Hōcąk Text — Cracked Mouth

narrated by Oliver LaMère

English Translation

 

Jipson 406          
E-hō-ksha-brā-ga Wa-xo-peen-nee-xgee sha hā-ra-na Za-gee kee-za he-ra ra-gee
Ihoikšabᵉraga Waxopįnįxjįžą heréną. Zagí kizá hereregi,
Cracked Mouth Frenchman one he was. Sacs fought they did when,

 

 

Hecho-kay he-ra-ra wash-ja wa nee rã ā-he zho hā-ra-na ā-skā da [...] hi ja
Hicóke Hírera* waišja waníra e hižą́ heréną. Ésge Te [Mąhá] hija
Great Father theirs scouts his he one was. Therefore Mud Lake at

*Hicóke Hírera means, "Our Grandfather."

 

ho wa rā gē-gē-rā-na ā ja cha-xa-ja Ho-chung-ā-ra rō-hon-xgee chēnuk oo hē-ā-na
hóware jijireną. Éja cexeja Hocą́gēra rohą́xjį cinąk’ų hi’eną.
go to they sent him. There in a swamp Winnebagoes many living he found.

 

 

ã-ge Ho-Chunk na-ka wī rãzha hōnk wa-see-ne-ra wagee-roo kōs he ra-wē an nan-ga
Égi Hocągᵉnąka waíreže, hųk wašinira wagirukos herewi, ánąga
Then Winnebagos those said they, "Chiefs [yours]* seized them† [they two were],‡ and

*the text has "ours," but wašinira actually means "yours."
†more literally, "held for the benefit of them."
‡here-wi is in the dual. It likely refers to the two chiefs of a large village, the Peace Chief and the War Chief.

 

hen-kē-za-rā kja nā-gā ī rā na na-ngō-we-na he-nook-ra nik-jun-ga-ra shkā
hįkizarakjanaga, aíreną, ną́xgųwiną. Hinųgᵉra nįkjągᵉra ške
to fight us they are going to, it is said, we heard. The women the children also

 

do-Kā-wā-hē-nunk shā mā-wo-ja-ra sha-na rooch-nank sha E-hō-ksha-bra-ga
tok’ewehinąkše. Mąwojara šana rujᵉnąkše. Ihoikšabᵉraga,
hungry they were. Roots* only eating they were. Cracked Mouth,

*translated by Miner as, "vegetable, root, berry, any edible thing growing in the ground." What they are actually saying is that they have no meat.

 

Wakan-ja-gē-winx-ga Ka-xe-sa-ga hē-ke-da-ne wa-oon-na-ke Ho-chung-nunka wa-wo-gee-ruk
Wakąjagīwįxga, Kaǧisaga hikitáni wa’ųnąke, Hocągᵉnąka wawogírak
Whirling Thunder, Crow white the three together that were, [because,] Winnebagoes those they told [them]

 

 

he-ra-zha han-kã na-xe-ra wē-nee-ra man-hē-xa-da-ra han-ka wa-zha-nee-gee-oo-na nink-ja-na we-na
hereže, "Hąké naxíre winira,* Mąhixetera hąké wažą nįgį’ųnanįkjanawiną.
they did, "Not frightened get,

 

Big Knives (whitemen)

 not something do to you, they will [not].

*analyzed as wa-hini-ra, "making them."

 

                                        407  
na-cho-nē wa-zha-ne-sha we-gee-sha-na, wa-zhan-nee-gee oon rā kja na-na E-ho-ksha-brā-ga
Néconi wažąnižą wigi šana, wažąnigį’ųrekjananą. Ihoikšabᵉraga
You first something if you do only, something they will [do]. Cracked Mouth

 

 

ho-chunk-hē-ween-zha ka-xe-ween-ga he-gi-rā-ge ã ka-nunk ī-rā-na
Hocą́kiwįžą Kaǧiwįga hįgaírege, e kąną́k, aíreną.
Winnebago woman one Raven Woman whom they called, her [he] married, it is said.

 

 

ka-xē-ween-ga ha-gāi-ra he-nō-wī-nu-nik-ka hē-gī-rā sa-zhã ī-rā-na
Kaǧiwįga hagaire Hínų Wainą́nįka higaires’aže, aíreną.
Raven woman sometimes first born daughter orphan called they it, it is said.

 

Source:

Norton William Jipson, Story of the Winnebagoes (Chicago: The Chicago Historical Society, 1923) 406-407. This is an unpublished typescript.