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	žečą́įȟčį
Égi	waxopíni	wičáča	wačápirerá	žečaį́xjį
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’ų́nąkšąną x	éske	wi·čáčarà
hočawéra	harí	wa’ų́nąkšąną.	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 tažážapčį́, "well done."

č‘o·wéra	hočičékčanéną x	mą·nį́	čik‘erekì	mąrá
čowéra	hočičékjanéną.	Mąnį́	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·nį́	čik‘ereki x	mą́įtačéhira
hirušóročšé,	aíreną.	Mąnį́	čik’eregí,	maį́tačéhira
he pulled out,	[it is said.]	To walk	when he starts,	the wind†

*the phrase mą·nį́ čik‘ereki is repeated on the next page, presumeably by mistake.
†she translates mą́įtačéhira 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·nį́že	aíreną	p‘e·ȟsósoȟ·ną́k·re	wąisoǧikčanaháwirè
kóx	mąnį́že,	aíreną.	Pexsósoxną́kre	wąisoǧikjanaháwiré
whistled	he walked,	[it is said.]	This rattle	we will rattle

himąščá	že’é	’e·	wá·ki‘ų́kčąnąháwiną x
himąščą́	žeé,	e	wáki’ų́kjąnąháwiną.
power	that,	for that reason	we will do it.

mą́įtačéhira	k‘ó·ȟ‘	mą·nį́ki	mą́įtačéhira	sa·nįk‘´
Maį́tačéhira	kóx	mąnį́gi,	maį́tačéhira	sanįk´
The wind	sound	when he walks,	the wind	side

p. 8 —

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

hatek	šíšik·ra	po·kóȟše	aíreną x	že·kų́ki
hatek	šíšigera,	pokóxše,	aíreną.	Žegų́gi
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·ną́k.nįže	aíreną x	že·kų́ki	hąp‘okuréki	siníwa·kúreki
mįną́genįže,	aíreną.	Žegų́gi	hąp’okurégi	siníwagúregi
there are not,	[it is said.]	Then	the east	the north

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

že’é	ya’ų́kčanaháwiną x	hinihára	wi·rúhįč·ra	ną·wą́ra
Že’é	ya’ų́kjanaháwiną.	Hinihára,	wirúhįjera	nąwą́ra
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	mą́	tinąk·rè
Mąrógeja	howá,	jihiga;	mą́	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.