Chapter 7

Next morning it was time to get up and get ready for school, again, they rushed out the door and ran to the bus stop and waited on the bus. White Eagle and Ivy walked over and stood next to them.

"How do you feel?" asked Ivy.

"Washte" (good)," Little Crow said in the Lakota language.

"Good, here comes Matthew," said White Eagle.

"I hope I can do this?" asked Little Crow.

"You can," smiled Kicking Bird.

"Haw" (hello)," said Little Crow in the Lakota language.

"Haw" (hello)," Matthew said in a surprised manner.

      Then they got on the bus and went to the back and sat down. Matthew looked back at Little Crow with confusion. Then the bus came to a stop at the school and all the kids got off and went inside the building.

"Okay, what is going on with you, did you fall off of a horse and hit your head?" asked Matthew.

"I've never been on a horse to fall off of a horse," said Little Crow.

"Why are you being nice and talking to me?" asked Matthew looking around. "Did you do something to me."

"No, my blood is good now, no more fighting," said Little Crow.

"What? Did you turn into a flower child all of a sudden?" asked Matthew.

"No it’s still me, I just fight when I have to," said Little Crow.

        Matthew just looked at Little Crow and walked away to class.

"See told you, you could do it," said Kicking Bird.

"Yeah I did well," said Little Crow.

"Now let’s go to class," said Kicking Bird.

        So they went to their separate class rooms.

"Alright classes open your books to page 509. we’re going to learn about plants today?" asked the teacher.

        So they read out loud, answered questions, did vocabulary until the end of class. Then the bell rang and it was time for lunch. As they went through the lunch line, Matthew was just starring at Little Crow with confusion. Then they walked to their table and sat down.

"How long is Matthew going to stare at you?" asked Ivy.

"He's still staring?" asked Little Crow.

"Yes, very hard, if he stares any longer he'll go blind," said Ivy.

Kicking Bird watched Little Crow get up from his table and walked over to Matthew.

"Alright what's going on?" asked Little Crow.

"Why are you being nice, and again talking nice to me all of a sudden?" asked Matthew.

"My blood is good, I understand now, I am starting to see things clearly, so no more fighting," said Little Crow.

"I still don't like you," said Matthew.

"That's okay, I don't like you either, but no more fighting," said Little Crow walking away.

     Then the bell rang and everybody threw there trays away and went to class. Little Crow and his friends were walking in the hall way.

"That was a good thing you did," said White Eagle.

"It felt good, I wasn't mad or angry," said Little Crow.

"That's good," said Ivy.

      Then they walked inside, the teacher was gone, Matthew was bullying another kid.

"Hey, come on man, leave him alone, and give him his stuff back?" asked Little Crow.

"No," said Matthew.

"Let him go, or I'll twist your arm again," said White Eagle.

 "White Eagle," said Ivy.

      Everybody stood up in class and stood by the walls.

"So are you going to let him go?" asked White Eagle.

      The teacher, and Principal Greg Tail Feather and a keynote speaker were looking through the small glass window in the door. Matthew finally let the kid go, and gave him his stuff back. Then the teacher and Principal Greg Tail Feather came walking inside.

"Matthew lets go," said Principal Greg Tail Feather.

"Alright class settle down, everything is alright now, today were having a keynote speaker here today with us, so be on your best behavior," said the teacher.

"Hello class, my name is Red Deer, were going to talk about ways that you guys can help your people and your community. Any questions? Okay what would ya'll do to help your community?" asked Red Deer.

"I would help rebuild homes, with running hot water, and put a gas heater in there to stay warm, help them find a job and stick with it, and stop living poorly, because there is so much out there that we don't even know or want to discover it, were so caught up in the past and hating the Government and white eyes that we choose to live this way and not try to make things right, we were once a proud people, now were the ones wanting people to feel sorry for us cause we choose to live this way," said Little Crow.

"Yeah, we blame all our troubles on Custer and not even try to make it right, the elders always tell me that it wasn't these people that stole our lands it was their ancestors. We blame everything on the whites today over something that happened a long time ago. Were the ones that should be blaming ourselves, for our children going to bed hungry, and living in poor houses that are falling apart, it’s called a job to get all that fixed. But then again, if they did get one, then they would spend all the money on beer instead of fixing their homes and putting food on the table for their children, it’s sad when some of these kids parents get drunk and then they say "you’re not my child, I disown you" now that hurts for a child to hear their own parents tell them that. We have a lot of people coming in and helping us, giving us clothes and other stuff, but we just throw it back in their faces and say we don't need your help," said Ivy.

"That's because they are living in the past, and at one time we did know how to live right, but now, we live so poorly and disgusting conditions, if our ancestors came back and saw how we live today, we would probably be ashamed. They all drink and do drugs, because there is nothing here, but if they see how you guys are changing all that, then maybe there will be something here," said Red Deer.

"Let’s do that, let’s go to the center tomorrow since it will be Saturday tomorrow," said Little Crow.

"Yeah, we can go to the center tomorrow since its Saturday," said Ivy.

"Yeah," said White Eagle.

"Good, that's a good start," said Red Deer.

Then the bell rang and everybody walked outside and went to the bust stops and went home.

"How was school?" asked White Dove.

"Washte" (good), were going to change our community," said Little Crow.

"That's great son," said Rocky Crow.

"Is Grandfather home?" asked Little Crow.

"Yes," said White Dove.

Little Crow walked outside and went over to his Grandfathers house and went inside.