Growing Up — Atsugewi

Grandpa told me what to do but I had to learn for myself what to think. Father told me what to do but I had to find out for myself what to dream. On the mountain I built a fire that my father could see from home. I gathered a pile of rocks. I dove to the bottom of the mountain lake, filled my mouth with water, spit it out, filled it again, and swallowed the water. I threw a rock in each direction. I did all this again and again and I stayed awake until I had a dream that told me who I should be.