🧚 Opening, part 20

Malemte mʾsioo mechi nʾskaw-hʾtimek naga tuchioo omach yapasinya imye-wigwamʾk wʾnaji-mawehimyanya.1 Malemtech apch kisi-myawletwuk naga tuchioo lippan tanpunote wigwamʾk.2 Nit m’sioo wen pejit epijik wasisek mʾsioo wʾtlapasinya wʾnaji-wʾlasikwawa sʾsikiptinenawa naga na opummunya mʾtewegon tesagioo wigwamʾk etli wechiwetit nit naga tojio hchi-yawiwul wʾskichin wutakewagʾnl.3

Elukemkil etchwi kisetuchil meskw kisi sepyatikw nit amskwas welaguiwik ehʾli wulit-has soeltowegw pemgowlutwuk.4 Nit apch wespasagiwik yokt mejiwejik opetchitaganya pesgowal oskittapemwal sagma-wigwamʾk wutiyanya sagmal opawatmunia mʾsitte wʾunemyanya oskittapi gwandowanek.5 Nitte sagem wʾtakinwettuwan oskittapemomaweman gwandowanek naga apch wʾtaginwettuwan yohote wechi-welijihi.6 Nit na kisi kusyapasitit naga tojoo omoosketunia wapapyil naga tojoo egitoso neget elikislotmotits.7 Nit ettlowsit Pestumagatiek wʾkuskatam wʾkʾchi-wʾskinosismowow; nitlo kʾpawatmagʾnkil yot ettlowsiyan kʾnajiwichi kehman eliat-kʾchi w’skinosismul.8 Malemte naga kisi westoltitit yokt wechiwejik nit na sagem onakisinn na wutelewestoon wʾtiyan wʾpemowsowinoom nit negum holithodmun wenajiwi-chakekemiw wicho keman wʾsiwesul kipnael.9 Nit apch yokt wechiwejik onagesin wʾteleweston olasweltumʾn kisi-weleyet sagman eliwulmatulit napch okisiyinya naga tojoo onestomʾnya kisookch etuchiweswesittit.10

Wechiyowitit nittech apch liwitasso eldagemk ekelhoochin malemte kisachwuk weswesinya.11 Wechiyawitit nit sagem wʾtokinwettuwan oskittapem nikt kʾsiwesnowook kisachwuk weswesinya katama kiseltumwownewin toji neksayiu omach-honya.12 Napch moskettaso wapap kelhodwei naga wʾtegitmunya wʾtiyawa: nit yot etlowsit Mikmakik epit wasis wʾskittap kʾpowatmagon kʾchenesin apch wagisook nio nit kigwusin katagonkuthagʾn kʾmachkulit-hookowa.13 Nit ittmowioo katama okiseltumwawun omach-halin.14

Nit apch elok-hʾdimʾk liwitasso nʾskowhʾdin.15 Nit apch sagem opechitagon oskittapem onachi-ketonkatinya kʾchikook nit appi kʾtunkatitit nit wʾtelogwsumnia tan eli pechputit mʾsioo weyesis nepahatijihi malem-te mʾsioo kegw kisogwew.16 Nit mʾsioo macheptaso gwandowanek nit etli kitimawemittsoltitit naga kinwetowan nojikakolwet (_or_ notgudmit) wʾtalqueminowticook kʾwaltewall (_or_ wikw-poosaltin).17 Nit mʾsioo wen wʾnastowan.18 Elque milit nitte na wʾquaskoltinya wasisek epitjik wʾskitapyik pemip-hatijihi waltewa mosque weya malemte pechik sikowlutwuk gwandowanek.19 Nitte mʾsioo tʾholpiyanya pemkemigek nit yokt nojitophasijik otephemwan yayate elapesit.20 Yot nit elwittasik elok-hʾdimʾk egelhodwi wikw-paltin; nit kisapeseltitit omach yapasinya.21 Nitte apch neksayiu appat aptdoowuk.22 Nit naga tochio hʾnskowhʾdin nit apch yokt wechiwejik onakisin peskw wʾtlintowatmʾnhichi eleyiks elittotits omesomsowuk peskwun kessena nisnol elintowatkil.23 Nit na sagem wut wechi yot wenaskawan-na.24

Malemte nit mechintotimʾk nit sagem holpin eppasio gwandowanek kelnek pegholagnesis naga epesis nitte omache kʾtumosin omachetemun opekholagʾn naga otlintowatmun kʾtumaswintowagʾnʾl.25 Nit miswen onayinyan opemkan wʾskittapyik epitjik pechiote wasisek nit omikmow powlʾtinya.26

Nit malemte mechit piye apch naga tojoo apch otakinwipunmunia etuchi mach-hatit.27 Apch kisatchitit nit apch sagem nimwul-kʾdʾminya hilelok-hʾdimkil.28 Anquotch metch nichi kesspemi minwukelhak yot nit eldakewagʾn anquotch metch nihilente kessena te peskw kisoos etasi-welaquiwigil pemkak; nit quenni wechi yot.29

CEREMONIES CUSTOMARY AT THE DEATH OF A CHIEF30

When the chief of a tribe died, his flag-pole was cut down and burnt, and his war-like appurtenances, bows and arrows, tomahawk and flag, were buried with him.31 The Indians mourned for him one year, after which the _Pwutwusimwuk_ or leading men were summoned by the tribe to elect a new chief.32 The members of one tribe alone could not elect their own chief; according to the common laws of the allied nations, he had to be chosen by a general wigwam.33 Accordingly, after the council of the leading men had assembled, four or six canoes were dispatched to the Micmac, Penobscot and Maliseet tribes if a Passamaquoddy chief had died.34 [71] These canoes bore each a little flag in the bow as a sign that the mission on which the messengers came was important.35 On the arrival of the messengers at their destination, the chief of the tribe to which they came called all his people, children, women and men, to meet the approaching boats.36 The herald, springing to land, first sang his salutation song (_nʾskawewintuagun_), walking back and forth before the ranks of the other tribe.37 When he had finished his chant the other Indians sang their welcoming song in reply.38

As soon as the singing was over they marched to some _imyewigwam_ or meeting house to pray together.39 The visiting Indians were then taken to a special wigwam allotted to their use over which a flag was set.40 Here they were greeted informally by the members of the tribe with hand-shaking, etc. The evening of the first day was spent in entertaining the visitors.41

On the next day the messengers sent to the chief desiring to see all the tribe assembled in a _gwandowanek_ or dance hall.42 When the tribe had congregated there, the strangers were sent for, who, producing their strings of wampum to be read according to the law of the big wigwam, announced the death of the chief of their tribe, “their eldest boy” (_kʾchi wʾskinosismowal_), and asked that the tribe should aid them to elect a new chief.43 The chief of the stranger tribe then arose and formally announced to his people the desire of the envoys, stating his willingness to go to aid them, his fatherless brothers, in choosing a new father.44 The messengers, arising once more, thanked the chief for his kindness and appointed a day to return to their own people.45

The ceremony known as _Kelhoochun_ then took place.46 The chief notified his men that his brothers were ready to go, but that they should not be allowed to go so soon.47 The small wampum string called _kellhoweyi_ or prolongation of the stay was produced at this point, which read that the whole tribe, men, women and children, were glad to see their brothers with them and begged them to remain a day or two longer; that “our mothers” (_kigwusin_), _i.e._, all the tribal women, would keep their paddles yet a little while.48 This meant that the messengers were not to be allowed to depart so soon.49

Here followed the ceremony called _Nʾskuhudin_.50 A great hunt was ordered by the chief and the game brought to the meeting-hall and cooked there.51 The _noochila-kalwet_ or herald went about the village crying _wikw-poosaltin_, which was intelligible to all.52 Men, women and children immediately came to the hall with their birch-bark dishes and sat about the game in a circle, while four or five men with long-handled dishes distributed the food, of which every person had a share.53 This feast was called _kelhootwi-wikw-poosaltin_.54 When it was over the Indians dispersed, but returned later to the hall when the messengers sang again their salutation songs in honor of their forefathers, in reply to which the chief of the tribe sang his song of greeting.55

When the singing was over, the chief seated himself in the midst of the hall with a small drum in one hand and a stick in the other.56 To the accompaniment of his drum he sang his _kʾtumasoointawagunul_ or dance songs, which was the signal for a general dance, followed by another feast.57

The envoys again appointed a day to return, but were deterred in the same manner.58 As these feasts often lasted three weeks or a month, a dance being held every night, it was frequently a long time before they could go back to their own tribe, because the chief would detain them whenever they wished to return.59 Such was the custom.60

ELOK-HʾDIMʾK TAN ETUCHI ELYOOT SAGEM61

Malemte mʾsigekw mitnaskiyi nit naga toji sankiyiw omajahapanya malemtech nikt pechiyik elyatit wecheyawitit nitte na omawemania opemowsowinomwa wʾteginwetowania eli kisi-kiwkenitit eli pekwatotit wichoketwagʾn.62 Miyawal te nikt na ketkik otapch-yanya ki wʾkenitsepenik.63 Nit wʾchi-mach-yiw otaskowalmunia wechiyan nachiwichi sakmakatenik.64 Malemte pechiyik omʾsioo nit me (?) elok-hʾdimkil-lelan nach sekeptin ewan nut pemkemek.65 Pechiyatil odenesisek kisi-pemkatil kisi-nʾskowhʾditit.66

Malemte tama nisook nekiwik naga omache hel-yanya mʾtewagemʾl nit sagem kitwi yotomʾtewagwemul.67 Malemte kisachit otemepelanya hʾnit peskw sagmak oponmowan naga wʾnasettowan omannimʾl naga na onas-hewhotlanya pileyal elequotewagʾnʾl.68 Nit peskw sagem onestomowan yohot sagmal kisiyajik wutege kʾchi-wʾskinosismowa kʾtachwi-elokepa tan eli kisi-wu-lasweyekw naga na kʾtachicbik sitʾwania nekemch na elookil tan wechi miyawil wahod opemowsowinoom.69 Yotʾl na echwi elokejil sagem wʾtachiwi-sagitonel mʾsioo tan yootʾl nekachikil.70 Wʾtachwi-klamanel chikow yootʾl timkil matnʾtoltimkil wʾtachwi na kig-ha opemowsowinoom.71 Chikate wʾpemowsowagʾn lawutik.72