DliNSMOREj 



CHIPPEWA MUSIC — II 



131 



grandson of Bka'ganab, said that in his childhood he often heard 

 the following story : 



There was once a Hudson's Bay trader who came to the Chippewa country, loved a 

 Chippewa maiden, and wooed her according to the custom of her people. He gave a 

 great feast, invited her father, and asked his consent to the marriage. Three daughters 

 were bom to them, one being the mother of Bica'ganab. Years passed and Bica^anab, 

 granddaughter of the Hudson's Bay trader, grew to womanhood. One day as she was 

 lighting her breakfast fire she heard the cry, "The Sioux are upon us ! " This was 

 followed by the report of guns. Immediately the camp became a scene of confusion, 

 the men trying to repulse the Sioux and the women hastening to put their house- 

 hold goods into canoes. The father of Bica^ganab went into the fight ; he was 

 wounded five times but contrived to get near the water and was helped into a canoe. 

 It was supposed that Bica^ganab had been killed, but when the escaping party were 

 far from shore they saw a woman fighting the Sioux with a club. The Sioux drove 

 her into the water and she swam toward a canoe. The Sioux followed, trying to 

 strike her on the head with a club, but she actually broke and tore their canoe with 

 her hands. It was said that she was like a great bear in her ferocity. The Sioux 

 were forced into the water and she pounded them with a paddle as they made for the 

 shore. Instead of following the retreating Chippewa she went upstream, hiding in 

 the bushes, returning later to the battlefield by a circuitous path. There she found 

 only the dead Sioux, covered with their blankets; beside them lay their guns and 

 much beautiful beadwork. Bica^ganab scalped the Sioux, put on a Sioux war bon- 

 net, and made a great pack of blankets, guns, and beadwork; then she painted her 

 face and went to the Chippewa camp with her trophies. 



Bica'ganab, one of the bravest of Chippewa women, died in 1892. 



No. 48. Song Concerning a Brave Woman 



Sung by Odjib^we 



(Catalogue No. 351) 



VotCB J= 160 

 Drum J - 160 

 (Drum-rhythm similar to No. 15) 



-0- -F- -]— -0- t- 



m 



•— ^ 



1E_^ 



E - ni - wek we win ja - wa - so 



gi - ja - wa - so 



min - di 



^ 



-(5^- 



I \, , 1 1 u 



mo-yan loe ja-wa-so - no-da-go -nan ya e ya e 



a fie 



e^niwek^ greatly 



win she 



gija^waso defending her children 



min^dimoyan' the old woman 



gigijawa'sonoda^gonan' fought for us all 



1 The first two syllables of this word, and in one instance the first syllable of the third word, are 

 omitted to make the words conform to the music. 



