charles b. pettis

“There is a valley, not far from here that needs you.” The voice painted a picture for Shinaka. “It is a green place, where creatures live in peace and harmony. I want very much for it to remain that way. The valley needs a keeper, one who will protect it and its inhabitants. I want you, Shinaka, to be the keeper and protector of the green valley. But you must vow to do it always and forever.”

Smiling Fawn asks her grandfather, Brave Wolf, to tell once more her favorite story, “The Hummingbird and the Hawk.” As a tribal elder, Brave Wolf shares with her the stories of their people to teach Smiling Fawn about the history of her family and her tribe. The people of the Armaha tribe have a rich tradition of legends handed down from generation to generation. The legends—filled with mystery, wonder, and adventure—help Smiling Fawn understand the beliefs her people guard and treasure. In these stories, she hears of Ahote, the Restless One, and of Ama and Dyami, and the struggles of the little humming bird Nuluk to find a new home for his flock. The important lessons revealed by the stories influence and shape Smiling Fawn’s life as she blossoms from a young girl of seven—whom her grandfather calls “little one”—to a young woman of sixteen and learns what it means to be a respected member of the Armaha.