Bio

p.December, 8th, 1850 John “walks without sound” is born in what can only be described as a success story. Johns birth marks the 25th aniversery of there “black foot” indian tribe. Johns family once marked by betrayal and thievery has gained recent respect and power through marrige. Regardless of past family scandels, John is born as the nephew of chief “spirit elk” ,a position of honor and menuverability amoung the ranks of the tribe. He is hailed as the tribes best hunter and naturally gifted in climate survival. At age 8 (1858) John had already killed 13 buffalo, a ft. unheard of in tribe history. Johns younger cousin Paul “tender foot” often boasts of Johns hunting and trapeing records and wants to be more like him someday.
p. Although John and Paul love each other dearly there opinions of “white aggression” differ substantually. In 1862 John is 12 and sees the first group of whites digging up land not six miles away from there tribes border. Though chief “spirit elk” is a peacefull man there is an expected hell to pay for stepping on an indian tribes burial ground. In 1862 just two years after whites turned up in the area, John notices a shortage of buffalo. John tells paul, but paul doesn’t see anything wroung with it since there was still plenty of buffalo left. In 1866 Jhon turns 16 and his tribe is visited by white catholic missionaries, though it was a contraversial call “spirit elk” being a very curious man, and haveing no past encounters with whitemen had no reason to fear them so he agreed to let them in. In just minutes the missionaries had gained favor with many ranks of the tribe, mainly influenceing tribesman in there 20’s and 30’s. This can be attributed to the tribes motto that young boys and girls should keep to them selves and the unshakable integrity of the older tribesman. even though they mainley influenced young adults, it doesn’t mean that the youngsters didn’t listen to the teachings anyway. new blasphomous talk had spread to every inch of the tribe, why warship spirits that may never call on you, when you can worship an all powerfull god that excepts everyone. out of the 32 tribe members 4 left that day converted. four indians of high tribe status, an indian shamen, and three braves. Even more devastateing than the challenge of the tribe’s faith was the disease left to them, which killed eight people in the first week and left four disoriented.
p.In 1869 John is 19 years old and there are 18 tribe members left. There are very few buffalo left in the area due to over hunting by whites. His tribe has turned to mainly eating plants, but on occasion for rituals or celebrations they have whatever meat they can scrounge up. Paul has come down with an unknown sickness and has a dangerousley high fever. Jhon knows Paul developed the sickness three days ago in a historic trade, a passing by chinamen had a rather strange affinity for buffalo hides and traded a multitude of rifles and six guns for one very old, very large, buffalo hide. John knows the tribe is loseing touch with the spirit guardians and is heavily against the new weapons. Although its not the first time the tribe had seen guns with more and more settlers passing by each day, it is on the other hand the first time any tribesmen has owned a gun. John could see that Pauls condition was getting worse, so he decided to go on a dareing nighttime expedition.
p.He packed his bowie knife and a torch and set of in search of any fever reduceing plant. What John encounterd next is still under scrutiny, supposidley he is attacked by a creature called the “Ska Olepi” or white hunter. It is rumerd to be an unspeakably hideous beast with supernatural powers. As John described it “it had black eyes that couldnt blink, an unintentional smile with rows of teeth like little spears, it was scaley like a fish, but it walked aqwirdley with four legs like a dog, it had two fingerlike apendages and a thumb, but in the center of its hand was a claw half the size of my arm, and to top it all of it had a tail that was longer than i am tall. I never saw anything so evil in my life”. Well that beast did a number on his face, its real hard to look at from what i hear. It made him look as ugly as itself, ugly as sin. Would have killed him to had he not been knocked of a cliff into a fast moveing river. He almost drowned, but he was lucky. He fell in several miles away from the mouth of the river and soon enough the river forked into several river run offs or stream beds. When John stood up he was suprised to find a wolf pup whimpering from the cold, apparentley it had come down the same river as him. so he picked up the wolf pup which he later named “omitaa” and stumbled wet,cold, and tired the ten or so paces to a nearby cave.

p.The next day John found growing outside the cave a “Rosaceae” or purple avens flower. It wasn’t Johns first choice for medicine, but it had been used for thousands of years by natives of the region. So he picked the flower from the stream bed and shoved it in his hide skin pocket. He then proceded the 25 or so mile hike back to the tribe. When he arrived at Pauls teepee he was surprised to see his cousins fever had broke and that “sharpespear” a brave of the tribe had shot himself in the foot. Just then Paul woke up and Jhon rushed over to greet him. “How are you feeling Paul?” “I feel fine thanks to those nice whitemen, you know those catholics.” “Paul its interaction with those same whitemen that put you here.” “No it wasnt, im pretty sure it was the chinamen.” “Paul you just dont understand, get some rest and we’ll talk later.” “But John they saved my life, they brought a fancy medicine bottle and it made me feel really better.” As John left the tent he was shocked to find “Spirit elk” on his righteous horse. “Spirit elk” was a resourceful and intelligent man by all means and his tribe loved him dearly. Remarkabley at age 81 he was build bigger than John, maybe he was strounger too. He had authority in voice and in action. “Whats wroung chief?” "John, whitemen has had his way with our land and our tribe. I am not about to wage war with them, but this can’t happen any longer. As you know “sharpespear” has shot himself in the foot (although he didn’t die from infection he does now walk with a limp) and Paul has gotten sick from one of them." chief “spirit elk” got off his horse, leaned forward and whispered in Johns ear “they brought fire water to our tribe.” “Chief why are you whispering?” “i dont want the youngsters to even hear that word…. its caused more problems for tribes across the nation than you would ever even believe. Whitemen have mysterious ways John, we have settled the lands longer and we are more skilled hunters. Yet they have better tools and better weapons.” “What are you going to do?” asked John “We have no choice… I have heard of white courts and they settle disputes much like this one.”I dont know about this, you know as well as i this is very dangerous." “John if i thought there was any other way i would not be on my horse. Take care of things i dont know how long it will take, but im going to waterridge.”
p.1873 The courts predictabley failed, the case of “Spirit elk” v.s Waterridge has turned into “Spirit elk” v.s Desmond Finch. Though there is no actual proof of it, I doubt that “Spirit elk” would knowingly sign over the mineral rights to his own land. This is what he had to say “I was tricked, i love our land, our people, our animals, and i love the spirit guardians. For the first time in my life as the chief of our tribe, i just dont know what to do?” At this point in time it is speculated that the tribes braves screamed bloody murder. “sharpspears” new law meant that any settler who stepped on there tribes land was killed and skelpted imediatley. The rest of there heads were put on spikes to outline the border of there land. Though it is not typical for “black foot” indian tribes to kill in cold blood. It is also not typical for natives to go through the court system. In 1874 the smell of death was spo stroung it could reach waterridge with a single stroung wind, with all this death you’d think even desmond finch would be scared. The tribes 18 members is down to a staggering nine tribesmen. 75% of the tribe has died in the past 25 years, but the spirit of the tribe lives on. December 25th, 1874 a preasent in the form of a letter is delivered (oneway trip from mailperson) to the tribe a week before there actual 50th anversary

Dear Natives, December 25th,1874

Though you are on property which I have legally purchased and paid for, I can see that this land is worth much more to your people. I have had men in my employ take private surveys of the land at night and I know what its dollar value but I now realize that to your people this means little. I can not just give up this land as I have made a great investment and surely you can understand that. The surveyors told me that the land was unoccupied and I would hate for this simple misunderstanding to cause anymore trouble or bloodshed. I am willing to sell this track of land back too your people, for $15,000. I understand that to your people this is no small sum but I must get back what I paid for this land. You will have five years time before this offer will expire. I have heard that some in your tribe have called for my head, if I am physically harmed in any manner, then this offer will be voided and I will send as many men with as many guns and cannons as i can to wipe the rest of you off the earth. Do not force my hand. Let us resolve this issue like rational men.
Desmond J. Finch

In 1876 John is 26 years old and hasn’t come up with much money at all, working as a scout showing people places to go and always steering them away from there tribes land. There is two and a half years left in this secret deal, and it is clear that John needs more money fast. Just what will fate have in store for John.