“There was a time when our people covered the land
as the waves of a wind-ruffled sea cover its shell-paved floor,
but that time long since passed away with the greatness of tribes
that are now but a mournful memory.”
June 03, 2020
Chief Seattle Speaks: Two
“My people are few.
They resemble the scattering trees of a storm-swept plain.”
June 02, 2020
Chief Seattle Speaks: One
“My words are like the stars that never change.”
June 01, 2020
Cowboy Wisdom #12
“Sweat never drowned no one!”
May 29, 2020
The Rodeo: Never Give Up!
Roping Competitions.
There are 3 types of roping events featured at most rodeos: Calf (Tie-down), Breakaway, and Team (Heading and Heeling) Roping.
These highlight the specific skills a cowboy needs to capture cattle for branding, tagging, medical, and other purposes.
Cowboys use looped ropes called lariats or lassos. They are thrown on the heads of young steers, and over the horns and back legs of larger animals.
The oldest timed event in rodeo competition is Calf or Tie-down Roping. Here, the cowboy ropes a running steer, dismounts, throws the calf on the ground, and ties three of its feet together. His horse slowly backs up to help keep the lariat tight.
Breakaway Roping is primarily for women, and boys under 12 years of age. In this variant of the above event, a short, flagged rope is tied lightly to the saddle horn with string. When the calf is caught around the neck, the horse stops and the rope breaks free. The calf runs on without being thrown down or tied up.
Team Roping demonstrates the joint skills needed for Heading and Heeling. It is the only event where women and men often work together. One rider (the header) catches a full-grown running steer by the horns, while their partner (the heeler) lassos the animal’s hind legs. Once the bull is captured, the riders face each other and lightly pull both ropes taut. Yee haw!
May 28, 2020
Dixie Corn Dodgers
Dixie Corn Dodgers
Ingredients:
2 cups coarse cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
2/3 cup milk
2 tablespoon grease (butter, bacon dripping, or vegetable oil)
Extra grease for frying
Method:
Place the cornmeal, salt, and baking powder in a large bowl.
Mix together.
Stir in the grease and the milk.
Form into 8 bullet-shape rolls.
Heat the cooking grease in a heavy skillet. When piping hot, add the corn dodgers.
Brown on one side.
Turn and brown on the other.
Serve warm.
May 27, 2020
“The Worst Indian Who Ever Lived”
Geronimo (1829-1909)
Geronimo was an Apache war leader and medicine man.
Although he was highly feared and respected, he was too unpopular to ever be made a chief.
He fought the Mexican and U.S. Armies over Apache land.
His hatred for Mexicans came after they murdered his mother, young wife, and three children.
Although he later had eight other wives, Geronimo’s legendary aggression was fuelled by this horrific crime.
He became one of the most brutal warriors on record and committed several infamous atrocities.
White settlers called him “the worst Indian who ever lived.” In one raid he “pillaged ranches, swept up livestock, and killed randomly, torturing men in every conceivable way, roasting women alive, and tossing children into nests of needle-crowned cacti” (Cozzens, 385).
Geronimo’s followers believed he had supernatural powers, including prophecy and magical protection. Rifles jammed when trying to shoot him, and anyone riding with him was also protected from bullets. It was said he could make rain, and stop the sun from rising.
During the Apache wars he “surrendered” three times and was sent to a reservation in Arizona. Each time he escaped.
After his third breakout in 1885 he was exiled to Florida.
In later life the war leader became a celebrity, appearing in President Theodore Roosevelt’s inaugural parade, and signing autographs at the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis.
He died in the Fort Sill hospital of pneumonia following a riding accident.
Chatto (an Apache leader) said, “I have known Geronimo all my life up to his death and have never known anything good about him.”
Lieutenant Britton Davis (U.S Army) called him a “thoroughly vicious, intractable, and treacherous man,” whose only redeeming qualities were “courage and determination” (Cozzens, 380).
Sources:
Cozzens, Peter. The Earth Is Weeping: The Epic Story of the Indian Wars for the American West (New York: Knopf, 2016)
And now my friends you’ve asked me, what makes me sad and still,
And why my brow is darkened like the clouds upon the hill?
Run in your ponies closer, and I’ll tell to you my tale,
Of Utah Carol, my partner, and his last ride on the trail.
We rode the range together, and rode it side by side,
I loved him like a brother, and I wept when Utah died.
We were rounding up one morning, when work was almost done,
When on his side the cattle started on a frightened run.
Underneath the saddle that the boss’s daughter rode,
Utah that very morning had placed a bright red robe.
So the saddle might ride easy for Lenore, his little friend.
But it was this red blanket that brought him to his end.
The blanket was now dragging behind her on the ground,
The frightened cattle saw it, and charged it with a bound.
Lenore then saw her danger, and turned her pony’s face,
And leaning in the saddle tied the blanket to its place.
But in leaning lost her balance, fell in front of that wild tide.
“Lay still Lenore, I’m coming!” were the words that Utah cried.
His faithful pony saw her, and reached her in a bound,
I thought he’d been successful and had raised her from the ground.
But the weight upon the saddle had not been felt before,
His back-cinch snapped like thunder, and he fell by Lenore.
Picking up the blanket he swung it over his head,
And started cross the prairie, “Lay still, Lenore!” he said.
When he got the stampede turned and saved Lenore, his friend
He turned to face the cattle and meet his fatal end.
His six gun flashed like lightning, the report rang loud and clear,
As the cattle rushed and killed him, he dropped the leading steer.
On his funeral morning I heard the preacher say,
“I hope we’ll all meet Utah at the roundup far away.”
Then they wrapped him in the blanket that saved his little friend,
And it was this red blanket that brought him to his end.
