Freya Gets a New Name

Freya thanked the foreman in acknowledgement of all the help he’d given in keeping the workers happy on the ranch despite her brother’s difficulty nature.

“Erik you can go now and tomorrow, we’ll do an inspection of the ranch. I hope my favourite horse is still available but I’ll leave it to you to arrange all that along with provisions for the couple of days we will be going around the ranch so I can reorient after a few years away.”

Annika Johanson arranged with her husband to do the monthly visits herself for he as the elected head of the Lutheran community of churches had oversight of their pastors and churches and had a large constituency of believers to make periodic visits to though their local interests were served by their own appointed pastors. Annika had worked on her husband to legitimize Erik’s marriage to Running Squirrel but she was unable to persuade him so without his knowledge she approached and itinerating Anglican priest who agreed to drop by the ranch on one of his journeys around his widespread parishes and perform the ceremony and arrange for the marriage to be registered in government records so that any subsequent births could also be registered. From Running Squirrel’s perspective she’d been married from the time her mother had delivered her to the tent of White Wolf but if this was the paleface custom, she’d go along with it.

Chief Sky Eagle had been surprised and delighted when Freya requested an audience with him, and he received her proudly along with his blood brother White Wolf. He was surprised when she invited the tribe to relocate their settlement into the protected area of the ranch buildings, but he expressed his preference for their traditional river site showing his appreciation with gifts from the crafts made by the Dakota women. The women took her to their work site and measured her for the common dress used by Dakota women which they lovingly constructed over the next week and came as a group with one of the braves for protection to make a formal presentation.

They’d been to the ranch settlement site once before to construct a tent home tipi for White Wolf and the chief’s daughter following the traditional construction method which the newly married couple still occupied rather than live in a European style home. Running Squirrel proudly displayed her developing baby bump and caught the Dakota women up on the news and secrets of the ranch settlement. She told them she spent time at the ranch house improving Freya’s Dakota language and in turn had been learning the language of the palefaces they called English. Running Squirrel demonstrated her skills by conversing with Freya there to receive her gift of Dakota clothing in this foreign tongue unfamiliar to their tribe.

Freya stripped off her regular clothes while the women watched and marvelled at her white skin and came forward to examine it closely. They had not come this intimately close to a white woman before and they examined her from head to foot as she threw off her clothes and accepted the gift which she put on thanking them in the Dakota language to their surprise and joy.

Freya then asked the women if they’d like to have their children taught this foreign language, she was teaching Running Squirrel as she was gifted with the spirit of teaching, and it would be useful to the children as they increasingly had to interact with the palefaces who were now spread all over Canada. The women were interested but would have to ask their chief first. If that were to happen where would the children be taught? Their camp was far from the ranch headquarters so it would be impractical for the children to stay in camp and attend language training at this far away ranch site.

Freya indicated that she’d be willing to come to their camp for a week a month leaving the running of the ranch to Erik who they knew as White Wolf. One-week later word was sent back by an Indian brave to Running Squirrel who communicated to Freya that the chief would welcome her visit a week once a month to teach the Dakota children and a special tent was being prepared for her to dwell in and teach children during the day. Freya began to treasure this use of her educational skills with the men at nights while she was at the ranch and the children on her one-week trips to the Indian camp.

There were now two married couples on the ranch. One had come with the others in the model T car when initially employed by Bjorn and now Erik had married the Dakota chief’s daughter. They could see the joy an expectation of children to these marriages was causing those who were married. The remaining workers were out of their teens now and young adults and they were yearning for the same joy in their own lives.

Word was sent to the pastor these young men were thinking of a married life themselves. Would there be any women from ranching families around Manitoba or elsewhere who’d be interested in living in rural surrounds married. A lot of young women were gravitating to the cities where there was a range of activities and a more comfortable lifestyle and plenty of men looking for wives. The pastor ranged far and wide to find young women willing to live the simple lifestyle of a ranch.

He did find a couple of young women who’d feel happy to carry on the ranching experience of their childhood but those far away preferred to stay in reasonable proximity to their relatives. He managed to match these who were willing to continue ranch life and leave their family perhaps not to see them again with the oldest of the unmarried workers living on Gustafsson ranch and when meeting they were immediately attracted to each other.

Freya seeing the direction this was going began to construct small houses for the prospective couples heading for marriage. This could add to Freya’s headaches as these women from different places and family cultures would begin to mix with the other wives coming from different family cultures with the little jealousies and frictions that could come out of living closely together. She would have to find ways to keep them occupied so they had less time on their hands after attending to normal household chores for their families. She wondered if it would eventually come to the point where she’d have to entice Dakota braves to run the ranch with them as that would be less complicated and with their movements across the country now more restricted, they’d probably have to make some concessions to the new realities and cease their wanderings and adjust to ranching. She’d be happy to have them stay on this ranch.

There were still five young men who had reached the age where they wanted to marry, and they now had to decide whether to accept their bachelorhood on this ranch forever or move to the city and look for jobs they did not like to find a wife. Most were good at the Dakota language having worked among the Indians and being recipients of their hospitality as they worked the property in the direction of their camp.

A close bond had been established between the ranch workers and the Dakotas and these cowboys took note that there were more Dakota women than men in their camp and the more these men visited the more those Dakota women looked beautiful to them and desirable. The chief observed these interests and noted that the young men were respectful and never made an approach to any of them. Perhaps it would be in the tribe’s interests to become more entwined with the Gustafsson owner. Things had worked out well with his daughter and White Wolf and they were very happy with their approaching first child.

So, when Freya was on one of her one week teaching visits, the chief inquired about the bachelors who were spending time at the camp as they did their work on that end of the ranch. He commenced the conversation thanking Freya for the gift of livestock she’d generously given the Dakotas. She’d had this gift branded with an Indian symbol to differentiate them from her own increasing stock and she wanted to ensure they had a herd of their own on this ranch. The herd was increasing and she even managed to find some bison which she bought to the ranch and branded with the Indian symbol.

Under Freya’s management the ranch had become very wealthy so she could afford to share the benefits of wealth with the Indians and her workers so they in turn could build their own assets for the time of their retirement. Most cowboys preferred to work until they died in the saddle, but Freya felt they needed to have some wealth of their own to decide to retire in more comfortable locations if they chose and something to leave to their children after they were gone to give them a start in life. In a way it was a repayment of the education she’d received free from the church.

The conversation then turned to Freya’s workers and their unmarried status. The chief had noted an interest in the Dakota women and many of them did not have prospects of husbands unless they contacted others in the Dakota family of tribes now scattered and finding their movements more restricted as more of the ranchers were beginning to prevent them passing through their stolen territory. Perhaps some of her men would have a need as he’d observed but the cowboys had maintained an honourable distance despite their interest for which he was thankful. Freya smiled and determined to consult with Erik to see if this was so, Then the chief made a comment that surprised her.

“Freya, we like to confer a Dakota name on those we feel especially close to, and this happens in our tribe at birth but there are times when strangers come among us, we particularly grow fond of. Your father’s name among us was Alert Bear. If you’d permit, we’d like to perform a naming ceremony for which we’d like you to wear the costume gifted you by our women which you wear whenever you visit us for your week teaching lessons. We’d like to have that ceremony tomorrow before you leave to return to the ranch homestead. If you’re agreeable, then we’ll reveal that name tomorrow. Our medicine man has been in the smoke house and has selected a name under trance. Tomorrow he will reveal what that name is. From that point forward you’ll no longer be Freya to us.”

Freya responded with a happy smile and nodded her head in agreement, they ate together, and she returned to her shelter to sleep contentedly. She was happy she’d agreed to come back to the ranch to be the owner operator. All people on her ranch were her family now including the Dakotas.

Next morning she appeared in her Dakota dress to meet the whole assembled tribe. Usually, she donned ranch clothes for the return journey, so this was an exception. The medicine man was sitting next to the chief chatting animatedly and when Freya entered, he rose and faced the heavens breaking out into a Dakota chant. The assembled group responded at the end of each verse. Then the chief motioned for quiet and beckoned Freya forward. She was surprised to see the chief’s wife and running squirrel along with chief’s two sons join him at the front. They spoke in rehearsed unison while the chief placed items on her head and shoulders the symbolism of which she did not understand at the time, but had it explained after as Running Squirrel accompanied her back to the ranch with an Indian brave as protector. Freya was mesmerized as they continued their chant in unison and the chief spoke.

“By this ceremony Gentle Deer is incorporated into my family as a daughter and will be afforded all the privileges of my family. The notice will be communicated to all Dakota tribes, and she will be accorded the respect of my official status wherever she goes and identifies herself by this name in the Dakota first nation.”

The chief accompanied Gentle Deer and Running Squirrel to their horses at the conclusion of the ceremony and the Indian brave would take the lead as they rode the long journey back to the ranch to arrive as dusk settled. The Indian brave would go to White Wolf and Running Squirrel’s tent to rest for the night before returning to his camp. As Gentle Deer mounted her horse ready for the journey the chief whispered into her ear.

The medicine man has told me that within the completion of the seasons you will find your partner for life. But never forget your connection to the Dakotas when you marry and have children and proudly wear the name, we have conferred on you as a tribe with all its respect due.

Freya now Gentle Deer listened as Running Squirrel explained the ceremony and what it meant to the tribe and the insignia that had been placed on her body to be worn on ceremonial occasions sitting with the chief’s family. Running Squirrel was now her sister and the next sons in line to the chiefdom Storm Cloud and Prancing Stallion were her brothers in the tribe. She was not convinced about the medicine man’s powers but out of respect for the tribe did not disclose this fact.

When Freya returned to the ranch house her workers were surprised to see her dressed in Dakota costume. She went to Running Squirrel’s tent looking for Erik the foreman, but he was with the cowboys in the bunk house, so she went there and called his name. He appeared and looked happy to see Running Squirrel at her side and glanced at her baby bump. It was his child, and he could hardly wait to hold that child in his arms at birth. Freya got to the point immediately.

“Chief Sky Eagle has conferred on me the honour of a daughter and the tribe has given me the name Gentle Deer. This is a great honour. He also observed that the remaining bachelors seem to be interested in Dakota women for partners and as these women’s chances of gaining a husband within the Dakota nation have reduced now that they are being confined in their movements as ranches are being granted to the foreign invaders. I suppose I’m one of those invaders owning this ranch which is on traditional tribal lands.”

Erik laughed and glanced at his wife.

“I guess you have been grafted into the chief’s family you have a right to be here now, and you have been looking after their interests. I’ll talk with the bachelor’s and see what their plans are. I know they are not keen on moving to the city as they like working with livestock and crops, but I didn’t realize they had an interest in Dakota women. The chief is very insightful. He certainly guessed my desires and I couldn’t be happier. I’ll talk with them now and if they do have an interest then will make a trip to the camp tomorrow with Running Squirrel to talk with the chief and explore his thinking.”

Erik called White Wolf and his squaw Running Squirrel arrived at the Dakota camp next day and requested an audience with Chief Sky Eagle. After the usual preliminary courtesies Erik approached the question of marriage between the cowboy Swedes and the Dakotas. The chief put his conditions immediately. Each man in turn who wanted to marry into the tribe must first spend time in the camp riding with the braves and learning their ways and customs for a month. Would Gentle Deer be willing to allow their absence for so long? Once the tribe was of the opinion, they would respect the woman chosen they’d be granted a tribal name and the woman chosen who agreed to the liaison would be permitted to join each one as a wife. White Wolf would consult with Gentle Deer and find out if that was acceptable.

Erik and his wife returned to the ranch home and consulted with Freya who inquired about the need for married accommodation and whether they should commence building separate units for the men and their new wives immediately. Erik laughed and said the Dakota women would probably prefer to live in tipi’s just as he and Running Squirrel had occupied so he’d make that very plain to the bachelor’s when he told them of the offer.

That evening when those who were not camping out for the night on some far portions of the ranch were in the bunk house Erik disclosed the offer. Three of the five remaining bachelors were in the bunk house that evening. Two expressed an interest in fulfilling the chief’s conditions to gain a Dakota wife and one said he’d need to think about it. They were all used to intermingling with the braves as they hunted small game or the plentiful moose and deer in the thick tree lines but the idea of being judged about their worthiness to marry one of their women seemed strange to them. The one requesting time to think about it didn’t fancy living in a tent or tipi as the Dakota called them.

To be continued.

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