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John and Zona were camping
along the Caney River, close to Bartlesville, in a tent when the time came
for her to deliver her first child. This small shelter where they lived
held a bed, and a miniature wood, cook stove. A plank floor John built at
the bottom of the tent and it gave the space more of a “house” feel. There
was just room for Zona’s trunk in another corner beside the bed. In this
storage place the first time mother stored all the tiny clothes she had
made for the baby. It was only a camp but had a feeling of home about it.
‘Wiley kept a small account
with Jake Bartles and those records are still available. The store is
where John purchased their bed and little wood burning cook stove.
Whatever the tie was between Jake Bartles and Wiley was never told from
the descendants. The statement was made, “Jake Bartles was their friend.”
Jake was a prosperous man
who made many contributions to the state in the way of economics. He
fought in the Civil war on the side of the Union. The soldier’s life may
have been what gave the men a friendship but Wiley believed they were
friends and he spoke of it to his wife and children.’
‘Jake’s wife was Delaware
Native American and Wiley’s daughter married a Delaware man. Jake’s wife
was of the Johnny Cake family and Dora, Wily’s daughter, married Coo-Weet’-Skoo-Weet,’
a Cherokee-Delaware man, Edward Frenchman. This was another name for Ross
and Edward had Cherokee blood, as well. The name was a Cherokee word
meaning, “White Bird That Flies in the Morning, or in American, Ross. He
was called, Edward Frenchman. Dora and Edward had two children, Effie and
Dennis. Effie died six months after her mother and is buried beside Dora
with an identical white stone marker at the cemetery close to Caney,
Kansas. Effie was sixteen.’
‘The acquaintance between
Jake Bartles and Wiley may have been through this tribal, Native American,
avenue of association. It is possible Edward Frenchman, Dora Jones’s
husband, and Jake Bartles wife was blood related or, at least, related
through a mutual clan. This has not been researched and is only
speculation but one can be sure there was, indeed, some association
because of the known close relationships between tribal members. “Coo-Weet-Scoo-Weet,”
is a Cherokee word and Dora was adopted by that tribe so that she and
Edward could become legally married under the federal government. Oklahoma
was not a state at the time and they could get a marriage license under
established-federal laws. There were no state laws at the time.’
‘Jake Bartle’s wife was
active in the Baptist church and made contributions in that way. This
might have been the basis of their family’s friendship. But for whatever
reason the man, Jake, was a benefactor to all the settlers around
Bartlesville and helped them to better their lifestyle, Wiley’s family
included. History calls Jake Bartles the leader in the community. It was
the way with the Joneses, they were actually the true leaders who worked
tirelessly behind the scenes to see one trusted, strong, honorable person
or another put into a place of power for service to their community while
the Joneses carefully stuck to their policy of not calling attention to
themselves or dabbling in politics. This culture was commonly practiced,
with the Jones men for many years, before and after the civil war.
Osage names of Tish a walla
stayed the same, Big Eagle and Chessawalla somehow survived the
anglicizing but Ollo Ho kah Walla was shortened to Loho. The name Snake
Hide was completely changed and those became “Berry,” which was a totally
different surname of another race, yet. The Catholic missions and schools
were interested in appropriate names, those that would fit into society
which was fast becoming a new world for the Native American. Records were
kept in the Catholic missions and those have been put into book form and
are available today at the Osage Museum which has been in Pawhuska,
Oklahoma for more than sixty years. In these books it is interestingly
shown how the names are being written, sometimes in a clumsy way but,
nevertheless, documented.’
Those women, too, were in
possession of the knowledge and learning of their ancestors regarding
childbirth which had not been corrupted at the time by the methods of the
races living around them.
While Zona was in labor
there was no confinement. Instead the women walked together, strolling
along and through paths in the beautiful woodlands. They laughed about
some happening in their lives and were light hearted and happy. When the
first pains were upon the woman those with her simply stopped where they
were until she could again continue their walk. If she tired and wanted
rest they returned to the tent where she could be comfortable and relax
for a bit. They knew the teas from herbal plants to give Zona at that time
while she was not moving around. Even though the weather was warm, a fire
had been built and this was where a blanket was heated and placed across
her abdomen in between their walks. This worked to speed up the time she
had to wait for the birth. At all times gravity was used to facilitate the
birth and most usually no woman was forced onto the flat of her back. This
is a position modern day deliveries demand.
Golden Seal, a medicinal
plant, grew in profusion between the meadow grasses and this was used as a
poultice like ginger for healing and in a tea to avoid infection. The root
of the Snake Root was also used in teas.
Zona gasped in pain. Once
again she felt that terrible fear that something might be wrong, but she
knew so little about childbearing she wasn't sure.
Shunkamola smiled
reassuringly. "Time to walk some more," she said. “It will help the baby
climb down out of you." She reached down and gently pulled Zona to her
feet.
Ollo Hok a Walla took some
water lily roots out of the pouch she was carrying. "You walk and I'll
make some soup." She began vigorously chopping the roots and tossing them
into the pot that was next to the fire. “As soon as the baby is born, you
must eat.”
Zona steadied herself as
another pain hit her. With the skillful assistance of her friends it was
just a short time until her baby was born, all pink and healthy. Her
little girl’s rosebud mouth looked especially carved to rest on the ivory
curves of her face. Long eyelashes swept over her cheeks.
“She’s beautiful, so
beautiful!” Zona was instantly in love with her daughter as any mother is.
“Eat now! You must eat!”
The Osage women were a bit unsettled with the tiny amounts of food Zona
ingested.
“Eat! You must eat! Get
strong! Take care baby!” They were tempting her with hot meat broth, wild
grape dumplings which were sweet and tart at the same time and the soup of
the Yonka-Pins (water lily roots) which is a tuber that is high in
minerals, vitamins and protein.
Zona formed a tie with the
women while they attended her during childbirth. The tribe was barely
surviving off the land but they knew how to do that with ease. The young
woman who sewed their clothing with agile fingers had won their hearts and
there was gratitude to her.
“You be all right. You have
strong baby, too.” The women spoke to Zona in broken English but among
themselves they chattered and gossiped about her freely.
Zona didn’t mind. She had
accepted the tribe as easily as they accepted her. The women were
certainly there to help her when she needed them the most and neither of
them forgot.
John and Zona’s girl baby
was perfect in every way. She was tiny. She was perfectly formed. John was
only around 5 feet 6 inches and Zona wasn’t much more than five feet tall.
John fidgeted around the
camp and was in and out of the tent where Zona and the child were.
“Isn’t she the most
beautiful baby in the whole world?” and Zona felt this was the reason she
had left Arkansas. The new mother pulled the soft, rich looking,
crazy-quilt up around her tiny little girl.
“She is.” Joe agreed. His
thoughts were now turning to what and how he had to provide for his new
baby and wife.
Jake Bartles now was said
to be digging for black gold to become the future great wealth of that
same tribe, The Osage. |
