Miriam Moore reads TheWalkingPeople:ANativeAmericanOralHistory, by Paula Underwood.

We attain our first Fire Circle, Daughter of Wisdom asserts, and we begin to plan what we will do to help create this Long Colds' survival.

Daughter of Wisdom walks among us, and we begin to think of tomorrows possibilities.  We see how discouragement can be turned by a word and a question into plans for how we will hunt and gather.  look up! look down. We find sweet white. berries, shared equally Mong us, and leave two berries for the earth.  

We cross little walk by waters, the land of vines and puddles.

 Only 42 people crossed walk by waters.  17 of these were too young to carry packs.  We think it probable we were the last group to cross, because of the long reaches of open waters that must have kept others after us from crossing.  Our long rope, and the warning of the sorrowful man, with our ability to benefit from the wisdom of ordered council prepared us to cross in safety, with the courage of three strong men striving against water running fast over rock shelves.

The strength of these two men grew stronger with each passage, neither hunger nor fatigue taking their toll.  These three strong men make a long rope bridge, suspended through air at the place where there was no land, but only water below.  Except for rock shelves over which water runs fast and strong!  

All the people safely walk this rope path, and at last, reaching the rock shelf on which all the People stood, three strong men pulled the sky path rope until it loosened itself from its rock mooring secured only by a sitting rock.  

the strong man binding his rope to rock ensured the passage of a whole people.  

Three days of cold made the People more anxious to begin! 

Snow on Top releases her earth body to allow us to go on.  Daughter of Wisdom is well protected by our strength, for now she takes a double place.

We waited, patient, watched unhurried steps approaching.  She who comes and goes approached us, yet Daughter of Wisdom now stood before us. 

We sit at the edge of our path to the Great Island that lies beyond.  Snow on Top seeks her own peace.  We talk to one another.  We have everything to hand, tied, wrapped, waterproofed, wind proofed, our purpose will warm us on the day we begin our walk.