Do you have any big dreams or goals for your work?
I hope my work, particularly in the transposition of Chiricahua traditional stories into contemporary contexts, helps afford readers an insight into how we Chiricahua conceive of the world, our connection to our land, and our obligations to steward it. I hope also to encourage readers to think about their own cultures and the origin stories of their peoples stretching back into antiquity from all corners of the world.
Who are you hoping to reach with your work?
I hope to reach people who have ever loved someone, or who have ever held something precious enough that they would fight to protect it or wish that they could, or who believe in the power of heroes to do what seems impossible.
Give us some background on the piece you contributed to this issue.
In Chiricahua culture, boys, known as dikohe or apprentice warriors, undergo a ritual whereby they learn how to become men, the ultimate test of which is to perform honorably in battle. Part of the training they undergo is to learn traditional Chiricahua stories and to prepare to teach them to the next generations. My story offers a glimpse into this process.
Tommy Cheis is a Chiricahua Apache writer, medicine leader, veteran, and Cochise descendant. After traveling extensively through distant lands and meeting interesting people, he now resides in southeastern Arizona with his horses. His short stories appear in The Rumen, Yellow Medicine Review, Carpe Noctem, ZiN Daily, Spirits, Red Paint Review, and other publications. While his first novel, RARE EARTH, is under submission, he is at work on his second.
