Journal Entry of a Subordinate Group Member

249 moons since birth-

It has been a hard crop this season. With many of our borders being recessed past the streams, our water supply has been shrinking to the point of drought for our villagers. Many of our elders are sick from the fever, and soon many will die. We must have access to the East river; else we may not survive this summer.

The attack on our village was brutal; the white men and their booms sticks were a good match for our best hunters. With over half our hunters mortally wounded, it was only a matter of time before we were forced to live further north. We have seen smoke signals from a tribe we met last harvest, perhaps they have not been affected by the white men. I can only hope, for the sake of my family, that they will have room for us in their valley.

250 moons since birth-

Today we prepare for the movement northward, and into our new life. Most of what we have must be left behind, including our dead. The total count of our wounded has fallen, but the amount of our dead has risen far beyond what we could have imagined. It is only fair to the remaining women and children that we migrate; none of this is their fault, they must not suffer.

The last of our hunting party is going on a mission to rescue the women that were taken in last week’s raid. I can only hope they are not suffering where they are, especially the two that were bearing child. The white men, bearing their boom sticks on their horses, are a powerful hunting party. We plan on attacking at night, when they must be sleeping. The debt must be paid; the toll must be evened out…..

251 moons since birth-

The gods have been on our side this summer. We managed to migrate north with the rest of the tribe and settle just south of our neighboring friendly tribe. The stench of the white men’s scalps still hangs in the air; it is most noticeable at high sun. I am still not pleased with our mission’s results; those poor women were already used and cast into a trench like animals. All but two were dead, and sadly enough the children they were bearing had not survived the attacks on their bodies.

The white men did not have time to struggle, and did not realize we were there until it was too late. Their shrieks must have been heard well beyond what we could see, their last breaths were only a small percentage of satisfaction that we had hoped for. At least now the dead can rest in peace, buried in the ground where they belong.

252 moons since birth-

We have been preparing for the cooler moons this season, our hunts have been overly successful with our newest party members. The joining of our two tribes could not have been better for us, we have much knowledge to share. Even though my sister fought me at first, she came to like the other chief’s daughter and called in the joining of their hands. Without the joining we may never have come together as family, and perhaps never been able to fight off the white men. The boom sticks have come in handy since we learned how they operate. It is unfortunate that most have only a few uses to them. We have not yet discovered how to make the dark powder which goes into the stick’s end. Perhaps we can learn this from a white man that we capture. Only the future will hold our answers.

253 moons since birth-

The cooler season has arrived, and most of our meat has been salted and stored for the ice season.