The Roar of the Falls: My Journey with Kaya

I take a deep breath and tell myself to be strong. If Kaya is truly my friend, she’ll understand my attachment to the bracelet. I explain to her it’s my connection to my family. I don’t have anything to trade for her necklace. Kaya exclaims I’m being foolish! They can still be trading partners. The necklace will be a gift. She starts to tie it around my neck.

That reminds me! I untie the bone-bead necklace I wove earlier. Will Kaya accept this in trade? She says of course! We tie the necklaces around each other’s necks. I’m grateful Kaya understood why I couldn’t trade the bracelet, and I’m glad I was honest with her, even if it took courage to speak up.

Kaya and I wander toward the beat of the drums, and I think about home. I touch the bracelet on my wrist. It’s time to go soon. But as we get closer to the drums, I pulse of the beat makes me forget about home for a moment. Kaya seizes my hand and pulls me toward a group of girls dancing. They step forward, then back, stamping their feet, making the fringe on their dresses snap.

Kaya pulls me forward into the circle. I try to follow Kaya’s feet as they step and stamp. I look down at my moccasins and see they’re moving at the same time as Kaya’s. I burst with pride. It’s like the Wallowa pow-wow I attended last summer. In modern day, the girls wear colorful dresses adorned with more beads than Kaya and her friends. They arrive in cars and trucks instead of horses. But all of the girls share a history and traditions that I’ve discovered during my time with Kaya. As we dance together, I think Kaya would be pleased to know that her people, and their dances, are still alive today.