9-minute reading time

Ardy Sixkiller Clarke. Space Age Indians: Their Encounters with the Blue Men, Reptilians, and Other Star People (2019). Anomalist Books.

Eve graduated with Master’s in Biology from a state university. Unable to find work related to her discipline, Eve took a job in the Social Services Department of the tribe authorizing food stamps for needy families. Margie, Eve’s mother, was a retired tribal council member who was housebound from a debilitating form of arthritis. I had watched Eve grow up, as her mother and I had been friends for years, so I was not surprised when I got a phone call at my motel one night inviting me to dinner the following evening. The big surprise came when I discovered the invitation was not just a chance to eat Margie’s famous Indian taco, but an opportunity to hear one of the most interesting stories about a UFO encounter I had ever heard.

It all started with a raccoon.

I arrived at Margie’s house two hours before dinner. Although it was a Saturday, I was surprised to see Eve at home as well. I told Evan (Eve’s husband) it was strictly a girls’ night, so he drove over to see Eric LeBeau. After two hours of small talk about relatives, reservation politics, Margie’s retirement, the family garden, and Eve’s plan to expand the house, we went into the kitchen where Margie and Eve began preparing dinner.

After eating the best Indian tacos in a year, we retired to the porch again with our coffee. “I had Mom invite you for dinner tonight. I remember how you loved her Indian tacos, but there was another reason. Something happened to us a few months back that changed our lives, especially Mom’s. We wanted to talk to you about it because we trust you and we know what we say tonight will be used discretely.”

“What is this about?”

“A UFO,” Eve responded. She paused and looked at Margie.

“Have you noticed any change in Mom since the last time you saw her?”

“It looks like retirement has been good for her,” I said. “She seems to get around better.”

Margie nodded.

“It is the Star People,” said Eve. “But we have to go back to the beginning. Mom, you were the first to see them.”

“It all started with a raccoon,” Margie began. “There was this pesky raccoon that kept coming around at night. He uprooted my garden plants, he destroyed my green beans, and he picked the green tomatoes and threw them on the ground. He was very destructive. So, one night, I decided to put an end to him for good. l got my .22 rifle and went out to the windbreak.” I knew she was referring to the band of trees planted on the north and west side of the house to protect it from the winds. “I had one of those new flashlights with a spotlight. I planned to find him and shoot him.”

I found a man, a star man.

It all started with a raccoon,” Margie began. “There was this pesky raccoon that kept coming around at night. He uprooted my garden plants, he destroyed my green beans, and he picked the green tomatoes and threw them on the ground. He was very destructive. So, one night, I decided to put an end to him for good. l got my .22 rifle and went out to the windbreak.” I knew she was referring to the band of trees planted on the north and west side of the house to protect it from the winds.” I had one of those new flashlights with a spotlight. I planned to find him and shoot him.”

“Mom’s a good shot,” Eve said. “You know that.  I remember the two of you target practicing in the backyard. The two of you were so competitive.” She laughed. I ignored her comment, although I knew she had been perceptive about our competitive nature. “Did you find the raccoon?” I asked, trying to keep the conversation on track.

“I found more than that,” Margie said. “I found a man, a star man.”

“Do you mean a man was destroying your garden?” “No, that was the raccoon.”

“I don’t understand.”

“When I went out to the windbreak, I was shining my spotlight about, and suddenly I saw a human form walking toward me. I shined the spotlight in his direction, and he yelped and covered his eyes with his arms. I lowered the light and asked him to identify himself while keeping him in my sights.”

“’Were you pointing the gun at him?”

“You bet. I didn’t recognize him—who goes around somebody’s house and hides out in the windbreak? I’d shoot him in a minute if he came toward me. I wouldn’t aim to kill, just to stop him. I’m not a killer, but I will defend myself ”

“You said you saw a human form. I’m curious why you chose those words to describe what you saw.”

“Because I was looking for an animal but saw a human, but then I discovered he wasn’t a human at all.”

“What did you do· next?”

“When l demanded to know who he was, he stopped and said, “Don’t be afraid. I mean no harm.” I lowered my gun and shined the light on him again. He looked human—at least he had a human form. He wore a dark brown one-piece uniform. A white label on his arm was stamped with unfamiliar characters. He later told me that it identified his role on his planet.”

“What was his role?”

“Where were the others?” I asked.

“They were deposited in different sites around the Earth.”

“Deposited?”

“That’s what he said. Deposited.”

“What else did he tell you?”

He had very strange eyes. They were huge and black, and you couldn’t see a pupil.

“That he planned to stay in the area for three more days and that it was important that no one else would learn of his existence.” “It was about that time that I joined Mama in the windbreak,” Eve said. “I was shocked when I saw the man standing there. I though we were in danger and grabbed Mama’s rifle and aimed it at him. Mama grabbed the .22 back and told me he wasn’t dangerous. I didn’t know how that could be. He looked dangerous to me.”

“What do you mean? ‘I asked.

“I’d never seen anyone dressed liked that,” Eve said. ”No one around here dressed l like him and that told me he wasn’t from the reservation. He had very strange eyes. They were huge and black, and you couldn’t see a pupil. He was sensitive to light and shielded his eyes every time light came near him.”

“How could you tell he had no pupils?’ ‘

“You know how pupils’ glow in the dark when light hits them? His eyes didn’t g low. In fact, every time” light came near him, he backed away almost in terror “What did you decide to do?” I asked.

” I told him he could stay,” Margie said, “but that he would have to stay in the barn.”

“l objected to that,” said Eve. “I was afraid he would scare my horse. She is skittish anyway, and I didn’t want her frightened.”

He was taller than us by a little bit. Very slim, a prairie wind would blow him away. He walked funny, like he skimmed the ground

”Finally,” said Margie, “we decided he could stay in the greenhouse. There was a tool shed attached to the greenhouse. I figured he could stay there in the dark if he needed to. He seemed to like the idea of the greenhouse. He was interested in plants, and it was warm and humid there. He said that on his planet it was cold on the surface, but his people lived underground where it was warmer and more moist than Earth. ‘The greenhouse made him feel at home. We led him to the greenhouse, but I think he already knew about it. He asked us about various plants. He was interested in my herbs and wanted to know their uses.”

“Could you describe him?” l asked.

“He was about five feet eight,” Eve commented. He was taller than us by a little bit. We are both five feet six. Very slim, a prairie wind would blow him away. He walked funny, like he skimmed the ground. We didn’t take steps the way we did, but I think it was because of the funny backpack he had.”

“What do you mean about a funny backpack?” I asked. “It was a square pack,” Eve explained.” I saw him push a button on his sleeve when he moved. l positioned myself behind him as he followed Mama to the greenhouse. I wanted to get a better look at him. l shined the light on him, and he rushed forward. That’s when I noticed his feet never really touched the ground.”

l felt at peace around him. He told me he wouldn’t harm me, and l believed him. I saw no weapon. I trusted him

“Once you took him to the greenhouse. what kind of interchange did you have with him?”

“I have a wicker chair in the greenhouse,” Margie replied. ”It has cushions. I told him he could rest there because he appeared weak. I asked him if he needed water or food and he said no. He had everything he needed.”

“Did you ever get a look at his face?” I asked.

“Only glimpses that night,” Eve said.” But later we saw his face. It was a little human from what I could tell, except for the big eyes. His mouth was small. A stretchy cap covered his head. I don’t know if he had hair. His skin was rather pasty. He would never pass for human in a crowd, unless he was out in Halloween.”

”And yet, you agreed for him to stay on your place. How could you explain that?”

I wanted to know if they had such diseases on his planet. He said that diseases were not a part of their being.

”l felt at peace around him,” Margie said. “He told me he wouldn’t harm me, and l believed him. I saw no weapon. I trusted him.”

“I didn’t want to trust him,” said Eve, “but I felt an overwhelming sense of peace to, and along with that feeling, a need to protect him. I think he controlled our minds, but I think he was harmless. Perhaps he did it so we would not shoot him.”

“Did you communicate with him after the night you met him?”

“I did,” said Eve.” I went to the greenhouse the next morning and found him examining the plants. He had large black goggles over his eyes. He explained that his eyes were not used to the light. He said the light on his planet was more like the twilight of earth. I asked him about old age and diseases on his planet. I had been worried about Mama for a long time. Not only did she suffer from fibromyalgia, but also her arthritis and become crippling. There were days she couldn’t get out of bed without my help. I wanted to know if they had such diseases on his planet.”

“What did he tell you?”

“He said that diseases were not a part of their being.”

It took no longer than a minute, and he told me that I would have no more pain. For the past six months, I have felt like a new woman. I can do the things of my youth

”I didn’t understand that, and he did not understand the disease I was describing. When I told him that fibromyalgia as, I understood it had something to do with short circuiting in the nervous system, he became very interested. The next time I talked with him, he said he could cure Mama.”

“And did he?”

“Why do you think you see such a change in me?” Margie said. “His hands had magic in them. He asked me to lie flat on my bed.”

“Did you let him in the house?” ·

“Oh, yes,” said Eve. “There was no place to lie flat in the greenhouse. I convinced Mama to let him try.”

“The moment he touched me; I felt this warmth engulf my body.

It became uncomfortable at one poi t, but nothing unbearable.”

“Were you afraid?”

“No, I knew he wouldn’t harm me.”

“How did you know?” I asked.

“I just knew. It took no longer than a minute, and he told me that I would have no more pain.”

“Have you?”

“No,” Margie said.” For the past six months, I have felt like a new woman. I can do the things of my youth.”

“She is stronger than me,” Eve added. “I can’t believe how he cured her. Look at her hands. She was so bad she couldn’t open a doorknob or a jar. Now she does those things with ease. Her hands are no longer disfigured. Not only is her arthritis gone, her fibromyalgia is non- existent, and her diabetes and heart disease are gone. When she went to the specialist, he told her he wanted some of what she had been taking. Mama couldn’t tell him the truth. No one would believe her, but she is living proof that the star people are healers.

“I told him when he left,” Margie said, “that he was welcome to come back anytime. If he does, I want you to come and let him heal you. You will feel like a young woman again. It will give you the energy and the stamina to live life again.”

I did not hear from Margie or Eve far over a year. One night I got a call from Eve. She told me her mother was still youthful and disease free, but the Star Man had not returned. I cannot help but envy Margie. Who wouldn’t want the chance to be youthful and disease-free again?