Like us on Facebook
The next photo is the PROMPT. Remember, all photos are property of the photographer, donated for use in Friday Fictioneers only. They shouldn’t be used for any other purpose without express permission. It is proper etiquette to give the contributor credit.
PHOTO PROMPT © J Hardy Carroll
For a good time, CLICK!
Genre: Historical Fiction
Word Count: 100
THE SPIRIT SURVIVES
Morning sunlight bathed Gertrude’s violin as she played a mournful melody. Although twelve years had passed, she would never forget the moment at the Quaker school her heavy braids tumbled to the floor, clipped by the teacher’s cruel scissors.
Education meant nothing if she didn’t use it for good. Her people’s spirits called to her, yearning to be free.
She plucked the pins from her hair. It fell around her shoulders like a black cape.
“I will be their voice. I am no longer Gertie.” She raised her fist. “I am Zitkala-Za of the Yankton Sioux, granddaughter of Sitting Bull.”
To know more about this trailblazing woman CLICK HERE
Rochelle Wisoff-Fields-Addicted to Purple 
A talent deployed like a spear for her cause. Wonderful, Rochelle
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Neil. 😀
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLike
A lady with much to say, and a strong voice to say it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Indeed, she was.
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLike
A powerful story based on historical fact, Rochelle. Good writing as always. —- Suzanne
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dear Suzanne,
I’m glad you enjoyed. Thank you. 😀
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLiked by 1 person
What I strong character. Loved the determination! Let the hair down.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dear Tanille,
She was a strong woman. 😉 Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLiked by 1 person
Some teachers can be cruel. However, she rose above it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dear Colline,
Yes they can and yes she did. 😉
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hats off to this woman. Thanks for the link. As always I learned about someone. Wonderful writing, Rochelle. Shalom!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dear Indira,
I didn’t know of her either until her picture came to my Pinterest notifications. The more I leaned the more I wanted to know. 😀 Thank you, my friend.
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLiked by 1 person
Welcome, dear.
LikeLike
A very interesting woman. I didn’t know her, so I followed your link. She someone that more people should know.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dear Trent,
I didn’t know of her before her picture came as part of a Pinterest notification. She should be more widely known. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLiked by 1 person
Excellent story. One of my good friends is married to a descendant of Sitting Bull. We’ve become pen pals, and in fact I have an unopened letter I received yesterday. I’m saving it for after work.
LikeLiked by 2 people
That is sooo cool!
LikeLike
Dear Josh,
It’s nice to know the art of letter writing is completely dead and buried. Enjoy your letter. Re my story – Thank you. 😀
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLike
PS I have a pen pal who is wrongly serving a second sentence (nuther story). We write in cursive. No one else will ever be able to read them. 😉
LikeLike
A beautiful woman with an awesome history. Someone I’ve looked up to. a great story this week, Rochelle! Very encouraging amid the chaos at the moment. Happy chaos! 🙂 ❤ ~Shalom, Bear
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dear Bear,
Zitkala-za is someone to look up to. I hope to get around to reading her books. Happy to encourage, my friend. Thank you. 😀
Shalom and hugs amid your chaos,
Rochelle
LikeLiked by 1 person
We put our notice in today. Now, it’s gotta happen or we’ll be in the car.
LikeLike
Dear Rochelle,
I love how you discover these wonderful stories and share them with us with your fantastic prose. What a powerful woman she was. Thank you!
Shalom and lotsa love,
Dale
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dear Dale,
It’s amazing to me how many people shaped our history and most of us know nothing about them. Happy to share as always. 😀
Shalom and lotsa hugs,
Rochelle
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Rochelle! This was so wonderfully done and so powerful and so important. I love the tidbits of history you share! This was very well done!
🙂
Mine went a different way this time … but perhaps it has reality in it, too, for some.
https://naamayehuda.com/2019/09/18/the-skylight/
Na’ama
LikeLiked by 1 person
Na’ama Y’karah,
Your words make my heart sing and my spirit soar. I’m always happy to find and share historical figures that should be more widely known…particularly the female ones. Todah rabbah.
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLiked by 1 person
🙂 And you do it very VERY well!
PS you got mail … 😉
LikeLike
I like the use of the prompt to reflect her rising spirit.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Iain. 😀
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLiked by 1 person
I thought Quakers were non-violent. This violent act of aggression was just as bad as a slap in the face. But the young woman rose above it, and I’m so glad I know yet another obscure little piece of history. One wonders if the teacher was just plain jealous of the girl’s thick, lustrous hair.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dear Linda,
Perhaps the teacher was jealous of the girl’s hair, but the fact is that this was customary in some of the schools for both boys and girls to bring them under submission. The motto of the Indian boarding schools was “Kill the Indian and save the child.” Thank you for reading and taking the time to comment.
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, now that I think of it I have read before that Indian children were treated roughly, to teach them to submit to authority. How truly tragic. And this girl’s name is a new to me, but a glance through some other comments show me that I’m behind the times on this 🙂
LikeLike
PS–the photo above the prompt was a perfect foil for your story. It made me think of a cello but a violin works, too 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s exactly why I chose that meme, Linda. 😉
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLiked by 1 person
Well, you’ve done it again. I’ve spent the last hour reading about and writings by Zitkála-Šá. She was a pretty amazing person. It blows my mind that Europeans came to this country and took over while expecting the people who lived here to just fall into line and thank them. In old movies, “Indians” were portrayed as villains. “How dare they defend their land and way of life when we’re bringing them a better way of life and letting them keep small chunks of their land?” Now, immigrants are villains because they don’t assimilate to “our way of life” or “talk good English.” Humans are gross.
LikeLike
Dear Nobbin.
It does boggle the mind, doesn’t it? What I want to know is where people got the idea that white skin meant superior. When it came to Zitkala-Za it was hard to boil a story about her down to 100 words. So not sorry to have sent you down the part. 😉 Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m sure it has to with what was perceived as superior civilization and the ability to conquer and destroy.
LikeLike
I always love to see where the prompts take you, Rochelle, I enjoyed reading about Red Bird.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dear Ted,
Many times they take me to places I didn’t even expect to go. 😉 Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLike
No kidding.
LikeLike
A beautiful story. Good for her standing up against oppression.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dear Eric,
She must’ve been some kind of woman in person. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLike
I really like the story… it seems that she accepted a lot for her education, and later used it to find her own road… truly inspiring.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dear Björn,
She was, and still is, an inspiration. 😀 Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLike
A fascinating lady, I am so glad you brought her to my attention,
LikeLiked by 1 person
My pleasure, Mike. Thank you. 😀
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLike
Love your historical fiction Rochelle. Very poignant, especially after clicking on the link and reading Zitkala-Za’s powerful story. Thank you for sharing it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dear Shelley,
From what little I’ve read, I’d say she was quite a woman. A credit, not only to her people, but to the human race as a whole. Thank you for your kind words.
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLiked by 1 person
thank you for introducing me to this brave and fascinating woman.
LikeLiked by 1 person
My pleasure, Plaridel. Thank you for reading and commenting. 😀
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLiked by 1 person
She was letting the hair down in more ways than one. I love your stories, more so your historical fictions, dear Rochelle.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dear Neel,
Good way to put it, letting her hair down. 😉 Thank you for your kind words as always.
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLike
I enjoyed reading about this wonderful individual who was able to go on and accomplish so much after being taken from her family and her culture.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dear Lisa,
She was an amazing woman by any standards, wasn’t she? Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLiked by 1 person
You are welcome, Rochelle, yes she was!
LikeLike
She sounds like she was a great woman, everything in her childhood setting her up to become so strong.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dear Ali,
She sounds like force with which to reckon. Thank you for reading. 😀
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLiked by 1 person
After reading your words I just had to follow the link and I’m so glad I did. What an inspirational person she was.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dear Keith,
I love a curious reader. 😀 Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLiked by 1 person
Forcefully cutting someone’s hair is a humiliation tactic used to exert power over others. She seemed to be quite a force to be reckoned with, even in those times when women didn’t have many opportunities in the public sphere to participate in social change.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dear Fatima,
That is one of the main reasons the children’s hair was cut in the boarding school. To break their spirits and put them under submission to the white man’s ways. “Kill the Indian and save the child” was a popular slogan. Thank you for reading and commenting.
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLiked by 1 person
A lot of terrible oppressive acts have been done in the name of ‘saving’ and ‘protection’.
LikeLike
Good Zitkala Za decided not to be Gertrude anymore. She tried to be the voice for her people. It is a lot of responsibility she took it upon herself. A nice story of transformation.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dear Abhijit,
You are spot on. Thank you. 😀
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLike
Dear Rochelle,
Thank you for introducing the trailblazing Zitkala-Za to me. I’ve not heard of her before and loved reading her history, and of how she eventually used her education to stick up for her people.
Well written, as usual.
Looking forward to having a chat, hopefully next week 🙂
All best wishes,
Sarah
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dear Sarah,
Finding out about this lady, in every sense of the word, was a thrill for me, too. Glad you enjoyed. Thank you for your encouraging comment. Hope to see your smiling face live this week coming. 😀
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dear Rochelle,
I’m looking forward to our chat. Email me the times you and Dale are free, so hopefully we can coordinate our clocks…
All best wishes,
Sarah
LikeLiked by 1 person
Terrific story about an admirable woman. Thank you for the link that showed how determined and courageous she was.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dear Penny,
I’m glad you followed the link. She was an amazing woman and role model. Thank you for your kind words.
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLike
Wonderful story about an amazing woman. I loved the quote you used about “swearing” not being in her language.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dear Sascha,
I was intrigued that swearing was not in her language. Thank you for a wonderful comment. 😀
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLiked by 1 person
What a woman! And what dreadful trials indiginous people were subjected to in the name of improvement.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dear Liz,
I suppose it’s the human condition.
Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLike
Thank you Rochelle for telling us about this extraordinary woman. She comes over as a dedicated life long activist, with many talents.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dear Francine,
I’m glad all those qualities came through. Thank you. 😀
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLike
Dear Mime on the Lam W(T)F,
You story reminds of the Crosby, Stills, & Nash tune, “Almost Cut My Hair.” — not really.
Did I hear correct that you won’t be attending OWL? In that case, you won’t mind if deposit your winnings on my behalf, will you?
I’ll be pitching the Mime story to an agent there as a romantic comedy. No hanky panky so far, at least between Lowry and Lucinda, but you never can tell about Shelley.
Ain’t No Sheep Gayer
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dear Black-Sheep Gayer,
Alas, I had to choose between a potentially lucrative art show (that we’re hoping won’t get rained out) and OWL. Ronda is going to deliver a packet to one of the agents for me…hoping for grace or mercy or both. As for winnings…Nice to think there might be some. But they’re mine, mine, mime. 😉 I’ll miss everyone. 😦
Shalom,
Mime on the Lam W(T)F
LikeLike
LOVE THE SITE AND THE PHOTOGRAPHS, CHINA
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, China!
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLike
Fascinating stuff as usual Rochelle, Ive learnt so much in this little corner of the internet. Great stuff
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dear Shrawley,
You couldn’t give me a higher compliment. Thank you. 😀
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLike
Excellent story Rochelle and the hair is a big deal in Native American history. It signaled the erasure of culture. One of my moms clearest memories of her grandmother was her long black hair.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dear Kelley,
What a lovely heritage you have. Thank you for your sweet comment.
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLike
What a gesture of disrespect–or perhaps the better word is assault–to clip the young woman’s braids like that. History often holds better and more inspiring characters than any of us could ever hope to dream up!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dear Andrea,
Even worse than disrespect or assault on a young woman, it was abuse of a young child. I love it when the internet drops a fascinating historical figure in my lap. In this case it was her photo on Pinterest that sparked my interest. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLiked by 1 person
Beautiful piece. And what an incredible talent ! Nicely done, Rochelle. I love your history snippits
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dear Laurie,
Thank you for such an encouraging comment. 😀
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLike
Dear Rochelle,
I always marvel at how deftly you weave historical facts into an intriguing piece of fiction.
Lovely to be back on #FF after a very long hiatus. And so good to be here on your page.
Happy vibes always!
Natasha
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dear Natasha,
Welcome back! And thank you for such a lovely comment/compliment. 😀
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you so much, Rochelle. Chuffed to be back.
Love and cheer!
LikeLiked by 1 person
A lovely story of defiance.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Dawn. 😀
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLiked by 1 person
Cool.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Gracias.
LikeLike
What a lifetime of achievements this lady had. She was very talented, intelligent and driven. Thanks for introducing her to us.
LikeLiked by 1 person
My pleasure, m’luv. Nice that her birthday is being remembered. 😀
LikeLike