Brave Dialectical Journal

As the sun rises on the Great Plains, the rays gently touch Iktomi’s eyes, waking him up. Iktomi is dressed the part of a Lakota Brave, but inside he does not act the part of a Lakota Brave. He is a trickster; self-absorbed, vain and dishonest, eventually driving away any friendly smile come to be his friend. Navigating the Plains alone, he has become an outcast and constantly makes silly decisions further adding to his infamous reputation. This particular morning is pleasant and Iktomi feels a moment of satisfaction before giving in to an aching hunger. He had recently heard the legend of a gem pond and decided to travel to it to gain its riches. It was said that anyone who acquired a gem could use it to eat a feast of many delicacies. Iktomi,

“How can I get there?”
“Travel northwest until you get to a hill, once at the top of the hill you will see the pond.”
Opening the door, Iktomi gathered his stuff and went on his way without thanking the old man. Watching him from the doorway, the old man already knew that Iktomi would find what he was looking for, but not in the way he would expect.
After traveling in the direction the old man directed him in, Iktomi stood on the top of the hill and finally got his first glimpse of the gem pond in all of its glory. As the sun reflected off the gems, rays of all different colors sparkled on the surface of the pond. It was if a thousand rainbows had united to create the most breathtaking sight on all of the Plains. As he took it all in, Iktomi finally came to his senses and, for the first time, observed a wall of thick reeds around the pond preventing anyone or anything from coming in or out. He walked down the hill, sharpening his hunting knife as he went.
Waiting for him at the beginning of the reeds was a small, green frog with light green spots. It had a bubbly personality and cheerfully greeted Iktomi as he arrived.

After setting everything up, he threw his hands into the water to brush his hands across the gems searching for the first one to pull out. Eventually, he got so absorbed in the colors that he grabbed two heaping handfuls and pulled them out of the water. Then, before his eyes he watched as the gems melted into mud and slipped through his hands back into the water. Once in the water, they reformed back into the gems they were before and mockingly shone as brightly as ever. Unbeknownst to Iktomi, the frog at the reeds did not only provide a much simpler route, but the scenario was also a test of heart to pick out the individuals that were truly deserving of the gems the pond held. It did not require a show of strength, but rather a show of compassion and Iktomi had failed. He stood there astonished at the thought that such a valuable thing had literally just slipped through his fingers. “This isn’t happening, this isn’t happening,” he repeated to himself over and over hoping it to soon be true. He sat there for a minute and then slowly gathered his stuff to leave. Iktomi stayed the night trying to block out the sight of the pond as he fell asleep on the bank from pure