~Barn~
Tue Nov 14th, 2006, 09:36 AM
A neighbors friend, who lives on the reservation near Lander, tells a story about one of the leaders over there who found himself in an interesting situation a few years back.
He said several in the tribe were asking him if winter was going to be cold or mild. Since he was a chief in a modern society he had never been taught the old secrets of observing the winter coats on wildlife or the way the horses were acting.
Nevertheless, to be on the safe side, he told his tribe that the winter was indeed going to be frigid and they should collect firewood to be prepared.
But being a practical le ader, after several days he got an idea. He called the National Weather Service in Riverton and asked, "Is the coming winter going to be cold?"
"It looks like this winter is going to be quite cold," the meteorologist at the weather service told him.
So the chief went back to his people and told them to collect even more firewood in order to be prepared. A week later he called the National Weather Service to double check and the weatherman again assured him it would be a "very cold winter."
The Chief again went back to his people and ordered them to collect every scrap of firewood they could find.
This was getting to be a big issue and not wanting to be wrong, the chief called the National Weather Service a final time two weeks later. "Are you absolutely sure that the winter is going to be very cold?"
"Absolutely," the man replied. "It's looking more and more like it is going to be one of the coldest winters ever."
"How can you be so sure?" the chief asked.
The weatherman replied, "The Indians are collecting firewood like crazy."
He said several in the tribe were asking him if winter was going to be cold or mild. Since he was a chief in a modern society he had never been taught the old secrets of observing the winter coats on wildlife or the way the horses were acting.
Nevertheless, to be on the safe side, he told his tribe that the winter was indeed going to be frigid and they should collect firewood to be prepared.
But being a practical le ader, after several days he got an idea. He called the National Weather Service in Riverton and asked, "Is the coming winter going to be cold?"
"It looks like this winter is going to be quite cold," the meteorologist at the weather service told him.
So the chief went back to his people and told them to collect even more firewood in order to be prepared. A week later he called the National Weather Service to double check and the weatherman again assured him it would be a "very cold winter."
The Chief again went back to his people and ordered them to collect every scrap of firewood they could find.
This was getting to be a big issue and not wanting to be wrong, the chief called the National Weather Service a final time two weeks later. "Are you absolutely sure that the winter is going to be very cold?"
"Absolutely," the man replied. "It's looking more and more like it is going to be one of the coldest winters ever."
"How can you be so sure?" the chief asked.
The weatherman replied, "The Indians are collecting firewood like crazy."