The Correct Information
Our oral history and the stories of the elders tell us that we came from the north. There isn’t a single story that says we refer to ourselves as this people. We were determined to find the correct information, and we believe we have it because we have acquired it from the elders and the old people.
The Net
It’s important for our younger people to understand that they have a great history. They were not nomadic and did not simply borrow ideas from others. Instead, the Net always improved upon and greatly enhanced anything they learned from other people. They focused on making things much better and more useful. Thus, the Net hold a significant place in the history of the people in the Southwest, and this legacy continues today.
The Truth
Our young people must learn the correct history and never fear knowing the truth. The truth is far better than what is taught in schools and parroted back by even the younger generation. History is crucial for everyone—your personal history, your family history, and your identity. We have a responsibility to know our history and learn from it.
It’s very important to understand history traditionally, focusing on what caused events to happen. For instance, the movement from the east was due to disagreements within a larger group of people, causing the Net to separate and move west across the continent from east to west. Over time, some people separated further, moving in various directions and sometimes never being heard from again.
Changing Woman
There are also stories about Changing Woman. She launched a boat with a group of people and sailed west into the big water, but after four days, she said they must return because she had forgotten something. She gave us seven ceremonies called the Beauty Way ceremonies. The children who traveled with her returned when they were very old, telling of exploding mountains in the waters, floating lands, and mountain chains stretching into the horizon.
