Stories of the People of the Air
FOLK SAYINGS ABOUT THE MEADOWLARK
The cheerful animation and lively manner of the meadowlark have made it a favourite with all people who are acquainted with it, both whites and Indians. And both whites and Indians attach words of their several languages to the notes of the bird. Among sayings in the English language attributed to the notes of the meadowlark are some expressions of banter and raillery. Farmers say that early in springtime the meadowlark perches jauntily upon the top of a fence-post and calls mockingly to them “You sowed your wheat too soon! You sowed your wheat too soon!” Another taunting expression fitted to the meadowlark’s notes is addressed to girls and young women; it is “You think you’re pretty, don’t you?”
These locutions in English are in accord with the tone of many sayings ascribed to the notes of the meadowlark by the Hidatsa tribe of North Dakota, and with their name of the bird, wia-akumakihishe, which means “scolding or shrewish woman,” for they say that the meadowlark says such taunting, tormenting and aggravating things. One of these taunting expressions is “Kitho karishtiditore,” which is a most exasperating saying. Kitho means “that insignificant one,” and karishtiditore means “good-for-nothing fellow.”
The Omahas also put words of their language to the notes of the meadowlark. One of these is Snite thingthi tegaze, which means “winter will not come back.” A little mixed-blood girl in the Omaha tribe was named Marguerite. Now the Omaha language does not contain the sound of the letter “r,” so in trying to pronounce the foreign name of Marguerite they make it Magathiche. One day a friend of this little girl’s father was at their house, and he was playfully teasing her because he was very fond of her. He said, of course speaking in the Omaha language, “Listen! do you hear that bird telling about you? He says: ‘Magathiche hthitugthe!’” The word hthitugthe in the Omaha language means “of a bad disposition,” so her old friend was teasing her by putting words to the bird notes which meant “Marguerite is of a bad disposition,” or “Marguerite is naughty!”
One of the sayings which the Pawnees fit to the notes of the meadowlark in their language is “Kichikakikuridu!” which means “I am not afraid!”
The meadowlark is a great favourite with the people of the Dakota nation. An old man of that nation was asked if his people ever used the meadowlark for food. He said they did not. When it was said that white men sometimes eat them, he said he knew that. Then, when asked why Dakotas would not eat the meadowlark, he said, “We think too much of them. They are our friends.” They call the meadowlark “the bird of promise,” and “the bird of many gifts,” for they say it promises good things to its friends, the Dakotas. They apply words of the Dakota language to the songs of the bird. They say it calls to the people with promises and with words of encouragement and good cheer, and that it gives counsel and advice on all manner of subjects. One of the things which it used to sing out to the people was “Koda, pte kizhozho,” i. e., “Friends, I whistle for the buffalo,” that is to say, it would whistle to call the buffalo in order that its friends, the Dakotas, might supply their needs of meat and clothing.
A touch of Dakota humour is shown in one saying attributed to the meadowlark’s notes in these later times since the government has established schools on the reservations to teach the Dakota children in the ways of the white men. They say that ofter now the meadowlark is to be seen flitting about the school grounds and singing, “One, two, three, epedo! One, two, three, epedo!” The Dakota word epedo means “You shall say.”
The white people speak of the United States government as “Uncle Sam,” but the people of the Dakota nation call the government “Tunkashila,” which means “Grandfather,” a title of the highest respect. In the summer of 1918, while the United States was at war with Germany, many of the Dakotas said they heard “the bird of promise” singing “Tunkashila ohiyelo!” The Dakota word “ohiyelo” means “will be victorious” or “will have the victory;” so the meadowlark, “the bird of promise,” was singing to them “The United States will have the victory!”