Child’s Praying Song to Earthmaker
collected by Ken Miner
transliterated by Shiela Shigley
| Nı̨̄kją́k | Mą̄’ų̄r̨' | Gikárác | Ną̄wą̄ižą̄ |
| Child | Earthmaker | Prayer | a Song |
| Xētē* | Mą̄’ų̄r̨ā, | wą̄gējōwājī,† | Mą̄’ū | gīkárác, | Hāną̄xgų̄wı̨̄r̨ē | nı̨̄kją́gᵉra, | Hāną̄xgų̄wı̨̄r̨ē | nı̨̄kją́gᵉrá! |
| Great | Earthmaker, | from whom humans come, | Earthmaker | one prays to, | Listen | the children, | Listen | the children! |
* normally pronounced xaté, xété, xáte, etc. – this word has a lot of variation in pronunciation. It is pronounced very raised here (closer to "ay" then "uh") due to being drawn out in singing. Many other normally-lowered vowels are raised here as well due to being drawn out.
† < wą̄k-ēja-howājī. Howājī is from howē-hajī.
Translation
Great Earthmaker, from whom humans come;
One prays to Earthmaker,
Listen to the children,
Listen to the children!
Source
Kenneth L. Miner, Tapes recorded in 1974-75 under the auspices of the Wisconsin Native American Languages Project. Stored at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Libraries, Tapes 108–135 in the Wisconsin Native American Language Project collection (Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Council, 2008), Reel 135, beginning.