Chapter 11
The First Encampment
and Recruiting Trip, 1 K
(E. MT to Lake Superior 1369)
The native turned out to be little more than a boy. He was dressed in some sort of skins, and his face was painted with strange markings. It turned out he was on a “vision quest” and thought we were his vision. This was a sort of coming of age ritual for all their young men. We would learn more about it later. He was disappointed when we turned out otherwise, because now he had to continue his fast and prayers. He was impressed with our “large dogs,” however, and wanted to touch them and see if they were real. Then he took a look at me and was quite puzzled. He wanted to know if I was ill since I was so pale. We told him we wanted to meet his tribal chiefs, but he said that they wouldn’t assemble the whole tribe for council until the summer. So we asked about his band, and he pointed to the south, saying that they were hunting, moving toward the east about a day’s walk away. He could not rejoin them until his quest was fulfilled. We asked his name, but he said to ask him after his quest. One of the Tsattine told us that the Siksika changed their names all the time, so there was no point in asking them their name. With that, our guest departed, and we went over to look at the rapids, and then returned to the Ordu. When they finally got across the river and took up the pontoon bridge, it was late in the day so we stayed on the south bank for the night. The next day, our vanguard set out toward the southeast in hopes of finding our nameless friend’s band. I was impressed by his lack of fear even though he could see the whole Ordu from where we were talking.
The land was rather flat with open woods dotted with many small lakes. We could see fairly well around us, although occasionally there would be a thick stand of birch or aspen along a stream. We were just emerging from one such stand late in the morning when we came upon a group of hunters returning from the hunt. They were hauling some of the meat on travois pulled by dogs. We surprised them since we were down wind from them. They stared at us as we approached slowly. They were visibly going through several emotions as we drew near: curiosity about the horses and our dress, and no doubt, Juchi and me; humiliation at being surprised; and contempt for our Tsattine guides. Still I saw no fear and no move to run. They were dressed in skins like the boy and were also painted but in different patterns. They wore their hair long but had a curious forelock over the center of their forehead reaching down to their nose. They wore one or more feathers on their head.
When we got close enough to talk, our guides indicated that we were part of a large tribe that was moving through their hunting ground, and we wanted to talk to their chiefs. They wanted to know where we found the large dogs and the pale man. Our guide explained that I was normally pale; there were many different peoples in the tribe, which had come from far away to the west. The “dogs” were native to our original land. The whole tribe was just behind us, but we wanted to pass in peace to the plains. One could see their thoughts racing as they looked at the horses and at us riding them. Did the horses run fast? they wondered. One of the men set off at a trot to demonstrate. Could they be used to hunt? was their next question. Of course, we replied. Might we part with some? was the inevitable final question. It would depend on our meeting with their chiefs, we hedged. With that, one of them ran on ahead while we followed with the others and sent one man back to the Ordu to advise them of our disposition.
The land became more rolling hills and began to open up a bit more as we went along. We asked if their band was on the plain, but they said not at the moment, the plain was a few more days south of their present position, but they would be moving into it as the spring advanced. We asked how far south they ranged, and they said only a few days south. Beyond that there were other bands. We finally came to a sizable encampment of the hide tents. There were dozens of them planted in a clearing along a steam. They were painted various colors and had some interesting designs on them as well, mostly stylized animals and geometric designs. A large solemn-looking crowd was watching our approach. The hunters turned their catch over to their women and led us to a centrally located tent. Juchi, one of the Tsattine, and I went in the tent while the others waited with the horses.
The tent was not nearly as large as a yurt, but was just commodious enough. This one was occupied by group of about six older men. Like the hunters, they wore feathers but many more of them in an elaborate headdress where the feathers stood up. They waited in silence until we had been seated; then they passed around what looked like a long white tube with a small cup at the far end. It seemed to be in two connected pieces. In the cup part, something was smoldering, and they would suck in the other end to breathe in smoke from the smoldering mass. It was eventually passed to me, and I could see that the cup part was made of bone and the stem part of wood. I breathed in a little of the smoke and found it foul and choking but managed to keep from coughing. Juchi also was able to breathe in some of the smoke with impunity. Our Tsattine guide, on the other hand, turned red and gasped for breath, finally settling into an intermittent coughing fit. He had taken too much. They continued passing around the tube until it was burned out, before they began to speak. By then our interpreter had recovered himself.
One of the elders was called Mahkwi Stunik. He seemed to be deferred to somewhat, but all the others also spoke. They all seemed to be named for animals or parts of animals like horns and feathers or even actions, like “Elk Swims.” I’m sure they found our names as curious as theirs except for mine; “Raven” seemed to fit right in. They asked about us, our origin, intentions, relationship with the Tsattine, and of course the horses. We answered fully and honestly. They saw no reason not to let us pass if we came in peace, and asked if we wanted anything else from them. We told them that we were impressed by the bravery of their people and wondered if they would want to join our “tribe,” learn how to ride our horses and use our weapons. We explained that we had much to teach them and much to learn from them and it could be to everyone’s benefit were they to join us.
They thought on this a while; then one asked why we didn’t instead join them, the way the Sarci had. This was what they called the Tsattine band that had joined them. The name turned out to mean “not good.” We explained that we were many more and already organized into an efficient system of rule. They asked what we meant by rule. We tried to explain the Mongol system. The people select a Khan and he rules with absolute authority until his death or incompetence. They had no trouble with the way he was selected, since they also selected their chiefs in that way, but they didn’t think they could accept “absolute” authority. Their authority was limited to the will of the people, and they “ruled” by means of persuasion and respect, only. The people were free to eschew them or their suggestions at any time. We wondered how they could ever conduct a war under such lack of discipline. They explained that they did not conduct wars, the war chiefs conducted wars, and they were followed because they earned the right to be followed by distinguishing themselves in battle. They didn’t give orders; they simply led the men into battle. Did this not open up the likelihood of confusion and chaos? we asked. No one complained, they replied. We seemed to be at an impasse. Perhaps some of their people would be willing to submit themselves to the authority of our Khan in order to enjoy the advantages we had to offer? we asked. It was possible, they agreed, and they would not move to stop them if they did. For their part, they preferred to remain as they were. We asked them to pass on our offer to their people for us. Our tribe would be passing a little to the east of them on the next day, and any willing to join us could do so then. They agreed and filled the tube again with what looked like crushed, dried leaves or grasses of some kind. One of them lit the vile thing and passed it around until it was burned up. Then they all rose, and we left the tent, mounted up, and returned to the Ordu.
We reported the strange interview with Kaidu the next day. He was also puzzled at their indiscipline, but impressed by their courage. We all wondered if any would join us the next day. We tried to understand why they would think their system was preferable to ours but could not. I suggested that perhaps Givevneu would understand since his tribe had been ruled more like the Siksika than the Mongols. He was sent for and listened to our puzzlement.
“One always prefers that to which he is accustomed.” He smiled at us. “Especially the older one gets. It is true that I adjusted, but I felt the gods sent me to you, and in my profession one always obeys the gods before all personal inclinations. The Mongols are more ‘advanced’ than the An’kalym in some ways, but not in any way that would make it easier to be an An’kalym. In fact, I doubt that you could live in their harsh environment with a fraction of their comfort. Similarly, they would be out of place on the steppe. It is odd that there are no horses in this land, and that alone may compel some of them to join us, but do not be offended if many or even most do not. Their way of life has worked very well for them long before we arrived and will continue to do so after we have gone. Perhaps we can come to a compromise between two very different views of rule, perhaps we cannot. We should try to learn from each other.”
“But they are so undisciplined,” I protested. “Imagine having to persuade everyone in the Ordu to follow each of your orders.”
“In other words, my dear Raven,” he answered, “you do not trust either the Ordu’s discretion or your own moral authority.”
“But in battle, Shaman,” Juchi complained, “if orders are not obeyed, chaos ensues, disaster.”
“I suspect the ‘battles’ of these people were much like those of the An’kalym,” he replied. “They were little more than raids or skirmishes or ambushes. Of course, in a battle such as the Mongols are accustomed to fight, authority and discipline would be essential. But they most likely have never experienced anything like a Mongol battle. You must understand people in their own terms even if it means getting out of your own terms to do so. That is, if you really want to understand them.”
“You are right, Givevneu,” Kaidu finally broke his thoughtful silence. “But we will try to seduce recruits to our ways with our advantages. I feel a well-run Khanate is far better than the splintered system prevalent among the natives in this land. Still, they have every right to cling to it, and as long as they do not make themselves our enemies, I will see to it that we leave them in peace.”
We left it at that and returned to our own yurts. I talked to Paula, Mathilde, and Padraig about the ways of the locals, and they also did not understand it, although Padraig mentioned that according to his father, his people were very hard to govern and quite naturally rebellious. I really didn’t know very much about my ancestor’s ways, but Paula and Mathilde were certain that their people had been ruled by kings just like the Mongols were. I wondered if we would find more organized groups farther south just as it was in our old land. It was going to be interesting to find out.
The next day as the Ordu passed the band, a small group of young men was waiting there to join us. As we passed through the lands of the Siksika and their relatives, the pattern was much the same. We would talk to the chiefs and a few of the young men would join us. Word began to get around, and some men from the bands we had missed also trickled in to join us. One entire band joined us because their shaman had seen a vision of some sort, which seemed to make joining us necessary. By the time we had passed through their territory some twenty days later, we had augmented our number by about four hundred, mostly young men. The recruits were very excited by our horses and, strangely, it was not hard to teach them to ride. They were also very impressed by our bows and our iron arrow points. Another thing they were very much taken with was our cart. They had also never seen wheels before, and they were quite amazed at the loads possible with such conveyances. They seemed to be, in general, very intolerant of kumis, and we had to limit their access to it. Similarly many of our men became too enamored of their smoldering noxious weed. They never abused it, but we found we had to limit its accessibility for the Mongols. It seemed to almost intoxicate some of them. It turned out to be a plant they called nawak’osis (tobacco) whose leaves were collected dried and crumbled up. It was the only plant they cultivated. It seems they would mix other dried leaves in with it according to the occasion. I never really got used to it and would only take polite puffs at all our meetings. Juchi got to like it, but he would only use it at the meetings with the natives, because it made him lightheaded.
When we crossed a large river that effectively took us out of the Siksika territory, we were, according to our recruits, in rarely used land. We were definitely on a steppe, and it did seem to be endless, at least from here. Much of the Siksika lands were the transition area between the forest and the open grassland, but across this last river there seemed to be only steppe. It seemed to be dominated by two grasses, neither very long. One was strange in that it seemed to send roots along the ground, which would then send roots into the ground and shoots up. The other had almost blue-green curly leaves and a tall leafless flower stalk. There were other taller grasses as well, one looked a bit like wheat, another was silvery gray, and they added a touch of variety, but the shorter grasses seemed to dominate.
We halted some fourteen days later when we came to the steep banks of another large river. There was a large bottom on both sides of the river covered with aspen, ash, elm, willows, birches, and some odd berry trees. There were some open spaces, but mostly they were wooded or covered with thickets. This general pattern prevailed on the steppe. The rivers all seemed to carve deeply into the rolling hills of the plain, and the rivers were all lined with tree- and shrub-covered bottoms. The aspens had seeds that looked very much like cotton balls and were far more abundant than in the old land. We camped on the plain above the river, cleared some of the bottomland to plant grain, and settled down to turning our recruits into real Mongols. A few more came in as time went on, and they also were plugged into the system. I did some exploring and mapping taking Paula, Padraig, and Mathilde along. Our river seemed to flow east, and we followed it both up- and downstream for a few days.
To the east, the grasses seemed to be taller, one that looked blue seemed to dominate near the river, but the one that looked like wheat dominated away from the river. The shorter grasses could be found here too, but the taller grasses were ascendant. To the west, the shorter grasses predominated except near the river where the longer ones prevailed. There were also other odd bushes, shrubs, and forbs especially in the east making quite a color variety when they flowered in late spring. By early summer, much of the shorter grasses were dry and turned yellow especially away from the river. The taller grasses seemed to hold their color better. The local yaks or plains oxen (bison) were quite plentiful—indeed they seemed to form very large herds at times as they moved about the steppe. There was also a kind of antelope and deer as well as many kinds of game birds. Our recruits were thrilled with the horses, and the mobility they afforded. They were a little hard to discipline, but they did seem to be making the necessary adjustment.
There didn’t seem to be any native people to the west, but to the east we eventually came upon some villages on both sides of the river around where another river joined it from the southwest. The villagers called themselves Absaroke and lived in hide tents like the Siksika. Their language was a complete mystery to us, but fortunately one of them spoke Siksika, and we were able to communicate. They looked nothing like the Siksika, but were even taller and broader shouldered—both the men and the women. They wore their hair long and wore leather clothes and plains oxen robes. They decorated their clothes with dyed porcupine quills. Their bows were large and decorated with horn and snakeskin. They were hunters who only cultivated nawak’osis much like the Siksika.
Once the lone Siksika speaker presented himself, we asked to speak to their chiefs. He went off and after a while returned and led us to the largest tent in the carelessly arranged village. Inside we were presented to the chiefs of four of the villages. After enduring the nawak’osis ritual, we laboriously explained our mission through our Siksika recruit and their interpreter. They listened to it all in silence, then after a while lit another pipe and passed it around. When this was finished, they began to confer among themselves. Their interpreter explained that they were considering our proposal. Finally one of the chiefs spoke to us.
“Some generations ago, we lived in permanent villages in round lodges made of earth. There we grew crops and hunted the plains oxen. Then one day our ancestors had a dispute with the rest of the tribe and followed the river upstream to the mountains. Here we changed from what we were to what we are. If it is to our benefit, we will change again. But first we must see. We know the Siksika, and we do not trust them. We don’t know the Mongols, and we must find out if we can trust them. We will send some men whose judgment we respect with you, and they will return to us before the fall to report what you are really like. If it seems best, we will then become Mongols. If it does not, we will remain as we are. We will not interfere with your tribe’s movement in any way.”
We thanked them for their wisdom and returned with about twenty of their men. Most were young, but a few were of middle age, and much deferred to by the young men. Fortunately, they also sent along our interpreter. Kaidu was impressed by the men and said they would make fine warriors. There was a little tension between the Siksika and the Absaroke, but since the former were much further along in their training, there was little contact.
Toward midsummer, Kaidu sent Juchi and me along with two of the Tsattine and two of the Siksika to the northwest to meet with the tribe there called the Kensistenoug. It was generally felt that they also might make promising recruits. It took us about ten days to find them. Our journey took us back into the forest again. They proved to be something like the Siksika and lived in the hide tent also, although it seemed a little larger and as we got farther into the forest, we learned it was made with birch bark instead of hides. They also painted themselves, but were very much into tattooing, especially the men, some of whom covered themselves with figures or designs. They wore their hair in many strange ways, all the way from wild to all but shaved off. They also had no real tribal organization, and we found ourselves moving from band to band, with about the same success we had among the Siksika, at least at first. As we got deeper into the woods, we found less and less interest. When the river we had been following reached the shore of a very large lake, we turned southeast away from the lake to try our luck with a related tribe the Kensistenoug told us about that they called the Ojibwa.
We had to veer to the east to avoid a very marshy area after which we found ourselves at the north end of a complex maze of lakes. Fortunately, the Kensistenoug, who were gathering from the lakes, a grain very much like rice, guided us around it. As we continued on, we constantly came upon lakes and “rice” harvesters, but the farther southeast we went the harvesters began to change in appearance. Everyone we met was still puzzled by our horses and our appearance, but they got around so well in the small narrow birch bark boats, that I doubt if they were very impressed. We finally were guided to one of the Ojibwa villages. It was a bit different. The “tents” were shaped more like mounds. They seemed to be covered with the ubiquitous birch bark. They called themselves Anishinabe rather than Ojibwa, which turned out to be a reference to their footwear. They wore deerskin, and the men favored elaborate headdresses of feathers, claws, fur, whatever. They also grew crops, mostly odd varieties of squashes and beans, but including a strange sort of grain they called mondamin (maize), which had large multicolored seeds in very large multiple heads on a single thick stem. They fed us some of their food while we were with them. Most of it was rather bland except for their “rice.” They called it manoomin (wild rice), and it was tastier than our own.
The Anishinabe were very impressive people and would have been ideal recruits, but we had less success interesting them than any others. They were quite happy in their ways, and while they admitted our weapons looked superior to theirs, they found their own quite suitable. Also while the horse was an interesting innovation, they felt their boats were more useful in this environment. Still a few adventurous souls joined us and guided us to the shores of a huge lake, called Gichigami (meaning Great Water). At first sight we were sure we had reached the sea again, but the water was fresh and quite cold. We followed the lakeshore southwest stopping and recruiting at a few more villages, with similar lack of success. Finally, we ran out of Anishinabe territory and came upon a different people. Our Anishinabe recruits were a little leery of approaching them since there had been hostility between them in the past. They called them Napowe-is-iw, which meant “snake” and “enemy.” They held back and camped while the rest of us approached the settlement.
We were received with interest and cordiality. Language was a problem, however. They called themselves Ocheti shakowin, but their language was quite different from what we had encountered so far, although it did sound a little like that of the Absaroke and they looked much like that other tribe. Fortunately one of them could speak the Anishinabe language and was able to communicate with one of the Kensistenoug recruits who had come along with us instead of going on to the Ordu with the others. The recruit was able to communicate with us since he had picked up some Mongol and we a little of his language. In spite of all the confusion we met with their leaders, puffed the burning weeds, and explained our mission. They were not much different in customs from the Anishinabe, being farmers of the same vegetables and grains and using boats to travel on rivers and lakes. They also painted themselves and used feathers in their hair for decoration. Their houses were covered with birch bark, but were large and square with deeply sloping roofs. The cup for their burning weed was of a soft reddish stone and was imaginatively worked into a stylized animal of some sort.
Much to our surprise, they seemed interested in our offer and not put off by the fact that we had recruited from the other tribes around them, including their sometime enemies. In fact, they sent runners to their neighboring bands and arranged a large gathering on the western side of a large lake (inland from Lake Gichigami) that was more central to their tribe. It would be at the next full moon—about a week and a half away. They even allowed our Anishinabe recruits to stay with us. The latter were certain there was treachery afoot, but we reassured them and mounted extra guards around our little encampment.
We made use of the time to pick up enough of their language to dispense with the interpreter chain. When it was time, we joined our hosts on the journey inland to the other lake. It took eight days to get there. Along the way we passed three other villages, and groups of the villagers joined us as we went. Lake Gichigami’s shore turned east after a few days, and we continued southwest along a sort of trade path, well worn by the locals. The assembly drew a very large crowd of the Ocheti shakowin, thousands of them in fact. Their leaders met with us in a larger meetinghouse constructed of the same material as their regular houses. After the usual weed smoke inhaling, we carefully communicated our recruiting message, and our original host spoke at length in favor of our recruitment proposal. One after the other of them rose to comment favorably or otherwise until all had done. Finally, one of the earlier noncommittal leaders came up with a very reasonable suggestion. Why not have a sizable contingent from the most willing band go with us and report back the following summer. If all was as we claimed, then they should all join us, if not, then there would be little disruption in their lives.
We were quite happy with this arrangement and assured the assembly that they would very likely all join us next year. We also asked if they knew of any other tribe that might be interested in joining us. One of them suggested a neighboring tribe that was scattered to the west of them who call themselves the Dzitsiistas, but were known to the Ocheti shakowin as Shahi’yena, because they spoke a strange language. Another suggested a group that split off from them and moved to the northwest. Our Anishinabe were familiar with them and called them U’sini u’pwawa, a reference to their cooking with stones. We thanked them and of course had to endure another round of the weed. This time I was reasonably sure the cup was supposed to be a sort of bird. I asked about the reddish stone from which the cup was carved, and they said it was found a short distance to the southwest.
We left the lake with quite a large group in tow and headed a little north of west. We crossed a moderately sized river that the Ocheti shakowin said passed by a very large camp in the south. From the description, it sounded like they were describing a city with a wall around it. They couldn’t tell us much about it, though. It seems they felt it was a place of sickness, so they stayed away. We asked if the river emptied into a lake like most of the rivers seemed to, but they said that it just kept joining with other rivers and flowed south a very long way. They had no idea into what it debauched.
We split up at this point, and Juchi turned farther north to meet the splinter Ocheti shakowin group while I continued west toward the Dzitsiistas. Juchi took some of the Ocheti shakowin with him to smooth the way, but the bulk of the recruits came with me. In due course, we came upon the Dzitsiistas and found them to also be very much like the Ocheti shakowin and the Anishinabe. Their houses were covered with earth, however, and seemed to be in more permanent villages. They also made use of pottery instead of skin vessels. They, too, listened with interest in our proposal. This time the language was not too unlike that of the Kensistenoug, and we had less trouble making ourselves understood. They were impressed that a whole band of the Ocheti shakowin had joined us and thought they should also send a large group to see if all was as we said. They decided to send a group of unattached young men rather than an entire band. They promised to spread the word about us and would await their volunteers’ report the following summer.
By now it was well into fall, and as we continued west, we found no other natives beyond the Dzitsiistas. They seemed to end shortly before we left the forest and reentered the steppe. The grasses here seemed very tall although they were mostly dead by now, and many had fallen. They looked like they would be quite a sight in summer. We crossed a fair-sized river, which the Kensistenoug said emptied into their lake that we had reached the past summer. They called the lake “Winnipeg,” which, of course, meant “great water.” There was another tribe near the lake and to the west along the banks of another river well north of our position, but we decided we would look into them the following spring unless Juchi ran into them. With our slow-moving entourage, it took us twenty days to reach “our” river (we had named it the Mongol River).
When we reached the river, we were surprised to find another tribe along its banks for some distance on both sides of it. They spotted us and sent a large force to intercept our “invasion.” I detached myself from the rest and rode forward with several interpreters, not sure what we had here. As we drew near to their force without arms at the ready, they lowered their weapons and some of them approached. They looked much like the Ocheti shakowin. They identified themselves as the Numakiki and asked our intentions. I found their language similar to that of the Ocheti shakowin and used one of them to explain my mission, since my proficiency was limited. Their leader was perplexed, but promised to consult his chief and return. I told him I would like to speak to his chief. Before long he returned and said they would welcome a few of my entourage and me but could not entertain the whole party. I told him that was fine and sent the rest of the recruits upriver toward our camp while my lone Ocheti shakowin interpreter and I followed the leader to his village. The village was more of a town than a village. It had a defensive wooden wall around it. The houses were round and earthen just like those the Absaroke had described as their former dwellings. I wondered if this was their old tribe, but the language did not seem similar enough.
I was led to the largest house, and we entered it. The house proved to be more of a log hut, covered first with grasses and then with clay. There were four strong pillars and crossbeams to hold up the roof. It was quite roomy inside. The roof had a square smoke hole covered with a circular twig screen. There were sleeping compartments made of skins along the walls. They were a tall, strong and fine looking people. They wore elaborate headdresses made of sticks and porcupine quills, topped with a feather. Some of them wore tattoos, mostly stripes on their left arm and chest.
We were introduced to the chiefs of the nearest towns and after the usual nawak’osis, made our offer. They listened intently. Then after another round of the weed, they asked questions. They wanted to know, from where had we came and why?. Who had joined us and who had not? Why I looked so pale and if the other Mongols looked like me? I answered all their questions in turn as briefly, yet as honestly as I could. They passed the weed around again and conferred among themselves for a while. Finally, they also decided to send a group of observers to see for themselves. I welcomed the observers and assured them they would not be disappointed.
The observers proved to be ten mostly young men, who were quickly gathered to go with me. Before I left, the chief mentioned that there was another tribe farther upstream who should also be recruited. He would send a runner to advise them, and perhaps they also would send observers. They were c