Harry Lincoln, of the Meskwaki, has dictated the following free
rendition of a Meskwaki text written out in the current syllabary.
When a boy becomes old enough to be intelligent, his parents begin to
teach him how to take care of himself and act righteously. They usually
tell him not to do a good many things. Children are taught not to be
naughty. They are told that if they are naughty, people will have
nothing to do with them. They are told that if they are naughty, people
will talk about them. And children are told not to steal anything from
their neighbors. Moreover, children are taught not to talk to people.
If they see any one going by their place, they should hold their
tongues, nor should they laugh.
And they also tell children not to visit other people too often. “Every
time they see you going anywhere they would say that you are looking
for something good to eat, if you go visiting too often,” is what
children are told. So children do not often visit too much.
They likewise tell children not to gamble. They tell them that they
might be lucky and win, but that it would not benefit them. And they
tell them that it is just as bad to lose. They caution them in this
way: “If you win, people will see your winnings and will try to get
you to gamble. And if you do, you will surely lose all that you have
won. And yet it is not right to be over-quiet. If you are quiet and
well off, that is not quite right either. If you have a lot of horses,
people will be jealous of you. Some one might want some of your
property, and you would not give it to him. That is how it will be.
“The best way is to be kindly to every one, to speak kind words, to
treat your friends nicely, to keep your heart clean, and not to talk
meanly. If you do this, you will have a number of friends. And when you
are a young boy, do not fight with other boys. If any one speaks badly
to you, do not answer him. Let it go. This is one of the best things
you can do. And if you see some one doing something, you must hold your
peace; do not be the one to start the news. Do not tell what you saw
him or her do. If you spread the report they will hate you. They will
become your enemies.”
And there is another thing which boys are told. Boys are told not to
tattle to any one. They are told not to be too intimate with girls. It
is not a right thing for a boy to do. They are warned: “If you do that,
people will be jealous of you.”
And there is another thing they are warned. “When there are many
people, when something is going on, don’t go over there, and try to
show off. That will not benefit you. You may go to the crowd and see
what is going on, but behave yourself. And if any one asks you a
question, you are to tell the person that you know nothing about it.
That is the best way to keep out of trouble.”
And there is another thing which young men are told, which is: “If some
one asks you to do a favor, you must always do it for him. Some time in
the near future they will come around again and ask another favor of
you. If you refuse, you straightway will begin to have trouble. But you
should always do a favor for any one, so as to please them.”
And another thing, young men are told, not to fear ashes: “By fasting
and painting your face with ashes, you may get a blessing from the
Manitou. If you do the right thing, you will surely be blessed. If
you are afraid, the Manitou will know it. People claim that fasting
and blackening one’s face with ashes is one of the best things that
they can do. In the early days it was said that if one fasted long
to obtain a blessing from the Manitou, he often went on the war-path
successfully; or he killed people by fasting so long. Such was the
blessing the person obtained. And you can go and kill game easily. You
may become a leader in anything. If there is a war you may become a
leader. And you will always bring your men back safe and sound. They
will not be killed by the enemy. You will surely be blessed by the
Manitou if you take an interest in fasting, and are not afraid of doing
so. After you have fasted long enough, if you desire anything, you will
obtain it. So fasting is the right thing to do. And if you do this, you
must get up early—before our grandfather, the Sun, rises. If anything
happens to people where you are, after a few years, nothing will happen
to you: you will not be destroyed. This is the only way you can live
again. All the people will be benefited by you. This is the best life
there is.” And this is why children are taught to fast.
Boys are told that if they see an animal they must not destroy it. For
if they destroy animals, they themselves will not live very long. Boys
are also taught to be good hunters.
Boys are taught nearly everything so that they can get along nicely
with their wives after they are married. They are told that if they are
hustlers many girls will wish to marry them.
Of course this is after they have grown to be young men. Up to that
time they are merely made to fast. And by fasting, is how they reach
old age. Also children are made to fast when any one dies. And they
also tell children not to make a noise when some one dies; and not
to play where the body is. And they tell boys not to refuse if they
are asked to do something. “If you do what people who have lost their
relatives ask you, they will be well satisfied with you. And some day
you will exchange positions. If you ask them a favor at that time, they
will willingly do it,” is what boys are told.
And this is what boys are told when they are growing up: “If you are
asked to be a ceremonial attendant at clan festivals, you must do it.
By doing them the favor of waiting on them, you will benefit your own
life. And any time you are asked to do anything you must always do it,
so as to please the people.”
And after they grow up, they are told not to bother too much with
girls, especially if they have sisters of their own. They are told,
“Sometime you may be desired as a son-in-law. But if you bother with
many girls, while going with one, they will think you are a nobody.”
And they tell boys not to be intimate with girls unless they plan to
marry them. They are told, “You must not say anything evil to women: if
you do, you will be talking evilly to your own sisters.
“And if you are going with a girl, if you are engaged to her, you must
marry her, and treat her rightly. You must go home with her and stay
with your father-in-law and your mother-in-law. You must treat them as
nicely as you can. And you should hunt for your mother-in-law and your
father-in-law. If you treat your wife meanly, every one will talk about
you. And that will make it bad for you. At all gatherings people will
talk about you, saying how badly you treat your wife. The people will
say many things about you, though you may not know it. They will say
you are jealous. And in that way people will always refuse you favors.
You will be treating your wife badly, if you pay no attention to the
old people.
“You must obey your parents. It is the right thing to obey one’s
parents. And boys who do not obey their parents are the worst boys
to-day.
“If you know any one has something of his own, you must not ask him for
it, nor must you steal it. It is not right to steal. If you steal or
ask for the thing you want, all the people will be afraid of you. You
are nothing but a beggar. Every one will say that to you. They will
call you a beggar.”
Now when boys are beginning to be grown up, they are told: “You must
not turn against your friends; you must be kind-hearted. And you must
not bother with any woman or girl who is married to another man. You
should not try to ‘cut him out.’ It is dangerous to do that.” This is
one of the most important things they try to get boys to understand. By
doing what is forbidden they might get into trouble; and they might end
their lives. Many boys end their lives before they are middle-aged by
not listening to their parents.
And girls are taught a little differently from boys. Of course they
tell girls, in the beginning, the same thing, that is, how to take care
of themselves. They teach girls that if they obey the rules they will
have an easier life as they grow older. After they are old enough they
teach them how to do things. And they also make them fast. They are
asked to fast so that adversity shall not strike them when they grow
up. They make girls fast for four days. They make them fast all winter,
especially when they are beginning to be young ladies. The reason why
they make them fast is that they are supposed to dream of something
that will take them through their life. That is why they do not take
regular meals like others, to prepare for a long life.
And they teach them to do something for themselves, especially when
they grow up. They teach them work, suitable for women. They teach them
to learn to make mattings and how to make sacks. They also teach them
how to make moccasins and beadwork. Girls are told that they can get
along nicely if they learn these things before they are married. They
are told, “You will be benefited by doing this for your husband. Your
relatives will be benefited by you.”
And girls are told: “If you are a moral girl, your father-in-law and
mother-in-law will treat you as nicely as they can. And they will love
you. If you are quiet and well-behaved, you will be much better off
than those girls who do not mind. Men do not care for girls who do not
mind and who are immoral. If you do not mind and are immoral, no man
will have you for his wife.” That is why girls are taught to be good.
After they learn to make things, they are taught to cook meals. Girls
are told that by doing so, they are leading themselves the right way.
“By so doing you are leading yourself an easy way. Sometime you may
grow up and make your own home.” That is why girls are told to be
willing workers.
And girls are told not to go off and live with other people. Of course
people would like a girl to live with them a few days. But a few days
later they might turn her out, especially if she were lazy. People do
not wish to support a lazy person. This is why girls are taught to cook.
And after they are married, girls are especially told not to say
anything about other persons, and not to feel unfriendly towards them.
And they are told not to have any quarrels with other people, for
that is not a right thing to do. They are told to be kind towards the
people and not to have quarrels with any one. “This is the best way, to
be friendly with every one. By so doing, the people will feel kindly
towards you. They will always say a good word for you. People do not
think anything of a mean person. If you are mean, some day some one
will turn against you. Some persons are dangerous. They have secret
ways to kill people.” This is why girls are told not to be mean, or say
mean things to other persons. And some girls hate their parents for
telling them this. But it is a rule that children should be taught. The
reason parents tell girls this, is because they love them so well. They
are teaching them so they can attain an old age. Girls who were not
taught, do anything they please. They do not care what they do. They
spoil themselves.
Girls are supposed to be taught till they are married. After a girl
is married, she has full control of herself, and may do whatever she
thinks best. But it is best to follow the rules forever, to be kind to
one’s husband and the people. It is pretty hard to lead a righteous
life.
When girls begin to have children they are told to be kind to their
children and love them, and not to do anything bad to them. And they
are taught that if they live quietly to an old age, they themselves
will be the only relations they have.
And before children are well grown, they dare not go any place by
themselves. Of course boys are different: they can go any place they
please. And girls dare not do so, unless they have a good reason for
it. They are taught to always be at home and do the work. They are
told: “If you grow to be a young lady, if you walk around and do not do
any work, people will not think anything of you. They will always talk
about you. They will say that all you are good for, is to walk from
place to place. They will say you are looking for a place to get your
meals. They will say that you are looking for a place where you can get
the finest food. They will say many things about you. They will even
say that you are worse than a man. Every time you are on the road they
will say, ‘There goes a woman who goes about looking for good meals
for herself.’” That is the reason why they desire a girl to be able to
do things so that she can support herself after she is grown. That is
why they tell girls to obey their parents. Their parents have had good
experience and know what they are talking about.
And when girls arrive at puberty, they are told not to marry a divorced
man. They are told to marry a young man. In the early days, people
used to say to each other when girls married divorced men: “It is not
natural for a girl to marry a divorced man, nor for a young man to
marry a divorced woman.” They told girls that if they married young
men, that they would be benefited by getting horses, and so on. And a
girl is told to look around and get the right kind of a boy. In the
early days, they liked boys who killed game, trapped, sold furs, and so
got money; but nowadays they tell girls to look around for boys that
have horses, homes, everything they want. They say, “That’s the right
kind of a young man to marry—one that can support you.”
Girls are also told: “When you are staying with your father-in-law and
with your mother-in-law, you are supposed to help them in their work.
When your mother-in-law begins doing anything, you must ask her if you
may do it.” A girl is taught this so that she can get along nicely
after she is married. Girls are told: “If you don’t do these things,
people will talk about you, and say how lazy you are. And people will
not like you.” This is the reason why a girl is taught all manner of
work.
And all girls are taught the same things. And in this way, they lead
themselves the right way.