mooxey] THE BATl'QTCBA GAME 1007 



A'niini sa'na, a mini sa na, 



Ni nil nina ti iiaku ni na na ga qu', 



Xi nii nina ti naku ni na na ga'qu'; 



Ti naha thibu n.i nisa na. 



Ti naha thihii nii nisa na, 



Hiithi'na He'sfina'mn, 



Hsitlii na He sima nin. 



Translation 



My children, my children. 



It is I win) wear the morning Btar "ii my head. 



It is I who wear the morning star on my head; 



I show it to my children, 



I show it to my children, 



Says the father, 



Says the father. 



This beautiful song originated among the northern Arapaho. and is a 

 favorite north and south. In it the messiah is supposed to be address- 

 ing his children. There is a rhythmic swing to the vocalic syllables 

 that makes the tune particularly pleasing, and the imagery of thought 

 expressed is poetry itself. The same idea occurs in European ballad 

 and legend, and has a parallel in the angel of the evangelist, "clothed 

 with a cloud, and a rainbow upon his head."' 



liS. A -SENA' TA1U XI NA 



A'-nena' tabi'ni na in- tlqta wa hu , 

 A'-nena' tabi ni na ne tlqta wa hn . 

 A nii iiahn gahu nabii. 

 A nii nahn 'gahu nabu. 

 Tahu'naha'thihi'na nii nisa na. 

 Tahn'naha thihi na nii nis:i na. 



Translation 



My mother gave me my ti qlawa stick. 



My mother gave me my tVqtawa stick. 



I fly around with it, 



I fly around witli it, 



To make me see my children. 



Ti> make me see my children. 



This song' was composed by a woman of the southern Arapaho. The 

 reference is not entirely clear, but it is probable that in her trance 

 vision she saw her children in the other world playing the game men- 

 tioned, and that afterward she made the game sticks and carried them 

 in the dance, hoping by this means to obtain another vision of the 

 spirit world, where she could again talk with her children who had 

 gone before her to the shadow hind. In one Ghostdance seven different 

 women carried these game sticks. 



The bdti'qtuba (abbreviated ti'qtup) game of the Arapaho and other 

 prairie tribes somewhat resembles the Iroquois game of the "snow 

 snake." and is played by children or grown persons of both sexes. It 

 14 KTH — PT 1' 24 



