LETTERS DICTATED BY OMAHAS AND PONKAS. 505 
NOTE. 
This Wajita-gahiga is the head of a part of the Omaha Wajifiga-¢ataji, while the 
other one is the head of the Ponka Wasabe-it‘aji gens. The Omaha bearing this name 
is an old man, and his letter is a good specimen of the oratorical style, especially the 
first part, in which Acawage is addressed as “my child,” Ma*tcu-wa¢ihi, as “my 
younger brother,” and Ma*tcu-yanga, as ‘my grandchild.” 
TRANSLATION. 
O ye head-chiefs, Acawage and Ma"tcu-wa¢ihi, as I do not see your young men, I 
am poor. I wish to see you, who are my own kindred. I think that I shall reach you 
by the time that the cold weather arrives. I hope that you will send back a letter 
very soon, O my child, O my younger brother, O my grandchild, ye who are head- 
chiefs. As I am poor, I desire to see the tribe who are my kindred. I think that all 
the young men wish to follow me. I think that I shall bring them to you. Indeed, I 
think that all the chiefs wish to follow me, O my child, O my younger brother, O my 
grandchild, ye who are head-chiefs. I send you a letter because 1 am sad at heart on 
account of the death of my young man who dwelt with me. All the people are sad; 
they are poor. Now they think of you. My child, I wish to see you. As all of the 
stock, the horses that you gave me, are gone, I am poor, my child. As I am poor, I 
have almost died from that cause. These Dakotas came here. I gave them all the 
horses which I had. But, my child, when I was there they did not give me even one 
horse. These Omahas, my child, wish to see you, and so do I wish to see you. I think 
that I shall reach you, my child, during this cold weather. My child, I hcpe that you 
will send back to me and tell me just how it is with you. I hope that I may hear it 
very soon. I wish to hear very soon the words of your young men, and also those of 
your chiefs. 
JABE-SKA TO GAHIGE.JIN’GA, WAQA-NAJIX, AND ACAWAGE. 
Gahige-jin’ga t’éska"i e¢éga" Jabe-ska fwa"xe ti¢ai. Waqa-naji*, Aca- 
Aca- 
Gahige-jinga dead, he thinking Jabe-sk& to question begins. Waga-najiz, 
might be that 
wage, cé-¢ab¢i", wi"a” wa ctécte t’éska"i e¢éga" wég¢a"xe ti ha. Gina‘a® 
wage, those three and which one soever dead, he thinking toaskabout has  . To hearabout 
no more, might be that them, his kindred come his own 
ge y vl : r . “n/ . . 
ga™¢ai Jabe-ska. Ugg¢e'qtci ki¢é ta-bi waqi”ha, gina‘a™ gar¢ai; uq¢é 
wishes Jabe-ska. Very soon he says that some letter, 1o hear about he wishes; soon 
one will cause it to his own 
reach home 
waqi"ha ¢a" ki te—Acawage, waqi”ha cu¢éa¢é ¢ize Ada™ da” be jawag¢a-ga. 
letter the pralireach DAE letter Isend toyou takeit and seeing it be with them. 
ome.-— 
Gahige-jin’ea, Waqa-ndji, Wahé'‘a”, céna, da bai-gai Wagi™ha hnizai yi 
5a, | ’ ’ ) g , 
Gahige-jifiga, Waga-naji®, Wahe'a’, enough, look ye at it. Letter you take it when, 
wi” éska™ ¢at’-baji yi, uq¢é’qtci waqi" ‘ha ¢a™ ki¢a¢é taf. Wahé‘a", Wa¢i- 6 
one itmight youhavenot if, very soon letter the you will cause to Wahe‘a®, Wagi- 
I) died (ob.) reach home. 
