EXPERIMENT

It’s quite a strange project — or rather, an experiment, as our professor calls it. For half a year we’re relocating to Montana to conduct research on the Native American tribes living there. It’s nothing extraordinary, since Native Americans have been studied for a very long time, but this is meant to teach us how to work in the field and help us discover our potential as researchers. Ethnography is a rather unusual field, at least for my family. They’re mostly finance people from New York. Nothing special. I’m the exception. My older brother became a lawyer, and my dad runs a large investment firm. Like I said — boring.

It’s possible that my interests stem from the fact that I’m adopted. Yeah, that detail surprised me too, although I probably shouldn’t have been so shocked. My mom is a blue eyed blonde beauty, and my dad is a green eyed brunet — just like my brother. Meanwhile, I have black hair and dark brown eyes. There’s no resemblance whatsoever.

Even so, my parents never made me feel unloved or anything like that. I’m their daughter, plain and simple.

Right now we’re heading to our campsite, where we’ll be spending the next few months. I have no idea what we’ll find there, but I’ve limited myself to one big backpack and a smaller bag; that has to be enough for six months. A total disaster. I just hope there’s internet — although, knowing our professor, we might be completely cut off from the world.

I didn’t really want to take part in this trip, but the chance to pass the final exam for this course convinced me to take the risk. I just hope I can handle it. I’m not the delicate, girly type. I’m kind of a tomboy, but six months in the wild could bring out your primal instincts. Maybe I’ll come back as a female version of Tarzan?

From the airport we headed deep into the wilderness to Glacier National Park, not far from the Canadian border. We’ll be staying close to the Sunkma tribe — a very interesting group. I’m fascinated by their rich culture of honoring and worshiping animals, especially wolves. I love that and hope we’ll get the chance to take part in a tribal ceremony.

“Isn’t it too heavy for you, sweetheart?” Logan suddenly asked. He’s a bit annoying but harmless; so far I haven’t had any issues with him.

“I’m managing,” I replied as we made our way along a narrow trail toward our campsite.

“Okay. Remember, the nights here are cold, and if you want to warm up, you can always come to me,” he said with confidence.

“I’d rather freeze,” I muttered, rolling my eyes.

“It’d be a shame for such a nice little butt,” he said, looking at me like I was a piece of meat.

“Go look for your brain; it probably fell out along the way,” my friend Emma snapped.

Logan quickened his pace and walked ahead to join his friend Owen. He didn’t feel like arguing with Emma, who doesn’t let anyone push her around. She’s straightforward and never hesitates to speak her mind.

“That jerk again?” she grumbled, looking in his direction.

I just snorted.

“I hope we’re almost there. I’m exhausted,” Emma groaned. She’s not a wimp, but she prefers rest over physical activity — unless it involves guys. That’s a different story.

“Alright, everyone. Let’s take a short break,” Mr. Scott, our teacher, called out.

I took my bag off my neck and dropped my backpack from my shoulders. It wasn’t light, and I needed this moment of rest. I sat on my backpack and sighed with relief.

“Jesus, there are bugs here!” Cory screamed.

She’s the cover girl type — beautiful and polished, always in need of a makeup artist. I wondered why she even came with us into the wilderness, but the answer was simple: Alek. I won’t lie, I drooled over him too. He’s handsome and chivalrous, and he’s been paying attention to me since I joined the Latin American history class. That’s where we met. Later it turned out he started attending the cultural heritage of Native Americans class, which is my group. It’s nice how it turned out. He’s not pushy and doesn’t act like a creep like Logan. I’m hoping for something with Alek. Maybe I’ll get lucky?

“Alright. Who here has horseback riding experience?” the professor suddenly asked, scanning our group of six.

“Cory, but only bareback in the dorm,” Logan said, laughing at her.

“Jerk,” Emma growled.

“And you’re still jerking off?” Cory shot back.

“Quiet!” the professor shouted. “I won’t tolerate this kind of behavior. It’s beneath criticism. Out there you’ll be on your own, and I hope you’ll cooperate. Otherwise, this whole thing is pointless,” he said, clearly annoyed.

I sighed and raised my hand. “I took riding lessons for five years in elementary school. You don’t forget that,” I replied, looking at the professor. He nodded in approval. I won’t lie — it was fun, but it never really hooked me.

“Eight years of training,” Alek added after a moment.

“Do three years on a farm count? I rode horses, though not like these two,” Emma said, a bit embarrassed.

“I also rode as a child,” Cory chimed in confidently.

“Great. So you’ll stay in the saddle,” he said and turned to the two group idiots. “As for you, you’ll have to figure it out. Don’t worry — it’s not that hard.”

“There was no mention of horses,” Logan protested.

“There was, but the recent rains washed out the roads, and the only way to get there is on horseback,” the professor explained.

“You’re kidding,” Owen said.

I couldn’t help myself. “You’ll be kidding if you don’t figure out how to sit in a saddle quickly,” I snorted, laughing along with everyone else.

“Mia, I didn’t expect that from you,” the professor scolded me.

“Sorry,” I replied, pretending to be remorseful while trying to control my laughter.

“Don’t worry. It’s only a three hour ride. We’ll be there soon,” the professor said, going back to his notebook.

“I don’t know whether to laugh or cry,” Emma said, grabbing her water bottle.

“It’ll be fun,” I said, slightly excited.

“Maybe it’s better to go back?” Emma wondered.

“Stop whining. You’ll meet handsome, hot guys,” I reminded her of her words when she convinced me to join this trip.

“Let’s move out,” the professor commanded.

“I hope they’re worth it,” Emma groaned, getting up from her spot.

As soon as we left the forest, we were met by guides from the tribe and horses. The professor approached them and started explaining something. Two of the Native Americans came over to us.

“Who here has experience with horses?” a man in his forties asked with a slight accent.

“Me,” I said with a smile. He gestured for me to come over.

“I’ll help you mount. Just be careful — Swift Wind has a fiery spirit,” he said, handing me the reins.

The animal was large, massive and powerful, with a smooth, shiny coat in two colors and white patches. It looked beautiful. I knew I shouldn’t mount right away; the horse needs to know who’s on its back. I approached it and looked into its eyes.

“Hello,” I said calmly, reaching out my hand. The horse snorted but came closer and let me pet it.

“You’re beautiful,” I whispered, stroking its muzzle.

I heard some dialect exchanged between the Native Americans, who were watching me closely. It was an important moment. I think I earned a bit of their respect. Once everyone was in the saddle, we could move out.

***

I was prepared to live in a wigwam, but luckily we had camping trailers at our disposal — like little Swedish cabins. Each trailer could fit two people, though Cory and Alek got their own cabins. No big deal; we also have a shared cabin where lectures and discussions about our observations will take place. It’s not bad. We have running water and electricity as long as there’s gas in the generator, which is our responsibility. Luckily, each trailer has its own generator, so there’s no group accountability. Of course, I shared a trailer with Emma; we’re roommates in the dorm too.

“I’m exhausted,” Emma groaned as she flopped onto the bed.

I didn’t want to go to sleep yet, even though I was dead tired. I left my backpack and went outside to admire the surroundings. I knew I couldn’t wander too far because it was almost dusk, but that didn’t stop me. The majestic mountains met the sky against the backdrop of the setting sun, creating an incredible landscape. It was beautiful.

I pulled out my phone and was horrified to see there was no signal. A photo would have to do. Damn, what a shame. It’s hard to live without the internet and social media these days, but somehow it doesn’t bother me much. Although contacting my mom would have been a welcome pleasure. Maybe somewhere else in the camp I’ll have better luck and at least send a message that I’ve arrived and everything’s okay. I’ll have to check tomorrow.

“Don’t wander off. We need to talk!” the professor shouted, calling us to the shared cabin.

I sighed in annoyance but headed toward the wooden building. The table inside was made from a massive tree trunk, and around it were benches made of planks on stumps — not bad for a camp in the middle of nowhere. The professor waited until everyone was seated and walked over to a small green chalkboard by the wall. He moved it closer and looked at us.

“I know this place might seem like the end of the world, but it’s not,” he said, grabbing the chalk and starting to explain where exactly we were: mountains on one side; endless wild meadows, forests, and open spaces on the other. Basically, the middle of nowhere. Nearby, by the forest beyond a hill, is the village where we’ll spend a lot of time.

“You need to be careful,” the professor added. “I shouldn’t have to remind you that we’re in the wilderness, and it’s no walk in the park. There are grizzly bears around here, and they’re no joke.” He gave us a meaningful look. “We also have rattlesnakes, and their bite is deadly if we don’t administer antivenom in time. And of course wolf packs. A pack is a regular visitor here and can be very unpleasant. So please, be cautious.”

“Meals will be in two places. Breakfast and dinner are on you, and we’ll get lunch in the village. Sometimes we might get dinner too. It depends on our hosts,” he said with a slight smile. Not bad, although the nearest store is five million kilometres away. This will be a good test of organization and supplies.

“How are we supposed to handle supplies? We don’t have a car to go to the store,” Alek asked.

“Our hosts will help us. Don’t worry about it. Details tomorrow,” the professor replied.

“All right. Head back to your cabins and have a good night,” he said, pushing the chalkboard aside and letting us leave.

“This is starting to get less fun,” Emma said as we walked to our cabin.

I just nodded and glanced at Alek. He was standing by his cabin, talking to Cory. I saw her flirting with him, but there was nothing I could do. After all, he wasn’t my boyfriend — yet.

“You coming?” Emma shouted.

“Coming. I don’t want to get eaten by a wolf,” I said, stepping inside and closing the door with a small latch.

“I’ve had enough for today. I need to shower and sleep. If I fall asleep, I’ll wake up in two days,” Emma joked, heading to the bathroom.

My exhaustion was catching up to me. A quick shower and then bed. I was dozing off, bathed in the moonlight, when I heard the howl of a wolf, followed by the rest of the pack. I felt a tightness in my chest and looked at the incredible glow of the moon.