Hōcąk Interlinear Text — Digging a Trench and White Strategy

by Stella (Blowsnake) Stacey, a.k.a. Mountain Wolf Woman
transcribed and translated by Sheila Shigley

Stella Stacy (Mountain Wolf Woman)

English Translation

Linguistic Features

hapaxlegomena: hegų́žegų, "right then and there"; kḗišge, "not to be able"; paras, "square," (vide parac).
expression of unknown meaning: hiraréisge (⬇), šunjáregų (⬇︎).
rare words: ų́k, "rim," (see uk, úgᵉra, etc., "edge, border"), wṓgúc, "shooting entrenchment" (< wa-ho-guc, "the place from which to shoot them.").
First Row: the clean audio copy from Nancy Hall (designated "OT")
Second Row: Reading by Sheila Shigley in contemporary Hoocąk orthography
Third Row: The second row transliterated in the standard orthography of this site's Lexicon
Fourth Row: Translation by Sheila Shigley

OT 28:26.9 = APS 00:15.87 OT 28:37.2
Žée, Wą́ąkšígeną̀ąka, éeja, éeja, wóogúc kíik’ų́įneže, áireže. Mą́ąrá k’áireánąga,
Žée Wą̄́kšígᵉną̄̀ka ḗja, ḗja, wṓgúc kī́k’ų́įneže, áireže. Mą́rá k’áireánąga,
So, those Wąąkšiks,* there, there, shooting entrenchments they made themselves, as they’re called. The earth they dug out, [and]

* conventionally translated as, "Indians."

  OT 28:46.8
ų́ųk paras k’áireánąga, éegi, móogárašge hą́ąkší híireánąga. Hąké šų́ųkxéte hamįną́k móok’é àaka
ų́k paras k’áireánąga, ḗgi, mṓgárašge hą̄́kší hī́reánąga. Hąké šų̄́kxéte hamįną́k mṓk’é ā̀ka
rim flat digging, [and] then, even the banks high they made as well. To prevent horsemen that ditch there

 

  OT 28:53.2 OT 28:55.7
hat’ą́bíkje, kéeišge hisgé híira, hireže. Paras híireže. Giži, éegi, éegi hišgé, mą́ąną́pera
hat’ą́bikje, kḗišge hisgé hī́ra, hireže. Paras hī́reže. Giži, ḗgi, ḗgi hišgé, mą̄́ną́pera
to jump over it, not to be able actually to do it, they thought. Square they made it. Thus here, here in this place, the soldiers

 

  OT 29:06.1
hegų éeja hišgé, hišgé ną́ąkše, [hiraréisge] eeja ną́ąkše. Giži žée, Šų́ųgépà higáire giži ee,
hegų ḗja hišgé, hišgé ną̄́kše, [hiraréisge] ēja ną̄́kše. Giži žḗ Šų̄́gépà higáiregiži, ē,
then there [also] then they would flee, ? there they'd flee. Thus there, [Dog Head] as he was called, he

 

  OT 29:11.7 OT 29:16
hegų́žegų wažą́ gáa èe [šunjáregų], hegų, jée s’áže že’e, wą́ąkwášoše,
hegų́žegų wažą́ gā́ ḕ [šųjáregų], hegų, jḗs’áže, že’e, wą̄́kwášoše,
right then and there something over there he said [...], so, he would reportedly stand, [this one,] brave warrior,

 

  OT 29:21.2 OT 29:31
hų́ųkra, éereže. Giži žée, wáa jéeže egi, eegų, jagu jáasge egi egų éesge, "Mą́įxete ną́ągere,
hų̄́gᵉra, ḗreže. Giži žḗ wā́ jḗže, egi, ēgų, jagu jā́sge egi egų ḗsge, "Mąįxeteną̄́gere,
the chief, he was. Thus there, to speak he would stand, and so, well, [how] the way [here] [well] [thus,] "Those Mąįxete,*

* Mąįxete is conventionally translated as "Big Knife," a term for white people.

  OT 29:38.5 OT 29:42 ||
egų, kée éeja egų hapahí wažą́, wažą́ žée wą́ągasgáwį–wį gaja* héegų ée nı̨́įsga giži.
egų, kḗ ḗja egų hapahí wažą́ wažą́ žḗ wą̄́gasgáwįgają, hḗgų ḗ nį̄́sgagiži.
well, not there, well, to approach [thing] [thing] this when we are, how he put it he kind of.

* for wą́ągasgáwį gają. The reading here is difficult. Stella's annunciation could be better.

Source:

Reading by Sheila Shigley, from the audio tape in the American Philosophical Society: 10-04. Fraenkel, Gerd. Stacy, Stella. "Indian warfare and white strategy," Mss.Rec.29, recorded 13 July 1959, 1 .mp3; 00:15.87 - 01:29.6. 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 528.10. APS accession number 7230; APSdigrec_2185; Recording Number: 02; Program Number: 37. The reading was based on a clean audio copy from Nancy Hall: OT 7696, 28:26.9 - 29:42.