Chief

Today I met Chief down by the river as I was on my way to work. Chief described himself as a First Nation Native American from North Carolina having strong ancestral ties to the Iroquois Confederacy. He loved the fact that my roots are in the Finger Lakes region of Upstate New York and that I could name all of the original 5 Iroquois Nations (Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, and Seneca nations - there's something to be said for 7th grade Social Studies class).

Chief is a self-described survivor and did not hesitate to show me various stab and gunshot wounds on his torso. One ex-wife even tried to run him over with her VW Bug, but he survived. Towards the end of our conversation, Chief showed me a traditional native handshake (more like an arm lock). He blessed me and gave a tribal yell that probably startled anyone within ear shot. Thank you for sharing, Chief.