🧚 In the Measure of Hiawatha, part 4

[Footnote 49: Prairie's Pride.--This annual shrub, which abounds on many of the sandy prairies in Minnesota, is sometimes called "tea-plant," "sage-plant," and "red-root willow."1 I doubt if it has any botanic name.2 Its long plumes of purple and gold are truly the "pride of the prairies."]3

[Footnote 50: The Dakotas consider white cedar "Wakân," (sacred).4 They use sprigs of it at their feasts, and often burn it to destroy the power of evil spirits.5 Mrs Eastman's Dacotah, p. 210.]6

[Footnote 51: Tâhkoo-skahng-skang.--This deity is supposed to be invisible, yet everywhere present; he is an avenger and a searcher of hearts.7 (Neill's Hist.8 Minn., p. 57.)9 I suspect he was the chief spirit of the Dakotas before the missionaries imported "Wakan Tânka"--(Great Spirit).]10

[Footnote 52: The Dakotas believe in "were-wolves" as firmly as did our Saxon ancestors, and for similar reasons--the howl of the wolf being often imitated as a decoy or signal by their enemies, the Ojibways.]11

[Footnote 53: Shee-shó-kah--The Robin.]12

[Footnote 54: The Dakotas cail the Evening Star the "_Virgin Star_," and believe it to be the spirit of the virgin wronged at the feast.]13

[Footnote 55: Mille Lacs.14 This lake was discovered by DuLuth, and by him named Lac Buade, in honor of Governor Frontenac of Canada, whose familyname was Buade.15 The Dakota name for it is Mdé Waksân--Spirit Lake.]16

[Footnote 56: The Ojibways imitate the hoot of the owl and the howl of the wolf to perfection, and often use these cries as signals to each other in war and the chase.]17

[Footnote 57: The Dakotas called the Ojibways the "Snakes of the Forest," on account of their lying in ambush for their enemies.]18

[Footnote 58: Strawberries.]19

[Footnote 59: Seé-yo--The Prairie-hen.]20

[Footnote 60: Mahgâh--The Wild-goose.21 _Fox-pups_.22 I could never see the propriety of calling the young of foxes _kits_ or _kittens_, which mean _little cats_.23 The fox belongs to the _canis_, or dog family and not the _felis_, or cat family.24 If it is proper to call the young of dogs and wolves _pups_, it is equally proper to so call the young of foxes.]25

[Footnote 61: When a Dakota is sick, he thinks the spirit of an enemy or some animal has entered into his body, and the principal business of the "medicine man"--_Wicasta Wakan_--is to cast out the "unclean spirit," with incantations and charms.26 See Neill's Hist.27 Minn., pp.28 66--8.29 The Jews entertained a similar belief in the days of Jesus of Nazareth.]30

[Footnote 62: Wah-zeé-yah's star--The North-star.31 See note 3.]32

[Footnote 63: The Dakotas, like our forefathers and all other barbarians, believe in witches and witchcraft.]33

[Footnote 64: The Medó is a wild potato, it resembles the sweet potato in top and taste.34 It grows in bottom-lands, and is much prized by the Dakotas for food.35 The "Dakota Friend," for December, 1850.]36

[Footnote 65: The meteor--Wakân denda--Sacred fire.]37

[Footnote 66: Meetâhwin--My bride.]38

[Footnote 67: Stoke--The body of a tree.39 This is an old English word of Saxon origin, now changed to _stock_.]40

[Footnote 68: The _Via Lactea_ or Milky Way.41 The Dakotas call it _Wanagee-Tach-anku_--The path-way of the spirits and believe that over this path the spirits of the dead pass to the Spirit-land.42 See Riggs' Tah-koo Wah-kan, p. 101.]43

[Footnote 69: Oonk-táy-hee--There are many Unktéhees, children of the Great Unktéhee, who created the earth and man and who formerly dwelt in a vast cavern under the Falls of St. Anthony.44 The Unktéhee sometimes reveals himself in the form of a huge buffalo-bull.45 From him proceed invisible influences.46 The Great Unktéhee created the earth. "47 Assembling in grand conclave all the aquatic tribes he ordered them to bring up dirt from beneath the waters, and proclaimed death to the disobedient.48 The beaver and otter forfeited their lives.49 At last the muskrat went beneath the waters, and, after a long time appeared at the surface, nearly exhausted, with some dirt.50 From this, Unktéhee fashioned the earth into a large circular plain.51 The earth being finished, he took a deity, one of his own offspring, and grinding him to powder, sprinkled it upon the earth, and this produced many worms.52 The worms were then collected and scattered again.53 They matured into infants and these were then collected and scattered and became full-grown Dakotas.54 The bones of the mastodon, the Dakotas think, are the bones of Unktéhees, and they preserve the with the greatest care in the medicine bag."55 Neill's Hist.56 Minn., p. 55.57 The Unktéhees and the Thunder-birds are perpetually it war.58 There are various accounts of the creation of man.59 Some say that at the bidding of the Great Unktéhee, men sprang full grown from the caverns of the earth.60 See Riggs' "Tah-koo Wah-kân," and Mrs Eastman's Dacotah.61 The Great Unktéhee and the Great Thunder-bird had a terrible battle in the bowels of the earth to determine which should be the ruler of the world.62 See description in Legend of Winona.]63

[Footnote 70: Prononced Ahng-pay-too-wee--The Sun; literally the Day Sun, thus distinguishing him from Han-yé-tuwee (Hahng-yay-too-wee) the night sun, (the moon).64 They are twin brothers but Anpétuwee is the more powerful Han-yé-tuwee receives his power from his brother and obeys him.65 He watches over the earth while the Sun sleeps.66 The Dakotas believe the sun is the father of life.67 Unlike the most of their other gods, he is beneficent and kind; yet they worship him (in the sun-dance) in the most dreadful manner.68 See Riggs' "Tah-koo Wah-kân," pp.69 81-2, and Catlin's Riggs' "Okee-pa."70 The moon is worshipped as the representative of the sun; and in the great Sun-dance, which is usually held in the full of the moon, when the moon rises the dancers turn their eyes on her (or him).71 Anpétuwee issues every morning from the lodge of Han-nan-na (the Morning) and begins his journey over the sky to his lodge in the land of shadows.72 Sometimes he walks over on the Bridge (or path) of the Spirits--Wanâgee Ta-chan-ku,--and sometimes he sails over the sea of the skies in his shining canoe; but _somehow_, and the Dakotas do not explain how, he gets back again to the lodge of Hannanna in time to take a nap and eat his breakfast before starting anew on his journey.73 The Dakotas swear by the sun. "_As Anpé-tu-wee hears me, this is true_!"74 They call him Father and pray to him --"_Wakan!75 Ate, on-she-ma-da.76 _" "Sacred Spirit,--Father, have mercy on me."77 As the Sun is the father, so they believe the Earth is the mother, of life.78 Truly there is much philosophy in the Dakota mythology.79 The Algonkins call the earth "_Me-suk-kum-mik-o-kwa_"--the great-grandmother of all.80 Narrative of John Tanner, p. 193.]81

[Footnote 71: The Dakotas reckon their months by _moon_.82 They name their moons from natural circumstances.83 They correspond very nearly with our months, as follows:84

January--Wee-té-rhee--The Hard Moon, i.e.--the cold moon.85

February--Wee-câ-ta-wee--The Coon Moon.86

March--Istâ-wee-ca-ya-zang-wee--the sore eyes moon (from snow blindness.)87

April--Magâ-okâ-da-wee--the moon when the geese lay eggs; also called Wokâda-wee--egg-moon, and sometimes Wató-papee-wee, the canoe moon, or moon when the streams become free from ice.88

May--Wó-zu-pee-wee--the planting moon.89

June--Wazú-ste-ca-sa-wee--the strawberry moon.90

July--Wa-sun-pa-wee--moon when the geese shed their feathers, also called Chang-pâ-sapa-wee--Choke-Cherry moon, and sometimes--Mna-rchâ-rhca-wee--"The moon of the red blooming lilies", literally, the red-lily moon.91

August--Wasú-ton-wee--the ripe moon, i.e. Harvest Moon.92

September--Psin-na-ké-tu-wee--the ripe rice moon.93

October--Wà-zu-pee-wee or Wee-wa-zú-pee--the moon when wild rice is gathered and laid up for winter.94

November--Ta-kee-yu-hrâ-wee--the deer-rutting moon.95

December--Ta-hé-cha-psung-wee--the moon when deer shed their horns.]96

[Footnote 72: Oonk-tó-mee--is a "bad spirit" in the form of a monstrous black spider.97 He inhabits fens and marshes and lies in wait for his prey.98 At night he often lights a torch (evidently the _ignis fatuus_ or Jack-a-lantern) and swings it on the marshes to decoy the unwary into his toils.]99