The Four Services Songs

The following are four songs devoted to the veterans of the four main branches of the military services. See the Commentary below for more details.

Kora, they went through a hard time.

The Hotcâk boys stood holding a flag,

Herucgara, they went through a hard time!

Hotcâk Text

Kora,	tcexi	howenâ;
Kora,	a hard time	they went through;

Hotcâk	hotcîtcînâ	wiwacigyâ*	hanî	nâjînera;**
Hotcâk	the boys	a flag	to hold	they stood;

*for wiwacigiâ (< wiwacigijâ < wiwacik-hijâ).
**< nâjî-ire-ra.

Herucgara,	tcexi	howenâ.
Herucgara,	a hard time	they went through.

*this is an otherwise unknown exclamation. This word also has another meaning. Felix White, Sr. said of it, "This old religion was also what they called the Herucga. It was to preserved life. You had respect: The Winnebago in the past, as I see him, lived religiously the life of which he himself was maker." The doubled meaning would be, "Their traditional religious convictions weathered an ordeal."

They were traveling around on the other side of the ocean.

They were Hotcâk warriors that belonged to the water.

They were traveling around on the other side of the ocean.

Hotcâk Text

Tedjâ	nâdjedja	howe	ûnîhairera.**
Ocean	on the other side*	around	they were traveling.

*usually translated as, "in the middle".
**the text has a misprint, ûnîhaircra.

Hotcâk	mânâpe	nîedja	herenâ.
Hotcâk	warriors	[on the waters]*	they were.

*mânâpe is more conventionally translated as "soldiers", so mânâpe nîedja would be "soldiers on the waters", that is "sailors".

Tedjâ	nâdjedja	howe	ûnîhairera.
Ocean	on the other side	around	they were traveling.

Japanese,

The Hotcâk soldiers took care of you,

And took Okinawa away from you!

Hotcâk Text

Hicdjakirudjigra,*

Japanese,

*the word hicdja means "eyes". Rudjik means, "to stretch, to be stretched out", and ki-rudjik would mean, "to stretch themselves out", which is to say, "to be slanted".

Hotcâk	mânâpe	wanî'ûinenâ.*
Hotcâk	soldiers	they took care of you.**

*the text has wanî ûinenâ.
**literally, "they did it to you".

Okinâwara	nânîcerenâ.
Okinawa	it was taken away from you.

I have said that they came willingly.

My friend, I came from the other side of the clouds,

I made Iwo Jima into a puff of smoke.

I have said that they came willingly.

Hotcâk Text

Honâtcege	hunâ	hihenâ.
Willingly	they came*	I said.

*J. O. Dorsey expresses its fuller meaning, "to be coming hither, to this place, not his home."

Hitcakoro,	mâxi	sânîgedja	howawadjinâ.
Friend,	clouds	the other side	I came from.

Iwodjimâ	xidjikere	hanâ
Iwo Jima	puff of smoke*	I made.

*elsewhere this is translated as "to burst into pieces". However, xi does mean "smoke".

Honâtcege	hunâ	hihenâ.
Willingly	they came	I said.

"Performed in succession by the Winnebago Sons (lead singer: Joe Greendeer) of Baraboo, Wisconsin, the Army, Navy, Marine, and Air Force songs honor each of the four main branches of service. Traditionally, the sequence is performed each Memorial Day weekend at powwows near Black River Falls, Wisconsin. Veterans from each of these services and members of their families are invited to dance when their song is sung. After they have made a few rounds of the dance ring, others are invited into the arena to dance behind them.

The warrior tradition is particularly strong among the Hochunk. Formerly a returning victorious warparty was reincorporated into the village community with dance, song, and general celebration. Having come in contact with blood and death, the ceremonial welcome was considered a sort of spiritual cleansing and healing, while at the same time it honored those who had fallen in battle.

The Winnebago Sons drum was founded by four of Lyle Greendeer's sons about 1970. The words to the Service Songs as sung in their Native language are given by Kenneth Funmaker, Sr. ..." [1]

[1] Charlotte Heth and Thomas Vennum, Jr. in the liner notes to the CD recording, "American Warriors: Songs for Indian Veterans", Ryko Productions, RCD 10370 (1995 ?).