thoughtfully chosen this name for his own daughter due to the fact that Raquel had once shared with her papa this unspoken desire to actually be known and called by her Zuni name, Šumačale.
          Because the work was rather light in nature in San Antonito, José was home well before the sun was to set.  José was overjoyed to find Popékâke visiting his home and greeted him with an enthusiastic embrace.  José wasted little time insisting that Popékâke share with him and Raquel everything that been happening back in Zuni.  Popékâke, just to be fair to José filled him in on what he had already shared with Raquel about his lovely hom citta, Símacoya and the fact that he had named his first child, Šumačale in honor of Raquel.  This bit of news noticeably touched José, and upon hearing it, went over to Popékâke and gave him the biggest hug, expressing his gratitude as several tears appeared in his eyes.  Popékâke then said, “Before I share the rest of the news of Zuñi, I want to tell you just how impressed I was with your friend, Father Manuél.  I was at first surprised to discover that you had shared with a Spaniard some of our most sacred Zuni traditions, but after getting to know him, I was excited to embrace this newly initiated, love-filled and more than deserving ·ona· ya·naka  ·a·šiwani (a priest of the completed path) and I now, with great pride, call him, my brother.  José, I truly believe that we both felt the same deep emotional feelings and by the time I left him this morning, I was feeling like we had known each other for an entire lifetime.  Last night Manuél shared with me that marvelous wonderment of the night sky that he said the three of you have so intimately shared these past few years.  I want to thank you for making him a true part of our Zuni family.”
          Popékâke then went on to share the rest of the news from Pescado and Zuñi.  He first reported that his own father, Koškáti had become a Zuni Medicine Man at the same time of his own initiation some two years prior and that both of them had also joined the same tikanne (curing society) as the honored Popé.  “Our fathers have become very close in these past few years and I truly believe that your father would ask Koškáti to follow in his footsteps should anything ever happen that would prevent him from practicing his own medicine.  Your father has also taught me a great deal and I have come to love this man almost as much as I love my own father.  I feel like Popé has become part of my own family and this makes me feel even closer to the both of you even though we have been separated by time and distance.  Every morning when the sun rises my thoughts go out to Raquel and I wonder if she is still watching that sun rise each morning as she did when we were only children back in Pescado?  Most of the Zuni people have accepted the idea that the two of you will never likely return to Zuñi, and all that they really want to know is whether you have actually found the Zuni šipa·puli·ma somewhere here in these Sandia Mountains east of the village of Albuquerque.  Both of you have become somewhat of a legend back home.  You're really missed back in Zuñi, and I believe you need to return sometime soon, if only to show everyone that the both of you are truly happy and that this move here was something very good and perhaps even blessed by our ancestors.  As for me I can already tell this from the glow in your faces.  Now tell me, have you actually found Zuni’s sacred and mythological šipa·puli·ma?”
          José, with the greatest joy evident in his voice shared their wondrous discovery of the telaššina·we atop the Sandia Mountain and just how the both of them knew in their hearts that they had truly discovered what the Zuni had always considered as their most sacred šipa·puli·ma.  “We have at every crucial point in our sometimes strange journey to the ultimate discovery of šipa·puli·ma, been blessed by the great presence of ·anše (the Bear) who has made himself well known and sometimes most dramatically.  The Bear once intervened in an unexpected manner and kept us from going in the wrong direction, and even though this was rather frightening at the time, we both look back on the experience as a blessing that we are both so honored to have received.  Our Zuni fathers have taught us that it is the Bear that will lead us to water when we thirst, and that same Bear will lead us to sacred waters when we have a spiritual thirst.  When we first discovered the telaššina·we, atop the mountain it was this great ·anše himself that drink of the sacred waters while we were there and it was his powerful presence that gave us the knowledge that we had truly discovered šipa·puli·ma.  I just can't tell you how wonderful all of this has been and how our lives have been so ultimately blessed beyond any of our childhood dreams.  So that you can see all of this for yourself, I will gladly take you there tomorrow if you possess the desire.  By the way, did my friend, Manuél, share with you that we had performed the sacred rites of initiation atop this vary mountain and next to the sacred telaššina·we, and that the Bear once again made his presence and spiritual power known?  Maybe we will be so fortunate as to encounter ·anše once again tomorrow.  Raquel, would you care to join us?”  Raquel responded, “There is not a day that passes that I don’t have thoughts about this very special place and only wish to return and drink further of those cool pure waters as often as I can!  I know that even my spirit will return to this sacred place when I die.  Of course, I will gladly join the two of you,”
          Popékâke expressed his great joy and the unexpected honor that it would be to be able to visit such a sacred place and he thought to himself, that none other than ·akw·a mossi (Medicine Chief) himself would introduce him to the sacred telaššina·we.  Popékâke then went on to share the actual and more pressing reason for his unexpected visit.  “Popé has collapsed on several occasions and this has given your mother great concern.  She has done everything in her power to lessen his burden.  She tries to make him as comfortable as possible when he's at his place of healing and offering his services to others, who more often than not now have to visit him rather than have him make the effort.  Your mother takes the greatest of care to prepare all of his favorite foods.  Even my own father has often encouraged him to slow the pace of his stride and let others carry some of the load.  It just isn't in the nature of your father to slow down and everyone contends that only his absent son, Kiasiwa, would be able to convince him to take a much-needed rest from all that he does with such a stubborn mind to please and serve everyone.  Your mother was the very one that encouraged me to come here and persuade you to come for a visit.  I believe that your mother's concern is very real and that you need to return as soon as it is possible for you to get away from your duties.  I believe that just the knowledge that you will be coming would give your father great comfort.  You know what I think would be even nicer?  Bring Manuél with you and introduced him to his new family.  I just know that your father would feel like he had another son; that he had fathered another powerful Zuni Medicine Man.  This would help him feel like he was young again and I’m sure this would give him the desire to live a bit longer, if only to have the opportunity to teach Manuél some of the same sacred lessons that he taught you.  I won't dwell on this any longer.  I think that I have told you all that your anxious mother wanted me to share with you and it is my true feeling that your most wonderful father won’t be departing this life for some time to come, but I do feel that you need to return to Zuni as soon as you can make the arrangements.  Can I tell your family that you will make every effort possible to return sometime in the near future?”  José indicated to Popékâke of his heart-felt earnest intentions with the sadden nod of his head as he knowingly looked towards Raquel as though he was seeking her positive concurrence.  Both José and Raquel had for some time been considering this needed pilgrimage and this bit of news related by Popékâke was just the impetus to take action.
          The three Zuni Indians eat a grand meal that was worthy of a great celebration and continued exchanging for some time, in their own Zuni language, the details of their recent experiences.  What most fascinated Popékâke was the degree to which José and Raquel had both so mastered the use and reading of the both the Spanish and English languages.  “Do you think I could learn these skills myself?  It would be so wonderful if I could read even half of the books that you have told me about.  I never imagined that there was so much to learn about the world beyond Zuni.  In fact, I never really imagined that there was anything worth exploring beyond the boundaries of our own Zuni world.  And now you tell me that there is another whole world far beyond that great ocean that lies to the East.  I never imagined that there was anything except the edge of our own world and I had always thought that the Spanish were just strange descendants of our own old and forgotten ancestors and that the land from which they claim to have come was just another strange name for what we have always called šipa·puli·ma.  What I find so amazing is José’s description of his wondrous journey to this place called Saint Louis and this unusual priest who has so many books that are filled with so many words that describes things that I have never even thought of.  I think the two of you have discovered something even greater than what we Zuni call šipa·puli·ma, or just maybe all of this wondrous knowledge is in fact the real essence of the šipa·puli·ma, and those sacred waters that flow from the telaššina·we are more than just blessed but symbolic of the knowledge and wisdom that you have both likely gained just from your reading these many marvelous and mysterious books.  I find it like sitting at some endlessly deep well of knowledge and being able to drink in the knowledge to ones full contentment.  I wonder how many more books might be out there?  Who writes all of these books anyway?  Would you teach me to read?”
          With tears flowing freely from his eyes, José expressed to Popékâke that he had just expressed in the most beautiful of Zuni words the very essence of what he and Raquel had only attempted to learn about the teachings of Jesus according to Manuél’s understanding.  Before this moment, neither José nor Raquel had truly understood the deeper meaning that was intentionally meant by the words, “Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.”  José and Raquel had always perceived it as just some profound statement that had been made by some great teacher afar just to impress his followers with his clever use of words.  All of a sudden the whole idea of words having more power in what they can transmit with their meanings became readily apparent to both José and Raquel, and they had in just one short instance both just experienced the same revelation when they witnessed in Popékâke’s newly discovered countenance, the glowing sense of his having just encountered that utter freedom of thought.  Popékâke’s inner eyes were blissfully opened for the first time in his life, and he realized that there was a vast world beyond the scope of his once limited child-like imagination, and so far, far beyond the perceived world of the Zuni.  And, the other profound revelation of the moment was José and Raquel’s understanding for the first time what Manuél had meant when he told them, “You have opened my eyes to a world beyond anything that I had ever dreamed.  I have learned something very special through my most intimate friendship with you and that is; there are worlds out there the discovered existence of which only proved to me that my own little world is but a small part of this great universe.”  José suggested that they had probably all shared enough heavy thoughts for that evening of joyous reunion and that perhaps they should now go outside for just a few moments before they sleep, lie down on the ground together and quietly gaze at and enjoy those countless and marvelous pin-points of light that seem to so endlessly fill the night’s blackened heavens; always a cosmic wonderment to behold, and on this extraordinary night of discovering that ultimate sense of total freedom, there was no moon to otherwise lighten the darkness of the cosmos and thus rob the stars of their own individual sparkle, which only made this sacred and shared moment all the more dramatic.  The only element that was noticeably missing was that crazy Spaniard that had all those mundane duties to perform back in the village of Albuquerque.
          It was early the next morning and the three Zuni Indians quickly departed for the mountaintop.  Even though José and Raquel were sufficiently familiar with the most direct route that would have allowed them to make the entire trip in just one long day, it had become the usual expectation that they would always spend the night somewhere close to the telaššina·we.  And it was also hoped for and eagerly anticipated that the great Bear might be there to greet them in the early morning hour.  There was such energy with all three of these Shamans when they finally arrived at the sacred spring just past the noon hour.  For much of that afternoon, the three of them just sat on the rocky edge of a cliff that was nearby the spring, talking only intermittently and restfully gazing at the Rio Grade valley that lay before them to the west.  Popékâke actually did most of the talking as he was so excited by the entire experience and what he had repeated most of that afternoon was his utter astonishment at the grandeur of the view and the profound feelings that he was repeatedly experiencing at just the thought that he had actually come face to face with Zuni’s sacred šipa·puli·ma.  “I never imagined that I would have ever had this exceptional experience.  I feel so privileged to just be here with two of my most loved friends, and to think that we have all been initiated as Zuni Medicine Men.  I’m in some strange state for which I simply have no words with which to express my total wonderment at everything I am seeing and experiencing.  I know that my father always wanted this for me, and I only wish that he could be here right now with us and have this amazing experience for himself.  What have I ever done to deserve this?”  As the sun was setting behind the horizon, they gathered some wood and built a small fire.  They only eat some of the bread that Raquel had brought, repeatedly drank from the sacred spring and laid on their blankets gazing at the night’s brilliant sky.  Popékâke expressed, “I feel like I could reach out and touch those stars for the first time.  I’ve never been so close!  I really do want to learn how to read those marvelous books of the white man!”
          Come the next morning no one was at all astonished to find that the Bear had indeed made his usual appearance at the spring.  Popékâke was so excited at the Bear being there, and so close, that he, without giving it any thought, quickly got up from his blanket and verbally greeted the Bear with such excitement and enthusiasm that it sort of startled the otherwise serene beast, which all too quickly retreated.  Raquel, “You scared our dear friend away.”  Popékâke, “No one can scare that great beast; he is all-powerful and I was only showing him my greatest respect for all the gifts that he brings so unselfishly into all of our little lives.  Just his presence on this land is such a great blessing and from this point forward I will always take time to honor his endless power and wonderment in everything that I do.”  Popékâke to José, “Your father should be here to see this for himself.  Isn’t it strange that it is your father that is the very cause of my being here and having this wonderful experience!  Perhaps he is here and with us in spirit?”  José, “Every Zuni Medicine Man comes here in spirit at some point in his life, even if it is just in a dream, and this is why we have learned of this sacred place from our Zuni fathers who never actually had the time to make this wonderful journey in life.  There is very probably a šipa·puli·ma of sorts in every ones lives whether they ever discover it may be a matter of great chance.  And what I have learned from Manuél is that one does not have to be Zuni, and Raquel can tell you that this šipa·puli·ma does not restrict itself to only men.  I had to come here and discovered for myself, this most sacred telaššina·we, encounter this great and peaceful Bear with all of its noble powers and learn that power does not have to be harmful; to realize that a man not born Zuni can be my true brother; that my mother gave me more life and substance than my father—that mothers and sisters should be able to find their own šipa·puli·ma, or at the very least, share mine as though it was theirs, and satisfy their own spiritual thirst by drinking the sacred waters of the Zuni telaššina·we; I needed to learn that there was a world far beyond Zuni that possessed spiritual knowledge needed by all men to live life to the fullest, I had to come to know that the power we attribute to our own medicine comes from those that we treat—it is they who empower the Medicine Man, I have learned that to require more than I need violates our loving ·awitelin citta (Earth Mother), I had to be taught the meaning of a new word, “love,” by a Spanish priest that had learned this special form of love from a man that lived before the Zuni were introduced to this land; I had to do all of this before I actually realized that being a real man of any value was as simple as putting everything I possess aside and simply gazing at those stars that humble me in the most profound manner.  All of this was something that even my own loving father just couldn’t have given me; I had to discover this for myself.  And I was able to do this because one man taught me, no, we learned from each other that we need to be more than we think we are and at the same instant, less than we have been taught to believe.”  Popékâke, “I’m not sure that I understand all of this?  What do you mean by my being less than what I have been taught to believe?”  José, “This will all come to you in good time.  You have a good heart and I would only instruct you to listen to what that heart speaks to you, and not let anyone, including myself, ever direct its purest thoughts or its actions of love.  Your own heart is your only source of that divine love.  I can love you as I do, but unless you love yourself enough to be able to love others despite their faults and differences, you will never know the true meaning of love.  If you do what I tell you to do, then your actions are mine and not yours, and I would have possibly only made a slave of you, your body and even your mind.  I want you to experience true freedom and that wouldn’t be possible if you think only the way “I” or anybody else would seemingly demand of you to think.  This is equally true of the idea of belief; if I ask you to believe something and you accept just what I offer as the only truth of the matter; then it would be ‘my’ belief that you possess and very possibly a belief that is only real in my own imagination; not a reality to anyone else.  Manuél and I have discovered from each other that what we have both been taught ‘to believe’ was not always the ultimate truth of the matter.  We find no fault with our teachers; they possibly meant well in what they taught, and they were only able to teach what they had learned from another.  Ignorance so sadly begets only ignorance; there is no fault here.  Manuél has confessed more than once that he had been instructed to believe something that just isn’t what his true master and teacher, Jesus, had taught his own followers at the time of his life in that far away land.  I have read of a great Christian thinker that intuitively separated himself from this Catholic Church because he discovered for himself that so much of what he had been taught as the absolute truth was not the truth at all; in fact, it was often just the opposite.  This very smart man whose name was Martin Luther told others of his spiritual discoveries and there was a big division in this Catholic Church.  Our minds and souls can be unjustly imprisoned by teachings that are simply not founded in the truth, and we are apt to become the slaves of those that imprison us with these imagined beliefs that are very possibly false and often made so intentionally by men who only wish to enslave others.  If we accept from our spiritual enslavers a ‘truth’ that is rightly false, then it would be better that we become something ‘less’ that what we were lead to believe.  With beliefs that are not of the truth, it is better that we become as that innocent child that we were before we were so sadly misguided.  Manuél and I discovered this wisdom when he was sharing with me another wise saying of this great man called Jesus, ‘Except that you become as children, will you enter the kingdom of heaven….’  This kingdom of heaven is what the Spanish call their own šipa·puli·ma and for them, it was somewhere up there in those heavens and it is invisible to our eyes.  They are told to ‘believe’ in the existence of this invisible heaven.  Raquel had discovered a powerful place for her to take her spiritual thoughts and she named this mystical rock that she often sits upon, “Medicine Rock.”  This rock is a most powerful place for Raquel, and we all came to understand that the rock got its spiritual power from Raquel very much like I now understand that my power as a Medicine Man comes from those that I treat.  We are all gods in our own right, and we are only empowered to the degree that we learn to love ourselves and to love our neighbors equally.  Believe me, Popékâke!  Oh, please disregard that word; it has become an awkward manner of speech that is all too common in both the Spanish and English language and even we Zunis have our own word for this sometimes-misleading command.  I am trying, and so are Manuél and Raquel, to use the word, ‘think’ instead, or even the just the words, ‘consider this.’  I don’t want you to believe anything I tell you unless it is something that you know in your own mind or heart to be true; and it may be something that is only true for you!  This will all come to you in good time.”  It was sort of difficult for José to express in such a short period of time those things that had taken him and Raquel the better part of their stay in the this foreign land to discover for themselves and not without the endless input of their dear friend, Manuél.  Popékâke had come into this world with that capacity to learn beyond the initial limitations of his birth and modest upbringing and with this innate capacity, Popékâke took what José had shared with him to heart without any hesitation.
          The three Zuni Shamans descended the mountain that morning having drank one last time from the telaššina·we.  Not many words were passed between them except when they were pointing out to each other some of the more delightful views, and of course, some of the unusual vegetation including those special herbs known only to the Zuni Medicine Man.  Popékâke repeated on a couple of intermittent occasions, “You certainly have given me a lot to think about.  And I will try to never use that more deceptive and misleading word, ‘believe,’ if I can at all help it.”

Zuñi Bound

               

           Despite the ever so slight tone of urgency that had been so cautiously expressed by Popékâke that José and Raquel should make plans to return to Zuñi sometime soon, it just couldn’t have immediately occurred in a timely fashion.  Among the most pressing factors was that Raquel had ecome the singular woman that the majority of the east side residents had come to depend on for her exceptional skills as a midwife amongst her other often-needed domestic and health services.  To insure that she would be available when needed these residents frequently solicited her services long before the expected date, and at any given time, Raquel would have several women that were possibly expecting to deliver at any given moment.  José was equally pressed for his time as he had increasingly invested more and more energy reaching out to the people that lived east of the village of Albuquerque, mostly on the east side of the Sandia Mountains.  José was beginning to be more commonly recognized and sincerely appreciated as a Zuni Medicine Man, and even some of those more devout Christians that would have once denounced him as sort of a “witch doctor” now sought his caring skills in reducing their occasional pains and trauma.  Even of more significance was his unsolicited and growing reputation for being such a wise and impartial counselor in any number of personal dilemmas.  The men seemed to have felt particularly safe disclosing to this Zuni Wiseman whom they were most confident would not ever expose their vulnerability.  It was most interesting just how these increasingly frequent contacts would actually occur.  Most of these occasionally troubled men would simply come to the adobe under the pretensions of offering, say some home-grown produce or fire wood usually in the guise of a belated payment or show of thanks for some previous service rendered by José or Raquel; some of these men for whom no services had actually been rendered, would simply suggest, “I thought you might have some need of this or that.  We had or have this to spare and we really wanted to show our appreciation for all that you have done for our church…(or our neighbor!).”  José always had that keen sense that they were actually seeking his counsel and José was always careful and sensitive enough to display such tact in his responsive approach as to never embarrass any of these men in the face of their masculine vulnerability.  What was so amusing was the truth of the matter that nearly all of these men thought that they were the only man to have ever sought out José’s sensitive wisdom, and José always took great care to never give any cause for any of these men to think anything differently.  As it was for José in these often private matters of the men folk, Raquel’s was equally sought out by many of the women for her own sensitive counseling abilities and very often in the same rather amusing guise.  This unsolicited barter for counseling services rendered was most certainly mutually appreciated and was undoubtedly beneficial to both parties.  It all added up to just what we should all expect in a loving human community.  
          An entire cycle of the year’s seasons had quickly passed since Popékâke’s welcomed and excited visit, and it was soon to be another quiet winter.  José and Raquel finally made those necessary arrangements to be away from their adobe and finally return to Zuñi for that now too long overdue return home.  With Raquel’s garden finally put to rest for the winter and José having successfully addressed most of the more urgent requests for his services, they asked Manuél to make plans to accompany them to Zuñi, mostly in order for him to finally meet their respective families and have that potentially rewarding experience of actually living amongst the Zuni people, if only for a short period to time.  Manuél had arranged to be away from his own demanding pastoral duties at the Iglesia de San Felipe de Neri and did so under the more acceptable appearance of doing some additional missionary work with the Zuni People.  
          The three Shamans, on rather short notice, left for Zuñi for what they had initially anticipated to be about month’s retreat from their usual duties.  This journey gave these three an opportunity to rejuvenate their wonderful relationship that wasn’t at all threatened but certainly curtailed by each of these unselfish and giving individuals seemingly having so much to accomplish on their own.  The summation of all of these added demands that had been more recently placed on all three of these Shamans had left them with two little time to just be together as they had more frequently enjoyed experiencing earlier in their exuberating relationship.  This rather needed and timely journey only took four ambitious days of travel and each of those mystical nights were greeted and blessed with clear skies that enabled this party of Shamans to once again bask in the vast wonderment of those crisp night skies so infinitely intriguing and seductive with its mystery of the unknown.  The timing of this journey, like the serendipitous timing of so many of the other notable events in these three Shaman’s mutually charmed lives, was just perfect, most particularly since these four nights were during the earliest period of the new moon.  The night skies were particularly dark and the chill in the night air encouraged these three to huddle ever so close as they lay on their blankets gazing into those seemingly endless heavens.  The two men most thoughtfully would place Raquel between them to be fully assured of her own body’s warmth.  It was a most welcomed re-bonding of three exceptionally loving souls!  
          They had finally reached the ancestral lands of the Zuni early on the forth day of their journey.  Pescado being East of Zuñi was on route to the final destination and even though they had initially intended to visit and possibly spend at least one night with Raquel’s family, they only spent the briefest period of time at Koškáti’s dwelling.  When they had arrived in the village Pescado at just about mid-afternoon, they were pleased to find not only Koškáti at his home but other members of Raquel’s family, including Raquel’s mother, Šumahanni and Koškáti’s son, Popékâke.  There were the usual warm and excited greetings, which were all too shortly overshadowed by the news that Popé wasn’t faring very well.  Popé had apparently experienced several recent dizzy spells that had unfortunately rendered him noticeably motionless for several days and there was intense concern as to just how long this great Zuni Medicine Man was going to remain amongst the living.  
          Koškáti had just returned from spending the past few days with Popé in Zuñi and having just surveyed the possibly grim situation, readily suggested that the three Shamans ought to depart immediately.  Popékâke assured Raquel that he and his father would join them in Zuñi the very next day and asked Raquel to take special care in reassuring José that his father’s health would no doubt rebound just at the sight of his son.  “I’m so glad that you have been able to make this needed and now so timely journey before there was some greater tragedy in the family.  Now, I think it is time that you need to be off so that you might reach Zuñi before nightfall.  Tell that ailing man, Popé, for all of us, that we will be having a healing ceremony in his honor this very night in Pescado, and that we will be joining all of you by the noon hour following the next rising of the sun.”  The three Shamans of Zuni’s šipa·puli·ma, at the cautiously and kind urging of Popékâke parted hastily. 
          The Shamans reached Zuñi late on that fourth day of their journey and immediately headed for José’s home.  The most hearty of greetings that the party received nostalgically reminded José that the Zuni people knew him only as given name of Kiasiwa, and not by his Christian-given name of José.  José had for so long only answered to the call of his Christian name, even from his beloved Raquel, that just for a slightest moment José felt a shivering chilling feeling of abandonment.  They were all initially greeted by Tekkâke whose eyes immediately filled with tears of joy at the very site of her greatly missed son and she excited stated, “Your tačču·mo (a ritual name for father) has missed you with all of his being.  Because he tires so easily these days he had already taken his leave for the night, but I will gladly awaken him from his sleep.  I know that he will be anxious to see all of you.  Kiasiwa, please be calm in your greeting him; he hasn’t been of good health and I fear he rests too much for his own good.”  Tekkâke immediately went to get José’s tačču·mo and soon returned with Popé leaning gently against hom citta (his wife) and as soon as Popé had full site of Kiasiwa, his entire countenance immediately improved and the formally slightly slumped-over figure of the ailing Popé was almost instantaneously transformed into what most had always remembered, that of a tall proud erect Medicine Man.  Popé with a note of renewed strength in his voice, “I feel so much better with just the site of you, hom ·akcek·i.  I truly believed that I would never see you again while still in this life.  I should have known that you would eventually return to your ancestral home and give your poor father one last change to just have a good look at his most beloved hom ·akcek·i.  I thank you so much for your coming.  Your being here has rejuvenated my spirit and is the best of all medicines that I can imagine.”  And with tears of joy flowing down his wrinkled cheeks, Popé embraced hom ·akcek·i and remained in that warm and smothering embrace for what seemed like an eternity.  “Who are these two fine-looking figures?  Oh my!  Raquel, you have grown into such a handsome woman that I almost didn’t recognize you.  Have you brought me a nana (grandson)?”  And at that same instant Popé took an intense retake of Manuél’s own powering presence and added, “This fine stature of a man doesn’t have the good looks of a Zuni?  You must be one of those damn Spaniards!”  And with an assuring voice, “If you are a friend of my Kiasiwa, then you must actually be a fine Spaniard at that, and I am most honored to welcome you into my home.”  After giving Raquel a warm and lingering embrace, Popé greeted and welcomed Manuél in kind, and ever so hesitantly stepping back, Popé slowly placed his hand on a slight bulge that was barely noticeable beneath Manuél’s black shirt and appeared in the vicinity of his chest that was just over his heart.  “What’s this that I feel?  Is it what I think it to be; the sacred bag of a Medicine Man?”  Despite the questioning yet condoning tone in Popé’s still authoritative and charismatic voice; there was a sort of profound and proud acceptance of the prospect that another compassionate soul had joined the exclusive ranks of the Zuni Medicine Men.  “We’ll have to do something about this while you are here in Zuñi!  We will have to call for a proper recognition and welcome with all of your newly acquired clansmen assembled so that we can also have you properly inducted as a brother in our family’s ·anše·kwe (Bear clan).”  Kiasiwa was only a bit astonished at Popé’s almost immediate recognition and easy acceptance of Manuél being an initiated Medicine Man until Kiasiwa had the realization that Popékâke had most probably shared all of this with Popé when he had first returned from his visit of a more than a year ago.  Popé to Kiasiwa, “I am pleased with what you have accomplished with this Spaniard.  What am I to call him?  You know that these crazy Spaniards and their rather pious priests are always giving us one of their own silly names.  Perhaps we should give this fine Medicine Man a Zuni name of his own so that we can use it for his proper recognition?  I feel in my heart of hearts that it would be most acceptable to your grandfather for this fine man to have use of his own honored name, Naiyutchi, especially since he has no further use of it himself.  I think Naiyutchi would be well pleased to have his name be brought alive again and to be bestowed on one such as this so gifted of a man.”  Little did anyone with the exception of Kiasiwa realize that the very medicine bag that hung about Manuél’s neck and was so curiously discovered and alluded to by Popé was lovingly crafted from Naiyutchi’s own leather bag in which he had kept many of his medicinal herbs?  This most flattering and endearing name suggestion struck deep at the hearts of both Manuél and José, and they exchanged a tearful and instantaneous glance that must have certainly communicated their shared elation of having been so affectionately affirmed by this other most exalted and recognized Zuni Medicine Man, Popé.
          Popé continued addressing Kiasiwa, “And I understand that you have shared this same honor with another that usually does not grace our sanctified company.”  Then turning affectionately towards Raquel who was by this time standing next to her proud mother-in-law who had tenderly placed her arm about Raquel’s waist, “I want to welcome you as well, and I hope that you will join with us in this proper recognition, and we will naturally call you by your more appropriate name, Šumačale.”  Popé then left the room ever so briefly and returned with a small pebble that he immediately and affectionately handed Šumačale, and said,  “This belongs to you.  You should place this in your medicine bag and know that it comes from your spiritual father, tačču·mo who loves you more than can ever be rightfully expressed.”  Only Popé knew the origin of this bit of stone and it came from that very bend in the Zuni River in the vicinity of Raquel’s conception that had taken place in those cool waters.  Popé had only retrieved this pebble the previous year after he had learned from Popékâke of Raquel’s initiation by Kiasiwa.  Raquel sensed from Popé’s warm and strong embrace that he intuitively knew that he was greeting her with the unspoken recognition that she was truly of his own flesh and blood.  Kiasiwa shared the same sense, as did Manuél, and the Shamans all looked on this tender scene with a feeling of such deep compassion.  After this caring and emotionally tender incident, that initial and rather half-hearted questioning concerning as to whether Raquel had possibly brought Popé a nana (grandson), was tactfully and intentionally overlooked and was most intentionally never addressed again.  Popé who was noticeably exhausted by the more than pleasurable excitement of these welcomed but unanticipated guests was all too soon to retire, but not without adding just one additional bit of unexpected sentimentality, addressing Manuél, “Naiyutchi, if I may now call you that, I would be so honored, that if for the purpose of this ceremony, I may address you as hom ·akcek·I, and with the greatest pride, introduce you to my clan brothers as such?  Will you allow me this privilege?”  Manuél uttered no words and with just the gentlest nodding of his head, he displayed to Popé his grateful acceptance and furthered confirmed the gravity of this bestowed honor by giving the retiring Popé the warmest of embraces.  And with all of this having transpired, the three travel-weary Shamans were escorted by Poškake to a nearby neighbor’s home where a most recent death in this neighbor’s family had unfortunately made available an extra bed for these unanticipated guests.  In the excitement of these celebrated moments, no one had even taken notice that the evening meal of these weary travelers was unintentionally overlooked.  And that was, after all, of little consequence to any of these Shamans; since these three close friends were more than adequately nourished with a uniquely human nourishment; a sustenance that easily and nearly always transcends all the other perceived physical needs; love.  After all, it is said “man does not live by bread alone.”  
          It was the next day that had seemingly arrived with such an air of utter joy, and oh what a beautiful day it was.  Raquel had risen before everyone else just so she could, in her usual fashion, aptly greet the Zuni yatokka tačču (Sun Father, the morning’s brightest star) in the same fashion as she had so lovingly done throughout her childhood; it gave her the feeling that she was truly home!  Tekkâke had also awakened early that morning so that she could prepare a morning feast for all the Medicine Men (and Woman) that were all expected to be assembled in Zuñi that very day.  Even before Raquel and her traveling companions had once again returned to that consecrated home of the Zuni Medicine Man from the neighbor’s dwelling, Koškáti and Popékâke had already arrived from their own home in Pescado.  Popé had arisen, totally rested and not so mysteriously rejuvenated by the homecoming, to a new day appearing as though he had never been ill a single day in his life.  There was an atmosphere of joyous celebration in the air as this unusual assemblage ravenously shared what Tekkâke had so lovingly prepared.  There were so many exciting and stirring words exchanged that it required an inordinate amount of time to eventually finish their morning feast, but this was of little consequence to Popé, as he had so hoped for and envisioned this particularly significant day ever since Popékâke had returned from his earlier visit to the village of Albuquerque and the sacred site of the Zuni šipa·puli·ma.  Popé was so totally taken with and bathed in the elevated spiritual energy, that for the most part, he remained rather silent, listening with such great pride and intensity to the many interactions between all of his spiritual children. Popé was obviously far more nourished by the company than by all the offerings of that morning’s lovingly prepared meal.  There was that occasional tear that would appear in Popé’s eyes that rightfully indicated just how deep the feelings ran and how totally delighted he was to have finally had his entire spiritual family assembled under one joyous roof.  He repeatedly felt the unseen but spiritual presence of his own father, Naiyutchi and knew that Naiyutchi would have been well pleased with the initiation of his beautiful granddaughter as well as the unpretentious inclusion into the family of this most loving Spanish priest, Manuél, who now bore the proud and time-honored name of Naiyutchi himself and was without any doubt justifiably so completely worthy of such an unsolicited honor.

Popé finally interrupted his prolonged silence and shared his many feelings of such profound pride and the fact that he felt that the contented spirit of his father, Naiyutchi had joined them in their celebration of family.  Popé declared, “In the deepest part of my spirit, I have always known that this very special day would eventually come.  On the tomorrow when yatokka tačču (Sun Father) enters the Zuni nadir I want us all to be assembled at the great Kiva where we will all become as one spirit.  It is at this appointed time when the sun sets in the West that I, wema·  ·a·šiwani (a beast priest-the Bear having dominion over and specifically representing the West) will willingly and with such pride and pleasure place the mark of the bear on each of your souls and confirm that you are all true brothers of ·anše·kwe (Bear clan).  I will proudly ask some of my Bear brothers to be present to bear witness to this joyous recognition.  I will, at that time, share with you the very essence of our chosen paths as Zuni Medicine Men.  It is a lesson that I had learned from my father, but it took me a lifetime to recognize the full importance of what he had actually taught me as a child about the real power of our most sacred medicine.  I have always tried to give my very best to every brother and sister, but I have come to realize that in my obsession with doing my best I have often and simply overlooked just how uncomplicated and very possibly simple our medicine really is, and even more importantly, for us to recognize that other great and often untapped source of the power of healing that also lies so deep in the souls of those that we so humbly attempt to treat.  We need to recognize and pay due respect to that other often-overlooked source of power and understand that our medicine is absolutely nothing without it.  Give it some thought, my beloved children, in your own private and silent ways, and on the tomorrow I will fully explain what I mean by all of this.”  Popé, having finally disclosed what had been so heavy on his heart to his spiritual family, said that he was going to spend the remainder of the day at the river’s side preparing and cleansing his spirit for this joyous occasion.  He then asked Kiasiwa if he would seek out some of the other Zuni brothers and ask them to help in the preparation of the great Kiva as well as for some of them to plan on attending this special ceremony on the tomorrow.  Popé knew that this would naturally afford Kiasiwa the opportunity to reconnect with some of his old friends before the ceremony.

Manuél accompanied José at his encouragement on this mission of recruitment and Raquel most anxiously returned to Pescado with Koškáti and Popékâke to spend the remainder of the day and the ensuing night with her own family.  It was on this journey back to Pescado that Raquel learned just how closely Koškáti had become such a respected friend of and devoted companion to Popé.  Koškáti to Raquel, “Even though I'm just a bit older, Popé has so affectionately treated me like his own hom ·akcek·i (son) in all the matters of being a Zuni Medicine Man and at the same time, he has shown me the great respect of a true and blood brother.  I just can't begin to tell you just how wonderful and loving this very special man is and just how easy it appears for him to show his endless love for all.  There are often tears in his eyes when something beautiful touches his soul.  When I am with him, I know that this world is a beautiful place and that we are here for a good reason.  I believe, no, I know that this man loves everyone he touches, and he only has eyes for the good that is in his brothers and sisters, and he often and with such ease overlooks their tiny faults.  He judges no man or woman, and if he ever has a harsh word on his lips, it usually has something to do with himself or some perceived failure on his own part; never for anyone else!  I just can’t believe that this man has a single fault!  I've never met a man as loving, but this very morning I believe I recognized many of those same loving qualities in both Kiasiwa and Manuél; and naturally, you as well.  Are you as truly happy in your life as I am?”  Raquel affirmed her great joy and expressed just how wonderful it was to be treated as an equal amongst men; something that she was very sure would have never happened had she only remained in Pescado.  Raquel, “Kiasiwa is an exceptional man and I believe that Manuél is every bit his equal even though he is not a Zuni.  You can't believe just how much I have learned these past few seasons.  I never dreamed that there was so much beyond this great land of the Zuni.  Sometimes I feel like I have reached up and have been able to touch those tiny bits of light that so miraculously fill the sky at night.  You know something, when the three of us are together and it is that time when the night becomes its darkest moment with the absence of the sun; we often lie on the ground and just endlessly gaze into that infinite darkness.  You know, there's so much that we Zuni have not yet learned about this wonderful land that we live upon, and even more mysteriously, there are so many other lands and peoples that exist beyond our imagination.  And with all that I have been learning, I have also come to accept and recognize that I have everything I need right here in my own little world.  Kiasiwa and Manuél have made me such a complete part of their world and in doing so, I feel more fulfilled than if I had been that traditional Zuni woman and only had a family to care for.  I respect all of these wonderful Zuni women like my mother, your sister; someone needs to fill that vital position, but I would have never known just how wonderful this life really was had I remained in Pescado and taken a common Zuni man as my hom tačču and bore him children.  I will admit that there are times that I wish I had a daughter that I could teach and share what I have learned in this life, and I most assuredly would encourage her to live the kind of life I have discovered in šipa·puli·ma.  But of course, that will never happen now.  Don’t tell Šumahanni (Raquel’s mother) any of this except those parts of just how happy I am.  I want her to believe that she has had a full life and she certainly has in more ways than she will even recognize; her loving sacrifices gave me the very chance to have so much more in my own life.  And, if you hadn’t given me all the love and care that you have shown me all of those years of my youth, I wouldn’t have been so prepared for the very life that I have been so blessed with.  I’m not sure that I had ever properly thanked you for all that you have so lovingly given to me, including the close friendship that I have had and still do with your hom ·akcek·i, Popékâke.  And by the way, is there some deeper meaning to his familiar sounding name?”

Koškáti went on to explain to Raquel that he had intentionally named hom ·akcek·i, in that very special honored part, ‘Popé’ because he had secretly hoped that Popékâke would one day become a Zuni Medicine Man.  “I wanted my son to be just as bright and gifted as I had perceived Popé to be and I hoped in my heart that by giving him that special name along with a portion of mine, it would somehow bless his life and lead him to the proper path.  I didn’t want to appear so presumptuous as to name him, say Naiyutchi or some name that would have easily conjured that image of my great hopes for him.  Naiyutchi was certainly such a great and loved Medicine Man, and using the name of his son felt simply better to me in some unspoken manner.  We need to honor the living while they live and not just only as they are no longer with us.  I never dreamed that I would have become so involved myself with this most honored family.  I feel like such a welcomed part of Popé’s family, and now, with all that is about to take place, I know that it was something that had always been determined to be in all of our futures.  I believe I must have even imagined your own part in all of this or I don’t believe that I would have made you such an important part of my own life, almost equal to that of Popékâke.  Isn’t it strange how we have all returned to the very roots of our earlier dreams and are about to become even closer in spirit?  Would you believe all of this has actually happened in such a marvelous and unexpected manner?”  This was all followed with a period of silent contemplation and mood reflected an inner peace that they all shared.

Raquel thought to herself; if only Koškáti knew the entire story and having given it some tender thought went on to address both Koškáti and Popékâke.  “Since we are all about to celebrate something so very special and dear to all of us, I want to share something incredibly special with you.  Now, I hope you won’t too easily share this with anybody else in our family; this is something that I want to share only with the two of you!  You know how Tonašike never seemed to have treated me as he so treated my brother and sister?  Well, perhaps it was because he knew somewhere deep in his own soul that I wasn’t of his own flesh.  I was indeed different and it wasn’t until I took Kiasiwa as my hom tačču and on the very night of our nuptial union that we mutually discovered that we had the same father.  That is why there have been no children born of this spiritual union.  So now you can better understand that in some deeper way we really are all of the same family.  The blood that flows in my body is that of Naiyutchi and I share that blood with the same blood that flows within both of you.  So you see, we are truly of one shared blood, and if you knew just what a true and loving brother Manuél has become to the two of us, you would know that his rightful part in this Zuni family is as blood-bound, even with him having never been even a Zuni.  Now you know just how meaningful all of this is for all of us, and certainly of the greatest significance to Popé himself.  I intuitively know that Popé has only recently, in some strange fashion, become consciously aware of all of this and that he really feels that we are all his spiritual children in so many ways that aren’t spoken.  I am so pleased and grateful that you chose to name hom ·akcek·i, Popékâke.  It just confirms that in spirit we truly are just one family.  And the most interesting thing of all; last evening when we were first assembled at the house of healing, Popé, most affectionately gave to Manuél the highest honor of all by assigning him the Zuni name of Naiyutchi.  You weren’t there last night when these two first encountered.  Had you been, you would have witnessed an instant bond between them as was witnessed in their tearful eyes.  And even more significantly, Popé intuitively discovered Manuél’s medicine bag beneath his blouse and had made an especially affectionate note of it.  “What do we have here?”  What Popé didn’t have any knowledge of was that Kiasiwa had carefully and intentionally crafted the medicine bag from a portion of a pouch in which Naiyutchi had kept his herbs of ·awitelin citta (Earth Mother).  But of course, I actually believe that all is intuitively known to the heart of any true Medicine Man!  Popé gave me at that same time, a river pebble and I knew in my heart at that very moment that it must have come from the Zuni River exactly where he had intimately encountered my mother, Šumahanni.  I was conceived in the water by a great Medicine Man and at that very moment, all of our lives were destined to be something that none of us could have ever determined for ourselves alone.  I was conceived in water, and a Roman Catholic Priest in the village of Albuquerque poured water over my head as an infant.  And another priest, Manuél gave a vial that had once contained holy water to Kiasiwa that is now in my medicine bag.  It was the source of the sacred water from the telaššina·we that lead us to discover our beloved Zuni šipa·puli·ma.  And in my heart, I know that this great gift of water will play an even greater part in all of our lives.  I think that there is more to this great gift of water than we will ever come to know in our lifetime.”  It was just at about this part of their intimate exchanges that these three Zuni Medicine Men were approaching that unusual bend in the Zuni River.  Raquel had never known exactly where that fortuitous event had actually taken place, but as they approached this part of the river, Raquel had a chilled feeling that produced a slight physically visible shiver in her body and she shared this most intimate and private feeling with her companions, “You know, I possess the strangest feeling in my entire being that it was right here that all of this began some twenty-eight passings of all the seasons.  Would you wait for me, just a bit of time?  I want to walk down by the river.”  Raquel then dismounted her horse and walked quietly by the river’s edge.  She paused just a bit and then turned to her two companions and said most affirmatively, “I know that this is the very place where this wonderful life of mine all began so many years ago!”  She reached down and picked up a small pebble from the river’s edge, and making special note of it, placed it in her medicine bag.  “Now we can go home and share all of this excitement with the rest of the family; of course, not everything!”

The horses all took a leisurely long drink from the river and the three were soon off for Pescado with a noticeably increased pace.  It was as though this intimate disclosure had been mysteriously timed to meet with that special bend in the river and now that it was completed, it was time to quickly move on.  These Shamans were not necessarily expected in Pescado, as when Koškáti and Popékâke had left so early that morning they had no idea as to what they would be doing for the rest of the day; perhaps even spending that very night in Zuñi.  As they approached their home very close to mid noon, Raquel expressed, “You know, I really don’t feel like this is my home anymore.  It is just where I had been prepared for a life that is so far from here, both in distance and meaning.  But it is still the home of my mother’s family and as such, I am so very pleased to be returning and sharing the many fruits of this great land that nourished my youth.  You know, I still grow some of the same squash in my own garden back in šipa·puli·ma, and I grew those first seeds with the water that Kiasiwa and I only later discovered had actually come from our own most sacred telaššina·we.  You see, even the land and its many fruits remain connected in a most mysterious manner and we should know that that same yatokka tačču (Sun Father) warms both Pescado and our discovered and beloved šipa·puli·ma.

The three travelers went directly to Raquel’s home and left her there to spend some private time with her mother.  It was late in the fall and there were still some late squash and gourds that needed harvesting, so Raquel found her mother alone on this particular day, as Tonašike had joined some of his Zuni neighbors to gather in the last of that year’s harvest.  There had already been several night frosts, but certain gourds were better left to dry on the vine in the open air less they were more apt to rot if harvested green or too early in the season.  Raquel’s younger sister was away that day visiting the home of her hom tačču, and she had taken her young children along.  Raquel and Šumahanni had the entire dwelling to themselves, at least until Tonašike returned just before the sun was to set.  This was more than enough time for these two Zuni women to share their life’s experiences.  Raquel’s mother was most excited to learn about Raquel’s experiences as a mid-wife and the care that she gave to young children.  What Šumahanni had become even more fascinated with was Raquel’s attempt to explain that she had learned to read books.  “These are words that have been placed on pieces of parchment or ‘paper’ (a term that was unfamiliar to the Zuni) and they speak to you when you read them.  It is something like what that priest gave to you when I was christened and you gave it to me.  The difference is that there are many more words and lots of those ‘sheets’ that have been attached to one another and placed between two thicker covers, some even made of animal hides.  I wish that I had brought some of these beautiful books; I would love reading them and sharing them with you.  They are filled with all kinds of unusual ideas: ideas that are often very strange to these Zuni ears.  I have learned things that I never even dreamed of and this experience has made me very pleased with my own life.  In some manner, I owe all of this to you because you had taken me to this far away place at great peril and only because you had a feeling that it was the right thing to do.  I can tell you that you made the right decision, and I have already thanked your brother, Koškáti for the part that he had played in my christening by the priest.  I am truly happy beyond my greatest expectations.  And I thank you for so much of what I now have, more than you will ever know.  And though it will probably never be expressed to you in person, I now know in my heart that Popé is equally grateful for all that you have given him even though you may not feel that you have done anything so very special.  You did give me my life!”  Raquel felt so free after sharing all of this with her mother.  The knowledge of all of this was never a true burden to Raquel, but with her now expressing it all to her mother, there was some sort added peace to her most inner spirit.  Perhaps it was the fact of simply sharing her appreciation and stating for the record, so to speak, that her strange beginnings were really a blessing in disguise to all that may have once been too easily dismissed or simply explained as something else, perhaps less desirable.  It is said that “confession is good for the soul” and this all had that presumed same dynamic effect on Raquel’s inner being even if it wasn’t at all necessary to disclose.  And what wasn’t fully expressed in words was certainly shared in the spirit of the exchange between this mother and her courageous daughter.

By the time Tonašike had returned, all this seriousness had turned to a lighter fare and he found Raquel and his hom citta engaged in the usual domestic talk about family and the endless drudgery of maintaining an efficient and happy home.  Tonašike actually displayed more affectionate emotion than was expected upon discovering that Raquel had come for what was to be too short of a visit.  It wasn’t too long before Raquel’s sister had also returned home just in time for the evening’s meal that was now prepared with Raquel’s help and was another of those joyous occasions that justified the full preparation of a most plentiful feast; sort of like some of us bring out the family’s silver and fine china.  Raquel didn’t have to spend any time at all explaining to the others just how happy she was because her strong healthy continence really said more than any words could have ever expressed.  Raquel took great care in detailing all of the exciting events of her life away from Zuni and most particularly how she had come to be the first Zuni Medicine Woman, equal to that of any man.  Just as the evening was beginning to slowly wind down, Popékâke had arrived to share with Raquel just what the projected plans were for the next day’s events.  Koškáti had wanted to depart no later than mid morning so that they could arrive in Zuñi in plenty of time to give Popé a helping hand in setting up for that evening’s planned ceremony.  Even in light of the rejuvenating effect of the homecoming of his spiritual family they were all still aware that Popé had been recently somewhat ill and wasn’t moving about as well as in the past.  Popékâke suggested to Raquel, “take care to sleep well tonight.  Tomorrow's going to be a very full day.”

The next day arrived and was justly greeted with great weather and the three excited Medicine initiates from Pescado had reached Zuñi at about mid afternoon as was initially planned.  The Zuni Shamans discovered the rejuvenated Popé and some of the other Zuñi villagers at the great Kiva.  It appeared that the preparations were just about completed and the men had been leisurely engaged in some rather lively exchanges, mostly centered on the announced initiation of a woman as well as that of a Spaniard.  Popé had just been confidently reassuring some of his fellow clansmen that they would be well pleased with both of these new additions to the clan as well as their unique status as a Zuñi Medicine Man (Woman).  Popé, just before the arrival of the three from Pescado, was in the process of saying, “Kiasiwa has truly discovered Zuni’s šipa·puli·ma and as such, he has achieved entirely on his own good merit the very honorable status of ·akw·a mossi (medicine chief).  Kiasiwa has now rightfully assumed the role of our most revered medicine chief, and as such, possess the authority to bestow that spiritual position of ·ona· ya·naka ·a·šiwani (priest of the completed path) upon any qualified man, or even woman in this case.  I fully respect the choices he has so thoughtfully and carefully made, and I know full well that he has done this with the greatest of care and knowing the special qualities of these two loving souls.  I know that I had taught him well and he has grown far beyond my modest instructions into a fine stature of a man of the greatest understanding.  I possess the greatest respect and love for both Raquel and this unusual Spaniard that I have now chosen to call Naiyutchi, in honor of the great Zuni Medicine Man.  I could not have shown any greater respect for one that I have come to love like that of my own son.  I know that when you come to know these two great souls, you'll share equally in my happiness.”  Popé had spoken with such great passion and enthusiasm, and because his clansmen had such great respect for him, you could easily witness in the faces of these once slightly doubtful brothers; a real sense of complete acceptance was obvious.  At just about this moment the three Shamans from Pescado entered the great Kiva and where enthusiastically greeted by all.  After some rather hearty hugs and enthusiastic words of congratulations, Popé suggested that he and the travelers return to that special place of healing for their evening meals and prepare themselves for the night's festivities.  Popé, “I want this to be a most memorable night that none of us shall ever forget.  It is truly rare occasions when so many that are on the same spiritual path are also gathered in just one place and at the same time.  This rare event is going to be an evening of the greatest power and celebration; a night of many many blessings.”

Popé left the Kiva with Raquel on his right and Koškáti on his left and he held their hands tightly as they returned to that special place of healing.  Popékâke followed close behind and only respectfully listened while the three Medicine Men, and now one a woman, exchanged words of shared excitement about the forthcoming evening.  Popé, “You know, Kiasiwa has been at the river's side most of the day and I believe he has been communicating in spirit with ·awitelin citta and the spirit of the great Bear.  I'm so proud of this fine man; I can see in his eyes that he has learned how to love his fellow man with a deep compassion that is beyond even my own modest ability.  Something or someone has taught Kiasiwa some great lessons, and in my heart of hearts I believe that it must have been this very special Spaniard, the one I now call Naiyutchi.  Raquel, do you understand why these priests do not take a woman?  Naiyutchi should have the pleasure of a fine son in whom he could pass on his great understanding of love.  None of these priests have their own hom citta; I just don't understand that!  It’s not the natural way of things!”

When they had arrived at the home of the medicine man, Manuél was sitting outside and reading his Bible.  Popé asked, “Is that one of those strange books that I've heard so much about from Kiasiwa?  I imagine that there are no words in that book about the Zuni!  Naiyutchi, is it in that book in which you are told not to take a woman or to have children?  I imagine that our Zuni ways are as strange to you as the ways of a priest are often seen as so strange to us.  You know, it wasn't too many years ago that our elders asked all those Franciscan priests to leave our Zuni lands and let us have our own way as our fathers had always taught us.  I'm told that you are a different kind of priest; that your teachers were different from the teachers of those Spanish priests that we had asked to leave.  Tell me, my son, why are you so unlike these other priests.  What makes you so different and so acceptable as a Medicine Man?”  Manuél responded warmly to the elder Medicine Man, most respectfully using Popé’s own Zuni tongue, “These priests that your elders had so entirely and rightfully expelled were indeed Spanish Franciscans and they had been educated by a group of Spaniards of a very different bent on their Christian faith.  Many of these priests from my own homeland were mislead to believe that anyone who does not worship exactly as they do and believe only in their own particular view of God are to be treated only as heathens.  Heathens are often treated even worse than our own animals.  An animal has no soul and has no mind and is simply not subjected to judgment, at least as far as we know.  A heathen, on the other hand, is held responsible for not believing in our God and is therefore, according to these Spanish Franciscans, totally unworthy to be treated like other humans.  That is why so many indigenous peoples have been so wrongfully slain by many of these crude Spaniards, and the lucky ones that actually survived this useless slaughter were often reduced to that of slaves as though they were only beasts of burden.  It is sad to report, but this slaughter even took place back in my own homeland during a period of great tribulation and I often regret that some of my fellow Spaniards had to suffer and die for no apparent reason.  It’s a part of my heritage that I am so ashamed of.  Fortunately for many, Spaniards are not the only peoples outside of Zuni.

I had fortunately received my own training as a priest in a French monastery that was governed by a different order of priest, the Jesuits; not that all Jesuits are any better than some of these Franciscans.  My French Jesuit brothers fully condoned and confirmed my respect for all of mankind and taught me to love my neighbors, just as Jesus had loved all of his own neighbors, and most notably without the need for any undue and harsh judgments.  I don't believe that these Spanish Franciscans really understood that their very own founder, Saint Francis lived a life more like that of Jesus than any of the other Catholics saints.  We call ourselves ‘Jesuits’ because we attempt to follow the actual teachings of Jesus as closely as possible and not necessarily all of the doctrines of the Church; and to love our God, and neighbors as well, with all of our hearts, souls and minds.  I had an unusual teacher in that he taught me not so much to believe, but to think; to use my mind equally as much, to use the dictates of my heart.  I took José, I mean Kiasiwa, to meet this unusual man that had been my great teacher, Father François because I wanted Kiasiwa to understand that all priests were not like so many of these misguided Spanish Franciscans.  And of course, not all Franciscans are alike.  There are fine Franciscans in both Italy and France that are as equally loving as their founder, Saint Francis.  In this book, which we call the Bible, there are many words, and I have learned through my endless study of this fine book that not all the words are of any true value.  Father François instructed me to search for the truth and to decide, according to my own good spirit, which of these words in the Bible actually have the power to set my spirit free: free to love my brothers.  This loving Father, with his vast library, showed me that I could find words that spoke the truth in books other than the Bible, and that I should learn to trust my own heart and my own mind.  Popé, I have also been lovingly taught many wonderful things by your own son, Kiasiwa and I know that you were his greatest teacher.  I have learned just as much from your people, the Zuni, as I have from this holy Bible and all the books that I have read.  Perhaps this is because you live what you know and don’t just put what you know on paper with words, which can often be deceptively misleading!  Sometimes we ‘educated’ mistaken the written word as the truth just because it has been committed to paper.   This can often be a grave mistake.  Kiasiwa and Raquel have demonstrated in and through their actions what this Bible only relates in words; the true meaning of love.  Kiasiwa and Raquel both labor and sacrifice for the benefit of others without the need of any due recognition or praise.  They are both so completely unselfish and so eternally willing to give without any expectations of ever receiving anything in return.  It has been such an honor to have shared in the joy of their love, and now I am to be even more flattered with the honored blessings that come with you having bestowed on me that of your father's name, Naiyutchi.  I just don't know what I have done to deserve all of this and I don’t possess the proper words to fully express my deepest appreciation or gratitude for such a great honor?  All I can say is, thank you; thank you is simply not enough.”

Popé was deeply touched by what Naiyutchi had just taken the time to so passionately share with him and somberly expressed his endless gratitude for having shared his love and wisdom with Kiasiwa and Raquel.  “I believe that they have possibly found in your kind of love something as wonderful and beautiful as they found when they discovered Zuni’s sacred šipa·puli·ma.  Perhaps they are one in the same?”  Popé suggested that while the women were busily engaged in preparing the evening's meal that they might all go down by the river and retrieve or perhaps rescue Kiasiwa from his deep thoughts.  “We all need to rest our bodies and our minds, and prepare ourselves in spirit for this most unusual evening of the celebration of our spiritual brotherhood.  We all have so much to be thankful for, and tonight we will humble ourselves before the spirit of the great Bear.”  Popé, Koškáti, Popékâke and Naiyutchi all went down to the river’s side only to find Kiasiwa fast asleep.  Naiyutchi awakened his friend saying, “You must have been in such deep thought that your spirit joined the stars even before they appeared.  Would you care to share with us the wisdom of those more lofty thoughts?”  Kiasiwa, “I fell asleep just wondering what my father had in store for us.  When we returned to Zuni, I hadn't expected such a hearty welcome and acceptance; I was just pondering how fortunate I was to have had such a great Medicine Man as my own father.”  Naiyutchi helped his loving friend get up from where he had been lying asleep, and all these very gifted and loving Medicine Men then returned to Popé's home where they shared a most bountiful and love-prepared meal, mostly in silence as they each had thoughts about the forthcoming event.

Everyone appeared quite content with his or her meal and none of these Medicine Men seemed to be in any hurried rush to get to the great Kiva.  In due time the Zuni Shamans left that sacred place of healing and headed for the center of the village.  When they had arrived at the great Kiva they were all somewhat surprised to have discovered quite an unexpectedly large gathering that was headed by that year’s appointed yanyutta mossyona (head Bow Priest).  The tribal government in Zuni at that time was essentially that of a theocracy that was typically headed by a priestly council, the ya·piyla ya·šiwani, made up of mostly pošaya·nk·i (Bow Priests).  It seems that the current head of this great council had gotten the inadvertent message via word of mouth that there was going to be a ceremonial gathering at the great Kiva that evening.  So with few exceptions many of the pošaya·nk·i of Zuni that had also heard of this gathering had simultaneously assembled without actually knowing the real reason.  Of course, as these various brothers had gathered, they soon learned from some of the other gathered Zunis that Kiasiwa had contacted earlier, the actual purpose of this evening’s proposed ceremony.  These rather unexpected pošaya·nk·i and other Zuni having arrived earlier had preceded to light the rather large fire that had been previously prepared earlier that day in the center of the room and some of the other villagers that were present had also lit smaller fires about the great room.  These fires not only provided the light needed in order to see but afforded some needed heat for that rather coolish fall night.

As the Shamans had eventually entered the great Kiva, Popé approached the yanyutta mossyona, a Zuni Bow Priest that went by the name of Wayhusiwa, to explain that the celebration which was about to take place that evening was essentially to honor the induction of some new brothers into ·anše·kwe (Bear clan).  This yanyutta mossyona disclosed to Popé of his initial confusion and wondered why the ya·piyla ya·šiwani had been so anxiously summoned without his having any previous knowledge.  Of course, no one had actually been intentionally summoned, and Popé went on to explain that the ceremony, which had only been planned the previous day, was not initially intended for the entire village of Zuñi nor even the ya·piyla ya·šiwani for that matter but that there was nothing so private or sacred that had been planned for this ceremony that they were not all most welcomed to remain and share in this festive occassion.  “I thank you for lighting our fires and warming this sacred place with your honored presence,” Popé said, and further, speaking directly to this Zuni brother who sat in this honored position, “This is a great day for me and my entire family, and I am pleased to share this great occassion with any and all of my Zuni neighbors.  In fact, it is probably appropriate had I given it some careful thought that so many have gathered here; I am actually pleased and honored at your unexpected presences, and it makes this special celebration all the more significant.  You see, my Zuni brothers,” Popé, now addressing the entire assemblage, “there has never been, to my modest recollection, so many great Medicine Men gathered in just one place.  And tonight is made even more special because we are going to welcome an exceptional individual from our village of Pescado, by the Zuni River, as the first ·ona· ya·naka ·a·šiwani, who just happens to be a Zuni woman.  And my son, Kiasiwa has brought with him from šipa·puli·ma a very special Spaniard who is now our Zuni brother, and for the purposes of this ceremony and because I now accept him as my own son, I have taken it upon myself to honor this unusual man with the name of Naiyutchi.  All of you are most welcomed to remain.  Our celebration will not take much of your time.  It is fitting that many of our Zuni ·annoti·we (clans) are present because Kiasiwa who is now our ·akw·a mossi (medicine chief of the societies of šipa·puli·ma) is present amongst us.”

Popé then received a great honor as Wayhusiwa had risen from his honored position within the great Kiva and presented his sacred telnanne (a feathered short staff that would be offered only by a Bow Priest symbolizing the leadership of the one to whom it is presented).  It was the ceremonial tradition that when one of these telnanne was so bestowed, it would be blown upon four times by the priest that made the presentation, which Wayhusiwa so performed after gently handing the telnanne to Popé.  Of course, this was nothing new for Popé, for he had held this honored position several times in the past.  What was so special is that the telnanne is rarely passed to another until the reigning yanyutta mossyona had completed his period of leadership, which was usually at least a full year in those days.  Naturally this unusual gesture was just for this evening’s special festivities.  Popé graciously accepted the telnanne from his Zuni brother, Wayhusiwa, and humbly assumed the most honored position in the Kiva, while Wayhusiwa took another seat with his own clan, the pičči·kwe (Dogwood).  Popé, “Before I begin, I want to make a special request that hom ·akcek·i, Kiasiwa, share with all of you his astonishing discovery of our Zuni šipa·puli·ma along with the tales of his personal encounters with the great ·anše.  This will be a privilege for all of us who have never ventured beyond the outer boundaries of Zuni.  I had always known that this most sacred šipa·puli·ma existed in more than just our dreams, but Kiasiwa was the first of our generation to have actually discovered it for all of us to enjoy.  He was not alone.  It is this great woman of Pescado that is now amongst us that had been at his very side when they first encountered the telaššina·we atop a great mountain that is known as Sandia.  It is far to the east of Zuni where the Wolf rules and just as our ancient fathers had always told us about in those sacred stories.  It was at this most sacred of all telaššina·we that Kiasiwa was guided by the great ·anše in the initiation of the two Zuni Shamans that we are to honor this very evening.  Listen carefully my brothers, for this is something that too few Zunis ever have the privilege of sharing.  We are indeed honored, even blessed, which is why it is so very befitting that all of you have been so unexpectedly assembled here to witness and share in this evening’s joyous festivities.  I believe that the great ·anše himself must have spiritually directed all of your hearts to have been present for this special occasion.” 

Popé, with this rather astonishing announcement, had gotten every Zuni’s most undivided attention, and with the exception of the crackling of the fires, there wasn’t a sound to be heard as Kiasiwa slowly rose from his seat to address his Zuni brothers.  As Kiasiwa was initially taking to his feet, he noddingly motioned to Raquel to join him in sharing this unusual story of discovery.  Kiasiwa then proudly presented Raquel to his Zuni brothers with the greatest show of respect and love that any Zuni Medicine Man could have possibly demonstrated.  This was most particularly rewarding to Raquel since she was to be later properly introduced to all as Zuni’s first woman to have ever achieved that most respected position of a Zuni ·ona· ya·naka  ·a·šiwani.  We all know that astonishing story of discovery, so there is no need to repeat what Kiasiwa and Raquel had so enthusiastically yet modestly shared with those that had been unexpectedly assembled.  They had shared the entire story in great detail and I will only add that the facial looks of astonishment that were repeatedly displayed by these most honored Zunis, dramatically attested to the marvel of these Zuni Medicine Men’s magnificent discovery of šipa·puli·ma, and there was no doubt, that having a Zuni woman be such an integral part of all of this awe-inspiring experience only added to the spiritual mystique and wonderment of the entire evening.  Before Kiasiwa and Raquel had finally concluded their intriguing story, they had also presented their closest friend, Manuél, whom they introduced by both his Spanish name and his newly bestowed Zuni name of Naiyutchi; a name that was already most assuredly familiar with all that had ever lived in the land of the Zuni.  Having presented Naiyutchi in the context of this most intriguing story of the Zuni šipa·puli·ma only added to what would have already been a most welcomed acceptance of a Spaniard into the otherwise restricted inner-circle of this highly evolved Zuni culture.

After Raquel and Kiasiwa had totally captivated their audience with this fascinating story and introduced Naiyutchi with such equal enthusiasm, they relinquished the lead back to Popé.  This great Zuni Medicine Man then proceeded to share, “I don’t believe that there is much more for me to add except that which I initially intended for this special evening.  After hearing this great discovery once again, I am humbled and feel like what I was prepared to share will not compare with what you have just heard.  In any case, I first want, as the head of my own clan, the ·anše·kwe, to affectionately affirm and welcome my spiritual children, Raquel and Naiyutchi into my time-honored clan and the clan of my ancestral fathers.  I would present them with special tokens of their acceptance except that they have already been so totally blessed by Kiasiwa at that most sacred telaššina·we, and there is no way that I could further honor them any more appropriately than they were already so honored by the actual presence of the great ·anše.  So, I will only greet them in my usual fashion with my full approval and most warm acceptance.  Welcome my brother and my most honored sister.”  Popé rose from his honored position and went to affectionately embrace both Raquel and Naiyutchi.  As Popé had approached his children, the entire assemblage stood in their places and stamped their feet as a show of total solidarity.

Popé returned to his honored position and remained standing with a look of such great pride.  Popé, “What can I possibly say?  I have not yet lived upon this land as long as the great Naiyutchi, and I don’t feel that I have achieved the great position of honor that he had so lovingly achieved in his own lifetime.  I have, however, been so fortunate to have finally arrived at a position of wisdom in my own modest life that has greatly humbled me.  There are two great understandings amongst all that I have learned that I now wish to share with all, and I am so terribly grateful that there are so many of my Zuni brothers with whom to share these sacred thoughts.  I am so honored to have served all of you as your Medicine Man, and I know just how so many of you seem to marvel at what these Zuni Medicine Men appear to achieve with all that they are, and especially what they have come to mean to you in your daily lives.  The first lesson that I wish to share is that of the actual power of the herbs that we Medicine Men use in our craft.  I was instructed by the greatest of them all, and I fully respect everything that I had been so lovingly taught by the great Naiyutchi.  Naiyutchi, in his loving obsession with the observable complexity of these medicinal herbs, very often failed to disclose just how simple and so basic was their full understanding.  I now realize that the perceived magic that some of these Zuni herbs are known to possess is so naturally simple and basic, and not magical at all.  They do not always hold the power to so miraculously heal as I had once thought; they do play a most significant role in the actual healing of any man, woman or child.  What these wonderful herbs actually do is simply summon up and then release that most miraculous power of the body to heal itself.  It is only that trusted and knowledgeable tasks of the Medicine Man to inspire this release of those dormant healing powers within each of our own bodies and spirits, and to do so with his ever-loving affirmation of the very person that is in need of this healing.  These wonderful herbs have the power to relieve the recipient of those many undesirable tensions and any other unwanted obstacles that would otherwise prevent the body from achieving its own natural cure.  These various tensions or obstructions may be in one’s head, one’s heart or even in one’s spirit.  It should be the extraordinary skill and heart of the Medicine Man to know wherein these tensions lie and to then apply the proper herbs that will dispel these unwanted and unwelcome evils.  There is no magic to all of this; there is only the great desire to bring relief to one’s brother or sister.  This great desire is simply the most natural demonstration of love and caring that is in all of our natures if only we so permit as was probably first demonstrated to us as children by the love that most of us experienced from our mothers.

Secondly, we Medicine Men have always acknowledged and experienced the cleansing powers of water.  One of the most dramatic experiences that I had with my father was his knowledgeable employment of water to achieve so much, and this was even with some unruly neighbors that were often counted amongst our enemies.  Our entire story of Zuni is so imbued with this most spiritual of all the natural substances that surrounds the ancestral lands of Zuni and in all four directions with the four great oceans, pours from the sky to nourish the fruits of the land, flows from the telaššina·we to form the Zuni River where we wash away all sorts of evils; and for the Zuni Medicine Man, this great water is the most essential element at his disposal for all healing.  It is used to brew teas with many of our herbs that could only enter the body in that mysterious manner.  This water flows through our bodies like those darkened rivers that flow beneath us through the nadir and connects the four oceans.  It is through these very darkened rivers of pure water that the sun passes beneath us only to rise up in the east each morning and once again bring warmth and life to this land of ours.  As a Medicine Man I have learned to use this miraculous water to wash away the evils that invade our lives, both with washing the surface of our bodies and the washing of the inside with an over-abundance of clear spring waters.  I have seen some of these special waters used to flush evil from our bowels.  Water is so very important and necessary to our very existence and    happiness, and I believe that we do not always understand or completely appreciate the full importance of the lessons that are repeatedly taught by the great ·anše who is best known to lead us to water when we thirst.  And now this great Spaniard has come into our presence and he has this very day shared with me just how important this water has become to the most basic understanding of his own religion.  These strange Catholics have learned many of the same spiritual lessons about the power of water as has the Zuni, and they even use this sacred water to cleanse their very spirits of all evils.  Water is amongst man’s greatest gifts and we need to take great care to not ever show any disrespect for its marvelous power; a great power that it alone possesses.  Without this great water, there would simply be no life at all.”

With all of this having been said, Popé suggested that everyone present take time to greet his or her new brothers (sister).  Popé then approached Wayhusiwa and returned the telnanne to him, thanking Wayhusiwa for allowing him the great honor to preside over that evening’s event.  There was a great deal of chatter in the great room of the Kiva and every Zuni was anxious to at least embrace both Raquel and Naiyutchi as a show of their own warm acceptance.  What was most unexpected and yet appreciated by all was Naiyutchi’s ability to so easily communicate with his new brothers and sisters in their own Zuni tongue.  Even more noticeable was the Zuni brothers that had gathered around Kiasiwa probing him for even more details of šipa·puli·ma and his various encounters with the great ·anše.  The evening lingered on and in time everyone was exhausted by the excitement, and began to slowly depart for their own dwellings.  This night had turned out to be even more than what Popé had ever hoped for, and this rather unexpectedly large celebration further reenergized Popé in such a positive manner that would continue to offer him a state of better health that would remain with him for some time.  There’s no cure like love!