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A Sioux Love Story, part 6

© Mary Trotter Kion

NO WATER’S REVENGE

Black Buffalo Woman was sitting by the fire in a friend’s tipi. No Water yanked aside the tipi flap and rushed inside, waving his loaded gun. Curly grabbed his knife and leaped at No Water, but Little Big Man grabbed Curly in time before he could stab or cut No Water. But No Water fired his gun, hitting Curly in the face.

The bullet entered Curly’s face just below the left nostril, followed the line of his teeth, fracturing his upper jaw. Curly fell forward into the fire.

Black Buffalo Woman, deserting Curly, screamed in terror as she escaped under the back of the tipi. She fled, returning home and begging for her relatives to protect her.

No Water fled also. Back at camp he told the others what had happened, saying that he had killed Curly. To kill one of their fellow tribesmen was one of the worst crimes a Sioux could do. His friends made a sweat lodge and purified No Water of his crime. Then No Water disappeared.

Curly, though he was seriously wounded, was not dead. But still, No Water was guilty of attempted murder and of refusing to allow his wife the freedom to live with whomever she chose. And Curly was guilty of breaking his Shirt-Wearer vows. This was a very serious situation that could pit the two separate Sioux bands against each other, all because two young people loved each other.

Neither band wanted a fight, but each was willing to fight if necessary. Curly, who could not speak, signed that no blame should be put on Black Buffalo Woman, as was right according to Sioux law. No Water was convinced to send three of his very best ponies to Curly’s father who wisely accepted them, signifying that he, too, wanted no fight.

No Water could not understand why Black Buffalo Woman would want to leave him and convinced his brother, and himself, that Chips, a medicine man, had induced Black Buffalo Woman to act as she had. But Chips totally denied the accusations and continued to do so until No Water’s brother was convinced and released him.

Before peace was entirely restored, many horses were exchanged among the parties involved. Black Buffalo Woman went to live with the friend of No Water who had loaned him the gun he had shot Curly with. In time, the friend arranged for Black Buffalo Woman to peacefully return to No Water. And Curly’s Shirt-Wearer garment was taken from him along with the honored and respected position it signified. No one was selected to replace Curly as a Shirt-Wearer. In fact, from that time on the entire system broke down.