(Flashback)
Prior to the War, Fang had spent time in the Southwestern part of the United States documenting Fish Findian dances. At the time, these field studies were only part of his undergraduate training in Fishopology at FIT, the Fish Institute of Technology. Much later, these dances and his adventure with the Findians became the reason why he had suddenly disappeared from his "digs" in Egypt. But I'm getting ahead of the real story.
Like everyone else, Fang's life came to a halt from the late 30's to the end of the War. Fang would never tell Sam what he had done during these years and Sam didn't want to know. But by the end of 1945, Fang finally resurfaced and busied himself with being assimilation into normal civilian life.Sam said, "One day Fang received a call from his old Fish Findian friend Wilo Whitefish. Fang talked with Wilo for sometime on the phone. When the conversation finally ended, Fang slowly turned towards me. I could see pain and distant look in Fang's eyes and I knew that I was about to loose him."
Sam continued, "One never asks Fang, directly, what is on his mind. I waited until after dinner that same evening and slowly, the conversation with Wilo, came out."
Fang said that he would have to leave New York to return to the Southwest. His friend, Wilo told him of a crisis that was developing in the Fish Findian village where Fang had camped, while he was documenting the various Findian dance ceremonies.
Fang continued with Wilo's story, "After the War many of the young Findians had returned, but ... they were different -- changed in some way. The younger Findians were no longer interested in traditional village life... now they only thought of obtaining money, jobs and swimming "the good life." But the village problems went even deeper, said Fang, "During the war-years, the young fingerlings, at home, had had no one to guide them through their Kiva fish-ceremonies."
Wilo said that her village was in the process of loosing its customs and ways. She said that, "Nobody seem to care, anymore," and Wilo asked Fang if he would return to help them.
At first Fang said that he could be of no help. He was sorry, but although he was "fish" he was not a Findian. But during the conversation, Wilo made a comment that had shocked Fang. Wilo had said, "many of the youngfish do not even know how to dance their own dances."
When Fang heard this, he understood how serious the problems had become. Prior to the war, Fang had come to know that their dances were the Findians way of transferring their village "values" to each succeeding generation. He also saw how he could be helpful.
For the next two weeks Fang went about digging out his old notes, and dashing off to this Findian expert or that one. He came to realize that his original notes were the only reliable source which both documented the purpose and description of the Findian dances. It was then that he packed his small valise and left Sam and their NY apartment to return to the Southwest and the Findians that he loved and cared for, dearly.
Fang lived in the village for many months, renewing old friendships with the Fish Findians. He enjoyed watching village life unfold, again. But his eyes saw, with great sorrow, how the meanings of many Findian dances had been lost.Fang knew what to do.
Fang had come to know that these dances bound the Fish Findians together as a tribe. It was their way of showing place and purpose of each Findian in the tribe. Fang would sit at the edge of a circle of little ones listening to tribal stories often told by elderfish. "Long ago," according to one grandfish, "men and animals lived together and understood each other. They spoke the same language, and the animals knew that they must be sacrificed that their human brothers might live."
In Fang's notes he recorded that the "Hunting dance" is an appeal to that old understanding. In the course of the dance a few animals get away but some deer must be killed so that the Findian's can survive.
In this manner, each fingerling is taught to "look twice"-and this comment was also explained to Fang. "First, look at each drop of water that falls on every blade of grass. Then, look beyond that to the meaning of the Great Spirit, Manitou," his Findian friend had told him.
It is said by other tribes that the Findians do not worry if they are seen by game, during a hunt. They know that if the dance has been properly performed, they will be permitted to kill what they need.
As before, Fang observed that after each Elderfish ceremonial dance has been preformed, the youngest fingerlings would repeat this and that dance step and in the evenings-as singles or together in groups-they would go from shelter to shelter. Each group, giving a different dance, and the whole thing being a matter of practicing for a later time when they would be responsible for the more serious ceremonies of the tribe.
In this way, Findian children learn to dance the dances of their Elderfish, and they learned their ancient purpose and customs by giving dances of their own before the critical eyes of the elders.
Fang was now to repeat this old process.
As expected, he attended the ceremonies-poorly danced. From time to time he would seek out one of the young dancers and comment on this dance step or that, asking why it was now different. Fang would say, "Your uncle use to dance like this ..." and he would repeat the steps he had seen and recorded, before." Or perhaps he might ask a little one, "Where is your corn-flower? Your grandfather told me that he always carried a corn flower when he danced because it was a prayer for growth."
In this way, these fish slowly began to remember and value what had been lost to them.
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