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words</font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p align="center" style="margin: 1em 0in; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">Dogwood Blossom</font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p align="center" style="margin: 1em 0in; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">By DeAnna Quietwater Noriega</font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
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</font><p style="margin: 1em 0in;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
Lisa loved the spring. The air was fresh with a touch of chill in it and the
wild flowers lifted bright faces to </font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 1em 0in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">drink the gentle gold of sunlight. </font></span></b></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 1em 0in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">Beautiful phrase.</font></span></u></b></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
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</font><p style="margin: 1em 0in;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">Grandma
Emma had given her the name Dogwood Blossom, because she said that she was such
a beautiful baby and was born in spring. Grandpa Elijah had made a cradle board
for her and Grandma had used porcupine quills and glass trade beads to put
dogwood flowers on it. </font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 1em 0in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">Put a new paragraph here.</font></span></u></b></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 1em 0in;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">They
hadn’t been happy when their eldest daughter, Mary Esther, ran off with Isaac
Swan. All was forgiven though, when Mary Esther returned home with their first
grandchild. Everyone in her family had both birth certificate names and
Chippewa ones that were given to reflect who they were as people. Grandpa’s
name was Red bird and Grandma Emma’s was Twilight Woman. Mamma’s was Little
Dove. Lisa was glad to be Chippewa and to have a special name that was chosen
to reflect the kind of person she was rather than an ordinary name. There were
at least three girls named Lisa at her school in town, but she was the only
girl she knew named Dogwood Flower. </font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 1em 0in;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 1em 0in;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">She
liked to call a friendly “Hello,” to the dogwood tree that grew in her
backyard. Each spring, it was covered with beautiful flowers. In the summer,
the tree provided plenty of shade and it had lovely autumn leaves too. Today,
Lisa was sitting under its flowering branches, doing her homework. She glanced
up at the sound of a car, pulling into the driveway to the left of her home.
Something fell from the branches of the thorn apple tree that grew between the
side of the house and the gravel drive. The car jerked to a stop, but not in
time to avoid hitting a falling bundle. </font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 1em 0in;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 1em 0in;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">Lisa
dropped her math book and raced to the driver’s side of the car. Mariah Big Elk
sat stunned behind the wheel. Ryan sent-up a wail from his perch in the tree. </font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 1em 0in;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 1em 0in;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">“Mrs.
Big Elk, are you alright?” asked Lisa. </font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 1em 0in;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 1em 0in;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">Mariah
Big Elk’s voice shook as she asked “Did I hit one of your brothers?” </font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 1em 0in;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 1em 0in;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">Lisa
glanced to confirm her suspicion. “No, it was a dummy I made out of some of
Ryan’s outgrown clothes. Ryan come down and tell Mrs. Big Elk you are sorry for
scaring her!”</font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 1em 0in;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>He didn’t do it on purpose.</u></b></font></font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 1em 0in;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">Ryan
clambered down and presented his tear smudged face beside Mariah’s car window. </font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 1em 0in;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 1em 0in;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">“I’m
sorry! Max isn’t a very good tree climber. We were playing in our tree and he
just fell-out. </font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><span lang="EN" style='font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;'><br clear="all" style="page-break-before: always;">
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</font><span lang="EN" style='font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;'><br clear="all" style="page-break-before: always;">
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</font><p style="margin: 1em 0in;"><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">New paragraph.</span></u></b><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">Lisa explained, “Ever since Little League
practice started up, our brother Mike has been too busy to play with our little
brother. Lisa scrambled to retrieve the pair of small jeans, flannel
shirt and hooded sweatshirt that she had stuffed as a playmate. </span></font></font></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 1em 0in;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>That was a kind thing she did for her
little brother. Making him an artificial playmate.</u></b></font></font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 1em 0in;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">Mariah
looked down at the small boy, clutching his scarecrow buddy. “You had better
not take Max up into trees any more. Your new friend certainly scared this old
crow falling out of that tree in front of my car. Lisa, I was stopping off to
bring your family some of my rhubarb jam. I know your mother doesn’t have much
time to grow a garden and put up things, having to work two jobs like she does.
My rhubarb is going to be ready again soon, so I am clearing out last year’s
extra jars.”</font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 1em 0in;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Really, what were the chances of that
happening again?</u></b></font></font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 1em 0in;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">“Thank
you! We love your jams and jellies. Grandpa says you make the best root beer
and pickles on the Rez. You are kind to gift us with this jam.” Lisa clasped
the jam and bent her head respectfully to the elder of her clan. </font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 1em 0in;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Respect is a big thing on the ress.</u></b></font></font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
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