🧚 Phonetic Key.

a, as in father, of medium length; a·, lengthened.1

e, open; ɛ·, long as in North German Bär.2

e·, longer than e and close in quality.3

i and i·, short and long close vowels.4

o, close and of medium length.5

ɔ·, longer than o and with lips more protruded, almost like au of English taut.6

α, dulled form of short a, like u of English but.7

ə, short obscure vowel of uncertain quality.8

b–p, bilabial stops varying between true sonant and intermediate surd-sonant.9

d–t, alveolar stops varying between true sonant and intermediate surd-sonant.10

g–k, medial palatal stops varying between true sonant and intermediate surd-sonant.11

s and z, surd and sonant dorsal sibilant pronounced with tip of tongue deflected to lower alveolar (applies only to Timiskaming Algonquin; in Timagami Ojibwa s and z are normal).12

c and j, surd and sonant sibilant corresponding respectively to English sh and z of azure.13

tc and dj, surd and sonant sibilant affricative corresponding respectively to English ch and j.14

x, voiceless palatal spirant like ch of German Bach.15

m, as in English.16

n, as in English.17

ŋ, palatal nasal like ng of English sing.18

w, as in English.19

y, as in English.20

h, as in English.21

˛, nasalized vowel.22

ʻ, aspiration following vowel or consonant.23

·, denotes that preceding vowel or consonant is long.24

′, main stress.25

‵, secondary stress.26

NOTES27

[1] This band is known locally as Ki·we·′gomani‵cəna‵bi “Turn back lake Indians.”28 Their rendezvous was at Fort William.29 Their range extended around Lake Dumoine and down Dumoine river to the Ottawa river.30

[2] Cf.31 A. B. Skinner, Notes on the Eastern Cree and Northern Saulteaux, Anth.32 Papers of Amer.33 Mus. of Nat.34 Hist., N.Y., vol. IX, pt. i, 1911.35

[3] Ciŋgəbis is the grebe, a well known character in Ojibwa mythology, sharing the trickster exploits of Wiske·djak.36 He appears again as the quasi-hero of a subsequent story in this cycle.37

[4] Formal way of ending a narration; the narrator is assumed to have been a spectator.38 The informant temporarily discontinued his story here.39

[5] Ejus.40

[6] Ejus.41

[7] The Indians often use the red willow bark to mix with tobacco.42 It is called məskwa′­bi·‵mij “red willow tree.”43 The yellow spots seen on the red of the bark are where Wiske·djak, in walking over them, got them between his legs and left yellow matter in the blood from the scabs.44 The “rock weed,” wa′kwund (rock tripe) is often eaten in the bush when other foods fail.45 It is scraped off the rocks with a flat stick into a blanket, then washed and boiled and eaten.46 The water becomes a little slimy, but it makes a nourishing soup.47

[8] Pαgwa′k·wut pugəma′gan “arrow-head hammer,” an old style of war club with a stone set in a big wooden head attached to a handle and swung by a thong from the warrior’s elbow to leave his hand free.48

[9] It is a most remarkable thing that practically the same legend is found among all the northern and eastern Algonkians: Cree, Montagnais, Abenaki, Penobscot, Malecite.49

[10] This is the version of the Kingfisher clan of the Timagami band.50

[11] This refers to the old custom of seclusion during puberty.51

[12] By doing so she became pregnant.52 Magical conception occurs in the culture-hero story of the Algonkian, Iroquoian, and Yuchi tribes.53

[13] An episode strikingly similar to one found among the Penobscot and other Eastern Algonkians.54

[14] Fire drill.55

[15] Onomapoetic term in diminutive.56

[16] Rock-tripe, an edible fungus made into soup and eaten in time of famine.57 Nenebuc had this experience on a ledge near the eastern shore of Smoothwater lake (see map).58

[17] This big snake became a high rocky ridge on the portage south of Smoothwater lake (see map above referred to).59

[18] The lake is Smoothwater lake, Cųcawa′gami “smooth lake” (see map above referred to).60 This is the scene of the world transformation.61

[19] The cave is in a high bluff on the west shore of Smoothwater lake.62 On the eastern shore is where Nenebuc fell down the rocks and made wa′kwan.63

[20] The medicine people always do that now.64

[21] Abi·ndəsa′gan “something to sit or lie on the water with.”65 The event occurred near the previously mentioned cave.66

[22] This is called Koko‵kowikwe·‵tuɔk “Owl bay,” now known as Kokoko bay, the northeastern arm of Lake Timagami (see map).67 The event occurred on the western shore of the bay.68

[23] This fragment has probably come from some neighbouring band of Ojibwa, possibly Mattagami.69

[24] This is a fragment of the culture-hero cycle of the Mattagami band of Ojibwa, which has become known among the Timagami people, but does not form a part of their own version.70

[25] Every wigwam has horizontal poles crossing near the smoke hole.71 This is a drying rack and support for the pot hook.72

[26] The Ojibwa formerly cooked in stone vessels as well as in birch bark.73

[27] A very scarce animal in northern Ontario.74

[28] The Indians often had much trouble to get food in the winter and looked forward eagerly to spring, when the ice leaves the rivers, making “open water,” thus enabling them to seek new hunting places.75

[29] An opening in the ice near the camp for the supply of water in winter.76

[30] An affair resembling a megaphone or moose call.77

[31] By doing this he would prevent them from travelling and cause them to freeze or starve to death.78

[32] Magic.79

[33] The hole is a circle composed of seven stars (Pleiades).80 This was the first mite′win or “conjuring” lodge.81 Seven poles are necessary to build this lodge.82 Unless seven are used, the conjurer’s tent will not rock.83 The old woman tends the mite′win.84 When she moves from the hole, there is sure to be mite′win somewhere here below.85 The stars form the rim of the hole through which she lowered the two girls.86

[34] Etiam hodie castor saepe pedit.87

[35] Kcki·′man, a magic fetish which will secure the owner his wish.88

[36] Also called Mici·′ci·ga‵k “Monster Skunk”.89

[37] In winter-time, the Indians keep a hole chopped through the ice near their camp for the water supply.90

[38] If he had obeyed her and not looked until the third day, she would still have been there.91

[39] It is the custom for a hunter returning to hand his game bag to his wife before he enters the wigwam, without speaking, so that she can see for herself whether he has had good luck or not.92

[40] The constellation Ursa Major is called wətci·′gan·αŋg “Fishing Star.”93 The story accounts for this constellation name.94

[41] This is the bend in the handle of the Great Dipper.95 The small star Alcor in this constellation is the wound.96

[42] Night lines are set for lake fish.97 The hook of bone formerly was fastened into a shank of wood and this tied to a line by a leather leader which the teeth of the fish could not sever.98 Then the line was fastened to another line adjoining the two float sticks by a knot and wrapping, which would pay out after a little jerk.99 The float sticks were anchored by a stone.100 The bait was tied to the hook, which later was kept horizontal by a line running from the leader to a pin stuck in the bait.101 This ingenious device is shown in Figure 1.102 As the story mentions, when the float sticks are together it is a sign that a fish is on the hook.103

[43] Archaic form.104

[44] To drive beaver is to hunt them by driving them from their cabins beneath the ice.105

[45] At this time Lynx testes habuit just like those of animals, but now they are like those of the cat, invisible.106

[46] Conjurer’s magic.107

[47] They used to suspend the beaver by a swinging string and roast him, saving all the bones from the dogs in order to throw them into the lake, as they thought that there would be just as many beavers there again in the autumn as the number of bones thrown in.108 This story explains the ceremonial treatment of beaver remains.109

[48] This intestine sausage is a great delicacy among the Indians.110

[49] One of the ranks of shamans.111

[50] Mi·te‵ʻkwe, “medicine woman”.112

[51] A cannibal monster.113

[52] Gitcikwe′we intended to assume this guise.114

[53] Seven poles are always required for this kind of a wigwam.115 See story of Ciŋgibis.116

[54] The usual procedure of the conjurer.117

[55] This is related as a true story.118 One of Gitcikwe′we’s daughters is still living in the Timagami band; she is known as Pi·dje′ʻkwe.119

[56] Quoted verbatim from Chief Aleck Paul.120

[57] Thongs of rawhide.121

[58] Mr. Fergusson writes: “Another Indian told me some stories that he had heard from his grandmother, who could speak the Ojibwa tongue.122 I will write out the one that I thought most interesting.”123 The story given by Mr. Fergusson is evidently a close variant of the second part of No. 5 of Dr. Speck’s Timagami series.124

E. Sapir.125