A Menominee Visit to a Chief’s Resort,
He being the Only Man Who had not Fled the Place (First Part Only)
by Stella (Blowsnake) Stacey, a.k.a. Mountain Wolf Woman
transcribed and translated by Sheila Shigley
Gerd Fraenkel: "This story can only be retold in part, as the last part of the cylinder was so badly scratched that nothing was understandable."
(00:22) There was a man there. A chief lived there, but all the others had run away. (00:31) There was a war party, the hohégų́, it is called, and everyone fled. (00:35.5) Only that one was left. A chief lived there, in a chief's lodge, inasmuch as it had become the chief's, that’s what it was. (00:44) A bark gable lodge, what they call a “bark house” (ciósewe), that's what they say, that's what was there. (00:51) The little fire now didn't amount to anything, and now thus contemplating the embers, he was — he was sitting. (00:58.6) Then something he heard a little, so he listened, someone was saying something, outside ... they spoke, there was some whispering, it is said. (01:09) There a Menominee was talking, speaking Menominee, he said something, (01:18) “O Chief, it will be destroyed,” he was saying. (01:22) "Hą́hą́‘ò, they are, where was I to go, as he said it would come," he said. (01:28) “If we had chosen, we wouldn't have gone,” they said. (01:33.7) “No, that one there is the chief’s lodge, that they will kill any man here is not going to be done.” (01:40) That having been said and done, thus they entered. (01:44) Having entered, doing thus, the little fire he had there, doing thus, that man, after that, became something sort of dusty, well, [... ? ...], he put it in the fire, well finally, doing thus, he lit it. (02:02.8) And so, that’s as far as it goes.1
Commentary. "hohégų́" — this is a new word whose meaning is unknown, but judging from the context, it must refer to a certain kind of warparty.
"that’s what it was" — in other words, this was not a lodge specifically designed for a chief, but a lodge he just happened to occupy, which thereby made it "a chief's lodge." Among the Hocągara, a chief's lodge was specifically designed to be sufficiently spacious, with a raised floor (by adding dirt), which sealed off the gap around the perimeter of the lodge, and insured that cold air, water, and insects would not be able to enter at the base of the structure.
"little fire" — war was conducted only during the winter months, so this story is set some time during that period. Consequently, having a fire was of great importance. Since everyone has fled, there are no women to bring him wood.
"doing thus" — gų́egų, which becomes Stella's favorite expression, occurring twice more.
"[... ? ...]" — the word that occurs here, wēēyarų, is of unknown meaning.
"that’s as far as it goes" — the cylinder which recorded the initial telling of this myth was so damaged by scratches from this point on, that nothing further could be made out.
Links: ...
Stories: mentioning the Menominee: Origin of the Name "Winnebago" (Menominee), The Hocąk Arrival Myth, Bear Clan Origin Myth (v. 2b) (Origins of the Menominee), The Fox-Hocąk War, First Contact, The Magical Powers of Lincoln's Grandfather, The Annihilation of the Hocągara I (v. 2), Annihilation of the Hocągara II, Two Roads to Spiritland, The Two Children, A Waterspirit Blesses Mąnį́xete’ų́ga, Gatschet's Hocank hit’e (Extracts ...), Introduction.
Themes: ...
Notes
1 Reading by Sheila Shigley, from the audio tape in the American Philosophical Society: 10-04. Fraenkel, Gerd. Stacy, Stella. "A Menominee visit to a chief's resort," Mss.Rec.29, recorded 13 July 1959, 1 .mp3; 00:00:22 - 00:02:04. 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 527.12. APS accession number 7257; APSdigrec_0965; Recording Number: 02; Program Number: 26. Fraenkel: "This story can be told only in part, as the last part of the original cylinder was so badly scratched that nothing is understandable."