The Valley of Two Moons Author:Wayne Bethard In a land far west of the great Mississippi River, within the small Quapaw village of Taposa, lived a little Indian boy named Catipo. To be a fourteen-year-old he didn't look it. Most of the Quapaw men were six foot tall or taller. The women were usually a foot shorter than the men. Little Catipo was even smaller. The older boys bullied him and... more » called him names and shamed him because of his size and meekness. In Quapaw Indian society, a boy that wasn't accepted by the men of the tribe was relegated to women's work and never allowed to bare arms or attend council fires or take a bride. Catipo was slowly becoming characterized as an unworthy. His future hopes of becoming a warrior seemed dismal, as were his dreams of someday sitting in a counsel of elders as an accepted member of Quapaw male society. More and more he kept to himself. Many hours of the day he retreated to nearby forests and walked alone admiring his surroundings to later return to be ridiculed and tormented by the other boys. Would merit and justice ever prosper for this little Quapaw Indian boy? Thanks to the Spirits of the Upper world, and an old Medicine man named Watanka, little Catipo accomplished his dream of going on a Vision Quest to become a respected warrior. The old man sent him to a special valley, were he acquired some unique powers that allowed him to defend his people and become a highly respected member of Quapaw Society.« less