By Samantha Maijhor (PhD Candidate in English, University of Minnesota)
wakpá ipȟá ed
wakpá tȟáŋka kči napéwéčhiyuze
uŋkičhiksuyapi
wakpá tȟaŋka ahdádha wóčhekiye hóyewaye
aŋpétu waŋ ed wóčhekiyeg hená ahdíyuweǧa kte
óhŋni mní kiŋ hdi
óhŋni mní kiŋ hdi kte
wakáŋ thípi ed
théhaŋ okátȟa kiŋ maúŋnipi
théhaŋ osní kiŋ maúŋnipi
______ kiŋ uŋkakidowaŋpi ičinš uŋči makȟa kiŋ wa akaȟpe
______ čhaze kiŋ uŋkeypai šni kiŋhaŋ wahiŋhe šni
wanaphobyapig uŋpi k’a iǧuǧa oȟdoka kiŋ ihagyapi
óhŋni wičhaȟpi kiŋ mani ohna thaniŋiŋ
waniyetu k’a bdoketu kiŋ nuphiŋ mniowe kiŋ čhaǧa šni
mni wičhóni
bdote ed
wakpá tȟaŋka kiŋ k’a mnisota kči ečhipha čha hetu
watapheta waŋ iŋkpatakiya wabdake
dečed Dakȟóta oyáte kiŋ thuŋpi eyapi
Omaka 1862 heéhaŋ hed Dakȟóta oyáte kiŋ wičhakaksapi
k’a hehaŋ óta wyazaŋpi k’a t’api
uŋkaŋ watapheta waŋ wakpá tȟáŋka ogna awíchaipi
waŋna bdote ed Dakȟóta oyáteg hdipi
mni s’e óhŋni Dakȟod hdipi kte
Táku uŋkákupi kta ke?
Táku mní kiŋ aku kta he?
1. At the headwaters, I shook hands with the Mississippi, we remember(ed) each other, I sent a prayer along the river, one day the words will return, the water always returns
2. At Wakan Tipi, we walked in the heat for a long time / we walked in the cold for a long time, we sang to ___ because the earth was blanketed with snow / we didn’t say _______’s name when there was no snow, they used explosives and destroyed the cave, the railroad men came here and destroyed the womb, the stars still reflect in the water, in both winter and summer the spring does not freeze, the water lives/water is life
3. At Bdote / It is at that place where the Mississippi and the Minnesota rivers meet / I saw a steamboat go upstream / they say the Dakota people emerged here / Back in 1862 the Dakota people were jailed there / and at that time many were sick and died / and then a steamboat took them away on the Mississippi river / now the Dakota people have returned to Bdote / like water the Dakota people will always return here.
4. What will we bring when we come back here?
5. What will the water bring back?
