I was about to throw a piece of mail in the recycling bin when I saw something shiny folded in the paper. When I touched the shiny button I got dizzy. Then I was in a room. A whiteboard read, “Where do you want to go?” This must have been a dream because I needed to go to the Pacific Northwest Indians to not fail my quiz! Right then I saw the solar system. Then in the brightest flash, I was there.

All of a sudden, I was in a beautiful skirt made of wood. Actually everything was made out of wood: clothes, houses, utensils, baskets, and totem poles. But the wood was beautifully colored.

There was a house that was over one thousand feet long, and a whole village could live in it. In the center, there was a hole in the roof for fresh air since there were no windows. There was a pit also for cooking and gatherings. At the very back, resided the most respected person in the house. In front of the house was a totem pole.

The food was mostly fresh salmon from the river. Everyone was really happy. Then at the ceremony men wore these wooden carved animals on their heads. It was interesting to watch.

After about thirty minutes, I was back home. I was in my bed in pajamas! But in my hand was a tiny totem pole. The next day, I received a 100 percent on my Native American test! I also shared my mini totem pole with the whole class, but when someone asked “Where did you get that from?” I said, “It’s a secret.”

I thanked the person who sent that magical letter to me.

That night I lay in my bed thinking about all the stuff I had learned so quickly. The Indians used all they had, which was natural resources, for a living. The tribe I visited only had wood but made the best of it. They used wood for everything. They were content and found a solution to survive with their determination.