"You Shot Her! You Shot Her in the Head!"

Me. "You shot her! You shot her in the head!"

Bird. "I know, I know"

"Bird, what the heck, Man? You shouldn't have done that."

Bird. "Yeah, well I don’'t really feel bad about it. I mean what the fuck for?"

Me. "It’s not right man. It’s not right!"

I look at her head and the amount of damage is incredible. I think the bullet entered below the right eye.  A big piece of the skull has been blown away. Weird though, not that much blood loss. I am angry but Bird is my friend and I know he has no regard for things like this.

Bird. "Aw quit it already. I know you're one of those guys."

I  know what Bird was talking about. Right now all I know is that I don't like what he did. I am mad. That fucking Bird. Always doing dumb shit. Now I have to help him but I know giving him a lecture about it will only land on deaf ears.

Bird. "Okay maybe I could have thought about it before I shot her. So you going to help me or what?"

Me. "Help you? Help you? I should just leave you here and you clean it up."

Bird. "Don't be like that.  Tell you what. I'll light a smoke, will that make you happy?"

Me. "That's the least you can do. Yeah do that."

Bird. "You holy roller powwow guys are all the same. Every little thing is a big deal. You think things will come back on you. You got to be watchful for everything."

Bird lights up a cigarette and puffs on it, not inhaling but just puffing the smoke in the air. I like that he at least knows to do that. Giving the smoke to the air. Maybe Bird is not the most sensitive guy in the Rez, but he knows enough to realize how serious "us guys" take that shit. I mean, you have to follow some way, right? Bird knows I am trying to follow the way of our Ancestors; to treat everything with respect. To know all life is sacred and we need to put actions to our words. We are what they call “Traditionalists." Bird is like many Indians and he only knows individual wants, so he does what he thinks is good for him. 

It’s kind of chilly out here. I watch his cigarette smoke rise quickly in the cool morning air. We were out here for a few hours now and the sun is about an hour up in the sky. I guess we should get to it and get out of here before we get too cold and tired. As he finishes his cigarette I take the moment to acknowledge the Creator and say Thanks for the life. Bird made sure the smoke was for the Creator and not a smoke for his lung's pleasure. Bird puffed on the cigarette and didn't inhale the smoke; he puffed on the cigarette and let the smoke trail into the open air.  Me, I will make sure to acknowledge the life that has been taken today.

Bird. "Okay Joe, you grab those legs and spread them.  I'll start cutting from there."

Me.  "Bird, next time think before you shoot. It’s not right to kill a Doe. You should only take Bucks."