The Great Spirit Shall Come -
By: Elder Loye L. Elliott

Southeast of Fayetteville, Arkansas lay the beginning of the Boston
Mountains. There had never been many people that had lived in this
area. There was a railroad that went east of Fayetteville some
thirty
miles, but the area I speak of was well south of there. There had
been a place in the mountains where black people had come after the
Civil War and lived there in their community which they had
established.

After the "Trail of Tears" had occurred, the black people had some
new neighbors move in some miles from them. The Indians of the
southeastern part of the United States were forced out of their
homes
and from their civilization for many reasons. The form of their
civilization did not fit to the form of the white man. Almost all of
the early Indian history was lost because of this horrible sin of
the
United States called the "Trail of Tears". They were to be driven to
a place called "Oklahoma".

The route from the east came across southern Missouri to just north
of Ft. Smith, Arkansas. On one of these southern trails made by the
Cherokee during this "Trail of Tears" experience, was a Cherokee
tribal chief whose name was Southwind. At a point on 71 Highway
between Fayetteville and Ft. Smith, Arkansas, is a place
called "Lookout Point" or "Artist Point". It was here that Chief
Southwind and an Indian called in his English name, "Jerry
Stillwell"
went renegade and left the caravan and went into the Boston
Mountains
southeast of Fayetteville, Arkansas.

Two years after these two Indian men had built their log homes and
had enough food stored up for the coming winter, they stole into
Tahlequah, Oklahoma, and stole back their families and were gone
forever more.

Chief Southwind had a wife, two sons and a young daughter. When he
retrieved his family, there was only the wife and young daughter
left. Both of his sons had been killed. He faired much better than
Stillwell did. Out of Stillwell's family of six he found only one
son. His wife had been badly treated and died. His three sons were
dead because of the physical abuse they had taken because
they "could
not tell or even know where their father was".

The young daughter of Southwind was my great-grandmother. When she
grew up, she married a Cherokee from Oklahoma who had come to the
camp where she lived. They had four sons and two daughters. The
oldest daughter whose name was My-niv-ie Janie Strain, was my
grandmother. She married a man that was half German and half
Delaware
and they continued to live in the Indian village that Southwind had
built. They had one son who died at one year old and three
daughters.
Their second daughter whose name was Roberta Wilson was my mother.
My
mother married a full blood Scot and moved to California. I was born
in California in the mid 1920's and was brought back to Arkansas
when
I was four years old. I had a very good mother and father, but the
depression caused many bad conditions for the people of that day.
Because of finances, my mother and father had to return to
California
for a short time. That short time lasted almost seven years. I was
left with my Cherokee grandmother and Delaware-German grandfather
during that seven year period.

I was very much influenced by my Indian ancestors and culture while
living with my Indian grandparents. I would sit at my grandmother's
side and listen to the many stories of our people of the past, of
what they believed, and where they had come from.

One of the most important stories I shall ever remember from my half
Delaware grandfather, was the story about "The Great Spirit shall
come to the people again"; that He (The Great Spirit) will speak
again as He spoke to them before they moved from the land that makes
short shadows. Grandfather always told me that the Great Spirit
would
not remain angry with his people forever, but he would come again.
He
told me that I must spend my days looking and listening for the
Great
Spirit to speak.

This very dear one died in December, 1956. I had the privilege of
going to his deathbed and telling him that I was sure that I had
found where the Great Spirit had moved some years before, and the
Great Spirit had caused His Words to be put into a book. I shall
never forget the tears of joy and that trembling hand that would not
let me go. My grandfather prophesied that I would see many things
our
people had never seen; that I would go many places and see different
lands and people.

Before I left his bedside he said "Make avow, my son, that you shall
tell our people of these things and this book". I did just that,
made
the vow, then left him for the last time. As I left, we both seemed
to know that this was the last time.

Last year, by the goodness of a dear sister's financial help, these
things which were prophesied by my grandfather were brought to pass;
that I would go many places and see different lands and people. I do
not know if this very dear sister that was used to bring this to
pass
knows of her part in all of this. By this I have found that I am
better prepared to go to my people and tell them.

Yes, those words of a very gentle Indian grandfather, even now that
he is dead many years, still rings loud and clear, "My son, believe
that the Great Spirit shall come again".