Where To, Kemosahbee?

The Lone Ranger and Tonto were best of friends. Tonto called his friend ‘Kemo Sabe’ which became a sacred term for many a young boy from all the way back in the 30s. In truth, there was a very real Camp Kee-Mo-Sah-Bee, where there was a direct influence with the Ojibwe, Native Americans.

Turns out, Jim Jewell, one-time director of The Lone Ranger radio show, took the phrase from Kamp Kee-Mo Sah-Bee, a boys’ camp on Mullett Lake in Michigan. The camp was popular, established by Charles W. Yeager (Jewell’s father-in-law) in 1916.

The Scouts are part of the story as well. Ernest Thompson Seton, one of the founders of the Boy Scouts of America, used the fictional name Kee-mo-sah-bee meaning ‘scout runner’ as one of the Indian characters in his book “The Book of Woodcraft and Indian Lore.”

Trusty Scout and Faithful Friend are sacred translations and believe me, proud to say there are many trusty scouts and faithful friends standing shoulder to shoulder around this world. As for me, I particularly like the Ojibwe word gimoozaaibi, which translates to ‘he who looks out in secret.’

Always have kept a low profile. No worries, I’m not hung up, don’t have any neuroses that would get in the way. Just a quiet guy, for the most part.

There’s no trauma or backstory to any of this. We are all products of both genetics and environment. I simply gravitated to being a solitary kind of guy. No, not like Neil Diamond’s Solitary Man…I knew the heartstrings he tugged and he sure had some showmanship, but he just wasn’t for me.

For the early teenage years, I was indeed busy tugging at my own heartstrings. They call it adolescence, a very long time ago for me now. Was a time I’d have pity parties and talk to myself concerning all my troubles, a goofy, nerdy, brooding little fellow. Got over that real fast. Life hit with the realization that it was me and my bootstraps and that was just fine. There’s been contentment in each step I’ve taken and I look forward to each day waking up and getting along.

Used to get along by watching a lot of television. What was interesting is that by the early 60s, they were running a lot of programs from the 50s. Kind of like reruns before anybody knew. I watched a lot of comedy with many hours of Joe E. Brown, Abbott and Costello, Laurel and Hardy and others. The adventure and drama stuff took me away, though. There was Tarzan, Roy Rogers, caught a glimpse of Sky King a few times, and of course, The Lone Ranger.

I was an adult before I ever realized the power of radio from further back in time. What fun it must’ve been to gather round the radio, imagination flying high. Still, watching the old shows as a young kid was quite transformative nonetheless.

When it came to the Lone Ranger, the mask he wore was a bit unbelievable. I wore a mask when I would role play with the dogs out back trying to catch the bad guys, but it would always slip in front of my eyes and never seemed to fit right. Just the way the Lone Ranger would stand around and talk sounded a little like he had all the answers. If that was the case, why did he need Tonto?

As you can tell, sort of identified with Tonto right away. His serious expressions and abbreviated conversation suited me. He could look out over the prairie and spot the bad guys from miles away with a slick, furtive glance. The Lone Ranger had the muscle and he could explain things to the white man. Tonto, on the other hand, could swoop in and do his thing, too. Always struck me Tonto probably had more smarts than his boss.

That assessment alone allowed me to be employed by the Federal Government for 40-some years, most of those years in a one-person shop. All my bosses worked me to the bone and I was underpaid, but I could call my own shots. I worked on my own, figuring out how to give the bosses what I thought they needed. No one explained a thing to me and my radar was always up. In a way, I operated like Tonto, keeping the Rangers satisfied. Tonto himself was Kemosahbee, he who looks out in secret.

I come from a quiet people. Rugged, determined, resolute, content in the company of others, happy in the solitude created in those stolen away moments. With a slick, furtive glance I will survey the landscape and determine my direction. It won’t be necessary to cover my tracks, for I am a friend to all. I will share tales of adventure, offer wisdom, such as I might have. Wherever I travel, I will leave my surroundings in better shape than I found them. As I gaze out over the prairie, I will ask myself, ‘Where to, Kemosahbee?’