Buffalo Dreamer: Chapters 21–26

“But I don’t know what the message means,” I say, exasperated.
“Be patient with yourself, Summer,” Kokom Rose reassures me. “And remember that there is a reason you are receiving these messages.”

“Thank you for listening, Kokom Rose,” I say. As I watch her sip from her cup, I remember the protocol for speaking to an elder.
“Oh, can you wait a minute!” I say, and run to the car, where I grab the second braid of sweetgrass I picked this morning. “I didn’t know why I picked this second braid, but now I know it was for you.”

“Those are powerful, girls,” Mom says. “And I’m going to write, ‘No Pride in Genocide.’ ”
“Should we write them all in black? Or a brighter color?” I ask as I rummage through the markers.
“I think we should definitely use orange on some part of the signs.”

“Those are powerful, girls,” Mom says. “And I’m going to write, ‘No Pride in Genocide.’ ”
“Should we write them all in black? Or a brighter color?” I ask as I rummage through the markers.
“I think we should definitely use orange on some part of the signs.”

“The color orange has become a symbol of support to honor residential school survivors. I was going to ask Aunty Onawa if she has any extra orange shirts that we could wear for the march. She probably has a few from past demonstrations, or just in her own closet.”

“I’m scared about what we might find out, but finding out is better than being ignorant.”
“I’m proud of you both,” Mom says.
“For what?”
“For seeking the truth, even when it’s scary...."

“I like how your mom put it,” Autumn says to me. “We shine the light on the truth! That could be our motto. Hey, Summer, you should consider a future as a special agent with me.”
“Oh ya, right!”
“Come on! We could solve crimes together! We could be the Cree Sherlock Holmes and Watson!”

“I’ll hire you, and you can develop a detective program too, and learning Cree will help us! We’d be the dynamic detective duo.”

My heart swells with happiness to be in this beautiful day with Kokom. Her love and wisdom envelop me like a warm hug.

My heart swells with happiness to be in this beautiful day with Kokom. Her love and wisdom envelop me like a warm hug.

“If you didn’t send your kids when they turned five years old, it was legal for the authorities to pick up the kids and take them away without their parents’ consent. That’s how Mosom was taken. His mom and dad were out on a pass picking potatoes at a nearby farm, and the police came by and scooped them up.”

“If you didn’t send your kids when they turned five years old, it was legal for the authorities to pick up the kids and take them away without their parents’ consent. That’s how Mosom was taken. His mom and dad were out on a pass picking potatoes at a nearby farm, and the police came by and scooped them up.”

Later, as we sit around the table, I watch my family savor the delicious dinner, and my heart fills with gratitude for each and every one’s company.

Later, as we sit around the table, I watch my family savor the delicious dinner, and my heart fills with gratitude for each and every one’s company.

Mom walks up to us with two papers in each hand. “Here, girls, each of you take one of these. It has all the information anyone needs if they have to call a local lawyer. And the back side has all the family phone numbers.”
“What’s this for?” Autumn asks.
“Sometimes emotions can run high at these events, and tensions can escalate. If you or anyone you are with feels threatened during the march, then you know you have someone to call who has the knowledge to help.”

Mom walks up to us with two papers in each hand. “Here, girls, each of you take one of these. It has all the information anyone needs if they have to call a local lawyer. And the back side has all the family phone numbers.”
“What’s this for?” Autumn asks.
“Sometimes emotions can run high at these events, and tensions can escalate. If you or anyone you are with feels threatened during the march, then you know you have someone to call who has the knowledge to help.”

When we finally start driving out, I feel butterflies fluttering in my stomach, and thoughts race through my head. Will we need those papers Mom gave us if tensions flare?

I see Kokom Rose arrive and join a group of men and women with small hand drums. She has her drum with her, and she waves to me just as they start singing a beautiful round dance song. The song resonates through the air, and we all march forward with them.

The kokom in the wheelchair smiles at me, and I am amazed when I realize she’s the woman I saw as we crossed the border—the woman whose aura filled me with peace.

Several speakers begin to share stories about their time at the school, and one speaks about the importance of honoring the struggles they endured.

“Oh, Autumn! She must be Buffalo Dreamer! That blanket on her lap, it’s…it’s exactly like the one I saw in my dream, with the A embroidered in the bottom corner.”

“My detective book says when securing a confession, you should appear calm and go in alone to build a rapport with your subject,” Autumn whispers to me.

“Imagine those children being told that who they are is wrong, that the way they speak, the songs they sing, and the stories they hold dear are something to be ashamed of. Loneliness was as common as a cold at this school. But with Ann, Mom didn’t feel so alone. Together they endured more than any child should, and the girls dreamed of the days when they would age out."

“Mom was sure Ann didn’t run away without her and decided she’d go alone. Everything they had hidden for their journey was where they’d left it. The winter boots they planned to share, the blanket, and even the little bit of food they had managed to hide away. But right after Mom left, a blizzard blew in. Everyone at the school presumed she died and would be found later in the spring.”

Hearing this story—a story I know so many details of, it’s overwhelming— makes my eyes blur with tears.