Several years ago,I was a patient at the VA hospitalin Ft, Lyons, Colorado.I got a message to call this woman,so I called her up.She said to me,"I'm looking for an Indian.Are you an Indian?""Yes," I said."Oh good," she said,"I'll explain why I'm lookingfor an Indian."And she explained."Every year, we put on a paradein town, a Frontier Day Parade.It's exciting and important,and we have a lot of participation.""Yes," I said."Well," she said, "Our themeis Frontier,and we try to do it well.In the past, we used to make uppaper mache Indians,but that was years ago.""Yes," I said."And then more recently,we had some peoplewho dressed up as Indiansto make it more authentic,you understand, real people.""Yes," I said."Well," she said,"that didn't seem right,but we had a problem.There was a lack of Indians.""Yes," I said."This year, we wanted to do it right.We have looked hard and highfor Indians but there didn't seemto be any in this part of Colorado.""Yes," I said."We want to make it real, you understand,put a real Indian on a float,not just a paper mache dummyor an Anglo dressed as an Indianbut a real Indian with feathers and paint.Maybe even a medicine man.""Yes," I said."And then we learned the VA hospitalhad an Indian here.We were so happy,"she said, happily."Yes," I said."there are several of us here.""Oh good," she said.
Well, last SpringI got another messageat the college where I worked.I called the woman.She was so happythat I returned her call.Then she explainedthat Sir Francis Drake,the English pirate(she didn't say that, I did)was going to land on the coastof California in June, again.And then she saidshe was looking for Indians . . ."No," I said. No.
