Hotcâk Text -- Midjistéga

Hotcâk Text -- Midjistéga

interlinear translation by George Ricehill

This can be seen as an early text in Radin's collection because it predates the use of Oliver LaMère as translator, uses the n-tilde (ñ), lacks standardized abbreviations, and uses no ditto marks under the English translation of repeated Hotcâk words.

English Translation

p. 86 --

Máhîxedéjâ	uáñkcik	hínuñk	kanuñgíje.	Waruwî´jâ.
One white man [Big Knife]	Indian	woman	married.	[A] trader.

Édja	uañkcígere	honihéjâ	hahíregi.**	Wasé
There	many Indians	[a] gang of Indians*	went to that place.	Paint

* The word honihé usually means "herd."
** The expression hahí is crossed out just before this word.

gidaíreje.	Waruwî´djega	hañké	'únije,	égi
they say.*	[The] trader	not	not to give (paint),	and

* More properly, "they asked him for."

Midjistéga*	wëcgúni,	"Waisgábera	hisgé	hunak'úñgi,
Midjistéga	answered,	"Flour	some	if you give me,

* Throughout the MS this form of the name replaces an earlier Migistéga.

wasgé-oju	waséra	hisgé	ha'unúnâ."	Égi
pan	paint	some	[I will] make."	And

waruwindjéga	wë´je,	"Waséra	hisgé	c'uñgíji,
[the] trader	say,	"Paint	some	if you make,

p. 87 --

worotcíra	honik'únanâ."	Égi	Midjistéga,	"Hodjá,"
the store	[I am going to] give [it to] you."	And	--	"All right,"

ecguní,	"tcañgédja	uáñkcik	hotci-édja	ha'unúnâ."
[he] say[s],	"outside	Indian	camp	I'll do it."

Wasgábera*	wasgéjâ	hoíxdjî	waruwindjéga	Midjistéga
Flour	[a] pan	full	[the] trader	Midjistéga

* This should probably be waisgábera.

hok'únehìre.	Ruzánañga.	Égi	Mâtcó	Waci
handed to him.	Take it.*	And	Grizzly Bear	Dance

* It should be translated as "he took it." There is a stylistic tendancy to use expressions that are ambiguous between the imperative and declarative (see below).

ánañga	wasgédjega	djobóhâ	ruksúnksuntc,	égi
and	[the] pan	four times	[he] shook [it],*	and

* Dorsey translates this same term as "he shook it often."

wáperesèbenoñka	ruxoñgádjâ	wasgédjega	wase
[the] black cloth	when uncovered	[the] pan	paint

p. 88 --

cúdjera	hoixdjîdjéje.	Waruwî´niñka	nañksígijâ	ruzánañga
[the] red	[it was] full.	[Little] trader	[a] stick	take*

* More properly, "he took it (and)."

hoikígadje	hanâ´tcî	cúdjijâ.	Waruwíniñka:	"Hunahíne,
stirred up	all [of it]	red paint.*	[The] trader:	"You beat me,

* More literally, "a red thing."

Midjistéra,*	worótcira	niácinina;	égi	jigé
Midjistéra	[the] store	yours;	and	again

* The "g" has been crossed out and replaced by an "r". Instead of ending in '-ga', often the names of people will end with the definite article '-ra' in its place.

waisgábera	wasgédjega	hoixdjî,"	wëcgúni.
flour	[the] pan	full,"	saying.*

* Or, "he said."

Égi	jigé	wacínihèga	égi	jesgé hicgúni:
And	again	dancing	and	same way:*

* Literally, "that way it went."

wasgéra	jigé	djóbohâ	ruksúñksuntc	gádjâ
[the] pan	again	four times	[he] shook [it],	and

p. 89 --

nâ´tanijùra	hoixdjî´djecgúni.	Égi	jigé	k'âdjújâ
maple sugar	full it was.	And	[further]more	[a] plum tree

maíndja	wazákere*	égi	wapéresebìjâ	hirarúkâ
in the ground	[he put a] stake	and	[a] black-cloth	covered it (tree) with

* Apparently what is meant is that he put a plum wood stake in the ground.

kerecgúni.	Égi	k'âdjudjéga	ruksúñksuntc	djobóhâ,
[he put].	And	[the] plum trees*	[he] shook [it]	four times,

* There is no reason why this should be plural.

k'andjerá	ciberaíre.	Warúdjere,	gádjâ	k'ándjera
the plums	falling.	Eat them,*	and	plums

* Or, "they ate them" (see this word in Lonetree). If the imperative is meant, then someone would have to be speaking, but there is no indication otherwise that this is the case. See above.

djaskanáñgere	jesgaíreje.	Égi	Waxóxdjedja	hahíregàdje.
what they are	the kind they are.*	And	Iowa Indian	came.

* Elsewhere Ricehill himself translates this word as, "they became like (something)."

Édja	Mantcó	wacíregi.	Égi	Waxó-dunàñke,
There	Grizzly Bear Dance	[he] danced.	And	one of the Iowa,

Wanasúntcga,*	pë´dja	hasádjidjehìje.	Égi	Midjistéga
n?-m?e	fire-head**	stuck it.	And	--

* Since the word ends in -ga, it is probably the man's name, but its meaning is obscure.
** Judging from the next sentence, this should be taken as "in the fire."

p. 90 --

matcó-cagdjèga	gidúsguni.	Égi	jigé	'ûwacícguni.
grizzly-bear claw	take it out.	And	again	[he] began dancing.

Tcanikérëcgehaìjâ	daniójujâ	hanigíji	tcowédja	hot'unegadjâ,
Fawn-hide	tobacco-pouch	belonging to him	in front	[after he] threw [it] into (while he danced),

tcowédja	wacináñke	tcanikérecgèjâ	hogigíñx	hakirigádjâ.
in front of	the dancer	[a] fawn-deer	[to] walk around	he comes to.

Jigé	harácuni	herédjinañkcgùni.
Again	skin	came to (life).

English Translation

Source:

[1] John Fireman, "The Story of Midjistéga," trs. George Ricehill; in Paul Radin, Winnebago Notebooks, Freeman #3892, Winnebago III, #11a, Story 7, pp. 86-90.