Hočąk Text — The Buffalo's Walk

Hočąk Text — The Buffalo‘s Walk

narrated by Sam Blowsnake

English Translation

p. 4 —

’é·ki	waȟop‘íni	wi·čáča	wačápirerà	žečą´įȟčį
Égi	waxopíni	wičáča	wačápirerá	žečaį´xjį
And	the spirits	crier	their own	[thus far]

p. 5 —

ruhá	k‘erekč‘ánaháwiną x	’é·ki	wiaǧép‘hu·réki	siníwakúreki
ruhá	k’erekjánaháwiną.	Égi	wiaǧéphurégi	siníwagúregi
to move*	[let us go back home.]	And	from the east	to the north

*Susman adds, "put in another place[;] next[;] ruhá·ną[,] movement[.]

hoč‘awéra	ha·rí	wa’ų´nąkšąną x	éske	wi·čáčarà
hočawéra	harí	wa’ų´nąkšąną.	Ésge,	wičáčará
the place	quite a way	it was.	So	the crier

hinųpéča	hiček‘čánaháre	waruč‘á·ra	wi·čáčara	te’é
hinųpéja	hijekjánaháre.	Waručára	wičáčará	teé
in the second place	he is going to be.*	Assistant**	the crier	[this one]

*hije actually means "to step" (Miner) or "to stand" (Marino, et alia).
** Susman has a number of comments on this term. "like usher, head water[,] master of ceremony assistant[.] This is the waiter (every spirit has an assistant)[.]"

p. 6 —

reže	aíreną x	č‘e·tóžera	herá	ta·žážaȟčį
reže,	aíreną.	Četóžera	herá	tažážaxjį**
[he went,]*	[it is said.]	The buffalo bull	his horn	shiny

*this is translated as "of the drum" (as if it were rex), which doesn‘t seem to make sense. Her loose translation omits this and the succeeding word.

**a hapaxlegomenon, but cf. Hé-atažąžąk’a, "Shining Horns," a Waterspirit Clan personal name; and tažážapčį´, "well done."

č‘o·wéra	hočičékčanéną x	mą·nį´	čik‘erekì	mąrá
čowéra	hočičékjanéną.	Mąnį´	čik’eregí,	mąrá
in front	he is going to stand.	To walk	if he starts,	the earth

mą·há	howéki‘ųžé	aíreną	wó·kšųkšuéča	hip‘á
mąhá	howéki‘ųžé,	aíreną.	Wókšųkšuéja	hip’á,
mud	to go, he did,	[it is said.]	To his joint	as far,

hirušóročšé	aíreną	mą·nį´	čik‘ereki x	mą´įtačéhira
hirušóročšé,	aíreną.	Mąnį´	čik’eregí,	maį´tačéhira
he pulled out,	[it is said.]	To walk	when he starts,	the wind**

*the phrase mą·nį´ čik‘ereki is repeated on the next page, presumeably by mistake.

**she translates mą´įtačéhira k‘ó·ȟ‘ as "mud", but has "(wind-whistling, he walked ?)". In her loose translation, she has, "the mud whistled it is".

p. 7 —

k‘ó·ȟ‘	mą·nį´že	aíreną	p‘e·ȟsósoȟ·ną´k·re	wąisoǧikčanaháwirè
kóx	mąnį´že,	aíreną.	Pexsósoxną´kre	wąisoǧikjanaháwiré
whistled	he walked,	[it is said.]	This rattle	we will rattle

himąščá	že’é	’e·	wá·ki‘ų´kčąnąháwiną x
himąščą´	žeé,	e	wáki’ų´kjąnąháwiną.
power	that,	for that reason	we will do it.

mą´įtačéhira	k‘ó·ȟ‘	mą·nį´ki	mą´įtačéhira	sa·nįk‘´
Maį´tačéhira	kóx	mąnį´gi,	maį´tačéhira	sanįk´
The wind**	sound	when he walks,	the wind	side

p. 8 —

hereskúnina	hanąč´	wažašíšik·ra	hą·te	šisikrá
Herešgúnina	hanąč´	wažąšíšigera,	hąte	šíšigera
[the Devil]	all	bad things,	dreams	the bad ones

hatek	šíšik·ra	po·kóȟše	aíreną x	že·kų´ki
hatek	šíšigera,	pokóxše,	aíreną.	Žegų´gi
aches	the bad ones,	it blows aside,	[it is said.]	Then

hą·prá	k‘arap‘įéske	k‘e	mą·ȟíwira	nįké
hąprá	karap’įésge,	k’e	mąxíwira	nįgé
the day	pretty,	no	clouds	anywhere

p. 9 —

mį·ną´k.nįže	aíreną x	že·kų´ki	hąp‘okuréki	siníwa·kúreki
mįną´genįže,	aíreną.	Žegų´gi	hąp’okurégi	siníwagúregi
there are not,	[it is said.]	Then	the east	the north

hoč‘ak‘énąra	hanąč´	wą·kšíkoí	k‘inįpíže	aíreną x
hočakénąra,	hanąč´	wąkšígoí	k‘inįpíže,	aíreną.
between them,	all	life	it becomes,	[it is said.]

že’é	ya’ų´kčanaháwiną x	hinihára	wi·rúhįč·ra	ną·wą´ra
Že’é	ya’ų´kjanaháwiną.	Hinihára,	wirúhįjera	nąwą´ra
This	we are going to use.	[My brothers,]	salutary	songs

wi·čáča	čą·re	’e·	wá·ke	wahékčanáwiną x
wičáča	čąre,	e	wáge	wahékjanáwiną.
crier (drum)	[which is public,]	[these]	[I mean]	we will sing them.

mą·rókeča	howá	čihika	mą´	tinąk·rè
Mąrógeja	howá,	jihiga;	mą´	tinągeré
Inside the earth	[he went,]	when he was sent;	earth	[those around]

hiȟkąȟągere	čihika x
hixgąxgągere,	jihiga.
he shook,	when he was sent.

Source:

Sam Blowsnake‘s Account of the Medicine Rite, in Amelia Susman, Notebooks (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, Jan. 17 - 19, 1939) Book 9, 4-10.