New chapter! Enjoy!

"Let's go." The family got in the car and drove north. Meallá was nervous about seeing her new school, but her father said that they were just going to see if she could go.

. . . . . .

Logan parked in front of the building where the Tribal Council meets. He sighed and got out of the truck to help his daughters get off. He picked up Mahi and took Meallá's hand before walking inside. The receptionist immediately greeted, "Tānisi (Hello)! How may we help you?"

"Hi. I was wondering if there's a way to enroll my daughter in the tribal school."

"Are they enrolled tribal members?"

"Uh, they were born on the reservation, but then we left for a bit."

"Do you have their identification cards?"

"We don't have them."

"Alright the child's name?"

"Meallá Mīscacākanis." (Mīscacākanis - coyote)

The lady typed it in her computer. "Mīscacākanis? As in the Mīscacākanis clan? The medicine family?"

"Yeah."

"I see. She is indeed a member and has the right to sign up for the tribal school. Does she know any of the language?"

"Only how to say 'hello.'"

"That's alright. Are you aware that this school is bilingual?"

"Yeah. Their mother went there and told me a bit about it. I was hoping for it to be an ok fit for both of them."

"I am sorry about your loss."

Logan brushed off the emotions for now. "Hm."

"You are still in time to enroll her. Would you like to start that process now?"

"Yeah. Before that, is there some kind of preschool for three-year-olds?"

"Who is this for?"

"Mahihkan Mīscacākanis."

The lady typed on her computer. "I see. I can print out the papers for you to fill them. You can return them as soon as you're done or finish them here."

"I'll do it here."

"Alright. Please give me a second to go get them." She clicked many things on her computer and left once the printer started to print.

Mahi turned to her father. "I'm going to school, too?"

"If you can, you will."

"With Meallá?"

"No, she will go to a different school."

. . . . .

While Logan dealt with paperwork, the receptionist talked with his cubs. "Meallá is a nice name. What does it mean?"

"My Pa says that it means 'lightning' in Irish."

"That's nice. Did you know that 'wâsaskotepayiw' means 'lightning' in our language, Nīhithawīwin?" Meallá shook her head. "You will learn so much about your family from our Elders."

Mahi pointed at something. "What is he wearing?"

The lady looked at in the direction she was pointing at. "Those men are wearing roaches."

"Can I wear one?"

The lady chuckled. "Those are for men only."

"I want one, too."

The lady pierced her lips. "We'll see. Have you both had your naming ceremony? Do you know?"

The girls looked at her in confusion. Logan walked up to the lady and handed her the papers. "They had it done before both were born. Mahihkan has hers as her legal name, but Meallá's given name was 'Wâsaskotepayiw.' Obviously it would be trouble for many others." Logan remembered when his mate forced him to learn how to pronounce it. It was a bit or torture.

The lady took the papers. "Thank you. If they are accepted, they will begin this coming August. You will receive a call for them individually. Would you like to work on getting their identification cards now?"

"Some other time."

"No problem." She smiled at the girls with genuine pleasure. "Welcome home Meallá and Mahihkan of the Mīscacākanis clan. Then she waved. "Ikosi! Bye!"

Logan picked up Mahi and grabbed Meallá's hand. They all said at different times, "Bye!"

Once they were in the car, ready to go, Logan turned to go on the roads and headed home. A few minutes into the trip, he remembered a conversation he had with his mate and said to his daughters, "When you start school and someone asks where you are from or what clan you are from, tell them that you are from the Mīscacākanis clan and family."

"Clan and family?" Meallá asked.

"According to what your Ma told me, the clan refers to the fact that your family protected it for many years. The family part tells people that you come directly from those protectors."

"Cool. What else do you know?"

"I'll tell you when we get home and eat."

Mahihkan told her father, "Pa, the lady told us that you were 'Omithāhcīs (Wolverine).'"

Logan swallowed, caught off guard. "That's the name they gave me."

"Cool."

Meallá mumbled to herself, "So, I am Meallá. Daughter of Omithāhcīs and Pê-kîwêpahtâw (She Runs Home) from the Mīscacākanis clan and family."

Logan thought that it was good for them to hold on to their mother's culture. It seemed important to her, so he won't let them lose it.

I decided to include a bit more Indigenous American stuff in this story because not only is it important to decolonize, but also to change people's way of thinking toward Indigenous peoples. They are just like anyone else. We are just like anyone else. I am not Nehiyaw, but I will do the research I can. Also, this will not be 100% accurate, so I apologize beforehand. I only know of intertribal things from Indigenous Americans from the U.S. and Canada.

On another note, listen to songs from Northern Cree; they're awesome.

Thanks for reading!