Hocąk Text — What Women Do When Men Go to War

narrated by Stella Stacy
transcribed from an audio tape by Shiela Sigley

Stella Stacy

English Translation


(00:21)            
Že’e, kīzārairekjąnąhega, tōcąnarīkjanega, wa’ųįnes’aže. Cīnągᵋnąka, ēja, hihinąpireanąga, hirārēxjį
This, when they would be fighting, [when they went on the warpath,] they would do it. This village there, they left, and before they got very far

 

 

(00:31)                    
ejahi, hahi, hiyuša(i)res’aže. Ējahi pējot’ųinanąga ējahi, “Higixara,” airen’, ēja higixara t’ųbirekjane,
from there, on the way, they would stop. There they would build a fire, and there, “Higixara,”* they said. There the higixa they would put it,

* the pattern [and site], established in advance, in which a warparty will set up for the night. (Radin)

 

(00:53)                  
giži. Hinųk wažą wahīrera, wa’ųines’aže. Waguje ųinanąga, hiteg wahīrera, wąk wacapireraižą,
[.] Women their relatives they would usually take them something. Moccasin they brought, and uncle* her, men one of her own,

* her mother's brother.

 

    (01:15)
waguje wāganahīres’až’, airen’.
moccasin they would always ask for, it is said.

 

Source:

Reading by Shiela Shigley, from the audio tape in the American Philosophical Society: 10-04. Fraenkel, Gerd. Stacy, Stella. "What women do when men go to war," recorded 13 July 1959, 1 .mp3; 00:00:21 - 00:01:15. Copy made by Gerd Fraenkel of an original tape held at the Archives of Languages of the World, Indiana University. This program comes from original tape 528.7. APS accession number 7260; APSdigrec_2182; Recording Number: 02; Program Number: 34.