The Eldest told the story of the Three.”

The Grey One spoke slowly; his mouth and eyes smiled as if remembering a youthful transgression made humorous by time.

“She is perhaps not so much older than me, but she is wiser and still lives in the clan hold. I am Grey, and live on the mountain now, since I trained Roha as shaman. Many here have met your protector spirit through Roha. I see some who have climbed the path to receive my gift. You are all welcome, not just the wild ones.”

The Grey One chuckled.

“The Three – the Where, which bounds you to the clan and to the Earth. The How is clan knowledge and skill, which feeds and sustains us. The Who, is  you, the clan, and all people. Did the Eldest tell her saying?

‘We are each of us unique, our Clans may differ, but we are all one People.’”

We all nodded.

“My story today is of your uniqueness, the who and the how of each of you. Keep ‘one People’ always in your head-story, for there are many who would look only on that which makes us different, rather than our joined breath and beating hearts.

Today we speak of those questions your head-story asks: ‘Who am I?’ ‘What am I meant to do?’”

Like many in the group, I laughed nervously.

“Oh? You thought you were the only one?” The Grey One chuckled. “The small storyteller in your head is too frequently your worst enemy, but can also be your friend. The questions your in-head-storyteller asks are not your uniqueness. Your answers can be.

As the Eldest told, ‘Who am I?’ begins with your belonging to the Clan and one People. For some those relationships will be the most important part of your How. For others the knowledge and skill of a particular how, be it maikun, or growun or trader, will be most important. We begin with preparation for this quest.”

Earth Breath First

“Whenever you begin this work, start as you are now, seated and relaxed, pay attention to the gift of Earth Breath. For those who have not yet received this instruction, it is: in through the nose, out through the nose. Feel your connection to the earth, the ground beneath you, each pebble. Ignore the carping of your in-head-storyteller. Listen for creatures who walk or crawl upon the ground until your inner voice goes silent.

Smile. What do you first think of when you smile? Is it a person? A place? A task you enjoy? Ask your in-head-storyteller to remember this, and remind you of it? Smile again. Do you think of the same thing? Enlist your in-head-storyteller to remember. Say these things out loud. Does it help?”

Begin the Quest: Experience Possibilities

“There are many hows. How would you know which how is yours without experience? All hows require a balance of head and heart, a confident sense of self, melded with a focus on others. Here are a few hows of this clan:

• Maikun. Some Maikuns make something we all are familiar with, a house, or furniture. Some Maikuns make something no one has seen before. Some build in wood, stone or metal. Some search for new combinations of materials. What all Maikuns share is a desire to see something move from their head to the world of the senses. Their practice is building hand skill to bring an object to a user’s need.
•  Growun. Growuns may grow the food we eat or the trees that shade our homes. They may grow our knowledge, or the connections between clans. Growuns see the growth process ̶  what nourishment is needed when. Growuns are patient; their practice is not to rush nature, but to empower it.
•  Healun. Healuns see the broken or injured and strive to make it whole. Some healuns heal the sick among us; some repair what is damaged in our homes. Some healuns help us see another’s point of view, healing a rift between two others.
• Trader. Traders are driven by fair exchange. They trade what one has less need of for what another needs more. Traders may travel to other clans to make the exchange, or trade goods at market. The fairness of their practice is judged by the parties to the exchange.
•  Storyteller. A storyteller might be the memory of the clan. A storyteller could be a maikun, or a growun, or a healun, or a trader, but the storyteller uses words to call forth pictures behind our eyes. A good story happens in the listener’s head and heart and spirit.”

The Grey One paused, looking deeply into each of our eyes, and took three Earth Breaths.

He whispered.  “Which of these hows resonates with you today?”

“But Grey One,” burst out the youngest. “This can’t be all the hows there are. What of the hunter, or fisher, gatherer, weaver, or chief?”

“Yes, young one. There are many. And some are variations or combinations of the five. The hunter, fisher, and gatherer may be growuns or healuns or both. Some weavers are storytellers, some maikuns. The chief can have any and all orientations.”

“What of the warrior or scout?” said another.

“The scout finds information, perhaps like a trader. The warrior protects the tribe the way a healun does. There are some righteous fights, but if the warrior starts the battle, he is not a healun. Each of these hows has a shadow, the opposite of the good intent embodied in them.

There may be more hows, but I send you like a scout to gather information about each. As you begin this quest for your how, ask these questions:

1. What gives you joy? Think back upon your smile as we began, were any of these hows beneath it?
2. What are you now skilled at? Keep in mind that what comes easily to you and what gives you joy may be different. Also remember that talents vary, but you are young and inexperienced and that the highest skill comes only from practice. Do you know someone who might guide you?
3.  What is needed in your where? If this clan has many farmers, but too few hunters, should you grow the game harvest?
4. What is your contribution worth? In one sense we are all traders, for we must think about the fair exchange for our how.

These are not easy questions. There are always a few people that seem born with the answers. These know their how magically and build skill in it from a very young age. Do not compare yourself to the chosen; wish them well.

Most of us pursue this quest all our lives. Our how may change over time. I was a trader, a healun shaman, and now I am a storyteller. But the quest is what is important. Stay curious.”

The Grey One counsel-fire ended. We each walked home in the late spring evening. Some chattered squirrel-like, but I was engaging my in-head-storyteller in my how-quest.

I wonder. This is a large part of who I am. Perhaps I can use wonder to find my how. I wonder.