The Roar of the Falls: My Journey with Kaya

The inside of the tepee is filled with colorful bundles and woven baskets, each one tucked carefully along the curved walls. Breezes flutter the mats that form the walls, carrying in cool air, and the light inside has a warm, golden glow that flickers softly. Kaya says I can share the sleeping mat with her and Speaking Rain. Kaya says she, her two sisters, two brothers, parents, and her grandparents all live there together. I try not to look shocked, but the space is smaller than my own bedroom!

Kaya helps me lay down on a large mat woven from soft grasses. It’s surprisingly comfortable, softer than I expected against my sore back. I can hear the falls rushing in the distance, and the steady sound of the water is soothing. I can hear the others whispering quietly about where my family is outside. Kautsa says that Kaya is being good, thinking about the needs of others. I can tell she is proud of her granddaughter.

Later, when Kautsa sticks her head into the tepee, she says that Bear Blanket may have powerful medicine to help me. Although I want to insist that I am feeling fine, I feel it would be disrespectful to argue with the others.

I am nervous about seeing Bear Blanket. What is medicine like in Kaya’s time? Will Bear Blanket know I am not from Kaya’s time? I touch the cord of my bracelet and remind myself that I can go home any time I want. Kaya and her family have been kind to me so far. So, I squeeze my eyes shut and hope for courage.

Bear Blanket lifts the flap of the tepee and comes inside. She is silent, but rummages in a bundle she brought, her movements calm and sure. She leans over me and looks closely at my scrapes. She dampens a small bundle of leaves with water and presses a few to each scrape. The leaves smell sharp and earthy. It’s sage. I exhale and lean back. Kaya is right. There’s nothing to worry about.

But then, Bear Blanket pauses and says there’s something. A chill runs through me. What does Bear Blanket mean?

Bear Blanket explains that she had a dream the night before, her voice quiet and measured. A stranger came to them, a young girl who had traveled a long way. She was searching for something, but she did not know what it was. I gulp. Could the dream have been about me? Bear Blanket explains that the stranger told them she couldn’t stay and had to continue on, but that she couldn’t do it without the help from the Nimíipuu. Kaya whispers to me that Bear Blanket’s dreams come to her so she can guide the Nimíipuu. Kaya promises they will help me find what I am looking for, too.

With that, Bear Blanket and Kaya both leave me to rest. But Kaya says I can work with her and her sisters when they come back. I don’t know what she means by “work” with me, but I can sense her anticipation, the excitement bright in her eyes.