Origin of the Delaware Woman Dance - Part Two . . . Told by Lillie Hoag Whitehorn (1902 - 1994) to Bruce Pearson and Jim Rementer in 1977. Lillie was a member of the Delaware Tribe of Western Oklahoma (now The Delaware Nation), and she was half Caddo.
English:
Then the man went back and got his little son and carried him. They left
Lenape:
Na ktëki hùnt na lënu hùnt na tòlëmuxòlan na kwitëta. Na alëmskeyok
English:
they went to where his relatives lived, and he went to tell them.
Lenape:
nèkao eyok èlànkumachi wikhatihtit, na mòy luwèn.
English:
They then all notified each other at that place. The chief was notified and all the people, and
Lenape:
Na wèmi yu tali wehumawtin hùnt. Na na sakima wèhumao, òk
English:
all the people. Then
Lenape:
wèmi awèn lan. Na hùnt kènu
English:
they held a council. They went after the deceased woman and brought her. The deceased one
Lenape:
na achimulsahtuwàk hùnt. Na nalan naka xkweyo na pèshëwan. Kèku èt ma waka
English:
was really burned when she was struck by the thunders.
Lenape:
wëli lusëwa ènta ìka alahukuk nèl pèthakhuweyo.
English:
Then they had a council. They were surprised
Lenape:
Na hùnt kènu na achimulsuwàk hunt. Na hùnt kanshelìntàmuk
English:
because she was struck by those thunders.
Lenape:
èli alahukuk nèl pèthakhuweyo.
English:
thunders. One man said, "I could back bring her," he said.
Lenape:
Na hùnt na kwëti lënu luwe hùnt, "Ntèpi a ni ktëki pèshëwa," luwe hùnt.
English:
The man said, "I know what I could do to bring her back."
Lenape:
Kwëti na lënu luwe hùnt, "Nuwatun ni a ènëmën wënchi a ktëki pèshëwan."
English:
Then he said, "But for four days
Lenape:
Na luwe hùnt, "Shëk neyukwëni xu
English:
for four days I will be gone. I am going to the east.
Lenape:
neyukwëni xu nsakhakèn. Xu wënchi opànk nta.
English:
I will hold this little gourd rattle. This is what I will hold," he said.
Lenape:
Xu nkënëm kènu shuhòhòktët. Nal xu na nkënëmën," luwe hùnt.
English:
"Then if that woman is to be brought back
Lenape:
"Na pèshëwàke na xkwe ktëki pèshëwàte
English:
you will hold a dance, you will have a dance," he said.
Lenape:
nèch këmanituhëmo li mawhwin, mawhwinch," luwe hùnt.
English:
He said, "All the women will be two at a time behind each other.
Lenape:
"Wèmìch," luwe hùnt, "nihënisha nek xkweyok tèkawtuwàk.
English:
Then those old women will lead and the two will lead." he said.
Lenape:
Na kìkuwi nek xkweyok nàlch nèk nisha nikàniyok," luwe hùnt.
English:
"Then when the women are in fours we will see that woman," he said,
Lenape:
"Na yushe," luwe hùnt, "alàshi a èluwèt newëna na xkwe
English:
when the women are in fours we will see that woman on the fourth [day]," he said,
Lenape:
ènta newihtit nàlch na newa na yukwe naka nàni," luwe hùnt,
English:
when he brings her back. "Then they will have a dance," he said, "the men will sing,
Then she saw her husband, and she stepped to one side.
Lenape:
Na wëneyòn hùnt na witaemachi, na pòxkèn hùnt.
English:
She told him, "Give me our little son. I love him, my little son, I want to see him."
Lenape:
Na tëlan hùnt, "Mili na kwitëtëna. Ntahola na nkwitët, nkata neyo."
English:
The man tightly held onto his son.
Lenape:
Na hùnt na lënu chitani kwënao na kwisa.
English:
While they were doing that [dancing]
Lenape:
Nèli na lënamihtit luwe hùnt
English:
an old man who lived separately came toward them.
Lenape:
kèku èt ma na hilusës wëntahkwi hùnt pali wiku na hilusës hùnt.
English:
He was not often there among the people, he was always separate.
Lenape:
Ku tëmiki ìka wìchi awènike, nkëme pali.
English:
He came there and he said, "Grandchild,"
Lenape:
Na hùnt ìka pòn, na hùnt tëluwèn, "Nuxwitët,"
English:
and he began to cry. He said, "Grandchild, you have truly come back. I am glad to see you."
Lenape:
hùnt tòlëmi mëlimwin. Luwe hùnt, "Nuxwitët, kehëla èt ma ki ktëki kpa. Nulelìntàm newëlàn," hùnt.
English:
When he did that, when he told his granddaughter that
Lenape:
Na ènta në lënink, ènta në lat nèl uxwisa,
English:
then that deceased woman disappeared. She was not seen again, never was there again.
Lenape:
na naka xkweyo ta èt ta hùnt. Ku chich nèhkwësi, ku chich ìka wìchi.
English:
Now this is where it comes from when they have
Lenape:
Na hùnt yukwe nëshè ènta mahwin nëni wënchixën
English:
the Delaware Woman Dance. This then is the length of the story.
Lenape:
në Lënapei xkweyok ènta naxkuhëmunt hùnt. Na nëshè shëk nkàski sakawchimwin.
English:
This is what I heard from my late mother and grandmother when they told stories.
Lenape:
Na na ntihëlëstàmën waka nkahèsa òk nuhëma ènta achimwihtit.
English:
We are better! Here Lillie sings a portion of a Woman Dance which contains the words Alëwi kiluna - We are better, in responsorial singing with the men singers. The rest of the song is vocables..
