"Classic Ginger" Interview with Dancing Fawn (Grace Cummings) by Ginger Simpson

Interview with Grace from Dancing Fawn

Today my guest, Grace Cummings, the heroine in Dancing Fawn is here to tell us how she survived being held captive by Indians.  So, without further ado, let's begin the interview:

Just for clarification, HOST will indicate the interviewer’s questions below:

HOST:   It must have been a very traumatic ordeal for you.  Can you tell us about it?

GRACE:  It was horrid. (She shudders) I still hear my mother's screams in my head.  I…

HOST:  Do you need a moment to compose yourself?

GRACE:  No, I'm fine.  (Deep breath)  It was 1874. My family had moved around a lot because my father, bless his departed soul, was a restless man.   It was hard for a girl my age to make friends, not living in one place for very long, and just when Ma, Kevin and I thought we might settle down, General George Armstrong Custer made an announcement about gold being discovered in the Black Hills of Lakota territory.  That's all it took!  Pa loaded everything back into our Conestoga and insisted this was his chance to strike it big. 

HOST:  Why didn't you mother put her foot down?

GRACE:  You have to understand that back then, women were expected to know their place.  Ma pretty much did as Pa said.  Besides, he promised her that when he hit the mother lode, he would buy us a new house; new furniture and we'd never have to move again.

HOST:  I can see how that might have sounded pretty enticing.

GRACE:  It was.  We all had visions of putting down permanent roots, so being out on the plains, cooking over a campfire again and roughing it for a just a little longer was worth it if Pa and my brother, Kevin, found gold. 

HOST:  Tell us more about your experience, please.

GRACE:  All right.   We had made camp at the base of the Black Hills, near a sparse stand of trees.  There was a small stream nearby, so water was plentiful.  Ma and I slept on a pallet of blankets in the wagon, while Pa and Kev slept in a makeshift tent.  We had just finished breakfast one morning and were laughing and talking before Pa and Kev went off to the mine, when I happened to spy some riders on the horizon. It soon became clear from the whooping and hollering that they were being attacked by Indians.

HOST:  Oh my goodness, what did you do?

GRACE:  Pa immediately yelled for Ma and I to get back in the wagon and he and Kev grabbed their rifles and crawled underneath.  I hunkered down behind the tailgate, waiting for Ma, but she never came.  I was so scared, hearing the sound of gunfire and those blood-curdling war cries, I covered my ears, but it didn't help.  When I got the courage to peek outside, I saw the Indians circling our hiding place and Ma running in the opposite direction.  I think she was trying to draw them away from me.  I didn't realize it at the time, but Pa and Kevin were already dead.  They were easy pickings with no real shelter.

HOST:  How awful. 

GRACE:  You have no idea!  (Stopping to bite her knuckle, then staring straight ahead). They…they shot my ma down in cold blood right before my eyes.

HOST:  Oh you poor thing.  What did you do then?

GRACE:  (Dabbing at eyes with hanky) I curled myself into a ball and prayed that it was all just a bad dream, and that I'd wake up.   When I didn't hear anything for a while, I found the courage to rise to my knees and peer over the tailgate again.  I almost had heart failure when I came face-to-face with the ugliest sight I'd ever seen.

HOST:    Oh my gosh, I have goose bumps. What was it?

GRACE:  It was the person I later learned was Black Crow.  His face was painted with bright yellow lightning bolts, and he had a scar that ran from ear-to-ear.  He pulled me out of the wagon, barking orders in a strange language, and threw me to the ground.  I felt like my heart was going to pound its way right through my chemise. (Holds hand against chest)

HOST:  Oh my goodness, what was going through your head?

GRACE:  I was certain he was going to kill me, too.  I think he might have had it not been for one of his friends.  The one, called Little Elk, seemed to step in and calm Black Crow down.  Still, it was an awful thing to go through, wondering if you were going to live or die.  After Black Crow tethered my arms together and dragged me along behind his horse, like I was nothing more than an animal, I almost wished I had died.  I fought to keep up all the way to the Indian village.

HOST:  How far was it?

GRACE:  (Holding out her wrists).  I'm not sure, but you can still see the scars where the rawhide bit into my skin.  I didn't have time to get my shoes on, so my feet were pretty raw, too.  I'm used to walking beside the wagon every day, but being dragged is quite different.  It took forever.

HOST:  What happened when you got to the village?

GRACE:  I was so tired I could barely stand, but I dared not drop to the ground when it seemed like the whole village stood in a circle around me, staring and laughing.  I thought for sure I was about to meet my maker, but something very surprising happened.

HOST:  Don't stop now!

GRACE:  A beautiful green-eyed woman walked into the midst of things and protected me.  She spoke their language and dressed in their clothing, but it was evident from her flaming red hair that she was white.  If it hadn't been for her I would never have survived to tell this story, that and the fact that Black Crow's mother didn't like having a white woman share her home.  (Grace gives a half-hearted chuckle)

HOST:  What happened?

GRACE:  After only one night in her tepee, Black Crow handed me over to Little Elk. He, at least treated me with kindness, allowing Green Eyes to help me bathe and wash my hair.  I was still scared, but not nearly as much.  Pa always said I was headstrong, and it almost got me into  trouble when Little Elk gave me a new name.  (Sitting up straighter, squaring shoulders)

HOST:  Oh gosh, we're almost out of time and I hate to make you stop.  Can you give us a brief summary, and quickly?

GRACE:  Although there is so much more to tell, I'll just say that Little Elk played a big role in the decision I made when the white soldiers raided the camp. Unless you want to invite me back for another visit, I guess you'll just have to read the book.  (Holds out a copy)

HOST:  Is this for me? How nice, and it's autographed.  Grace Cummings, thank you so much for spending time with us and sharing your captivating story. I'd like to remind our readers that Dancing Fawn by Ginger Simpson is offered at http://bookswelove.com/authors/simpson-ginger/.  It’s also offered on her Amazon page, but you won't get the BOGO sale going on right now.  Buy one, get one Free.  What a holiday deal.  Happy reading!

Even Native Americans Had Women Problems by Ginger Simpson

http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h3771.html

I have a wonderful reseach book, Sitting Bull, Champion of the Sioux, by Stanley Vestal.  I keep going back to one chapter in particiular because it's a fun read...The One-Man Woman.

One would expect that a man as wise in battle as Sitting Bull would be able to handle a mere woman, but this book tells a different story.  Perhaps if he'd remained monogamous rather than taking a second wife, he would have avoided his predicament.  Let me summarize for you.

Sitting Bull first married a young woman named Light Hair.  Their marriage was happy, their home harmonous--until he married a second time.  This new wife, Snow-On-Her, it seems, was a nightmare from the get go.  Unlike most men who were smart enough to marry sisters and found they were more accepting of one another, Sitting Bull married a second wife who refused to act as a hand-maiden to the first wife and concubine to her husband.  In other words, she refused to take orders from Light Hair, and rather than resign herself to being wife #2, she insisted on sharing his bed every night, along with Light Hair.  With one wife clinging to one side, and the second woman securing the other, Sitting Bull was forced to sleep on his back...when he could sleep.  His muscles ached every morning, and a peaceful night was hard to come by with the women always arguing about one thing or another.

Men usually slept in only their breechclout in case trouble erupted during the night, but Sitting Bull would have been lucky to wrestle free from his wifely confines had that happened.  He often waited until both women were sleeping in order to free himself, roll over, and get comfortable, but not often enough to ease his pain, as one woman would likely awaken and the tug-of-war began again.

Despite his reprimands, his understanding and love of peace and harmony in his home were stretched to the limit.  His explanations of the role of the second wife fell on deaf ears, and "she (Snow-On-Her) made trouble from morning til night" as the author cites.

Snow-On-Her, like any jealous woman, planned to do away with her competition.  She embarked on a rumor spreading venture, portraying Light Hair as a cheating spouse.  This in turn enraged Light Hair, who had eyes only for her husband.  On a day when Sitting Bull was away, Light Hair turned to an older woman for help. After digging a shallow pit, they placed a gun, a knife and an arrow inside the hole, afterwards, she invited the entire camp to come forward.  The result was a meal where only women who slept with one man were welcome to eat.  Despite rumor's about Light Hair's being unfaithful, she waited for her nemisis to appear.  All the men in camp were also present.

The older woman stood and asked that any man who had physically known any of the women present to come forward and point her out.  The men were also invited to take up one of the weapons and take his oath on his choice.  If he swore falsely, the weapon would kill him.  Not one man came forward.

Light Hair did not feel vendicated.  She turned on Snow-On-Her and demanded she produce the partner with whom Light Hair had supposedly been unfaithful.  The anticipating stares and silence created a tense moment.  Snow-On-Her had nothing to say.  She pulled her robe over her head and elbowed her way through the throng while they pelted her with buffalo chips until she was too far away.  Dinner continued and Light Hair dined in triumph.

When Sitting Bull learned of the scandal, he sent Snow-On-Her back to her home.  One wife's honor had been proven, and the other had been the subject of ridicule.  Any wife of his must never be publicly considered ridiculous.  As the author says, "That night he (Sitting Bull) slept soundly."

Note from Ginger:  According to another resource, http://www.standingrocktourism.com/sittingbull/view.asp?ID=5,  Sitting Bull had four wives and twelve children.  He evidently didn't learn anything from his experience as this record indicates he later remarried Snow-On-Her on a reservation.  Maybe she recognized her role this time.  :)

FINALLY...Yellow Moon by Ginger Simpson

www.thecallofthebride.com

I was inspired by my love of western historical romances to write Yellow Moon's story.  Who is she?
Yellow Moon is a young Lakota maiden who accompanies her family to the traditional Sun-Dance held anually by all the tribes of the Sioux.  They meet, mingle, find spouses, and on the last day, braves who choose to participate are tethered to a tree by skewers in their chests  and dance until the skin breaks free.

Sounds barbaric, doesn't it?  Honestly, it's a tribute Indian men make to the Great Spirit, Wakan Tanka, thanking them for past blessings and hoping to garner futures ones...like plentiful buffalo.  To think, we just pray to give thanks and request strength.  I don't think I could endure the pain that Sun Dancers experience, so I'd be happy that there are lesser roles for participants.  Of course, in the story, I also touched on the women's function at the dances.  I think the biggest lure to the festival was all the feasting and celebrating that went on.  No matter who you are, parties are fun!

I love American Indian history, and my fondness for the Lakota proves I must have been one in another life.  I checked my chest for scars and I didn't find any, so I must have been a chicken back then, too.

Hope you'll read Yellow Moon's story...and enjoy it!  It's available on my Amazon page.

Cover by Michelle Lee