Post by Historian on May 3, 2009 14:32:27 GMT -5
Songs of the Ponca Hethuska
by Jonathan Holmes
According to Ponca elder Henry Snake, the original form of the Ponca Hethuska dance ceremony took four days to complete. (Recorded Interview, Henry Snake, 1977)
In addition, Tyronne Stewart notes,
“The Poncas used to dance for four days, but due to not having a permanent arbor, have not continued the practice. The Osages dance four days and a parallel can be drawn by observing their dance.” (Stewart, 1975, p. 14)
On each of these four days there would be a particular group of songs which were sung in a particular order. Over the years, many of these songs have been lost, or the song’s exact meanings are lost. This chapter will attempt to put into perspective the order, usage and best known translations of the songs which are used during the Ponca Hethuska dance ceremony, which is today condensed into a one day ceremony with two dance sessions.The Ponca language has undergone many changes since some of the songs were originally composed.
According to Sylvester Warrior, the Ponca Hethuska Headman from 1958 till his death in 1973 stated,
“The war dance songs that we sing today are very old. No one knows how old they are, but if you’ll notice that a lot of our songs have words in them. They are actually warrior songs. There is a story to each song. A lot of our songs pertain to the ancient enemy of the Ponca. The Sioux (Lakota), the Pawnee. These songs are composed way before the time that the Poncas were moved from their homes back in 1877. It tells about our experiences, hand-to-hand combat and the tales of the songs. Some of them are composed acknowledging the presence of the buffalo and the horse, as well as taking trophies of war from their enemies. And it also has stories of the songs. Of being challenged to duels by other tribes. And all the songs are old, very old. No one knows who composed these songs.”
(Warrior, 1967, p. 9)
Some words that were used in older songs, composed as Sylvester Warrior has suggested, prior to 1877, have obscure or unknown meanings to present day Ponca people, in a similar way that obscure Shakespearean English may compare to modern day English language. For the most part, in spite of their age, the songs of the Ponca Hethuska evokes strong and varied emotions with instant recognition among present day Ponca people, just as patriotic songs or special occasion songs such as “The Star Spangled Banner”, “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” or “Taps” evoke a strong emotions from many Americans in general.
It has been said that the history of the Ponca people is preserved in the words of the Hethuska songs. Though many of the word songs have very few words in them, the singers have preserved the stories behind the key words, passing on these oral stories to younger generations of singers or interested individuals.
Concerning the early historical value of the Omaha-Ponca Hethuska songs, Fletcher and LaFlesche state,
“The songs of the Hethu’shka are of much interest musically and they also have an historic value. It was a rule of the society that when a member performed a brave deed the society was the authority to decide whether the name of the doer and the record of his deed should be preserved in song. No one would dare to have a song composed in his honor without this consent. When consent was given, the song was composed, learned by the members and then became a part of the record of the Hethu’shka society. In rendering such a song, when that part was reached where the warrior’s name was mentioned the drum was not struck, that the name might be the more distinctly heard.”
“The words of the songs of the Hethu’shka were never intended to be complete in themselves, being for the sole purpose of recalling the incident or story which the song commemorated. Frequently a single word referred to a known tribal ceremony or recalled a teaching or precept, so that to the Omaha the word was replete with meaning and significance. For this reason a literal translation of the songs can not be made intelligible to an English reader; moreover, an attempt to make them thus intelligible would take from, rather than unfold, the meaning of the original and would rob the words of their native sense and dignity.”
“The songs of the Hethu’shka society number a hundred or more, each one commemorating some historical incident or bringing to mind the duties that devolved on the warrior members. Some of the songs reveal the ideals held up to inspire the conduct of the warriors. Although the songs belonged to the society, they were not restricted to the membership, non-members also being permitted to use them. By this custom, the teachings set forth in the songs spread beyond the membership and so tended to enforce the Hethu’shka standards of conduct throughout the tribe.”
(Fletcher & LaFlesche, 1911, pp. 469-470)
During a traditional four day Hethuska dance ceremony, two dance sessions per day were held, usually one in the afternoon and one in the evening.
On the first day of the four day dance ceremony a prayer said by the Headman or an appointed elder would begin the ceremony followed by the Starting Song. During this song the dancers remain seated, though quiet and alert.
Next, four to six Calling Songs or songs calling the warriors to gather and Prayer songs talking about the relationship between God and the Hethuska warriors, were sung in slow and deliberate form and were danced to in an almost melancholy fashion. The slow songs are sung first, their tempo ranging from slow to medium and with each dance session, the tempo increases.
The drum then continued with War Songs, the largest group of songs sung in the dance ceremony. War Songs fall into two categories, word songs and vocable songs. Word songs describe the brave acts of particular individuals mentioned by name; the hard times a Headman had in leading his warriors; or the victories of the Ponca in particular battles with various enemies. Vocable songs, or also referred to as Dream songs, are said to have been “given” to particular Ponca warriors in dreams or visions to help them become victorious in battle. When a Dream song “worked,” many times the warrior would give the song to the Hethuska Society to be sung at the dance ceremony when a dance pantomime was done to act out how the events of the warrior’s success in battle had taken place. From that time on, the song was sung as part of the normal sequence of the ceremony to give inspiration and power to the group. (Personal Interview, Harry Buffalohead, 1985)
Vocable songs were described by Sylvester Warrior in the following way,
“And then we have songs that don’t have any tunes. These kind of songs, we are told, way back there, that men had dreamed these songs or had a vision in which these songs came to them. Sometimes by various native animals in our country, here at that time”...“Since they came that way, in that manner, they are still good to us today as they were to our people a hundred, maybe two hundred years back.”
(Warrior, 1967, p. 10)
The War Songs were sung during the first day and most of the second day of dancing. As the War Songs are sung, they would get progressively faster in tempo with each song. The dancers respond by dancing with greater enthusiasm and more intricate body movements. Usually there were 12 to 16 songs in a set of songs. Each set of songs was followed by a water break, and during each dance session, there was usually four sets of songs.
There are many names attributed to the next group of songs sung after the War Songs, usually sung by the evening of the second day. They have been referred to as Charging Songs, Ruffle Songs, Roll-the-Drum Songs and Thunder Songs. These songs, which I will refer to as Charging Songs, have two distinct parts to them with the dancers responding accordingly. The beginning of each song would have load vigorous drum beats with occasional loud single raps of the drum. This is referred to as the “rolling of the thunder” on the drum. Traditionally the Ponca believed “Thunder Beings,” or powerful spirits which cause and control thunderstorms, especially the sound of the thunder associated with the storms, are being imitated during the rolling drum beats. It was also believed that their spiritual power could be pulled down through the drum and sent into the spirits of the dancers to give them strength and courage. (Buffalohead, 1985)
During this beginning segment of rolling the drum in the Charging Songs, the dancers danced in place facing the drum, while shaking their bells and making body movements imitating the preparation to charge an enemy. After a signal from the drum, the drumbeat changed to a fast dance tempo and the dancers began slowly dancing toward the drum. The advancement stopped when the drum again rolled the thunder beats and the dancers responded by dancing in place were they stopped, still facing the drum in the center of the dance circle. This process was repeated four times throughout the song. On the fourth time, the dancers advanced to the drum and spun off dancing clockwise around the drum for the rest of the song. This dancing action in two parts was repeated for each Charging Song sung. It has been said that this group of Charging Songs would re-enact the courage of Ponca warriors who would charge the enemy and become victorious. (Conklin, 1985)
Today, these Charging Songs have become popular at Pow-Wows throughout the Southern Plains as contest songs where young men ruffle the feathers of their fancy dance outfits and show off their dancing skill for the judges. In the Northern Plains, especially among the Lakota, these types of songs are considered Veteran Songs and the dancing has been referred to as the “Sneak-Up Dance.”
On the third day of the Hethuska dance ceremony the group of songs collectively referred to as the Committee Songs were sung. These are a group of songs which honored the leaders and individuals who held appointed positions of responsibility within the Hethuska Society. Today these Honoring Songs include songs to honor the Headman, the men of the Committee, the Whipman, the Cook and the Lady Singers. According to Ponca Crier Issac Williams, at one time there were songs in honor of the Tail Dancers and the Water Carriers, but these have been lost and are no longer in use. (Williams, 1985)
In addition to the Committee Songs, other honoring songs in modern times will sometimes be included upon request, such as a song in honor of the individual(s) who provided the food for an evening feast; a song in honor of children and songs in honor of particular individuals by name. With the completion of each honoring song, there is usually time allowed for the honoree to give away gifts in recognition and in thanks for the honor given them by the song being sung on their behalf, before the next song begins. It should be noted that long ago, there were songs sung in honor of various significant parts of the Hethuska dance clothes, such as the “Crow” or feathered dance bustle, and the hair roach headdress.
In addition, there were songs sung in honor of articles which belonged to the Society as a group, such as the Prayer Pipes, Crooked Coup Sticks and War Whistles. These honor songs are no longer sung by choice as the original articles for which they were composed are lost, or the songs themselves have been lost as singers have passed on, taking the knowledge of the songs with them. (Williams, 1985)
The Smoke Song is one of the few remaining honor songs from long ago which is still in use today. According to Tyronne Stewart,
“The old Hethuska society included songs composed in honor of the Bustle, Whistle, and also a ‘Smoke Song’ that was sung during the passing of the pipe around the semi-circle”...“Mr. Warrior resurrected ‘The Smoke Song,’ and while it is being sung the dancers remain seated and smoke cigarettes. The ‘Smoke Song’ is usually sung before a water break.”
(Stewart, 1975, p. 15)
Following the Committee Songs and other honoring songs are a group of songs called Trot Songs traditionally sung on the third night. Although they sound similar, these songs should not be confused with so-called Horse Stealing Songs popular at some of today’s Southern Plains Pow-Wows, especially among the Kiowa. The Trot Dance is primarily associated with only the Ponca and Osage tribes in Oklahoma. As a matter of fact, concerning the Osage Trot Dance tradition, Alice Callahan writes,
“The trot songs originally came from an old Osage ceremony of mourning which is no longer performed”...“In this celebration of death the Osages, dressed in their traditional dress, each with a horse and standing four abreast, would dance in place as they sang the trot songs.”
(Callahan, 1991, p. 90)
Among the Ponca, the Trot Songs are said to have been composed in honor of Ponca warriors wounded or killed in battle and refers to the bravery of the warrior and his companions. In his article titled “Trot Dance Songs,” which appeared in the 1970 issue of the St. Charles Pow-Wow Brochure G.J. Gondeck writes,
“It has been said that the Trot Dance Songs were sung in unison by the battle-weary warriors as they returned to their original encampment; that, as they approached the camp area, the horses and riders were brought into alignment; and that the prancing of the horses, along with the rhythm of the Songs presented a sight to behold. According to the knowledge on hand, only four of the Trot Dance Songs have been preserved, and these are sung in a certain sequence. The style of the accompanying Dance can best be described as being similar to the trotting action of the horse or of a runner.”
(Gondeck, 1970)
The songs which immediately follow the Trot Songs are referred to as the Tip-Toe or the NoN-sta-pi-waN Songs. These songs are slower in tempo, but with a similar rhythm as the Trot Songs. The Tip-Toe Songs are all vocable songs in contrast to the Trot Songs which are all word songs. NoN-sta-pi-waN, the Ponca word for “tip-toe” or “to walk softly,” refers to the action of Ponca warriors approaching an enemy or enemy encampment, being as silent and stealthy as possible to avoid detection. According to Sylvester Warrior when speaking of this group of songs he stated,
“...and then we have another dance which a man dances on their toes, on their tip toes.”
(Warrior, 1967, p. 11)
After the Tip-Toe Songs, before the Hethuska dance ceremony ends, there is usually a solemn time in which Memorial Songs are sung. These songs are usually sung at the request of a family member of the deceased, in honor of an individual who has passed away recently or many years ago. The only people to dance on these songs are the family members or family descendants of the individual for whom the song is being sung.
Today, the Ponca now sing a Vietnam Veterans Memorial Song composed by Sylvester Warrior, Lamont Brown and Harry Buffalohead toward the end of the dance ceremony. As in other Memorial Songs, the Ponca Vietnam Veterans Memorial Song was composed to honor those men killed in the Vietnam War and is not danced to.
While the dancers are quiet and thoughtful, the Headman will usually say a closing prayer and ask that the Quitting Song be sung to end the dance ceremony. During the Quitting Song the dancers do not dance, but instead rise, and after the second verse, follow the Whipman as he leads the dancers single file out of the dance circle.
Today, the Ponca dance the songs of the Hethuska Society twice a year, usually in April and October, on or near the Ponca Tribal center at White Eagle, Oklahoma. During a one day condensed version of the traditional four day event, the dance ceremony is split into two dance sessions, one in the afternoon and one in the evening with a feast in between which feeds all dancers, singers and spectators. Each dance session is divided into four sets of songs with a water break after the first, second and third sets.
In contrast, the three villages of Osage at Grayhorse, Pawhuska and Hominy, Oklahoma, each have their own Inlonshka dance ceremony organizations. These three organizations all have their dance ceremonies once a year in June over the course of four days.
The following passages are a segment of some of the word songs used during the Ponca Hethuska dance ceremony. The author has cross referenced the translations and commentaries from a variety of Ponca oral history, ethnographic and linguistic sources to provide the reader the best possible understanding of the song’s original content and the implied meaning. Frequently, as has been stated previously in this work, the nature of Ponca songs are such that literal translations of the words are sometimes obscure at best. The words or phrases used can allude to stories or events that were at one time, in no need of explanation to the members of the tribe.
However, through the efforts of Ponca singers who have not only preserved the songs, but have also passed on to each succeeding generation of singers the oral history and interpretive meanings of the songs, we can gain a better understanding of these songs. Therefore, for this illustration the author will present a small selection of known Ponca Hethuska songs in three parts. First shown will be the Ponca language words of the song, followed by the literal translations from documented sources. Lastly, the author will include documented commentaries on the meanings or stories implied by the words.
1. Ponca Flag Song
Ponca:
(vocables in first part of song)
NoN-zhiN-ga ha-ska-tha, i-noN te-xie the moN-zhoN, the tho de
(Warrior & Brown, 1967, p. 1)
English Translation:
(vocables in first part of song)
Pure flag stands, we glorify in this land.
Commentary:
“This song was dedicated to the American Flag—A song which is equivalent to the National Anthem. The words in it say: ‘The flag, we glorify in this land’.”
(Warrior and Brown, 1967, p. 1)
2. Starting Song
Ponca:
(vocables in first part of song)
He-thu-ska, ha-ska tha, doM-ba-ga
(Warrior & Brown, 1967, p. 2)
English Translation:
(vocables in first part of song)
Hethuska, the pure flag, behold it.
Commentary:
“This song is the opening song of the Hethuska Society, which is known as War Dance. It has the words which say for the men members of the organization, ‘Behold the flag’.”
(Warrior & Brown, 1967, p. 2)
Commentary:
“In those days, they didn’t have no automobile, no telephones to get around. People would go about on reservations and they see a flag up. That flag meant something. They say that organization is going to have a dance. That’s the way. It’s just like the white man says, it’s a smoke signal. Now that’s just the way our flag was.”
(Brown, 1968, p. 3)
Commentary:
“This song, with other words, was formerly the personal song of *Birdhead, the Northern Ponca Chief. Present text was substituted following WWI (World War I). At Ponca dances, no one dances to this song.”
(Howard, no date, p. 1)
Commentary:
“War Dance Songs of the Ponca, Volume 1, Side 1, Song 1”
Author’s note:
The name Birdhead or Wa-zhiN’-ga-pa makes reference to the Pileated Woodpecker head used to decorate the two Pipes used in the Wa’-waN ceremony. (see Fletcher & LaFlesche, 1911, p. 376)
3. War Song
Ponca:
He-thu-ska, ta za-ni noN-zhiN tho be yo ha
He-thu-ska, ta za-ni noN-zhiN tho be yo ha
He-thu-ska, ta za-ni noN-zhiN tho be
Za-ni noN-zhiN. Tho be He-thu-ska, ma za-ni noN-zhiN tho be
He-thu-ska, ta za-ni noN-zhiN tho be yo ha ya oi
He-thu-ska, ta za-ni noN-zhiN tho be
Za-ni noN-zhiN. Tho be He-thu-ska, ma za-ni noN-zhiN tho be
He-thu-ska, ta za-ni noN-zhiN tho be yo ha ya ya
(Warrior & Brown, 1967, p. 12)
English Translation:
Hethuska, all stand.
Hethuska, all stand.
Hethuska, all stand.
All stand. Hethuska, all stand.
Hethuska, all stand.
Hethuska, all stand.
All stand. Hethuska, all stand.
Hethuska, all stand.
Commentary:
“This song says here, Hethuska, that means the ‘War Dance’. Zani nonzhin, zani means ‘all,’ nonzhin means ‘arise’. He is telling them all to arise and dance.”
(Warrior & Brown, 1967, p. 12)
4. War Song
Ponca:
U-ha shu-bthe moN-she, noN-zhiN-ga
U-ha shu-bthe moN-she, noN-zhiN-ga
MoN gtha-u the ha a-doM-ba-ga moN-she, noN-zhiN-ga
U-ha shu-bthe moN-she, noN-zhiN-ga, yo ha ya oi
She the, moN gtha-u the ha a-doM-ba-ga moN-she, noN-zhiN-ga
U-ha shu-bthe moN-she, noN-zhiN-ga
(Warrior & Brown, 1967, p. 3)
English Translation:
Walking a path I am coming, stand aside.
Walking a path I am coming, stand aside.
Even chiefs behold me walking a path, stand aside.
Walking a path I am coming, stand aside.
Elder brother, even chiefs behold me walking a path, stand aside.
Walking a path I am coming, stand aside.
Commentary:
“This song is said to be in reference to the bringing of the tribal pipes to the camp circle.”
(Warrior & Brown, 1967, p. 3)
Commentary:
“This song pertains to the processional of the leaders of the old time War Dance society.”
(Warrior & Brown, 1967, p. 3)
Commentary:
Title of this song is listed as, “Bearer of the War Pipe.” The words are shown translated as, “The path I travel, stand aside. Even Chiefs behold. Stand aside from it, the path I travel. Elder brother, even Chiefs behold.”
(Howard, no date, p. 3)
Commentary:
“War Dance Songs of the Ponca, Volume 1, Side 1, Song 8”
5. War Song
Ponca:
She-thu i ba uN-woN ne-a-ma
She-thu i ba uN-woN ne-a-ma, tho he
Ha-i-ba she-thu i ba uN-woN ne-a-ma, tho he tho-e
U’-moN-hoN, thiN a-wa-thiN iN-thiN-ge
She-a i ba doN the-thu a-noN-zi-a tha
Du-da i ge, tho he tho
(Fletcher & LaFlesche, 1911, p. 473)
English Translation:
Over there, men coming, searching for me.
Over there, men coming, searching for me.
They are coming, over there, men coming, searching for me.
The Omaha, where is he, they are saying of me.
Over there they come, here I stand.
Come this way.
Commentary:
“In this song the Hethu’shka personifies the tribe. The enemy is pictured as advancing from all sides, angrily calling: ‘Where are the Omaha?’ The Hethu’shka, the men in whom ‘the fear of death has been dispelled,’ shout back as one voice: ‘Here I stand; come hither!’ While the song is defiant, there is also in it the note of tribal unity as against enemies.”
(Fletcher & LaFlesche, 1911, p. 473)
Commentary:
“He’s saying here in this song, that ‘those’, meaning the Sioux, ‘are looking for me, here I stand, come over this way’. Meaning that they would find him wherever he was standing.”
(Warrior & Brown, 1967, p. 4)
Commentary:
Title of this song is listed as, “I am the One the Enemy Seeks.” The words are shown translated as, “That man is searching for me. Enemy tribes are searching for me. Come here, here I am.”.... “Song refers to Little Bear, a Ponca.”
(Howard, no date, p. 3)
Commentary:
“War Dance Songs of the Ponca, Volume 1, Side 1, Song 7”
6. War Song
Ponca:
MoN-bthe-doN the a the te, doM-ba-ga
MoN-bthe-doN the a the te, doM-ba-ga
MoN-bthe-doN the a the te, doM-ba-ga
DoM-ba-ga moN-bthe-doN the a the te, doM-ba-be, yo ha ya oi
“I’-ba-hoN-bi,”we-bthe te pathiN zhiN-ga ki-de, tha the te
MoN-bthe-doN the a the te, doM-ba-be, yo ha ya ya
(Warrior & Brown, 1967, p. 6)
English Translation:
I have pulled my bow, behold.
I have pulled my bow, behold.
I have pulled my bow, behold.
Behold, I have pulled my bow, behold.
“He Is Known,” to shot a young Pawnee.
I have pulled my bow, behold.
Commentary:
“Now in this song, monbthedon the a te means that ‘I have pulled my bow and I shot a young Pawnee’. The name of the man is ‘The One That Is Known’. That was his name, ‘The One That Is Known’. ‘I’m the one that pulled my bow to shoot the young Pawnee’.”
(Warrior & Brown, 1967, p. 6)
Commentary:
“This song is telling of a man in battle wherein he says, ‘I pulled my bow and killed the enemy’.”
(Warrior & Brown, 1967, p. 6)
Commentary:
“I’bahoNbi.....I’bahoN, ‘to know’; bi, ‘he is’.....He Is Known. Refers to a chief’s son."
(Fletcher & LaFlesche, 1911, p. 190)
7. War Song
Ponca:
ZhiN-the, tha-hi-de tho he, tha-hi-de
ZhiN-the, tha-hi-de, zhiN-the, tha-hi-de
ZhiN-the, tha-hi-de, tho he the
Nu-doN-hoN-ga, tha-hi-de, tho he tho-e
Nu-doN-hoN-ga, i-sha-ga-ma i-a-ba
Wi-uN-wa-ka be tho
ZhiN-the, tha-hi-de, tho he the
Nu-doN-hoN-ga, tha-hi-de tho he tho-e
(Fletcher & LaFlesche, 1911, p. 471)
English Translation:
Elder brothers, I longingly wait, I longingly wait.
Elder brothers, I longingly wait, elder brothers, I longingly wait.
Elder brothers, I longingly wait.
War Leader, I longingly wait.
War Leader, old men, they spoke.
They refer to me.
Elder brothers, I longingly wait.
War Leader, I longingly wait.
Commentary:
“Elder brothers! I longingly wait [to share in the duties of the society]. Captains! The old men have spoken [of these duties]; their words now refer to me. Elder brothers! Captains! I longingly wait to take part in them [the duties].”
“This song enforced the bond of brotherhood which bound together the members of the Hethu’shka. There were two ways in which the relation of brother could be expressed in the Omaha language: ‘elder brother’ and ‘younger brother.’ In the song the newly admitted member speaks, addressing the members of the society as ‘elder brothers.’ As war honors were requisite for membership, those whom he addressed were all men or more or less distinction. In his form of address he not only recognizes this but also his own inclusion in the brotherhood and proclaims his eagerness to do his part in maintaining the honor of the society and to share in it’s duties. By calling his ‘elder brothers’ nudoNhoNga, ‘captains,’ he not only acknowledges their attainments but expresses his willingness to follow their leadership. In the second stanza he lays claim to share in the traditions of the society, that he may in his own career carry out the exhortations of the aged men whose words have been an inspiration to his ‘elder brothers’ and ‘captains’.”
(Fletcher & LaFlesche, 1911, p. 471)
8. War Song
Ponca:
Inda-di tha-de, moN-thiN-ge, tho he o the tho
Inda-di tha-de, moN-thiN-ga
Inda-di tha-de, moN-thiN-ge, tho he o the
Tha-de moN-thiN-ga
Inda-di, i-sha-ga-ma, thi-gi si-tha-me, tho he tho-e
Tha-de moN-thiN-ge, tho he the tho
“Wa-zhi-da-thiN” i-zhiN-ge, i-thiN-ga be tho
Inda-di tha-de, moN-thiN-ge, tho he the
Tha-de, moN-thiN-ga
Inda-di, i-sha-ga ma, thi-gi si-tha-me, tho he the tho
(Fletcher & LaFlesche, 1911, p. 479)
English Translation:
My father proclaim, walking by command.
My father proclaim, walking by command.
My father proclaim, walking by command.
Proclaim, walking by command.
My father, the aged men, they will remember you.
Proclaim, walking by command.
“Owns Something Red” his son, say of me.
My father proclaim, walking by command.
Proclaim, walking by command.
My father, the aged men, they will remember you.
Commentary:
“The words of the song are few and impossible to render literally. They are mnemonics merely but they serve to carry the memory of the act which the song commemorates. The song is said to be very old and has been handed down through many generations, an indication of the estimation placed on the teaching it sets forth-the unselfish regard for the fame of his father shown by the hero of the story and song. The account runs as follows: A young man, whose name, according to his expressed wish, is unknown, said to his comrades as he lay dying on the field of battle, where he had fought valiantly: ‘When you proclaim my death,’ referring to the custom of calling out the names of the slain when the war party returned to the village, ‘speak not my name, but that of my father. Say, “The son of Wazhi’dathiN is slain”.’ Having made this request, the young man spoke again but as if he were addressing his father. He said: ‘Father, in my death the aged men remember you!’ The aged men were historians, so to speak; they were the ones who treasured the memory of tribal incidents and passed them on to younger generations. By this act of the son he caused his father’s name to be held in remembrance, but at the same time his own act was such that he was held up to future generations as an example of filial regard.”
(Fletcher & LaFlesche, 1911, p. 479)
9. War Song
Ponca:
NoN-ge sha-i-e, wa-doM-ba-ga
NoN-ge sha-i-e, wa-doM-ba-ga
NoN-ge sha-i-e, wa-doM-ba-ga
NoN-ge sha-i-e, wa-doM-ba-ga
He-thu-ska wa-shu-she, yo he ye oi
“MoN-chu ToN-ga,” ha noN-ge sha-i-e wa-doM-ba-ga
NoN-ge sha-i-e wa-doM-ba-ga
He-thu-ska wa-shu-she, yo he ye ya
(Warrior & Brown, 1967, p. 26)
English Translation:
Comes running, behold them.
Comes running, behold them.
Comes running, behold them.
Comes running, behold them.
Hethuska are brave men.
“Big Grizzly Bear”, comes running, behold them.
Comes running, behold them.
Hethuska are brave men.
Commentary:
“Now this song says, noNge shaie wadombaga. NoNge means ‘run’. Shaie means ‘coming’. The horses are charging towards them. They call his name in the middle of the song, *moNchu toNga — Big Bear.”
(Warrior & Brown, 1967, p. 26)
Commentary:
Title of this song is listed as, “Enemy horses are running.” The words are shown translated as, “Four-leggeds are running, behold. The Hethuska are brave men. Big Bear is the one.”
(Howard, no date, p. 2)
Commentary:
“War Dance Songs of the Ponca, Volume 1, Side 1, Song 4”
Author's note:
The Ponca make a distinction in their language between the Black Bear and the Grizzly Bear. “Bear, black, Wasa’be” “Bear, grizzly, MoNchu’.”
(Fletcher & LaFlesche, 1911, p. 103)
10. War Song
Ponca:
Ko-tha nu-da, he tha, e thoM-be
Ko-tha nu-da, he tha, e thoM-be
Ko-tha nu-da, he tha, e thoM-be
Ko-tha nu-da, he tha, e thoM-be
Ko-tha nu-da, he tha, e thoM-be, yo ha ya oi
Pa-thaN-i-ki, ko-tha nuda, he tha, e thoM-be
Ko-tha nu-da, he tha, e thoM-be
Ko-tha nu-da, he tha, e thoM-be, yo ha ya ya
(Warrior & Brown, 1967, p. 10)
English Translation:
Friend in war, he has been, there he is.
Friend in war, he has been, there he is.
Friend in war, he has been, there he is.
Friend in war, he has been, there he is.
Friend in war, he has been, there he is.
PathaNike, friend in war, he has been, there he is.
Friend in war, he has been, there he is.
Friend in war, he has been, there he is.
Commentary:
“This song, he’s calling his friend, he had gone on the war path. At the beginning of the second part, PathaNike, that we don’t know. It’s an ancient word which we have never learned as to what it means. But the first two words is kotha nuda he tha, it means ‘friend had been on the war path’.”
(Warrior & Brown, 1967, p. 10)
Commentary:
“Uncle Parrish Williams, the 91-year-old elder and fluent Ponca speaker who is my consultant, remembers accompanying his parents as a child to one of the dance societies that were in existence at that time (early 1900s) among the Southern Poncas. The three (dance societies) that he mentioned were NudoN, meaning 'warrior,' Pa-tha-taN, meaning 'drinkers of strong or bitter drink, and Pa-thiN-ge”... “Although Uncle Parrish didn't offer an explanation for any of the dance societies' names except NudoN, I was told by another Ponca speaker that pa, with the meaning of 'strong’ or ‘bitter' (unrelated to the meaning 'nose, head, profile' of its homonym), refers to the strong coffee that the members of Pa-tha-taN drank, as opposed to the members of Pa-thiN-ge, who didn't have any, or ran out of coffee. The term thiN-ge meaning ‘to lack,’ or ‘to be without'.”
(Shea, 2004)
Author’s note:
It has been suggested that the word transcribed from tape recordings as Pathanike, may actually have been more accurately transcribed as Pathinge.
11. War Song
Ponca:
E-be xa-ge ta doN, e-be xa-ga ta doN, yo ha
E-be xa-ge ta doN, e-be xa-ga ta doN ha
E-theN-ga doN, xa-ga ta doN, e-be xa-ga ta doN
E-be xa-ga ta da, yo ha ya ya
E-be xa-ga ta doN, yo ha ya yo
E-theN-ga doN, xa-ga ta doN, e-be xa-ga ta doN
E-be xa-ga ta da, yo ha ya ya
(Warrior & Brown, 1967, p. 11)
English Translation:
Who will weep for me, who will weep for me.
Who will weep for me, who will weep for me.
When I cease to exist, weep for me, who will weep for me.
Who will weep for me.
Who will weep for me.
When I cease to exist, weep for me, who will weep for me.
Who will weep for me.
Commentary:
“Now those words say that, ‘when I am no more,’ meaning that he wasn’t expecting to come back from the war, ‘who was going to weep for me’.”
(Warrior & Brown, 1967, p. 11)
12. War Song
Ponca:
Ka-ga, te-xi-e, a-noN-zhi the
Ka-ga, te-xi-e, a-noN-zhi the
Ka-ga, te-xi-e, a-noN-zhi the
Ka-ga, te-xi-e, a-noN-zhi the, ga-hi-ge-ha
Te-xi-e a-noN-zhi, the yo ha ye ya yoi
Ka-ge, o-ke-te, sha-i-e tha be, e tho the e tha, ga-hi-ge-ha
Te-xi-e, a-noN-zhi, the yo ha ye ya
(Warrior & Brown, 1967, p. 16)
English Translation:
Friend, difficult to move, I stand here.
Friend, difficult to move, I stand here.
Friend, difficult to move, I stand here.
Friend, difficult to move, I stand here, as chief.
Difficult to move, I stand here.
Friend, enemies, they are coming, ------ , as chief.
Difficult to move, I stand here.
Commentary:
“I’m happy to tell, in this song that is, it’s one, one of the songs that was dedicated to my grandfather (Standing Buffalo), who was one of the war chiefs. When they fought the enemy, he stood his ground. He said, ‘friend I stand here’. Texie anoNzhi means ‘immovable,’ meaning that he withstood the charge of the enemy.”
(Warrior & Brown, 1967, p. 16)
Commentary:
“Texie anoNzhi, ‘immovable’ or ‘difficult to be moved,’ ‘here I stand’. The last word there and the beginning of the second part we couldn’t translate. We do say the words, but we don’t know what they mean."
(Warrior & Brown, 1967, p. 16)
13. War Song
Ponca:
He-thu-ska u-wi-ne be, yo ha a oi
He-thu-ska u-wi-ne be, yo ha a oi
He-thu-ska u-wi-ne be, yo ha a oi
Inda ko-tha,He-thu-ska za-ne theN-ga be, yo ha yo
Inda ko-tha,He-thu-ska u-wi-ne be, yo ha ya oi
Nu-da HoN-ga He-thu-ska u-wi-ne be, yo ha
Inda ko-tha, He-thu-ska za-ne, theN-ga be, yo ha
Inda ko-tha, He-thu-ska u-wi-ne be, yo he ya
(Warrior & Brown, 1967, p. 18)
English Translation:
Hethuska searching.
Hethuska searching.
Hethuska searching.
Brother friend, Hethuska all, cease to exist.
Brother friend, Hethuska searching.
War Leader, Hethuska searching.
Brother friend, Hethuska all, cease to exist.
Brother friend, Hethuska searching.
Commentary:
“Hethuska uwine be, the ‘Hethuska is seeking this man,’ or ‘they are preparing to induct him into the Hethuska Society’. Hethuska thenga, the ‘Hethuska has ceased to exist’. It was the beginning of the end, especially when the Poncas were moved to the territory of Oklahoma. Evidently they wanted to induct him.”
(Warrior & Brown, 1967, p. 18)
Commentary:
“Nuda Honga uwine, Nuda Honga is ‘the leader’ and ‘he is seeking this man’.”
(Warrior & Brown, 1967, p. 18)
Commentary:
“This War Dance, the Poncas, you might put it this was, that they were the foremost exponents of this War Dance which we call the ‘Haoska Society.’ When they came to this country (Oklahoma), they brought it with them and they had the four different organizations or lodges on the Ponca Reservation, and as time went on, the older ones died out. All the younger ones had went to school and came back. They never sought to perpetuate the dance at all. They just, it was neglected. It was forgotten from the time off, well, about 1919 or 1918”.... “The last War Lodge ceased to exist and from that time on, we did not have any ‘Haoska Society’ in the Ponca tribe.”
(Warrior, 1968, p. 8)
14. War Song
Ponca:
Wi-soN-thoN, she ta be
Wi-soN-thoN, she ta be
Wi-soN-thoN, she ta be
Wi-soN-thoN, she ta be, tho he tho
He-thu’-shka, wa-shu-she, she-noN
Wi-e ta thiN-he
Wi-soN-thoN, she ta be, tho he tho
(Fletcher & LaFlesche, 1911, p. 474)
English Translation:
My dear younger brother, you shall cry.
My dear younger brother, you shall cry.
My dear younger brother, you shall cry.
My dear younger brother, you shall cry.
Hethuska, a brave warrior of.
So shall I be.
My dear younger brother, you shall cry.
Commentary:
“This song sets forth the obligation that rested on the Hethu’shka as the protectors of the women of the tribe, who were spoken of collectively under the term, ‘sisters;’ this term is implied in the song. It is the women, the ‘sisters,’ who ‘cry’ to the ‘younger brothers.’ In the song the women are bidden to call on the younger brothers when danger threatens, the young and active men, ‘the younger brothers,’ those who were free from domestic responsibilities and at any moment could spring to the cry of sisters in trouble. The song tells who the younger brothers were to whom the sisters could always appeal when a foe came near—they were of the brave Hethu’shka, who were in duty bound to be ready at all times to guard the women and children of the tribe."
(Fletcher & LaFlesche, 1911, p. 474)
15. War Song
Ponca:
O-ke-te, the shoN-ge we-ta noN-pa be
O-ke-te, the shoN-ge we-ta noN-pa be
O-ke-te, the shoN-ge we-ta noN-pa be, he ya i hi ya
ShoN-ge we-ta noN-pa be, yo ha ye oi
O-ke-te, the shoN-ge we-ta noN-pa be, he ya i hi ya
ShoN-ge we-ta noN-pa be, yo ha ye ya
(Warrior & Brown, 1967, p. 21)
English Translation:
The enemy, my horse they fear.
The enemy, my horse they fear.
The enemy, my horse they fear.
My horse they fear.
The enemy, my horse they fear.
My horse they fear.
Commentary:
“Okete means ‘other than a Ponca,’ a different tribe. ShoNge is a ‘horse’. Sometimes we don’t say our words like they do in the English. For instance, you say a fast horse, we say horse fast. So that’s the way we translate it. ‘The enemy, they are afraid of my horse’.”
(Warrior & Brown, 1967, p. 21)
16. War Song
Ponca:
Shu-pi-de the, tho uN-hay
Shu-pi-de the, tho uN-hay
Shu-pi-de the, tho uN-hay
Shu-pi-de the, tho uN-hay
Shu-pi-de the, tho uN-hay, yo hay ye oi
“MoN-chu Shke-ma,” shu-pi-de the, tho uN-hay
Shu-pi-de the, tho uN-hay
Shu-pi-de the, tho uN-hay, yo hay ye oi
(Warrior & Brown, 1967, p. 24)
English Translation:
When I came, you went away.
When I came, you went away.
When I came, you went away.
When I came, you went away.
When I came, you went away.
“-------- Grizzly Bear,” when I came, you went away.
When I came, you went away.
When I came, you went away.
Commentary:
“MoNchu Shkema, that’s a Siouan name. We don’t know what it means. The only part we know is MoNchu, that means (Grizzly) Bear. Our language is similar. Don’t know if it’s Spotted Bear or Black Bear, it’s a Siouan name. When this man arrived on the scene of the battle, this Sioux ran away.”
(Warrior & Brown, 1967, p. 24)
17. War Song
Ponca:
Shay the, Wa-koN’-da i ba-hoN-de the
Shay the, Wa-koN’-da i ba-hoN-de the
Shay the, Wa-koN’-da i ba-hoN-de the
Shay the, Wa-koN’-da i ba-hoN-de the
Shay the, Wa-koN’-da i ba-hoN-de the
Shay the, Wa-koN’-da i ba-hoN-de the, yo he ye oi
“He-xa’-ga-ska,” Wa-koN’-da i ba-hoN-de the
Shay the, Wa-koN’-da i ba-hoN-de the, yo he ye ya
(Warrior & Brown, 1967, p. 25)
English Translation:
That person, with God he is known.
That person, with God he is known.
That person, with God he is known.
That person, with God he is known.
That person, with God he is known.
That person, with God he is known.
“Rough White Horn,” with God he is known.
That person, with God he is known.
Commentary:
“Shay the, Wa-koN-da i ba-hoN-de the, meaning ‘that man is known by God,’ in that he was successful in whatever he did. Meaning God had helped him in whatever he did. Hexa’gaska, ‘Rough White Horn,’ that was his name.
(Warrior & Brown, 1967, p. 25)
Commentary:
Title of this song is listed as, “Praise of Rough-White-Horn.” The words are shown translated as, “God is aquainted with him. Rough White Horn, God knows.”
(Howard, no date, p. 5)
Commentary:
“War Dance Songs of the Ponca, Volume 1, Side 2, Song 15”
18. War Song
Ponca:
MoN-zhoN, shoN-ge-te tho
MoN-zhoN, shoN-ge-te tho he tho
HoN-thiN-ge de, shoN-ge-te tho
MoN-zhoN, shoN-ge-te tho
MoN-zhoN, shoN-ge-te tho he tho
ShoN-ge-te tho he
(Fletcher & LaFlesche, 1911, p. 475)
English Translation:
The land, shall long endure.
The land, shall long endure.
When I am gone, shall long endure.
The land, shall long endure.
The land, shall long endure.
Shall long endure.
Commentary:
“This admonitory song was explained as follows: The natural fear of death that is in every individual sometimes so overpowers a man that in a time of danger he may loose self-control and abandon to their fate those whom he is in duty bound to protect. To drive away the fear of death and to vitalize the courage so necessary to a man who by nature and by tribal law is obligated to protect his family and the families of the tribe, the example of men who had hazarded their lives in the performance of duty was held up by the society; the members were persistently taught that man’s life is transitory, and being so it is useless to harbor the fear of death, for death must come sooner of later to everybody; man and all living creatures come into existence, pass on, and are gone, while the mountains and rivers remain ever the same—these alone of all visible things abide unchanged. The song represents the Hethu’shka as saying: ‘I shall vanish and be no more but the land over which I now roam shall remain and change not’.”
(Fletcher & LaFlesche, 1911, p. 475)
19. War Song
Ponca:
Ka-ga, wi-gi-si-tha, thiN-he no
Wi-gi-si-tha, thiN-he no
“Wa-zhiN-ga”shti, thi-thiN-ge doN, wi-gi-si-tha, thiN-he no
Wa-koN-da da i, doN he-goN ta, thiN-he no
Ka-ga, the-thu, hoN-ba-ski-tha, thiN-he no
Wi-gi-si-tha, thiN-he no
“Wa-zhiN’-ga”shti, thi-thiN-ge doN, wi-gi-si-tha, thiN-he no
Wa-koN-da da i, doN he-goN ta, thiN-he no
Ka-ga, the-thu, hoN-ba-ski-tha, thiN-he no
Wi-gi-si-tha, thiN-he no
(Fletcher & LaFlesche, 1911, p. 477)
English Translation:
Friend, I remember you who are mine, as life passes.
I remember you who are mine, as life passes.
“Bird” you also, when you are no more, I remember you who are mine, as life passes.
They the thunder gods, when my acts conform, as life passes.
Friend, here, I am angry, as life passes.
I remember you who are mine, as life passes.
“Bird” you also, when you are no more, I remember you who are mine, as life passes.
They the thunder gods, when my acts conform, as life passes.
Friend, here, I am angry, as life passes.
I remember you who are mine, as life passes.
Commentary:
“The burden of this song is the remembrance by the Hethu’shka of comrades slain in battle and the strong desire for revenge stirred by such memories; but the men are reminded of the teaching that to the Thunder gods belongs the power to decree death and that man must conform his acts to the will of the gods even though his spirit chafes under the restraint. It is thought that the song is a very old one and that several names were used, one superseding another as the memory of the fallen hero faded. WazhiN’ga, who is mentioned in the song, was killed before the middle of the last century (before 1850).”
(Fletcher & LaFlesche, 1911, p. 477)
20. War Song
Ponca:
NoN-ge sha-i-e, wa-doM-ba-ga
NoN-ge sha-i-e, wa-doM-ba-ga
NoN-ge sha-i-e, wa-doM-ba-ga
NoN-ge sha-i-e, wa-doM-ba-ga
He-thu-ska wa-shu-she, yo he ye oi
“MoN-chu ToN-ga,” ha noN-ge sha-i-e, wa-doM-ba-ga
NoN-ge sha-i-e, wa-doM-ba-ga
He-thu-ska wa-shu-she, yo he ye oi
(Warrior & Brown, 1967, p. 26)
English Translation:
Comes running, see them.
Comes running, see them.
Comes running, see them.
Comes running, see them.
Hethuska are brave.
“Big Grizzly Bear,” comes running, see them.
Comes running, see them.
Hethuska are brave.
Commentary:
“Now this song says, noNge shaie wadoMbaga. NoNge means ‘run,’ shaie means ‘coming’. The horses are charging towards them. They call his name in the middle of the song, MoNchu ToNga, ‘Big (Grizzly) Bear’.”
(Warrior & Brown, 1967, p. 26)
21. War Song
Ponca:
Ha ni-ka-bthe, i shay tho
Ha ni-ka-bthe, i shay tho
Ha ni-ka-bthe, i shay tho
Ha ni-ka-bthe, i shay the
A-cha-tho, i shay tho
Ha ni-ka-bthe, i shay the, yo he ye oi
“MoN-chu Ske-ma,” i ka-ga-ma the, i shay tho
A-cha-tho, i shay tho
Ha ni-ka-bthe, i shay the, yo he ye ya
(Warrior & Brown, 1967, p. 30)
English Translation:
Going to be a chief, you said.
Going to be a chief, you said.
Going to be a chief, you said.
Going to be a chief, you said.
-------- , you said.
Going to be a chief, you said.
“------ Grizzly Bear,” he was my friend, you said.
-------- , you said.
Going to be a chief, you said.
Commentary:
“Ha ni-ka-bthe, i shay tho, ‘I’m going to be a chief’. Let me give you the story behind this song. There was a young Sioux who was taken captive among the Poncas and finally became a young man. Every now and then he’d be missing. Evidently someone had told him that he was a captive among the Poncas and that he was a Sioux. So he’d go back to the Sioux. One time when the Siouxs raided the Poncas, someone spotted him. So the next time the Siouxs raided again, they singled him out and they recaptured him, and when they recaptured him, he begged for mercy. He said, ‘When I get back to the Siouxs, if you’ll pity me, spare my life.’ He said, ‘When I get back to the Siouxs, they are going to put me in the place of my father in the council of chiefs.’ But the Ponca didn’t spare his life, they killed him. They song goes on to say, MoNchu Skema, that’s his name, but we don’t know what it means. I ka-ga-ma the, i shay tho, ‘you said he was my friend’. A-cha-tho, that’s a Siouan word which we can’t translate. I shay, ‘that’s what you said,’ ‘that you were my friend,’ meaning that after he professed friendship with the Poncas, he had been in war parties against the Poncas and they captured him. That’s how the song was made, for that man.”
(Warrior & Brown, 1967, p. 30)
22. War Song
Ponca:
I-xa bu-wa the
I-xa bu-wa the
I-xa bu-wa the
I-xa bu-wa the
I-xa bu-wa the
I-xa bu-wa the
“Wa-iN Xu-de,” i-xa bu-wa the, hoN-ba-ski the, yo he oi
I-xa bu-wa the
I-xa bu-wa the
“Wa-iN Xu-de,” i-xa bu-wa the, hoN-ba-ski the, yo he oi
(Warrior & Brown, 1967, p. 31)
English Translation:
To laugh at me, those people, you caused.
To laugh at me, those people, you caused.
To laugh at me, those people, you caused.
To laugh at me, those people, you caused.
To laugh at me, those people, you caused.
To laugh at me, those people, you caused.
“Gray Blanket,” to laugh at me, those people, you caused.
To laugh at me, those people, you caused.
To laugh at me, those people, you caused.
“Gray Blanket,” to laugh at me, those people, you caused.
Commentary:
“Ixa buwa the, ‘you caused people to laugh at me’. It may have been that they weren’t successful in their fight. Perhaps the man that is mentioned here, Gray Blanket or Gray Robe was of a certain class of people there, or a certain part of the tribe. Evidently they had worn gray blankets, or it must have been robes. It’s way back there, that they wore whatever it was. He says to these people, he says, ‘that you caused those people to laugh at me’. I don’t know what it was, whether it was in a battle, or it might have been a personal incident or something like that, but that’s what the words are.”
(Warrior & Brown, 1967, p. 31)
Commentary:
“Before the 1877 Removal split the tribe into Northern and Southern Ponca, there were two important bands or village groups among the Ponca in Nebraska. The first of these was the Wai’xude or ‘Gray Blanket’ band”.... “The name ‘Gray Blanket’ derived from the fact that this group was once issued white blankets by the Government. Worn in the dust of the prairies these blankets soon, apparently, took on a grayish cast.”
(Howard, 1965, p. 6)
23. War Song
Ponca:
Shay tho xa-ga noN-zhiN-ga
Shay tho xa-ga noN-zhiN-ga
Shay tho xa-ga noN-zhiN-ga
Shay tho xa-ga noN-zhiN-ga
Shay tho xa-ga noN-zhiN-ga, xa-ga noN-zhiN-ga
Shay tho xa-ga noN-zhiN-ga, yo he ye oi
Xa-ga noN-zhiN-ga, “Shay-doN Wa-ga-ge-zhey,” he wa-tha ke-tha
Xa-ga noN-zhiN-ga
Shay tho xa-ga noN-zhiN-ga, yo he ye ya
(Warrior & Brown, 1967, p. 32)
English Translation:
There weep standing.
There weep standing.
There weep standing.
There weep standing.
There weep standing, weep standing.
There weep standing.
Weep standing, “Shay-don Wa-ga-ge-zhey,” you made it so.
Weep standing.
There weep standing.
Commentary:
“Shay tho, ‘there’. Xaga noNzhiNga, ‘stand there and weep’. ShaydoN Wagagezhey, this is the last Siouan Chief and his war party that the Poncas annihilated a few years before moving the Poncas to Oklahoma Territory. ShaydoN Wagagezhey, you brought that upon yourself, shay tho xaga noNzhiNga, ‘stand there and weep’ you brought that upon yourself. In that way the Ponca sent scouts out to track him down and annihilate his war party.”
(Warrior & Brown, 1967, p. 32)
24. War Song
Ponca:
Pa-thiN toN the tha xa-ga
Pa-thiN toN the tha xa-ga
Pa-thiN toN the tha xa-ga
Pa-thiN toN the tha xa-ga
Pa-thiN toN the tha xa-ga, yo ha ye ya
Wa pa-thiN toN the tha xa-ga
Pa-thiN toN the tha xa-ga
Pa-thiN toN the tha xa-ga, yo ha ye ya
(Warrior & Brown, 1967, p. 33)
English Translation:
Pawnee flees crying.
Pawnee flees crying.
Pawnee flees crying.
Pawnee flees crying.
Pawnee flees crying.
Pawnee man flees crying.
Pawnee flees crying.
Pawnee flees crying.
Commentary:
“This is a song composed when they (Ponca) had a fight with the Pawnee. There was a straggler. Evidently they knocked him off his horse. He got up and started running, he was running for his life. He lost his horse and was trying to get away running.”
(Warrior & Brown, 1967, p. 33)
Commentary:
Title of this song is listed as, “The Pawnees Flee, Weeping.” The words are shown translated as, “The Pawnees flee weeping.”
(Howard, no date, p. 5)
Commentary:
“The translation for this one goes, ‘That little Pawnee boy was crying, running, trying to save his life’.”
(Brown, 1971)
Commentary:
“War Dance Songs of the Ponca, Volume 1, Side 2, Song 16”
25. War Song
Ponca:
(vocables in first part of song)
He-thu-ska, te Wa-koN-da ka-ga-xa be
A-ho shoN ha the, yo he ye
(Warrior & Brown, 1967, p. 35)
English Translation:
(vocables in first part of song)
Hethuska, it was God who made this.
Now it is completed.
Commentary:
“‘Hethuska, God made this for us,’ that’s what it says. ‘God made this way for us.’”
(Warrior & Brown, 1967, p. 35)
Commentary:
Title of this song is listed as, “Divine Origin of the Hethuska Society.” The words are shown translated as, “It was God who fashioned the Hethuska, now it is completed.”
(Howard, no date, p. 5)
Commentary:
“WakoN’da is not a modern term and does not lend itself to verbal analysis. The word wanoN’xe means ‘spirit’. The ideas expressed in the words wakoN’da and wanoN’xe are distinct and have nothing in common. There is therefore no propriety in speaking of WakoN’da as ‘the great spirit.’ Equally improper would it be to regard the term as a synonym of nature, or of an objective god, a being apart from nature.”....“WakoN’da stands for the mysterious life power permeating all natural forms and forces and all phases of man’s conscious life.”...“The Wakon’da addressed in the tribal prayer and in the tribal religious ceremonies which pertain to the welfare of all the people is the WakoN’da that is the permeating life of visible nature—an invisible life and power that reaches everywhere and everything, and can be appealed to by man to send him help.”...“Personal prayers were addressed directly to WakoN’da. A man would take a pipe and go alone to the hills; there he would silently offer smoke”...“This form of prayer (made only by men) was called Niniba-ha (niniba, ‘pipe’), ‘addressing with the pipe’.”
(Fletcher & LaFlesche, 1911, pp. 597-599)
Commentary:
“War Dance Songs of the Ponca, Volume 1, Side 2, Song 14”
26. War Song
Ponca:
Wa-koN-da a-moN-thiN be, yo ha ya
Wa-koN-da a-moN-thiN be, yo ha ya
Wa-koN-da a-moN-thiN be, yo ha ya
Wa-koN-da a-moN-thiN be, yo ha ya
Wa-koN-da a-moN-thiN be, yo ha ya oi
Da-di-ha tha, Wa-koN-da tha-o e be, yo ha
Wa-koN-da a-moN-thiN be, yo ha ya
Wa-koN-da a-moN-thiN be, yo ha ya ya
(Warrior & Brown, 1967, p. 36)
English Translation:
God’s way of life he lived.
God’s way of life he lived.
God’s way of life he lived.
God’s way of life he lived.
God’s way of life he lived.
Like a father, God is.
God’s way of life he lived.
God’s way of life he lived.
Commentary:
“There were several of these dances, but it happened that this one (the Hethuska Society dance) was one of the most outstanding, due to the fact that most of the members were outstanding members of the tribe, and a lot of the songs pertaining to this dance were sung in honor of these men who were members of this organization."
(Warrior, 1968, p. 2)
Commentary:
“WakoNda, ‘God,’ amoNthiN, refers to ‘the way of life he lived’. Dadiha, ‘father,’ ‘father God’.”
(Warrior & Brown, 1967, p. 36)
27. War Song
Ponca:
E le ga-xa be Wa-koN-da, ga-xa be
E le ga-xa be Wa-koN-da, ga-xa be, yo he ye
E le ga-xa be Wa-koN-da, ga-xa be
MoN-zhiN moN-li lo me, yo he ye oi
“Sha-ge shu-ga,” Wa-koN-da, ga-xa be
Wa-koN-da, ga-xa be
MoN-zhiN moN-li lo me, yo he ye yo
(Charles, 1987, p. 33)
English Translation:
His way was made by God, his way made.
His way was made by God, his way made.
His way was made by God, his way made.
Walking by the one up above.
“Thick Claws,” God, his way made.
God, his way made.
Walking by the one up above.
Commentary:
“The Ponca Tribe - Personal Names - Thi’xida Gens - Traveling Buffalo’s Band - Male: Sha’geshuga – ‘Thick Claws’.”
(Fletcher & LaFlesche, 1911, p. 53)
28. War Song
Ponca:
A-wa-ki noN-shko-na la
A-wa-ki noN-shko-na la
A-wa-ki noN-shko-na la
A-wa-ki noN-shko-na la
“SiN-te Gle-shka,” ha noN-cu-le-ga zhu-wa-gla igla
Da-ha-wa-ge ga-ma zha-ma no-i, ha ya hi ya
MaN-zi u-wa-la ge shko-na "ShoN-zhiN-ga" la la
"ShoN-zhiN-ga" da-ha-wa-ge gli-za-ga
(Charles, 1987, p. 34)
English Translation:
Do you want to fight me?
Do you want to fight me?
Do you want to fight me?
Do you want to fight me?
“Spotted Tail,” hurry and come with your group.
Get your shield, I’m not afraid of you.
Over these yellow cliffs, to fight me, "Little Horse."
"Little Horse" get your shield and prepare.
Commentary:
“Awaki nonshokona, ‘do you want to fight me’? Sinte Gleshka, we happen to know that word. It’s the name of a Siouan war leader. It means, ‘Spotted Tail,’ Sinte Gleshka. Nonculega zhuwagla igla, ‘hurry and come with your group’ to fight. ‘I’m not afraid of you’. Manzi uwala ge shkona shonzhinga dahawage glizaga, ‘do you want to fight over these yellow cliffs’? Shonzhinga, ‘young Sioux,’ dahawagle glizaga, ‘get your shield, prepare’ to fight. Of course it doesn’t actually say all that, but that’s what it means.”
(Warrior & Brown, 1974, p. 48)
Commentary:
“My favorite translation is one that concerns a Ponca war party and a group of Lakota led by Spotted Tail. The meaning of this particular song says this: The two groups encounter each other and begin preparations to fight. The Poncas call out to Spotted Tail, who had obviously been calling insults, ‘Hurry! And come with your group Spotted Tail, we’re not afraid of you.’ Then it seems one of the Ponca men spots a young Sioux warrior and wants to test his courage. The Ponca taunts the boy by calling out, ‘Young Sioux! Get your shield and prepare to fight.’ The song mentions the ‘yellow cliffs’ which are located in the northeastern part of Nebraska near the South Dakota border. It seems that whoever controlled these cliffs used them as a sentinel post and could maintain control of a vast area by executing surprise attacks on any intruders.”
(Stewart, 1975, p. 15)
29. War Song
Ponca:
Ga-hi-tha-ma de-uN-thoN-ge, i-tha-ma
Ga-hi-tha-ma de-uN-thoN-ge, i-tha-ma, tho he tho-i
De-uN-thoN-ge, i-tha-ma
A-zhoN mi-ki-de pa-nu-hu wiN-a me, tho he the
U-mba i-da, u-gtha i-tha-me, tho he tho
(Fletcher & LaFlesche, 1911, p. 478)
English Translation:
Far away they are saying something to me, they send.
Far away they are saying something to me, they send.
They are saying something to me, they send.
I lay where owl one speaks.
Morning comes, shout directed toward one.
Commentary:
“The song may refer to the time when the Omaha (including the Ponca) were a forest people; it preserves the memory of a timely discovery by which disaster was averted and a victory won. The story runs as follows: The Omaha were camped in a forest. One dark night a warrior was awakened by the hooting of an owl. He was an observant man, familiar with the cries of birds and the sounds made by animals. As he listened he heard answering hoots in the distance. He thought the sounds not genuine, but imitations probably made by men. He arose silently, slung his quiver over his shoulder, took his bow and crept among the trees. At a distance from the camp he detected signs of men—enemies. He stealthily made his way back and awakened the sleeping warriors of the tribe, who at once made themselves ready for defense. At daybreak the enemy rushed from all sides on the Omaha camp but the men were prepared and met the onslaught so successfully that few of their foes escaped. The song commemorates the alertness of the man whose ear was trained to know the calls and cries of birds and holds him up as an example.”
(Fletcher & LaFlesche, 1911, p. 478)
continued...
by Jonathan Holmes
According to Ponca elder Henry Snake, the original form of the Ponca Hethuska dance ceremony took four days to complete. (Recorded Interview, Henry Snake, 1977)
In addition, Tyronne Stewart notes,
“The Poncas used to dance for four days, but due to not having a permanent arbor, have not continued the practice. The Osages dance four days and a parallel can be drawn by observing their dance.” (Stewart, 1975, p. 14)
On each of these four days there would be a particular group of songs which were sung in a particular order. Over the years, many of these songs have been lost, or the song’s exact meanings are lost. This chapter will attempt to put into perspective the order, usage and best known translations of the songs which are used during the Ponca Hethuska dance ceremony, which is today condensed into a one day ceremony with two dance sessions.The Ponca language has undergone many changes since some of the songs were originally composed.
According to Sylvester Warrior, the Ponca Hethuska Headman from 1958 till his death in 1973 stated,
“The war dance songs that we sing today are very old. No one knows how old they are, but if you’ll notice that a lot of our songs have words in them. They are actually warrior songs. There is a story to each song. A lot of our songs pertain to the ancient enemy of the Ponca. The Sioux (Lakota), the Pawnee. These songs are composed way before the time that the Poncas were moved from their homes back in 1877. It tells about our experiences, hand-to-hand combat and the tales of the songs. Some of them are composed acknowledging the presence of the buffalo and the horse, as well as taking trophies of war from their enemies. And it also has stories of the songs. Of being challenged to duels by other tribes. And all the songs are old, very old. No one knows who composed these songs.”
(Warrior, 1967, p. 9)
Some words that were used in older songs, composed as Sylvester Warrior has suggested, prior to 1877, have obscure or unknown meanings to present day Ponca people, in a similar way that obscure Shakespearean English may compare to modern day English language. For the most part, in spite of their age, the songs of the Ponca Hethuska evokes strong and varied emotions with instant recognition among present day Ponca people, just as patriotic songs or special occasion songs such as “The Star Spangled Banner”, “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” or “Taps” evoke a strong emotions from many Americans in general.
It has been said that the history of the Ponca people is preserved in the words of the Hethuska songs. Though many of the word songs have very few words in them, the singers have preserved the stories behind the key words, passing on these oral stories to younger generations of singers or interested individuals.
Concerning the early historical value of the Omaha-Ponca Hethuska songs, Fletcher and LaFlesche state,
“The songs of the Hethu’shka are of much interest musically and they also have an historic value. It was a rule of the society that when a member performed a brave deed the society was the authority to decide whether the name of the doer and the record of his deed should be preserved in song. No one would dare to have a song composed in his honor without this consent. When consent was given, the song was composed, learned by the members and then became a part of the record of the Hethu’shka society. In rendering such a song, when that part was reached where the warrior’s name was mentioned the drum was not struck, that the name might be the more distinctly heard.”
“The words of the songs of the Hethu’shka were never intended to be complete in themselves, being for the sole purpose of recalling the incident or story which the song commemorated. Frequently a single word referred to a known tribal ceremony or recalled a teaching or precept, so that to the Omaha the word was replete with meaning and significance. For this reason a literal translation of the songs can not be made intelligible to an English reader; moreover, an attempt to make them thus intelligible would take from, rather than unfold, the meaning of the original and would rob the words of their native sense and dignity.”
“The songs of the Hethu’shka society number a hundred or more, each one commemorating some historical incident or bringing to mind the duties that devolved on the warrior members. Some of the songs reveal the ideals held up to inspire the conduct of the warriors. Although the songs belonged to the society, they were not restricted to the membership, non-members also being permitted to use them. By this custom, the teachings set forth in the songs spread beyond the membership and so tended to enforce the Hethu’shka standards of conduct throughout the tribe.”
(Fletcher & LaFlesche, 1911, pp. 469-470)
During a traditional four day Hethuska dance ceremony, two dance sessions per day were held, usually one in the afternoon and one in the evening.
On the first day of the four day dance ceremony a prayer said by the Headman or an appointed elder would begin the ceremony followed by the Starting Song. During this song the dancers remain seated, though quiet and alert.
Next, four to six Calling Songs or songs calling the warriors to gather and Prayer songs talking about the relationship between God and the Hethuska warriors, were sung in slow and deliberate form and were danced to in an almost melancholy fashion. The slow songs are sung first, their tempo ranging from slow to medium and with each dance session, the tempo increases.
The drum then continued with War Songs, the largest group of songs sung in the dance ceremony. War Songs fall into two categories, word songs and vocable songs. Word songs describe the brave acts of particular individuals mentioned by name; the hard times a Headman had in leading his warriors; or the victories of the Ponca in particular battles with various enemies. Vocable songs, or also referred to as Dream songs, are said to have been “given” to particular Ponca warriors in dreams or visions to help them become victorious in battle. When a Dream song “worked,” many times the warrior would give the song to the Hethuska Society to be sung at the dance ceremony when a dance pantomime was done to act out how the events of the warrior’s success in battle had taken place. From that time on, the song was sung as part of the normal sequence of the ceremony to give inspiration and power to the group. (Personal Interview, Harry Buffalohead, 1985)
Vocable songs were described by Sylvester Warrior in the following way,
“And then we have songs that don’t have any tunes. These kind of songs, we are told, way back there, that men had dreamed these songs or had a vision in which these songs came to them. Sometimes by various native animals in our country, here at that time”...“Since they came that way, in that manner, they are still good to us today as they were to our people a hundred, maybe two hundred years back.”
(Warrior, 1967, p. 10)
The War Songs were sung during the first day and most of the second day of dancing. As the War Songs are sung, they would get progressively faster in tempo with each song. The dancers respond by dancing with greater enthusiasm and more intricate body movements. Usually there were 12 to 16 songs in a set of songs. Each set of songs was followed by a water break, and during each dance session, there was usually four sets of songs.
There are many names attributed to the next group of songs sung after the War Songs, usually sung by the evening of the second day. They have been referred to as Charging Songs, Ruffle Songs, Roll-the-Drum Songs and Thunder Songs. These songs, which I will refer to as Charging Songs, have two distinct parts to them with the dancers responding accordingly. The beginning of each song would have load vigorous drum beats with occasional loud single raps of the drum. This is referred to as the “rolling of the thunder” on the drum. Traditionally the Ponca believed “Thunder Beings,” or powerful spirits which cause and control thunderstorms, especially the sound of the thunder associated with the storms, are being imitated during the rolling drum beats. It was also believed that their spiritual power could be pulled down through the drum and sent into the spirits of the dancers to give them strength and courage. (Buffalohead, 1985)
During this beginning segment of rolling the drum in the Charging Songs, the dancers danced in place facing the drum, while shaking their bells and making body movements imitating the preparation to charge an enemy. After a signal from the drum, the drumbeat changed to a fast dance tempo and the dancers began slowly dancing toward the drum. The advancement stopped when the drum again rolled the thunder beats and the dancers responded by dancing in place were they stopped, still facing the drum in the center of the dance circle. This process was repeated four times throughout the song. On the fourth time, the dancers advanced to the drum and spun off dancing clockwise around the drum for the rest of the song. This dancing action in two parts was repeated for each Charging Song sung. It has been said that this group of Charging Songs would re-enact the courage of Ponca warriors who would charge the enemy and become victorious. (Conklin, 1985)
Today, these Charging Songs have become popular at Pow-Wows throughout the Southern Plains as contest songs where young men ruffle the feathers of their fancy dance outfits and show off their dancing skill for the judges. In the Northern Plains, especially among the Lakota, these types of songs are considered Veteran Songs and the dancing has been referred to as the “Sneak-Up Dance.”
On the third day of the Hethuska dance ceremony the group of songs collectively referred to as the Committee Songs were sung. These are a group of songs which honored the leaders and individuals who held appointed positions of responsibility within the Hethuska Society. Today these Honoring Songs include songs to honor the Headman, the men of the Committee, the Whipman, the Cook and the Lady Singers. According to Ponca Crier Issac Williams, at one time there were songs in honor of the Tail Dancers and the Water Carriers, but these have been lost and are no longer in use. (Williams, 1985)
In addition to the Committee Songs, other honoring songs in modern times will sometimes be included upon request, such as a song in honor of the individual(s) who provided the food for an evening feast; a song in honor of children and songs in honor of particular individuals by name. With the completion of each honoring song, there is usually time allowed for the honoree to give away gifts in recognition and in thanks for the honor given them by the song being sung on their behalf, before the next song begins. It should be noted that long ago, there were songs sung in honor of various significant parts of the Hethuska dance clothes, such as the “Crow” or feathered dance bustle, and the hair roach headdress.
In addition, there were songs sung in honor of articles which belonged to the Society as a group, such as the Prayer Pipes, Crooked Coup Sticks and War Whistles. These honor songs are no longer sung by choice as the original articles for which they were composed are lost, or the songs themselves have been lost as singers have passed on, taking the knowledge of the songs with them. (Williams, 1985)
The Smoke Song is one of the few remaining honor songs from long ago which is still in use today. According to Tyronne Stewart,
“The old Hethuska society included songs composed in honor of the Bustle, Whistle, and also a ‘Smoke Song’ that was sung during the passing of the pipe around the semi-circle”...“Mr. Warrior resurrected ‘The Smoke Song,’ and while it is being sung the dancers remain seated and smoke cigarettes. The ‘Smoke Song’ is usually sung before a water break.”
(Stewart, 1975, p. 15)
Following the Committee Songs and other honoring songs are a group of songs called Trot Songs traditionally sung on the third night. Although they sound similar, these songs should not be confused with so-called Horse Stealing Songs popular at some of today’s Southern Plains Pow-Wows, especially among the Kiowa. The Trot Dance is primarily associated with only the Ponca and Osage tribes in Oklahoma. As a matter of fact, concerning the Osage Trot Dance tradition, Alice Callahan writes,
“The trot songs originally came from an old Osage ceremony of mourning which is no longer performed”...“In this celebration of death the Osages, dressed in their traditional dress, each with a horse and standing four abreast, would dance in place as they sang the trot songs.”
(Callahan, 1991, p. 90)
Among the Ponca, the Trot Songs are said to have been composed in honor of Ponca warriors wounded or killed in battle and refers to the bravery of the warrior and his companions. In his article titled “Trot Dance Songs,” which appeared in the 1970 issue of the St. Charles Pow-Wow Brochure G.J. Gondeck writes,
“It has been said that the Trot Dance Songs were sung in unison by the battle-weary warriors as they returned to their original encampment; that, as they approached the camp area, the horses and riders were brought into alignment; and that the prancing of the horses, along with the rhythm of the Songs presented a sight to behold. According to the knowledge on hand, only four of the Trot Dance Songs have been preserved, and these are sung in a certain sequence. The style of the accompanying Dance can best be described as being similar to the trotting action of the horse or of a runner.”
(Gondeck, 1970)
The songs which immediately follow the Trot Songs are referred to as the Tip-Toe or the NoN-sta-pi-waN Songs. These songs are slower in tempo, but with a similar rhythm as the Trot Songs. The Tip-Toe Songs are all vocable songs in contrast to the Trot Songs which are all word songs. NoN-sta-pi-waN, the Ponca word for “tip-toe” or “to walk softly,” refers to the action of Ponca warriors approaching an enemy or enemy encampment, being as silent and stealthy as possible to avoid detection. According to Sylvester Warrior when speaking of this group of songs he stated,
“...and then we have another dance which a man dances on their toes, on their tip toes.”
(Warrior, 1967, p. 11)
After the Tip-Toe Songs, before the Hethuska dance ceremony ends, there is usually a solemn time in which Memorial Songs are sung. These songs are usually sung at the request of a family member of the deceased, in honor of an individual who has passed away recently or many years ago. The only people to dance on these songs are the family members or family descendants of the individual for whom the song is being sung.
Today, the Ponca now sing a Vietnam Veterans Memorial Song composed by Sylvester Warrior, Lamont Brown and Harry Buffalohead toward the end of the dance ceremony. As in other Memorial Songs, the Ponca Vietnam Veterans Memorial Song was composed to honor those men killed in the Vietnam War and is not danced to.
While the dancers are quiet and thoughtful, the Headman will usually say a closing prayer and ask that the Quitting Song be sung to end the dance ceremony. During the Quitting Song the dancers do not dance, but instead rise, and after the second verse, follow the Whipman as he leads the dancers single file out of the dance circle.
Today, the Ponca dance the songs of the Hethuska Society twice a year, usually in April and October, on or near the Ponca Tribal center at White Eagle, Oklahoma. During a one day condensed version of the traditional four day event, the dance ceremony is split into two dance sessions, one in the afternoon and one in the evening with a feast in between which feeds all dancers, singers and spectators. Each dance session is divided into four sets of songs with a water break after the first, second and third sets.
In contrast, the three villages of Osage at Grayhorse, Pawhuska and Hominy, Oklahoma, each have their own Inlonshka dance ceremony organizations. These three organizations all have their dance ceremonies once a year in June over the course of four days.
The following passages are a segment of some of the word songs used during the Ponca Hethuska dance ceremony. The author has cross referenced the translations and commentaries from a variety of Ponca oral history, ethnographic and linguistic sources to provide the reader the best possible understanding of the song’s original content and the implied meaning. Frequently, as has been stated previously in this work, the nature of Ponca songs are such that literal translations of the words are sometimes obscure at best. The words or phrases used can allude to stories or events that were at one time, in no need of explanation to the members of the tribe.
However, through the efforts of Ponca singers who have not only preserved the songs, but have also passed on to each succeeding generation of singers the oral history and interpretive meanings of the songs, we can gain a better understanding of these songs. Therefore, for this illustration the author will present a small selection of known Ponca Hethuska songs in three parts. First shown will be the Ponca language words of the song, followed by the literal translations from documented sources. Lastly, the author will include documented commentaries on the meanings or stories implied by the words.
1. Ponca Flag Song
Ponca:
(vocables in first part of song)
NoN-zhiN-ga ha-ska-tha, i-noN te-xie the moN-zhoN, the tho de
(Warrior & Brown, 1967, p. 1)
English Translation:
(vocables in first part of song)
Pure flag stands, we glorify in this land.
Commentary:
“This song was dedicated to the American Flag—A song which is equivalent to the National Anthem. The words in it say: ‘The flag, we glorify in this land’.”
(Warrior and Brown, 1967, p. 1)
2. Starting Song
Ponca:
(vocables in first part of song)
He-thu-ska, ha-ska tha, doM-ba-ga
(Warrior & Brown, 1967, p. 2)
English Translation:
(vocables in first part of song)
Hethuska, the pure flag, behold it.
Commentary:
“This song is the opening song of the Hethuska Society, which is known as War Dance. It has the words which say for the men members of the organization, ‘Behold the flag’.”
(Warrior & Brown, 1967, p. 2)
Commentary:
“In those days, they didn’t have no automobile, no telephones to get around. People would go about on reservations and they see a flag up. That flag meant something. They say that organization is going to have a dance. That’s the way. It’s just like the white man says, it’s a smoke signal. Now that’s just the way our flag was.”
(Brown, 1968, p. 3)
Commentary:
“This song, with other words, was formerly the personal song of *Birdhead, the Northern Ponca Chief. Present text was substituted following WWI (World War I). At Ponca dances, no one dances to this song.”
(Howard, no date, p. 1)
Commentary:
“War Dance Songs of the Ponca, Volume 1, Side 1, Song 1”
Author’s note:
The name Birdhead or Wa-zhiN’-ga-pa makes reference to the Pileated Woodpecker head used to decorate the two Pipes used in the Wa’-waN ceremony. (see Fletcher & LaFlesche, 1911, p. 376)
3. War Song
Ponca:
He-thu-ska, ta za-ni noN-zhiN tho be yo ha
He-thu-ska, ta za-ni noN-zhiN tho be yo ha
He-thu-ska, ta za-ni noN-zhiN tho be
Za-ni noN-zhiN. Tho be He-thu-ska, ma za-ni noN-zhiN tho be
He-thu-ska, ta za-ni noN-zhiN tho be yo ha ya oi
He-thu-ska, ta za-ni noN-zhiN tho be
Za-ni noN-zhiN. Tho be He-thu-ska, ma za-ni noN-zhiN tho be
He-thu-ska, ta za-ni noN-zhiN tho be yo ha ya ya
(Warrior & Brown, 1967, p. 12)
English Translation:
Hethuska, all stand.
Hethuska, all stand.
Hethuska, all stand.
All stand. Hethuska, all stand.
Hethuska, all stand.
Hethuska, all stand.
All stand. Hethuska, all stand.
Hethuska, all stand.
Commentary:
“This song says here, Hethuska, that means the ‘War Dance’. Zani nonzhin, zani means ‘all,’ nonzhin means ‘arise’. He is telling them all to arise and dance.”
(Warrior & Brown, 1967, p. 12)
4. War Song
Ponca:
U-ha shu-bthe moN-she, noN-zhiN-ga
U-ha shu-bthe moN-she, noN-zhiN-ga
MoN gtha-u the ha a-doM-ba-ga moN-she, noN-zhiN-ga
U-ha shu-bthe moN-she, noN-zhiN-ga, yo ha ya oi
She the, moN gtha-u the ha a-doM-ba-ga moN-she, noN-zhiN-ga
U-ha shu-bthe moN-she, noN-zhiN-ga
(Warrior & Brown, 1967, p. 3)
English Translation:
Walking a path I am coming, stand aside.
Walking a path I am coming, stand aside.
Even chiefs behold me walking a path, stand aside.
Walking a path I am coming, stand aside.
Elder brother, even chiefs behold me walking a path, stand aside.
Walking a path I am coming, stand aside.
Commentary:
“This song is said to be in reference to the bringing of the tribal pipes to the camp circle.”
(Warrior & Brown, 1967, p. 3)
Commentary:
“This song pertains to the processional of the leaders of the old time War Dance society.”
(Warrior & Brown, 1967, p. 3)
Commentary:
Title of this song is listed as, “Bearer of the War Pipe.” The words are shown translated as, “The path I travel, stand aside. Even Chiefs behold. Stand aside from it, the path I travel. Elder brother, even Chiefs behold.”
(Howard, no date, p. 3)
Commentary:
“War Dance Songs of the Ponca, Volume 1, Side 1, Song 8”
5. War Song
Ponca:
She-thu i ba uN-woN ne-a-ma
She-thu i ba uN-woN ne-a-ma, tho he
Ha-i-ba she-thu i ba uN-woN ne-a-ma, tho he tho-e
U’-moN-hoN, thiN a-wa-thiN iN-thiN-ge
She-a i ba doN the-thu a-noN-zi-a tha
Du-da i ge, tho he tho
(Fletcher & LaFlesche, 1911, p. 473)
English Translation:
Over there, men coming, searching for me.
Over there, men coming, searching for me.
They are coming, over there, men coming, searching for me.
The Omaha, where is he, they are saying of me.
Over there they come, here I stand.
Come this way.
Commentary:
“In this song the Hethu’shka personifies the tribe. The enemy is pictured as advancing from all sides, angrily calling: ‘Where are the Omaha?’ The Hethu’shka, the men in whom ‘the fear of death has been dispelled,’ shout back as one voice: ‘Here I stand; come hither!’ While the song is defiant, there is also in it the note of tribal unity as against enemies.”
(Fletcher & LaFlesche, 1911, p. 473)
Commentary:
“He’s saying here in this song, that ‘those’, meaning the Sioux, ‘are looking for me, here I stand, come over this way’. Meaning that they would find him wherever he was standing.”
(Warrior & Brown, 1967, p. 4)
Commentary:
Title of this song is listed as, “I am the One the Enemy Seeks.” The words are shown translated as, “That man is searching for me. Enemy tribes are searching for me. Come here, here I am.”.... “Song refers to Little Bear, a Ponca.”
(Howard, no date, p. 3)
Commentary:
“War Dance Songs of the Ponca, Volume 1, Side 1, Song 7”
6. War Song
Ponca:
MoN-bthe-doN the a the te, doM-ba-ga
MoN-bthe-doN the a the te, doM-ba-ga
MoN-bthe-doN the a the te, doM-ba-ga
DoM-ba-ga moN-bthe-doN the a the te, doM-ba-be, yo ha ya oi
“I’-ba-hoN-bi,”we-bthe te pathiN zhiN-ga ki-de, tha the te
MoN-bthe-doN the a the te, doM-ba-be, yo ha ya ya
(Warrior & Brown, 1967, p. 6)
English Translation:
I have pulled my bow, behold.
I have pulled my bow, behold.
I have pulled my bow, behold.
Behold, I have pulled my bow, behold.
“He Is Known,” to shot a young Pawnee.
I have pulled my bow, behold.
Commentary:
“Now in this song, monbthedon the a te means that ‘I have pulled my bow and I shot a young Pawnee’. The name of the man is ‘The One That Is Known’. That was his name, ‘The One That Is Known’. ‘I’m the one that pulled my bow to shoot the young Pawnee’.”
(Warrior & Brown, 1967, p. 6)
Commentary:
“This song is telling of a man in battle wherein he says, ‘I pulled my bow and killed the enemy’.”
(Warrior & Brown, 1967, p. 6)
Commentary:
“I’bahoNbi.....I’bahoN, ‘to know’; bi, ‘he is’.....He Is Known. Refers to a chief’s son."
(Fletcher & LaFlesche, 1911, p. 190)
7. War Song
Ponca:
ZhiN-the, tha-hi-de tho he, tha-hi-de
ZhiN-the, tha-hi-de, zhiN-the, tha-hi-de
ZhiN-the, tha-hi-de, tho he the
Nu-doN-hoN-ga, tha-hi-de, tho he tho-e
Nu-doN-hoN-ga, i-sha-ga-ma i-a-ba
Wi-uN-wa-ka be tho
ZhiN-the, tha-hi-de, tho he the
Nu-doN-hoN-ga, tha-hi-de tho he tho-e
(Fletcher & LaFlesche, 1911, p. 471)
English Translation:
Elder brothers, I longingly wait, I longingly wait.
Elder brothers, I longingly wait, elder brothers, I longingly wait.
Elder brothers, I longingly wait.
War Leader, I longingly wait.
War Leader, old men, they spoke.
They refer to me.
Elder brothers, I longingly wait.
War Leader, I longingly wait.
Commentary:
“Elder brothers! I longingly wait [to share in the duties of the society]. Captains! The old men have spoken [of these duties]; their words now refer to me. Elder brothers! Captains! I longingly wait to take part in them [the duties].”
“This song enforced the bond of brotherhood which bound together the members of the Hethu’shka. There were two ways in which the relation of brother could be expressed in the Omaha language: ‘elder brother’ and ‘younger brother.’ In the song the newly admitted member speaks, addressing the members of the society as ‘elder brothers.’ As war honors were requisite for membership, those whom he addressed were all men or more or less distinction. In his form of address he not only recognizes this but also his own inclusion in the brotherhood and proclaims his eagerness to do his part in maintaining the honor of the society and to share in it’s duties. By calling his ‘elder brothers’ nudoNhoNga, ‘captains,’ he not only acknowledges their attainments but expresses his willingness to follow their leadership. In the second stanza he lays claim to share in the traditions of the society, that he may in his own career carry out the exhortations of the aged men whose words have been an inspiration to his ‘elder brothers’ and ‘captains’.”
(Fletcher & LaFlesche, 1911, p. 471)
8. War Song
Ponca:
Inda-di tha-de, moN-thiN-ge, tho he o the tho
Inda-di tha-de, moN-thiN-ga
Inda-di tha-de, moN-thiN-ge, tho he o the
Tha-de moN-thiN-ga
Inda-di, i-sha-ga-ma, thi-gi si-tha-me, tho he tho-e
Tha-de moN-thiN-ge, tho he the tho
“Wa-zhi-da-thiN” i-zhiN-ge, i-thiN-ga be tho
Inda-di tha-de, moN-thiN-ge, tho he the
Tha-de, moN-thiN-ga
Inda-di, i-sha-ga ma, thi-gi si-tha-me, tho he the tho
(Fletcher & LaFlesche, 1911, p. 479)
English Translation:
My father proclaim, walking by command.
My father proclaim, walking by command.
My father proclaim, walking by command.
Proclaim, walking by command.
My father, the aged men, they will remember you.
Proclaim, walking by command.
“Owns Something Red” his son, say of me.
My father proclaim, walking by command.
Proclaim, walking by command.
My father, the aged men, they will remember you.
Commentary:
“The words of the song are few and impossible to render literally. They are mnemonics merely but they serve to carry the memory of the act which the song commemorates. The song is said to be very old and has been handed down through many generations, an indication of the estimation placed on the teaching it sets forth-the unselfish regard for the fame of his father shown by the hero of the story and song. The account runs as follows: A young man, whose name, according to his expressed wish, is unknown, said to his comrades as he lay dying on the field of battle, where he had fought valiantly: ‘When you proclaim my death,’ referring to the custom of calling out the names of the slain when the war party returned to the village, ‘speak not my name, but that of my father. Say, “The son of Wazhi’dathiN is slain”.’ Having made this request, the young man spoke again but as if he were addressing his father. He said: ‘Father, in my death the aged men remember you!’ The aged men were historians, so to speak; they were the ones who treasured the memory of tribal incidents and passed them on to younger generations. By this act of the son he caused his father’s name to be held in remembrance, but at the same time his own act was such that he was held up to future generations as an example of filial regard.”
(Fletcher & LaFlesche, 1911, p. 479)
9. War Song
Ponca:
NoN-ge sha-i-e, wa-doM-ba-ga
NoN-ge sha-i-e, wa-doM-ba-ga
NoN-ge sha-i-e, wa-doM-ba-ga
NoN-ge sha-i-e, wa-doM-ba-ga
He-thu-ska wa-shu-she, yo he ye oi
“MoN-chu ToN-ga,” ha noN-ge sha-i-e wa-doM-ba-ga
NoN-ge sha-i-e wa-doM-ba-ga
He-thu-ska wa-shu-she, yo he ye ya
(Warrior & Brown, 1967, p. 26)
English Translation:
Comes running, behold them.
Comes running, behold them.
Comes running, behold them.
Comes running, behold them.
Hethuska are brave men.
“Big Grizzly Bear”, comes running, behold them.
Comes running, behold them.
Hethuska are brave men.
Commentary:
“Now this song says, noNge shaie wadombaga. NoNge means ‘run’. Shaie means ‘coming’. The horses are charging towards them. They call his name in the middle of the song, *moNchu toNga — Big Bear.”
(Warrior & Brown, 1967, p. 26)
Commentary:
Title of this song is listed as, “Enemy horses are running.” The words are shown translated as, “Four-leggeds are running, behold. The Hethuska are brave men. Big Bear is the one.”
(Howard, no date, p. 2)
Commentary:
“War Dance Songs of the Ponca, Volume 1, Side 1, Song 4”
Author's note:
The Ponca make a distinction in their language between the Black Bear and the Grizzly Bear. “Bear, black, Wasa’be” “Bear, grizzly, MoNchu’.”
(Fletcher & LaFlesche, 1911, p. 103)
10. War Song
Ponca:
Ko-tha nu-da, he tha, e thoM-be
Ko-tha nu-da, he tha, e thoM-be
Ko-tha nu-da, he tha, e thoM-be
Ko-tha nu-da, he tha, e thoM-be
Ko-tha nu-da, he tha, e thoM-be, yo ha ya oi
Pa-thaN-i-ki, ko-tha nuda, he tha, e thoM-be
Ko-tha nu-da, he tha, e thoM-be
Ko-tha nu-da, he tha, e thoM-be, yo ha ya ya
(Warrior & Brown, 1967, p. 10)
English Translation:
Friend in war, he has been, there he is.
Friend in war, he has been, there he is.
Friend in war, he has been, there he is.
Friend in war, he has been, there he is.
Friend in war, he has been, there he is.
PathaNike, friend in war, he has been, there he is.
Friend in war, he has been, there he is.
Friend in war, he has been, there he is.
Commentary:
“This song, he’s calling his friend, he had gone on the war path. At the beginning of the second part, PathaNike, that we don’t know. It’s an ancient word which we have never learned as to what it means. But the first two words is kotha nuda he tha, it means ‘friend had been on the war path’.”
(Warrior & Brown, 1967, p. 10)
Commentary:
“Uncle Parrish Williams, the 91-year-old elder and fluent Ponca speaker who is my consultant, remembers accompanying his parents as a child to one of the dance societies that were in existence at that time (early 1900s) among the Southern Poncas. The three (dance societies) that he mentioned were NudoN, meaning 'warrior,' Pa-tha-taN, meaning 'drinkers of strong or bitter drink, and Pa-thiN-ge”... “Although Uncle Parrish didn't offer an explanation for any of the dance societies' names except NudoN, I was told by another Ponca speaker that pa, with the meaning of 'strong’ or ‘bitter' (unrelated to the meaning 'nose, head, profile' of its homonym), refers to the strong coffee that the members of Pa-tha-taN drank, as opposed to the members of Pa-thiN-ge, who didn't have any, or ran out of coffee. The term thiN-ge meaning ‘to lack,’ or ‘to be without'.”
(Shea, 2004)
Author’s note:
It has been suggested that the word transcribed from tape recordings as Pathanike, may actually have been more accurately transcribed as Pathinge.
11. War Song
Ponca:
E-be xa-ge ta doN, e-be xa-ga ta doN, yo ha
E-be xa-ge ta doN, e-be xa-ga ta doN ha
E-theN-ga doN, xa-ga ta doN, e-be xa-ga ta doN
E-be xa-ga ta da, yo ha ya ya
E-be xa-ga ta doN, yo ha ya yo
E-theN-ga doN, xa-ga ta doN, e-be xa-ga ta doN
E-be xa-ga ta da, yo ha ya ya
(Warrior & Brown, 1967, p. 11)
English Translation:
Who will weep for me, who will weep for me.
Who will weep for me, who will weep for me.
When I cease to exist, weep for me, who will weep for me.
Who will weep for me.
Who will weep for me.
When I cease to exist, weep for me, who will weep for me.
Who will weep for me.
Commentary:
“Now those words say that, ‘when I am no more,’ meaning that he wasn’t expecting to come back from the war, ‘who was going to weep for me’.”
(Warrior & Brown, 1967, p. 11)
12. War Song
Ponca:
Ka-ga, te-xi-e, a-noN-zhi the
Ka-ga, te-xi-e, a-noN-zhi the
Ka-ga, te-xi-e, a-noN-zhi the
Ka-ga, te-xi-e, a-noN-zhi the, ga-hi-ge-ha
Te-xi-e a-noN-zhi, the yo ha ye ya yoi
Ka-ge, o-ke-te, sha-i-e tha be, e tho the e tha, ga-hi-ge-ha
Te-xi-e, a-noN-zhi, the yo ha ye ya
(Warrior & Brown, 1967, p. 16)
English Translation:
Friend, difficult to move, I stand here.
Friend, difficult to move, I stand here.
Friend, difficult to move, I stand here.
Friend, difficult to move, I stand here, as chief.
Difficult to move, I stand here.
Friend, enemies, they are coming, ------ , as chief.
Difficult to move, I stand here.
Commentary:
“I’m happy to tell, in this song that is, it’s one, one of the songs that was dedicated to my grandfather (Standing Buffalo), who was one of the war chiefs. When they fought the enemy, he stood his ground. He said, ‘friend I stand here’. Texie anoNzhi means ‘immovable,’ meaning that he withstood the charge of the enemy.”
(Warrior & Brown, 1967, p. 16)
Commentary:
“Texie anoNzhi, ‘immovable’ or ‘difficult to be moved,’ ‘here I stand’. The last word there and the beginning of the second part we couldn’t translate. We do say the words, but we don’t know what they mean."
(Warrior & Brown, 1967, p. 16)
13. War Song
Ponca:
He-thu-ska u-wi-ne be, yo ha a oi
He-thu-ska u-wi-ne be, yo ha a oi
He-thu-ska u-wi-ne be, yo ha a oi
Inda ko-tha,He-thu-ska za-ne theN-ga be, yo ha yo
Inda ko-tha,He-thu-ska u-wi-ne be, yo ha ya oi
Nu-da HoN-ga He-thu-ska u-wi-ne be, yo ha
Inda ko-tha, He-thu-ska za-ne, theN-ga be, yo ha
Inda ko-tha, He-thu-ska u-wi-ne be, yo he ya
(Warrior & Brown, 1967, p. 18)
English Translation:
Hethuska searching.
Hethuska searching.
Hethuska searching.
Brother friend, Hethuska all, cease to exist.
Brother friend, Hethuska searching.
War Leader, Hethuska searching.
Brother friend, Hethuska all, cease to exist.
Brother friend, Hethuska searching.
Commentary:
“Hethuska uwine be, the ‘Hethuska is seeking this man,’ or ‘they are preparing to induct him into the Hethuska Society’. Hethuska thenga, the ‘Hethuska has ceased to exist’. It was the beginning of the end, especially when the Poncas were moved to the territory of Oklahoma. Evidently they wanted to induct him.”
(Warrior & Brown, 1967, p. 18)
Commentary:
“Nuda Honga uwine, Nuda Honga is ‘the leader’ and ‘he is seeking this man’.”
(Warrior & Brown, 1967, p. 18)
Commentary:
“This War Dance, the Poncas, you might put it this was, that they were the foremost exponents of this War Dance which we call the ‘Haoska Society.’ When they came to this country (Oklahoma), they brought it with them and they had the four different organizations or lodges on the Ponca Reservation, and as time went on, the older ones died out. All the younger ones had went to school and came back. They never sought to perpetuate the dance at all. They just, it was neglected. It was forgotten from the time off, well, about 1919 or 1918”.... “The last War Lodge ceased to exist and from that time on, we did not have any ‘Haoska Society’ in the Ponca tribe.”
(Warrior, 1968, p. 8)
14. War Song
Ponca:
Wi-soN-thoN, she ta be
Wi-soN-thoN, she ta be
Wi-soN-thoN, she ta be
Wi-soN-thoN, she ta be, tho he tho
He-thu’-shka, wa-shu-she, she-noN
Wi-e ta thiN-he
Wi-soN-thoN, she ta be, tho he tho
(Fletcher & LaFlesche, 1911, p. 474)
English Translation:
My dear younger brother, you shall cry.
My dear younger brother, you shall cry.
My dear younger brother, you shall cry.
My dear younger brother, you shall cry.
Hethuska, a brave warrior of.
So shall I be.
My dear younger brother, you shall cry.
Commentary:
“This song sets forth the obligation that rested on the Hethu’shka as the protectors of the women of the tribe, who were spoken of collectively under the term, ‘sisters;’ this term is implied in the song. It is the women, the ‘sisters,’ who ‘cry’ to the ‘younger brothers.’ In the song the women are bidden to call on the younger brothers when danger threatens, the young and active men, ‘the younger brothers,’ those who were free from domestic responsibilities and at any moment could spring to the cry of sisters in trouble. The song tells who the younger brothers were to whom the sisters could always appeal when a foe came near—they were of the brave Hethu’shka, who were in duty bound to be ready at all times to guard the women and children of the tribe."
(Fletcher & LaFlesche, 1911, p. 474)
15. War Song
Ponca:
O-ke-te, the shoN-ge we-ta noN-pa be
O-ke-te, the shoN-ge we-ta noN-pa be
O-ke-te, the shoN-ge we-ta noN-pa be, he ya i hi ya
ShoN-ge we-ta noN-pa be, yo ha ye oi
O-ke-te, the shoN-ge we-ta noN-pa be, he ya i hi ya
ShoN-ge we-ta noN-pa be, yo ha ye ya
(Warrior & Brown, 1967, p. 21)
English Translation:
The enemy, my horse they fear.
The enemy, my horse they fear.
The enemy, my horse they fear.
My horse they fear.
The enemy, my horse they fear.
My horse they fear.
Commentary:
“Okete means ‘other than a Ponca,’ a different tribe. ShoNge is a ‘horse’. Sometimes we don’t say our words like they do in the English. For instance, you say a fast horse, we say horse fast. So that’s the way we translate it. ‘The enemy, they are afraid of my horse’.”
(Warrior & Brown, 1967, p. 21)
16. War Song
Ponca:
Shu-pi-de the, tho uN-hay
Shu-pi-de the, tho uN-hay
Shu-pi-de the, tho uN-hay
Shu-pi-de the, tho uN-hay
Shu-pi-de the, tho uN-hay, yo hay ye oi
“MoN-chu Shke-ma,” shu-pi-de the, tho uN-hay
Shu-pi-de the, tho uN-hay
Shu-pi-de the, tho uN-hay, yo hay ye oi
(Warrior & Brown, 1967, p. 24)
English Translation:
When I came, you went away.
When I came, you went away.
When I came, you went away.
When I came, you went away.
When I came, you went away.
“-------- Grizzly Bear,” when I came, you went away.
When I came, you went away.
When I came, you went away.
Commentary:
“MoNchu Shkema, that’s a Siouan name. We don’t know what it means. The only part we know is MoNchu, that means (Grizzly) Bear. Our language is similar. Don’t know if it’s Spotted Bear or Black Bear, it’s a Siouan name. When this man arrived on the scene of the battle, this Sioux ran away.”
(Warrior & Brown, 1967, p. 24)
17. War Song
Ponca:
Shay the, Wa-koN’-da i ba-hoN-de the
Shay the, Wa-koN’-da i ba-hoN-de the
Shay the, Wa-koN’-da i ba-hoN-de the
Shay the, Wa-koN’-da i ba-hoN-de the
Shay the, Wa-koN’-da i ba-hoN-de the
Shay the, Wa-koN’-da i ba-hoN-de the, yo he ye oi
“He-xa’-ga-ska,” Wa-koN’-da i ba-hoN-de the
Shay the, Wa-koN’-da i ba-hoN-de the, yo he ye ya
(Warrior & Brown, 1967, p. 25)
English Translation:
That person, with God he is known.
That person, with God he is known.
That person, with God he is known.
That person, with God he is known.
That person, with God he is known.
That person, with God he is known.
“Rough White Horn,” with God he is known.
That person, with God he is known.
Commentary:
“Shay the, Wa-koN-da i ba-hoN-de the, meaning ‘that man is known by God,’ in that he was successful in whatever he did. Meaning God had helped him in whatever he did. Hexa’gaska, ‘Rough White Horn,’ that was his name.
(Warrior & Brown, 1967, p. 25)
Commentary:
Title of this song is listed as, “Praise of Rough-White-Horn.” The words are shown translated as, “God is aquainted with him. Rough White Horn, God knows.”
(Howard, no date, p. 5)
Commentary:
“War Dance Songs of the Ponca, Volume 1, Side 2, Song 15”
18. War Song
Ponca:
MoN-zhoN, shoN-ge-te tho
MoN-zhoN, shoN-ge-te tho he tho
HoN-thiN-ge de, shoN-ge-te tho
MoN-zhoN, shoN-ge-te tho
MoN-zhoN, shoN-ge-te tho he tho
ShoN-ge-te tho he
(Fletcher & LaFlesche, 1911, p. 475)
English Translation:
The land, shall long endure.
The land, shall long endure.
When I am gone, shall long endure.
The land, shall long endure.
The land, shall long endure.
Shall long endure.
Commentary:
“This admonitory song was explained as follows: The natural fear of death that is in every individual sometimes so overpowers a man that in a time of danger he may loose self-control and abandon to their fate those whom he is in duty bound to protect. To drive away the fear of death and to vitalize the courage so necessary to a man who by nature and by tribal law is obligated to protect his family and the families of the tribe, the example of men who had hazarded their lives in the performance of duty was held up by the society; the members were persistently taught that man’s life is transitory, and being so it is useless to harbor the fear of death, for death must come sooner of later to everybody; man and all living creatures come into existence, pass on, and are gone, while the mountains and rivers remain ever the same—these alone of all visible things abide unchanged. The song represents the Hethu’shka as saying: ‘I shall vanish and be no more but the land over which I now roam shall remain and change not’.”
(Fletcher & LaFlesche, 1911, p. 475)
19. War Song
Ponca:
Ka-ga, wi-gi-si-tha, thiN-he no
Wi-gi-si-tha, thiN-he no
“Wa-zhiN-ga”shti, thi-thiN-ge doN, wi-gi-si-tha, thiN-he no
Wa-koN-da da i, doN he-goN ta, thiN-he no
Ka-ga, the-thu, hoN-ba-ski-tha, thiN-he no
Wi-gi-si-tha, thiN-he no
“Wa-zhiN’-ga”shti, thi-thiN-ge doN, wi-gi-si-tha, thiN-he no
Wa-koN-da da i, doN he-goN ta, thiN-he no
Ka-ga, the-thu, hoN-ba-ski-tha, thiN-he no
Wi-gi-si-tha, thiN-he no
(Fletcher & LaFlesche, 1911, p. 477)
English Translation:
Friend, I remember you who are mine, as life passes.
I remember you who are mine, as life passes.
“Bird” you also, when you are no more, I remember you who are mine, as life passes.
They the thunder gods, when my acts conform, as life passes.
Friend, here, I am angry, as life passes.
I remember you who are mine, as life passes.
“Bird” you also, when you are no more, I remember you who are mine, as life passes.
They the thunder gods, when my acts conform, as life passes.
Friend, here, I am angry, as life passes.
I remember you who are mine, as life passes.
Commentary:
“The burden of this song is the remembrance by the Hethu’shka of comrades slain in battle and the strong desire for revenge stirred by such memories; but the men are reminded of the teaching that to the Thunder gods belongs the power to decree death and that man must conform his acts to the will of the gods even though his spirit chafes under the restraint. It is thought that the song is a very old one and that several names were used, one superseding another as the memory of the fallen hero faded. WazhiN’ga, who is mentioned in the song, was killed before the middle of the last century (before 1850).”
(Fletcher & LaFlesche, 1911, p. 477)
20. War Song
Ponca:
NoN-ge sha-i-e, wa-doM-ba-ga
NoN-ge sha-i-e, wa-doM-ba-ga
NoN-ge sha-i-e, wa-doM-ba-ga
NoN-ge sha-i-e, wa-doM-ba-ga
He-thu-ska wa-shu-she, yo he ye oi
“MoN-chu ToN-ga,” ha noN-ge sha-i-e, wa-doM-ba-ga
NoN-ge sha-i-e, wa-doM-ba-ga
He-thu-ska wa-shu-she, yo he ye oi
(Warrior & Brown, 1967, p. 26)
English Translation:
Comes running, see them.
Comes running, see them.
Comes running, see them.
Comes running, see them.
Hethuska are brave.
“Big Grizzly Bear,” comes running, see them.
Comes running, see them.
Hethuska are brave.
Commentary:
“Now this song says, noNge shaie wadoMbaga. NoNge means ‘run,’ shaie means ‘coming’. The horses are charging towards them. They call his name in the middle of the song, MoNchu ToNga, ‘Big (Grizzly) Bear’.”
(Warrior & Brown, 1967, p. 26)
21. War Song
Ponca:
Ha ni-ka-bthe, i shay tho
Ha ni-ka-bthe, i shay tho
Ha ni-ka-bthe, i shay tho
Ha ni-ka-bthe, i shay the
A-cha-tho, i shay tho
Ha ni-ka-bthe, i shay the, yo he ye oi
“MoN-chu Ske-ma,” i ka-ga-ma the, i shay tho
A-cha-tho, i shay tho
Ha ni-ka-bthe, i shay the, yo he ye ya
(Warrior & Brown, 1967, p. 30)
English Translation:
Going to be a chief, you said.
Going to be a chief, you said.
Going to be a chief, you said.
Going to be a chief, you said.
-------- , you said.
Going to be a chief, you said.
“------ Grizzly Bear,” he was my friend, you said.
-------- , you said.
Going to be a chief, you said.
Commentary:
“Ha ni-ka-bthe, i shay tho, ‘I’m going to be a chief’. Let me give you the story behind this song. There was a young Sioux who was taken captive among the Poncas and finally became a young man. Every now and then he’d be missing. Evidently someone had told him that he was a captive among the Poncas and that he was a Sioux. So he’d go back to the Sioux. One time when the Siouxs raided the Poncas, someone spotted him. So the next time the Siouxs raided again, they singled him out and they recaptured him, and when they recaptured him, he begged for mercy. He said, ‘When I get back to the Siouxs, if you’ll pity me, spare my life.’ He said, ‘When I get back to the Siouxs, they are going to put me in the place of my father in the council of chiefs.’ But the Ponca didn’t spare his life, they killed him. They song goes on to say, MoNchu Skema, that’s his name, but we don’t know what it means. I ka-ga-ma the, i shay tho, ‘you said he was my friend’. A-cha-tho, that’s a Siouan word which we can’t translate. I shay, ‘that’s what you said,’ ‘that you were my friend,’ meaning that after he professed friendship with the Poncas, he had been in war parties against the Poncas and they captured him. That’s how the song was made, for that man.”
(Warrior & Brown, 1967, p. 30)
22. War Song
Ponca:
I-xa bu-wa the
I-xa bu-wa the
I-xa bu-wa the
I-xa bu-wa the
I-xa bu-wa the
I-xa bu-wa the
“Wa-iN Xu-de,” i-xa bu-wa the, hoN-ba-ski the, yo he oi
I-xa bu-wa the
I-xa bu-wa the
“Wa-iN Xu-de,” i-xa bu-wa the, hoN-ba-ski the, yo he oi
(Warrior & Brown, 1967, p. 31)
English Translation:
To laugh at me, those people, you caused.
To laugh at me, those people, you caused.
To laugh at me, those people, you caused.
To laugh at me, those people, you caused.
To laugh at me, those people, you caused.
To laugh at me, those people, you caused.
“Gray Blanket,” to laugh at me, those people, you caused.
To laugh at me, those people, you caused.
To laugh at me, those people, you caused.
“Gray Blanket,” to laugh at me, those people, you caused.
Commentary:
“Ixa buwa the, ‘you caused people to laugh at me’. It may have been that they weren’t successful in their fight. Perhaps the man that is mentioned here, Gray Blanket or Gray Robe was of a certain class of people there, or a certain part of the tribe. Evidently they had worn gray blankets, or it must have been robes. It’s way back there, that they wore whatever it was. He says to these people, he says, ‘that you caused those people to laugh at me’. I don’t know what it was, whether it was in a battle, or it might have been a personal incident or something like that, but that’s what the words are.”
(Warrior & Brown, 1967, p. 31)
Commentary:
“Before the 1877 Removal split the tribe into Northern and Southern Ponca, there were two important bands or village groups among the Ponca in Nebraska. The first of these was the Wai’xude or ‘Gray Blanket’ band”.... “The name ‘Gray Blanket’ derived from the fact that this group was once issued white blankets by the Government. Worn in the dust of the prairies these blankets soon, apparently, took on a grayish cast.”
(Howard, 1965, p. 6)
23. War Song
Ponca:
Shay tho xa-ga noN-zhiN-ga
Shay tho xa-ga noN-zhiN-ga
Shay tho xa-ga noN-zhiN-ga
Shay tho xa-ga noN-zhiN-ga
Shay tho xa-ga noN-zhiN-ga, xa-ga noN-zhiN-ga
Shay tho xa-ga noN-zhiN-ga, yo he ye oi
Xa-ga noN-zhiN-ga, “Shay-doN Wa-ga-ge-zhey,” he wa-tha ke-tha
Xa-ga noN-zhiN-ga
Shay tho xa-ga noN-zhiN-ga, yo he ye ya
(Warrior & Brown, 1967, p. 32)
English Translation:
There weep standing.
There weep standing.
There weep standing.
There weep standing.
There weep standing, weep standing.
There weep standing.
Weep standing, “Shay-don Wa-ga-ge-zhey,” you made it so.
Weep standing.
There weep standing.
Commentary:
“Shay tho, ‘there’. Xaga noNzhiNga, ‘stand there and weep’. ShaydoN Wagagezhey, this is the last Siouan Chief and his war party that the Poncas annihilated a few years before moving the Poncas to Oklahoma Territory. ShaydoN Wagagezhey, you brought that upon yourself, shay tho xaga noNzhiNga, ‘stand there and weep’ you brought that upon yourself. In that way the Ponca sent scouts out to track him down and annihilate his war party.”
(Warrior & Brown, 1967, p. 32)
24. War Song
Ponca:
Pa-thiN toN the tha xa-ga
Pa-thiN toN the tha xa-ga
Pa-thiN toN the tha xa-ga
Pa-thiN toN the tha xa-ga
Pa-thiN toN the tha xa-ga, yo ha ye ya
Wa pa-thiN toN the tha xa-ga
Pa-thiN toN the tha xa-ga
Pa-thiN toN the tha xa-ga, yo ha ye ya
(Warrior & Brown, 1967, p. 33)
English Translation:
Pawnee flees crying.
Pawnee flees crying.
Pawnee flees crying.
Pawnee flees crying.
Pawnee flees crying.
Pawnee man flees crying.
Pawnee flees crying.
Pawnee flees crying.
Commentary:
“This is a song composed when they (Ponca) had a fight with the Pawnee. There was a straggler. Evidently they knocked him off his horse. He got up and started running, he was running for his life. He lost his horse and was trying to get away running.”
(Warrior & Brown, 1967, p. 33)
Commentary:
Title of this song is listed as, “The Pawnees Flee, Weeping.” The words are shown translated as, “The Pawnees flee weeping.”
(Howard, no date, p. 5)
Commentary:
“The translation for this one goes, ‘That little Pawnee boy was crying, running, trying to save his life’.”
(Brown, 1971)
Commentary:
“War Dance Songs of the Ponca, Volume 1, Side 2, Song 16”
25. War Song
Ponca:
(vocables in first part of song)
He-thu-ska, te Wa-koN-da ka-ga-xa be
A-ho shoN ha the, yo he ye
(Warrior & Brown, 1967, p. 35)
English Translation:
(vocables in first part of song)
Hethuska, it was God who made this.
Now it is completed.
Commentary:
“‘Hethuska, God made this for us,’ that’s what it says. ‘God made this way for us.’”
(Warrior & Brown, 1967, p. 35)
Commentary:
Title of this song is listed as, “Divine Origin of the Hethuska Society.” The words are shown translated as, “It was God who fashioned the Hethuska, now it is completed.”
(Howard, no date, p. 5)
Commentary:
“WakoN’da is not a modern term and does not lend itself to verbal analysis. The word wanoN’xe means ‘spirit’. The ideas expressed in the words wakoN’da and wanoN’xe are distinct and have nothing in common. There is therefore no propriety in speaking of WakoN’da as ‘the great spirit.’ Equally improper would it be to regard the term as a synonym of nature, or of an objective god, a being apart from nature.”....“WakoN’da stands for the mysterious life power permeating all natural forms and forces and all phases of man’s conscious life.”...“The Wakon’da addressed in the tribal prayer and in the tribal religious ceremonies which pertain to the welfare of all the people is the WakoN’da that is the permeating life of visible nature—an invisible life and power that reaches everywhere and everything, and can be appealed to by man to send him help.”...“Personal prayers were addressed directly to WakoN’da. A man would take a pipe and go alone to the hills; there he would silently offer smoke”...“This form of prayer (made only by men) was called Niniba-ha (niniba, ‘pipe’), ‘addressing with the pipe’.”
(Fletcher & LaFlesche, 1911, pp. 597-599)
Commentary:
“War Dance Songs of the Ponca, Volume 1, Side 2, Song 14”
26. War Song
Ponca:
Wa-koN-da a-moN-thiN be, yo ha ya
Wa-koN-da a-moN-thiN be, yo ha ya
Wa-koN-da a-moN-thiN be, yo ha ya
Wa-koN-da a-moN-thiN be, yo ha ya
Wa-koN-da a-moN-thiN be, yo ha ya oi
Da-di-ha tha, Wa-koN-da tha-o e be, yo ha
Wa-koN-da a-moN-thiN be, yo ha ya
Wa-koN-da a-moN-thiN be, yo ha ya ya
(Warrior & Brown, 1967, p. 36)
English Translation:
God’s way of life he lived.
God’s way of life he lived.
God’s way of life he lived.
God’s way of life he lived.
God’s way of life he lived.
Like a father, God is.
God’s way of life he lived.
God’s way of life he lived.
Commentary:
“There were several of these dances, but it happened that this one (the Hethuska Society dance) was one of the most outstanding, due to the fact that most of the members were outstanding members of the tribe, and a lot of the songs pertaining to this dance were sung in honor of these men who were members of this organization."
(Warrior, 1968, p. 2)
Commentary:
“WakoNda, ‘God,’ amoNthiN, refers to ‘the way of life he lived’. Dadiha, ‘father,’ ‘father God’.”
(Warrior & Brown, 1967, p. 36)
27. War Song
Ponca:
E le ga-xa be Wa-koN-da, ga-xa be
E le ga-xa be Wa-koN-da, ga-xa be, yo he ye
E le ga-xa be Wa-koN-da, ga-xa be
MoN-zhiN moN-li lo me, yo he ye oi
“Sha-ge shu-ga,” Wa-koN-da, ga-xa be
Wa-koN-da, ga-xa be
MoN-zhiN moN-li lo me, yo he ye yo
(Charles, 1987, p. 33)
English Translation:
His way was made by God, his way made.
His way was made by God, his way made.
His way was made by God, his way made.
Walking by the one up above.
“Thick Claws,” God, his way made.
God, his way made.
Walking by the one up above.
Commentary:
“The Ponca Tribe - Personal Names - Thi’xida Gens - Traveling Buffalo’s Band - Male: Sha’geshuga – ‘Thick Claws’.”
(Fletcher & LaFlesche, 1911, p. 53)
28. War Song
Ponca:
A-wa-ki noN-shko-na la
A-wa-ki noN-shko-na la
A-wa-ki noN-shko-na la
A-wa-ki noN-shko-na la
“SiN-te Gle-shka,” ha noN-cu-le-ga zhu-wa-gla igla
Da-ha-wa-ge ga-ma zha-ma no-i, ha ya hi ya
MaN-zi u-wa-la ge shko-na "ShoN-zhiN-ga" la la
"ShoN-zhiN-ga" da-ha-wa-ge gli-za-ga
(Charles, 1987, p. 34)
English Translation:
Do you want to fight me?
Do you want to fight me?
Do you want to fight me?
Do you want to fight me?
“Spotted Tail,” hurry and come with your group.
Get your shield, I’m not afraid of you.
Over these yellow cliffs, to fight me, "Little Horse."
"Little Horse" get your shield and prepare.
Commentary:
“Awaki nonshokona, ‘do you want to fight me’? Sinte Gleshka, we happen to know that word. It’s the name of a Siouan war leader. It means, ‘Spotted Tail,’ Sinte Gleshka. Nonculega zhuwagla igla, ‘hurry and come with your group’ to fight. ‘I’m not afraid of you’. Manzi uwala ge shkona shonzhinga dahawage glizaga, ‘do you want to fight over these yellow cliffs’? Shonzhinga, ‘young Sioux,’ dahawagle glizaga, ‘get your shield, prepare’ to fight. Of course it doesn’t actually say all that, but that’s what it means.”
(Warrior & Brown, 1974, p. 48)
Commentary:
“My favorite translation is one that concerns a Ponca war party and a group of Lakota led by Spotted Tail. The meaning of this particular song says this: The two groups encounter each other and begin preparations to fight. The Poncas call out to Spotted Tail, who had obviously been calling insults, ‘Hurry! And come with your group Spotted Tail, we’re not afraid of you.’ Then it seems one of the Ponca men spots a young Sioux warrior and wants to test his courage. The Ponca taunts the boy by calling out, ‘Young Sioux! Get your shield and prepare to fight.’ The song mentions the ‘yellow cliffs’ which are located in the northeastern part of Nebraska near the South Dakota border. It seems that whoever controlled these cliffs used them as a sentinel post and could maintain control of a vast area by executing surprise attacks on any intruders.”
(Stewart, 1975, p. 15)
29. War Song
Ponca:
Ga-hi-tha-ma de-uN-thoN-ge, i-tha-ma
Ga-hi-tha-ma de-uN-thoN-ge, i-tha-ma, tho he tho-i
De-uN-thoN-ge, i-tha-ma
A-zhoN mi-ki-de pa-nu-hu wiN-a me, tho he the
U-mba i-da, u-gtha i-tha-me, tho he tho
(Fletcher & LaFlesche, 1911, p. 478)
English Translation:
Far away they are saying something to me, they send.
Far away they are saying something to me, they send.
They are saying something to me, they send.
I lay where owl one speaks.
Morning comes, shout directed toward one.
Commentary:
“The song may refer to the time when the Omaha (including the Ponca) were a forest people; it preserves the memory of a timely discovery by which disaster was averted and a victory won. The story runs as follows: The Omaha were camped in a forest. One dark night a warrior was awakened by the hooting of an owl. He was an observant man, familiar with the cries of birds and the sounds made by animals. As he listened he heard answering hoots in the distance. He thought the sounds not genuine, but imitations probably made by men. He arose silently, slung his quiver over his shoulder, took his bow and crept among the trees. At a distance from the camp he detected signs of men—enemies. He stealthily made his way back and awakened the sleeping warriors of the tribe, who at once made themselves ready for defense. At daybreak the enemy rushed from all sides on the Omaha camp but the men were prepared and met the onslaught so successfully that few of their foes escaped. The song commemorates the alertness of the man whose ear was trained to know the calls and cries of birds and holds him up as an example.”
(Fletcher & LaFlesche, 1911, p. 478)
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