The following is an excerpt from an email
I sent to another alumni:
As mentioned in my original email I attended
Orenda for either one or two summers
and then I went to Sebago. Although I remember
being assigned to the frontier cabins which
were on the right hand side as you came into
the camp. I recall that the mess hall was
elevated and if I'm recalling correctly, it
was to the left as you entered the camp and
was parallel to my frontier cabin. I'm pretty
sure that I stayed in one of the tee-pees
as well, but other than my campfire memories
with the tomahawk fire dance and the song
of the Wakonda Bird, which I remember vividly.
I was deeply moved by that chant and the respect
for nature that it elicited. I can even remember
some of
the beginning lyrics. "Wata-wata ho, wata-wata
ho..."
However, I now reserve all of my worship for
the creator of the great Wakonda bird
and not the bird itself.
Lastly, I also have vivid memories of what
I think was called banquette or frontier night.
As I write these words I now recall being
taught how to Indian-leg wrestle
while lying on ones back side to side with
your opponent, arms clasped, each lifting
the wrestling leg and touching feet at the
apex of the lift to the count of one, two,
three! Then on the count of three, we would
lock legs at the ankle at which time each
would try and pull each other over. Do you
have any memory of that? Indian-arm wrestling
was done lying face down with the non-wrestling
arm behind the back and
if I am not mistaken, legs were crossed to
create zero leverage, all strength being mustered
from ones core and upper body. Not easy! Do
you have any recollection of that? One last
strength challenge involved a wooden staff,
two opponents seated on the ground facing
each other, with the balls of their feet pushing
against each other while each guy held the
staff, one hand facing palm up, the other
palm down. Each
kid would then try like the dickens to pull
the other kid over his head. Ring a bell?
We used to compete against other cabins depending
on size and age.
That's all I have for now. Who knows what
other memories would return if and when
I can get up there.
