Today’s 98-word story was inspired by a picture provided by fellow Friday Fictioneer Dale Rogerson and posted by Rochelle Wisoff-Fields. I have included a link to the place that inspired my story http://www.americansouthwest.net/utah/canyonlands/newspaper-rock.html
My people have traveled through this canyon for millennium
hunting bison, chasing rain, escaping enemies.
My cousin, Awan (Somebody) met Lenmana (Flute Girl)
in this canyon. We are Navajo, she was Hopi.
They made beautiful children
all dead from smallpox.
When our people passed by the flattest wall
we etched pictures into the stone
what you white people call “a calling card” to let others
know we had been there and where we were going.
Then you came and scratched your names across our symbols
as if we didn’t know how often you passed –
delivering death and destruction.
Up From the Ashes 
Effortlessly brutal, endlessly sad
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As an anthropologist/archaeologist I think about this sort of thing often. Thanks for appreciating my story.
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So much painted here with so few words. Studying very early art and pictograms is fascinating,
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Yes, it is! I switched from being an English major to a cultural anthropologist in college because of that fascination. Thanks for reading!
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Those last three words are a real eye-opener. Very powerful.
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Thanks, Sandra. People can have so little respect for one another. Still, others can be so kind.
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Bizarrely I have just started reading Nightwing by Martin Cruz Smith that also deals with the Hopi Indians. Great take on the prompt.
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My husband and I spent a few weeks in that part of the country a couple of summers ago. It was interesting to go to the ruins like Mesa Verde and Canyon de Chelly. I’ll have to look into that book, Iain.
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A very thought provoking piece Alicia.
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Thank you.
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Fascinating is the study of ancient civilisations… loved this, Alicia.
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Thanks, Dale!
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Having read many of Tony Hillerman’s books I was immediately caught up in the complicated mesh of land in the four corner….
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Oh, he is an excellent writer. A good person to draw one into the Southwestern part of the United States.
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I lived on Phoenix for about eight months … and the desert still breathe in me
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What were you doing there? And when?
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When I was eight years old (back at the dawn of time when dinosaurs roamed the Earth), I was in the Cub Scouts. The official Cub Scout magazine is called “Boy’s Life”. They had a couple of ongoing comic strips I liked. One chronicled the adventures of a modern (early 1960s in this case) Native American archeologist who finds a mysterious cave. He comes out the other side to find himself in the distant past, confronted by his ancient ancestors.
Using the cave, he leapfrogs step by step back toward the future, encountering his people and their sagas at each point in history.
I was kind of disappointed when he finally made it back to the present and the strip ended.
Your story, plus the photo prompt, reminded me of that comic strip. Wish I could remember what it was called.
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That sounds wonderful! No wonder you didn’t want the story to end. Thanks for sharing.
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Dear Lish,
Dark bit of historical fiction that gives us pause Well done.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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A lot of history is dark, as you know. We should pause and THINK! Wouldn’t that be a novel idea? Thanks, Rochelle.
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A brilliant historical observation put into an interesting context.
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Oh, thank you, Graham. I often wonder what would happen if we joined people to trade ideas instead of overpowering them and wiping out most of their population.
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Excellent observation
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Oh Lish, No fiction: I truly have shivers! Beautiful response to this evocative prompt!
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Thanks so much, Dawn. I’ve been reading Annie Proulx’s “Barkskins” and that have been part of the inspiration for this. Slash and burn!!!! Take take take.
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So much in here, very though-provoking. Nice piece!
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Thank you very much, kind sir.
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Some people have so little respect for other cultures. Once ruined, historical treasures are lost forever. Very well illustrated.
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Thank you, Clare.
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I’ve always loved history. It’s sad how many diseases the white man brought to this country along with his greed and destructive ways.
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Yes, indeed. I didn’t absolutely love history until I was in my mid-thirties. I steeped myself in the history of some Native Americans and the Norwegians (there’s a bit of a too-long story involved). Then I met my husband – Mr. All-things-history. Now I’m definitely hooked.
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Great writing, but such a sad story. Human history is made of violence and suppression, wherever we look. Will we ever evolve?
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Oh, we can certainly keep our fingers crossed – but we might get cramps. So glad you stopped by. Alicia
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Very poignant writing! We tend to think WE are civilization forget other peoples were civilized and cultured in their own settings — and our people have been the destroyers.
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So very true. And history repeats itself – over and over again. Thanks for stopping to read and leave a comment.
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sad to say, that’s how some tourists behave..
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I don’t know how many times I’ve seen this same attitude while traveling. Yikes! Thanks for pointing that out. Alicia
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That packs a punch. Beautiful write.
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Thank you very much.
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Devastating, I had a physical response to your piece in my solar plexus. “We” seem to love destruction more than nurture.
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Oh, don’t “we”? I do my best to leave a small footprint, but still, I don’t think I do enough.
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Makes me remember the story that Ray Bradbury wrote about the Martians in The Martian Chronicles. I think he was saying the same thing. In fact, it was alluded to in the story.
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Shoot! I’ve never read The Martian Chronicles. Must put that on my reading list. Thanks for reading.
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You had BETTER put that on your reading list. 😀 In fact, it was my favorite book in high school. Read it all the time under a tree at home. I could see it playing out . I was watching a NASA video about Mars and now I feel cheated. We know so much more about Mars that it doesn’t make sense to me to go there anymore, in my opinion. No more mystery. Oh well …
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A super powerful write, Alicia. The last line reminds me of the history of Columbus leaving death and destruction on the island my great grandparents and grandaparents came from. They were Taino Indians. Great story in so few words.
Isadora 😎
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Thanks so very much Isadora. Now I will need to look up the Taino Indians. Thank you for sharing your ancestor’s story.
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They were native indains on the island of Puerto Rico. My family are descendants of the tribe that almost became extinct had they not migrated to the mountains. They lived on the shores original and were a non-violent people. In case you don’t have time to look them up. Your welcome on my comment for your story. 😎
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I loved the first person voice. It made my heart ache. Last fall I visited two Native American museums in Oklahoma. It was a spiritual experience. Your story grips and rips like that.
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I’m glad you liked that P.O.V. Thank you.
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How sad and eye-opening.
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It is rather sad what people do to others. Thank you so much for stopping by to read my story. Alicia
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Yes, it is. You’re most welcome.
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Like a calling card left by Attila the Hun.
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Ha! Thanks – maybe it is.
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I wanted there to be a coda to this story, something along the lines of ‘You didn’t listen, didn’t understand, and that’s why your days on this planet are coming to an end.’ Revenge, or justice.
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That would be grand! Unfortunately 100 words kind of limits that sort of thing. Fortunately one can use their imagination and insert thoughts wherever they like.
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I’ll just think it 🙂
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From your thoughts to God’s ears – whatever God that may be.
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This is extremely powerful. You’ve captured the whole essence of something really big i just 100 words. I loved it, brilliantly done
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Gosh, thanks, Michael.
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Respect for the past seems to be improving in some areas of the world and getting worse in others. Good story and writing, Alicia. My dad used to love reading about American tribals. He collected arrowheads. He found some himself by digging in the ground in western Ohio when he was growing up. 🙂 — Suzanne
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We found a few of them along irrigation ditches in Colorado. Always caused a bit of excitement among us girls. Thanks for reading.
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An interesting viewpoint. I enjoyed your story.
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Thanks, Dawn
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