Indian Truth

During my hike with Doug this week we talked a bit about the Cherokee that once lived in this area.  It was during that conversation that he asked about my Indian heritage.  

"What?", I asked. 

Without stopping our walk he told me how Meredith had told him that I am an Indian. 

Wow.  My little girl will tell everyone anything.  I told Doug the story of how this came about.

One night at dinner, I told the kids that I grew up as an Indian and lived in a tee pee.  With every question they had, I had an answer.  

Q: "Why does grandma and grandpa live in a house now and not a tee pee?"

A: "Because the white man came and took our land."

Randy's response was, "Dad, you are the white man!"

I kept the story going for a few nights at dinner and added in some details about Cari's family.  They were white farmers that started trading with my Indian family.   I told them that's how we met. 

That was a while back and I know Randy stopped believing the story.  I thought I remember having a conversation not long ago where I came clean on making the whole thing up.  

During dinner on the day of the hike, I told Meredith that Doug had asked me about being an Indian.  I reminded her that it was just a story for fun.  She looked at me in horror.  "You LIED to me?"

"Meredith, I told you before that it was a story." I pleaded.

"You made me lie to my TEACHER?" she yelled.

I laughed.  "You told your teacher I am an Indian?"

She was glaring.  "Yes."

I might have to put my head dress on for the next parent / teacher conference.