A Story from the Comanche Nation

Last week, the kids and I explored a story from the Comanche Nation.

The Comanche come from the Southern Plains in the United States, and the traditional tale that I found in The Barefoot Book of Earth Tales, “She Who Is Alone” tells the story of a little girl whose people are going through a challenging time.

There has not been rain for a long, long time and people are very hungry.

She-Who-Is-Alone has no family. The only thing she has to remind her of them is a little doll, with a blue feather in its hair, made by her mother.

Praying for rain, the people sing, dance, and drum for days, but still no rains come. Finally the Elder divines an answer. He tells his people that they have taken and taken from the land without giving anything in return.  They must burn their most precious possession, scattering the ashes on the land as on offering.

Then the rains will come.

None of the tribespeople are willing to offer anything. They return to their tepees, and She-Who-Is-Alone is left with her doll, her most precious possession.  She builds a fire.

Sensing her connection to the land and the love she has for her people, she no longer feels alone.

She places her doll on the fire and scatters the doll’s ashes on the earth, then falls fast asleep.  The next morning She-Who-Is-Alone wakes up to discover beautiful blue flowers sprouting up out of the earth – the same colour as the feather from her doll’s hair.

Soon after, the rain starts to pour.

Because of her bravery and love, her name becomes She-Who-Loved-Her-People.

To bring the story to life, I told it to the children by candlelight. Together, we used drums, bells, and our bodies and voices to express the story. Then we made our own dolls out of green corn husks.  Peeling the corn husks off the corn on the cobs, we then cooked and ate the corn, using all parts of the plant.

“She Who Is Alone” taught us about the preciousness of our earth and its resources, as well as the importance of caring for each other and acting for the greater good.  Each story we read has a vital message to share, and we have the opportunity each week to step inside a story and let it affect how we see the world.

Check out the blog next week to see where our next story takes us, or better yet, come in on Tuesday afternoon to find out!

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