“A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads lives only one.” —George R.R. Martin
Two-Spirit Rising: Extras
(contains spoilers)
Life Imitates Art or Art Imitates Life
Perhaps they’re both true. I’m often asked how I conceived the story. I know it’s a tired phrase, but the events unfolded in my mind like a film. As it usually occurs, I observed a real-life event that sparked a separate story and it took on a life of its own.
As the story unfolded over 3-4 months, characters would enter and exit the story, etc. After a while, I became close to the characters, so Kai’s passing was a very sad day, as you can imagine.
My goal was to keep the sequence of events as close as possible to how they played out in my mind. The final product ended up being roughly 90% identical. That included character names and several fictional companies.
Most character names came to me spontaneously or were revealed by the characters themselves. I know, crazy, huh? The only change was Vernon. He was originally Joe, but I thought it might be confused with Matt’s movie character name.
Native American Philosophy on Death-Is it true?
Some of the philosophy about death and life in the book was true.
Not being indigenous myself, I had to depend on an abundance of research, which was an act of love to compile and include in this story. Here are some of my notes.
Death
At the time of death, our original mother, Mother Earth, who nourishes our bodies, reclaims our physical form. Our original father, the Creator, takes our spirits to return them to their place of origin
The Sky World
Birth, life, death and afterlife are integral aspects of Haudenosaunee cosmology. In order to understand death and accept the journey to the Sky World, it is crucial to understand the origin of life, its laws, codes of conduct, challenges and consequences
When A Person Dies…
Their breath is taken by the Faceless One, the destroyer who brings death. The spirit takes a number of days to get used to the death of the body and to prepare its journey. Ceremonies and practices assist the spirit on the path, said to be the Milky Way.
House of Souls in Sky World
This is where all souls of humans come from and return. Each soul has its own path leading from the Soul House to the body, to the Great Sky Road (Milky Way) – the good sky path.
Another sky path exists for evil souls and leads to a place half-way between earth and Sky World.
The souls of the dead have power to affect the living – respect must be shown to the dead and their souls cared for. Towards the end of the story, the dreams Cody had about the dancers chanting around the fire were a product of my imagination. However, the Ga'an dance is a real thing.
At Mask Museum, we find the ga’an (Western Apache) or gaa’he (Eastern Apache) are powerful mountain spirits friendly to the Apache people. The dancers represent mountain spirits during the ceremony and, as such, embody sacred beings. There are various myth stories surrounding the ga’an. One is that the ga’an were responsible for liberating the animal spirits locked in a cave where Crow had imprisoned them. The animal spirits could then roam free and provide food for the Apache.
Another is that an Apache boy fell into a cave where ga’an spirits resided. When the boy died, he became one of the ga’an. Other tribe members came looking for him, bringing his dog, who recognized him among the ga’an spirits. The boy eventually led the ga’an to his village, where the ga’an began a tradition of dancing to bless, heal, and protect the boy’s people.
Why the Apache Tribe?
Along with an LGBTQ+ theme, I wanted to show the plight of the indigenous in the United States. Having lived in Arizona for many years, I passed through the Navajo reservation outside of Flagstaff and the Yavapai-Apache reservation outside of Prescott. Here is some background on the Apache.
The Apache are a group of culturally related Native American tribes in the Southwestern United States, which include the Chiricahua, Jicarilla, Lipan, Mescalero, Mimbreño, Ndendahe (Bedonkohe or Mogollon and Nednhi or Carrizaleño and Janero), Salinero, Plains (Kataka or Semat or "Kiowa-Apache") and Western Apache (Aravaipa, Pinaleño, Coyotero, Tonto).
Distant cousins of the Apache are the Navajo, with which they share the Southern Athabaskan languages. There are Apache communities in Oklahoma, Texas, and reservations in Arizona and New Mexico.
Apache people have moved throughout the United States and elsewhere, including urban centers. The Apache Nations are politically autonomous, speak several different languages, and have distinct cultures.
Do They Get Married?
All I can say is stay tuned for the sequel.
The Ground: It's a Real Thing
The choral piece “The Ground” (Pleni sunt caeli), which Cody admires and introduces to Kevin, actually exists. And I agree with Cody that it’s gorgeous. The Phoenix Chorale recorded multiple works by Oja Gieilo, including “The Ground,” during his 2010 residency. I was living in Arizona at the time and heard them in concert. The pieces are compiled on the Northern Lights album and can be found on all major music services. I highly recommend all the tracks on the album. You’ll love them.
“That is part of the beauty of all literature. You discover that your longings are universal longings, that you’re not lonely and isolated from anyone. You belong.” ―F. Scott Fitzgerald
Have a Question?
