Many Many Moons/Chief Bear's-Heart "Makes Talk"
CHIEF BEAR'S-HEART "MAKES TALK"
To be readslowly andbrokenly indeep resonanttones and in astolid mannerbroken byperiods of re-strained emo-tionn.
Agent-man from Keétch-ie O-gi-ma,Our Big W'ite Chief,De heart of all de 'CheebwayIn my tribe are good to you;My people want your heartBe good to all de Eenzhuns.
In Summer-of-de-Many-Rains,Conies Long-Blade soldier, Major Rice,An' Black-Robes priest, for mak'-um treaty.Dey mak'-um talk in council, so:"'Cheebway, 'Cheebway, mak'-um treaty;Walk on far-away reservation an' live;You go new reservation, you get-um plenty t'ingFrom Keétch-ie O-gi-ma:Get-um plenty grub an' money;Plenty t'ing for belly an' for back."Den Long-Blade stick-um one handOn Big-Black-Book an' treaty-paper,An' raise-um oder hand to Keétch-ie Má-ni-dó,De w'ite man's Big Spirit, an' say:"'Cheebway, all dose t'ing on treaty sure will be!" . . .Ho! Eenzhun scratch-uim paper;Stick-um t'umb on treaty;An' walk on reservation. W'at's come treaty now! Ugh?
No got-um plenty grub!'Cheebway got-um small flat belly;No got-um wite man's big fat belly!
Comes soon de Winter-Maker,Blowing on de river wit' hees icy breat',With repressedemotion—gathering inpowerAn' making dem stand stillWit' sleep beneat' de snow.An' Nort' Wind whistle crazy-wildT'rough crying spruce an' cedar;An' Muk-wa, ol' fat bear, he sleepAn' sheever in hees hole;An' Peé-nay, hungry pa'tridge,Bury in de balsam snow-drif'.Now walk on Eenzhun wée-ga-wam!'Cheebway sit dere hungry,—In winter no can get-um grub lak mooseWho paw big hole in snow for plenty moss.No got-um plenty money;No got-um w'ite man's grub.Squaw, she got-um sick,—Bad osh-kée-shee-gwa-pee-nay,—She sick on eye lak devil-hell.Sqtiaw-sich, little gal,She got-um measles-sick,De Spotted-Sickness on de face.Little boy, he got-umi heap-sick,—Bad óh-pun-náh-pee-nay,—Bad Coughing-Sickness; Ugh! He spit all-tam'!—Got-um sick on lung, an' hot on cheek;Got-um eye she blaze lak wildcat! . . .W'y should be dose t'ing?Slowly andbrokenly with anote of irony.Ugh! Go w'ite man's town: He got-um plenty grub;Hees belly laugh wit' grub!W'y should be diff'rence, ha-aaah?Mebbe w'ite man's God he want-um diff'rence! Ugh!Mebbe Má-ni-dó no lak-um Eenzhun chil'en! Hah!Mebbe Má-ni-dó forget-um Eenzhun chil'en! Ugh!Mebbe so! Mebbeso!. . .
With dramaticforce
Mebbe no!Look-um straight!Talk-um straight!Ai-yee! Keétch-ie Má-ni-dóHe no forget-um 'Cheebway Eenzhun!Eenzhun chil'en, good chil'en!Big Spirit lak-um Eenzhun chil'enSlowly, withsubtle changesof emotionfrom humorand irony tosarcasm andbitterness.Jus' so much he lak-um Long-Knife. (Ho! Ho! How! How!)Inspector Taylo',In council of olden tam'De Long-Blade stick-um hand on Big-Black-Book,An' raise-um oder hand to sky an' say:"All dose t'ing on treaty-paper sure will be!"
Mebbe. . . .Mebbe. . . . Mebbe he was only fool for fun! Hah?Ho! Long-Blade only fool for fun! Ho!
Mebbe so! . . . Mebbeso! . . .
Mebbe hees tongue talk-umLittle bit crooked! Ho?
Mebbe so! . . . Mebbe so! . . .
Mebbe he got-um forks in tongue,Wit' little poison-gland! Ugh!Fenzhun t'ink—He lie! . . .
Look on me! . . .Look on me! . . .Look on me! . . .
Talk-um straight today!No got-um double-snake-tongue! . . .
I have said it!
(Ho! How! How! Ho! Ho! Hol)