Growing up one of my fathers friends was a man named Tez. At least that is what my father called him. He was an American Indian and a member of the Catawba tribe. This man made his living traveling the country giving shows and demonstrations. He professed to speak this native tongue of the Catawba and was the last one to do so. A linguist in New York city recorded and attempted to write down this language as told to him by Tez. He would occasionally appear at our home to visit with Dad. As you can imagine as a child I thought this was so cool. Tez was always dressed the part. So, he would arrive in breechcloth and breeches and an ornate tunic. Seldom did he wear feathers, but he had them. On most occasions he was returning from a show. He gave myself and my siblings some trinkets that he sold. I remember a rubber tomahawk and bowie knife. He gave my sister an Indian princess doll. On another occasion he had several of his fellow performers with him. A carload of Indians ! They sat with my father and drank " firewater " and told many tales. Wasn't easy to hear, as children were to be seen but not heard. I hid around the corner.
Years later, he rented a home from my father just up the street from us. Chief Red Thundercloud, as I now knew him to be, wasn't traveling as much these days but working on one of several books he was writing. He lived there with his wife, Princess Pretty Pony. And he had a dog. Having lived in the town for so long he must have lost some of his native skills. I crept up on him in the woods behind the house. He didn't know I was there. He had a mirror fastened to a tree and was dying his hair black. I watched silently for a few minutes then managed to leave undetected. I felt like I must be akin to Daniel Boone or something to have pulled that off. I did spend some time with him just talking, well listening mostly. He was an interesting man and told me lots of things abut the Native tribes and their ways. I still remember him showing me a sassafras tree. He showed me how to dig up the roots and use them to make sassafras tea.
Now this was back in the sixties and rules were different then. He would dig up these roots, cut them in short pieces, wash them and put them in baggies. A small recipe for making tea was included. These he sold at his shows, among other things of that nature. No FDA approval or anything of that nature. As I said, it was different back then.
Then I joined the Navy, Tez moved and I never saw him again. I read some years back of his passing. A man of note in the Native American world. All my life I have told others of growing up around an Indian. It is mostly met with skepticism. Those I went to grade school with would know this man. He did perform at our school. I have one small snapshot of him standing in my front yard, in full regalia. Unfortunately, I am not in the picture. I know the truth though.
Years later, he rented a home from my father just up the street from us. Chief Red Thundercloud, as I now knew him to be, wasn't traveling as much these days but working on one of several books he was writing. He lived there with his wife, Princess Pretty Pony. And he had a dog. Having lived in the town for so long he must have lost some of his native skills. I crept up on him in the woods behind the house. He didn't know I was there. He had a mirror fastened to a tree and was dying his hair black. I watched silently for a few minutes then managed to leave undetected. I felt like I must be akin to Daniel Boone or something to have pulled that off. I did spend some time with him just talking, well listening mostly. He was an interesting man and told me lots of things abut the Native tribes and their ways. I still remember him showing me a sassafras tree. He showed me how to dig up the roots and use them to make sassafras tea.
Now this was back in the sixties and rules were different then. He would dig up these roots, cut them in short pieces, wash them and put them in baggies. A small recipe for making tea was included. These he sold at his shows, among other things of that nature. No FDA approval or anything of that nature. As I said, it was different back then.
Then I joined the Navy, Tez moved and I never saw him again. I read some years back of his passing. A man of note in the Native American world. All my life I have told others of growing up around an Indian. It is mostly met with skepticism. Those I went to grade school with would know this man. He did perform at our school. I have one small snapshot of him standing in my front yard, in full regalia. Unfortunately, I am not in the picture. I know the truth though.
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| Chief Red Thundercloud at my home on Hunting lane, East Hampton |
Ben,
ReplyDeleteI remember Chief Red Thundercloud coming to John Marshall Elementary when I was little. I was so impressed by him. I thought it was amazing that he still spoke a native language and would talk to us children. I have fond memories of this.