Many Many Moons/Little-Caribou Makes "Big Talk"

by Lew Sarett

LITTLE-CARIBOU MAKES "BIG TALK"

To e read
brokenly in a
high-pitched
voice with a
touch of queru-
lousness and
petulance, and
an occasional
note of
drollery.

Boo-zhóo! Boo-zhóo!
Me, Ah-deek-koons, I mak-um big talk.
Me, ol' man; I'm got-um sick on knee
In rainy wedder w'en I'm walk. Ugh!
Me, lak moose w'at's ol',
I'm drop-um plenty toot'!
Yet Tam big man! Ho!
An' I am talk-um big! Ho!

  (Hi-yee! Blow lak moose, ol' man!
  Ho! Ho!

  Hi-yi! Little-Caribou him talk
  Lak O-mah-kah-kée, dose Bullfrog:
  Big mout', big belly,
  No can fight!)

  Ugh! Close mout', young crazy buck!
  You stop-um council-talk,
  You go 'way council!
  Sit wit' squaw!
  You lak little poh-tóong,
  Lak pollywog tad-pole:
  No can jump-um
  Over little piece mud;
  Can only shake-um tail
  Lak crazy-dam-fool! . . .

Keétch-ie O-gi-ma, Big Preshiden',
He got-um plenty t'oughts in head;
Me, Caribou, I'm got-um plenty-good t'oughts,
Got-um plenty-good t'oughts in head.
Yet Eenzhun-Agent all-tam' saying:
"Ah-deek-kéons, he crazy ol' fool
Ugh! He crazy ol' fool!

Keétch-ie O-gi-má long tam' ago
Was say in Pine Point Treaty:
"All de "Cheebway should be farmer;
All will get from Washin'ton gov'ment
Good allotment farm land,
One hondred-sixty acre each." Ho!
Ho! Eenzhun scratch-um treaty!
Stick-um t'umb on treaty!

W'at's come treaty? Hah?
Eenzhun got-um hondred-sixty acre,
But got-um too much little pieces,—
Pieces scattered over lake
Lak leaves she's blow by wind.
In tam'rack swamp by Moose Tail Bay
He got-um forty acre piece.
Ten mile away, on Lake of Cut-Foot Sioux,
In mush-kaig an' in rice-field,
He got-um forty acre more.
On Bowstring Lake, she's t'orty-mile away,
In sand and pickerel weed,
He got-um forty acre more.
Hondred mile away, on Lac La Croix,
W'ere lumberman is mak' big dam
For drive-um log,—an' back-um up water
All over Eenzhun allotment land,—
He got-um forty acre more,—all under lake!
How can Eenzhun be good farmer! Ugh?
He's got-um land all over lake!
He's got-um land all under lake!
For Eenzhun be good farmer
Eenzhun should be good for walking under water!
Should be plow hees land wit' clam-drag!
Should be gadder potato crops wit' fish-net!
For Eenzhun be good farmer
Eenzhun should be fish!
Ugh!

I have said it!

   (Ho! Ho! Ho!
   Hi! Hi! Plenty-big talk!
   How!)