Kisiskâciwan: Indigenous voices from where the river flows swiftly

472 Pages·2018·2.847 MB·English

by  Archibald-Barber, Jesse Rae(Editor)

kisiskâciwan

kisiskâciwan
Indigenous Voices from Where
the River Flows Swiftly
Edited by
Jesse Rae Archibald-Barber
© 2018 Jesse Rae Archibald-Barber
All rights reserved. No part of this work covered by the copyrights hereon may be reproduced
or used in any form or by any means — graphic, electronic, or mechanical — without the
prior written permission of the publisher. Any request for photocopying, recording, taping or
placement in information storage and retrieval systems of any sort shall be directed in writing to
Access Copyright.
Since this page cannot accommodate all the copyright notices, pages 433–439 constitute an
extension of the copyright page.
Printed and bound in Canada at Marquis. The text of this book is printed on 100% post-
consumer recycled paper with earth-friendly vegetable-based inks.
Cover design: Duncan Campbell, University of Regina Press
Text design: John van der Woude, JVDW Designs
Proofreader: Kristine Douaud
Cover art: “Flowing Water” by Dieter Tracey / iStockphoto.
Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication
Kisiskâciwan : Indigenous voices from where the river flows swiftly / edited by Jesse Rae
Archibald-Barber.
Includes index. Issued in print and electronic formats. ISBN 978-0-88977-542-8 (softcover).—
ISBN 978-0-88977-543-5 (PDF).—ISBN 978-0-88977-544-2 (HTML)
1. Canadian literature (English)—Native authors. 2. Canadian literature—Native authors.
3. Canadian literature (English)—Saskatchewan. 4. Canadian literature—Saskatchewan.
5. Native peoples—Saskatchewan—Literary collections. 6. Canadian literature (English)—
21st century. 7. Canadian literature—21st century. I. Archibald-Barber, Jesse Rae, 1972-, editor
PS8235.I6K57 2018 C810.8’089707124 C2018-900974-8 C2018-900975-6
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
University of Regina Press, University of Regina
Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, s4s 0a2
tel: [phone] fax: [phone]
web: www.uofrpress.ca
We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts for our publishing program.
We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada. / Nous reconnaissons
l’appui financier du gouvernement du Canada. This publication was made possible with support
from Creative Saskatchewan’s Creative Industries Production Grant Program.
For all those whose voices have been lost too soon
and for all those whose voices are still singing
The prairie is full of bones. The bones stand and sing and I feel
the weight of them as they guide my fingers on this page.
—Sky Dancer Louise Bernice Halfe, from Blue Marrow
Contents
Preface xv atakawinin (The Gambler) 28
Introduction xix Saulteaux • c. 1842–1916
Speeches at Treaty Four (Morris)
Saukamappee (Young Man) 1
Cree • c. 1700–1793 kamooses 30
Life Among the Peigans Plains Cree • c. 18??–??
Speeches at Treaty Four (Morris)
James Settee 9
Swampy Cree • c. 1809–1902 mistawāsis (Big Child) 31
An Indian Camp at the Mouth of Plains Cree • c. 1813–1903
Nelson River Hudson’s Bay Speech at Treaty Six (Morris)
Wars between the Sioux and Saulteaux Speech at Treaty Six (Erasmus)
Charles Pratt 24 atāhkakohp (Star Blanket) 34
Cree-Assiniboine • 1816–1888 Plains Cree • c. 1816–1896
CMS catechist meets Cha-wa-cis, Speeches at Treaty Six (Morris)
Saulteaux Medicine Man Speech at Treaty Six (Erasmus)
kā-kišīwē (Loud Voice) 27 payipwāt 36
Plains Cree • c. 1796–1884 Plains Cree (Sioux) • c. 1816–1908
Speeches at Treaty Four (Morris) To the Superior-General
Defending the Sundance
Response to Offer of Baptism
viii kisiskâciwan
wīhkasko-kisēyin (Sweet Grass) 37 pīhtikwahānapiwiyin
Plains Cree • 18?? –1877 (Poundmaker) 55
Messages from the Cree Chiefs of the Plains Cree • c. 1842–1886
Plains Speeches at Treaty Six (Morris)
Speech at Treaty Six (Morris) Letter to Riel
Letter to Middleton
mistahi-maskwa (Big Bear) 39 Address to the Court
Plains Cree • c. 1825–1888
To Rev. George McDougall Louis Riel 58
Speeches at Treaty Six (Morris) Métis • 1844–1885
Speech at the Council of Duck Lake Message to the Métis of Battleford
Letter to Sergeant Martin, N.W.M.P. Revolutionary Bill of Rights
Address to the Court Palpite! ô mon esprit!
Shudder, My Spirit
kā-miyēstawēsit (Beardy) 42 Margaret: be fair and good
Willow Cree • c. 1828–1889 Robert Gordon!
Speeches at Treaty Six Special Meeting
(Morris) kā-papāmahcahkwēw
(Wandering Spirit) 64
wāwikanihk kā-otāmahoht Plains Cree • 1845–1885
(Strikes Him On The Back) 44 Council Speech
Cree • 1830–1884 Speech to Warriors
Speech at Treaty Six Negotiations
Become Farmers acāhkosa kā-otakohpit
(Star Blanket) 65
tatanka iyotake (Sitting Bull) 45 Plains Cree • c. 1845–1917
Lakota • c. 1831–1890 Letter to Governor General
Arriving at Wood Mountain
To the American Commissioners kā-miyo-kīsikwēw (Fine Day) 66
To Major Walsh Plains Cree • c. 1847–1941
Song for Returning Warriors
peopeo kiskiok hihih (White Bird) 47 Big Bear’s Last Thirst Dance
Nez Percé • 18??–1892 The First Person
The Nez Percé War
piyēsiw-awāsis (Thunderchild) 69
Gabriel Dumont 49 Plains Cree • 1849–1927
Métis • 1837–1906 A Winter of Hardship
Batoche A Fight with the Sarcee
The Fourth Day The Sun Dance
Contents ix
Sacred Stories Of The Charlie Janvier 119
Sweet Grass Cree 74 Dene • 1889–1984
nāh-namiskwākāpaw (Louis Moosomin) A Man and a Wolf
The Birth of Wisahketchahk and the
Origin of Mankind Charles Ryder 121
Burnt-Stick Nakoda • 1889–19??
The Pipe of Peace
kā-kīsikāw-pīhtukāw (Coming-Day) A Bear Story
The Shut-Eye Dancers
Peter Vandall 124
kā-wīhkaskusahk (Maggie Achenam) Plains Cree • 1899–1985
Thunderbird and Winter Social Control
Hell-Diver
The Foolish Maiden Marie Merasty 126
Woods Cree • c. 1900s–1983
Plains Cree Texts 96 The Wetiko Mother
nāh-namiskwākāpaw (Louis Moosomin) A Race for Life
Ancient Life. The Sun-Dance The Last Laugh
Experience as a Medium
kā-kīsikāw-pīhtukāw (Coming-Day)
How Sweet-Grass Became Chief Eleanor Brass 131
A Great Herd Cree-Saulteaux • 1905–1992
A Buffalo in Human Form Medicine Boy
Legend of Qu’Appelle
kā-wīhkaskusahk (Maggie Achenam) Excerpt from I Walk in Two Worlds
How Women Were Treated
How the Blackfoot Killed Their Wives nêhiyaw (Glecia Bear) 140
Cree • 1912–1998
Abel Watetch 102 Lost and Found
Cree • c. 1878–1964
The Meaning of the Rain Dance John F. Cote 146
Saulteaux • 1912–1999
Edward Ahenakew 111 Nēnapohš and the Shut-eye Dancing
Cree • 1885–1961 Ducks
That Fatal Day at Frog Lake (No. 5) Nēnapohš Makes Red Willows
Michel Benjamin 117 Alice Ahenakew 148
Dene • 1888–19?? Plains Cree • 1912–2007
The Story of Thanadelthur The Priest’s Bear Medicine
x kisiskâciwan
Bertha O’Watch 155 Herbert Walker 181
Nakoda • 1914–2012 Nakoda • 1931–2012
Big Snake Mink and Coyote
Įktómi and Fox
Freda Ahenakew 182
Arsene Fontaine 157 Plains Cree • 1932–2011
Dene • 1918–1993 Excerpt from kinêhiyâwiwininaw
The Story of the Bear nêhiyawêwin
Howard Adams 159 Hubert Gunn 185
Métis • 1921–2001 Saulteaux • 1933–1995
Excerpt from Prison of Grass A Lamp to Read By
Annie Benonie 160 Vicki Wilson 189
Dene • 1925–2011 Dakota-Cree
A Person That Always Stays Alone It was to me like we had lost our childhood
You’d be exposing yourself
George Klyne 163
Métis • 1925–2015 Bernelda Wheeler 193
The Trapper and the Snare Cree-Nakoda-Saulteaux • 1937–2005
Our Beloved Land and You
Alexander Wolfe 164
Saulteaux • 1927–2002 Maria Campbell 197
The Sound of Dancing Métis • b. 1940
Jacob
Jim Kâ-Nîpitêhtêw 166
Plains Cree • 19??–1996 Buffy Sainte-Marie 206
The Pipestem and the Making of Plains Cree • b. 1941
Treaty Six Now That the Buffalo’s Gone
My Country ’Tis of Thy People You’re
Augie Merasty 171 Dying
Woods Cree • 1930–2017
Excerpts from The Education of Augie Gloria Mehlmann 209
Merasty Cree-Saulteaux
Pin Cherry Morning
Helen Francis 176
Métis • b. 1931
Life on the Trapline
Bombardier