Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1940-08-10

with each significant event in his
career.
Many Wrongly Interpreted
Indian names, in the native language,
were often musical in sound, though
the idea suggested by the name might
be incongruous. And often white men,
in tranSlating the native syllables, gave
the wrong Interpretation.
Tasunka Kokipapi was translated by
white men to Young Man Afraid Of
His Horses. In this an injustice was
done to a brave Indian, known to our
own western history. A literal transla-
ton of his name was "One whose ca
pacity in battle is such that the mere
sight of his horses inspires fear in his
enemies" The name implied tribute
to the warrior rather than an indicated
stigma of cowardice.
Womens names indicated poetic emo
tions and flights of romantic fancy
Women's names were less known to
whites than the names of leading chiefs
and warriors, and the agency teachers
often made as gross miStranslations as
the men did with masculine names.
A Woman'S name, too, when bound
in marriage to a brave and translated
into English, resulted in some odd APP
pellations.
Beautiful voiced Antelope, for in
stance, became Mrs. Bad Bull on the
Sioux agency rolls On the other hand
Beautiful White Cow became Mrs.
Spotted Horn Bull
Scarlet Day, in English, does not
sound so complimentary. But An-patu
Duta-win, in Sioux sylIables, is beauti-
full. The bearer of the name was first
called Day. Because the sponsor wanted
to indicate that the child was lovely,
the name Scarlet was added. Scarlet
was the color that was most beautiful
and gladdening to the Indians eye.
Sitting Bull, famed medicine man of
the Sioux, was first called Jumping
Badger. His fathers name was Sitting
Bull. When boy Jumping Badger had
distinguished himself IN the field, and
his father made a feast and Solemnly
transferred his own name to his son.
How Gall Got His Name
One day an Indian mother found her
small son gnaWing at the gall-bladder
of an animal that had been killed. He
was named Pizi-literally, Gall. He was
a waif, brought up In the lodges of his
people by a widowed mother. By force
of his own personality and ability ne be-
came a great leader and one of the
principal chiefs over the bands which /
fought the Custer troops in the battle
of the Little Big Horn in June, 1876, I
the end of the Indians no
madic freedom
Big Head was misnamel in English. |
In Sioux his name actually meant Big /
Brain, compliment to his intellectual |
leadership. Likewise, Big Reads name |
actually was Broad Trail.
Sinte-G leska-Spotted Tail-tcok his |
name from the unusual markings on |
the tail of pony he had owned in I
boyhood Little Wounds name came /
from a minor injury. Crazy Walking /
enjoyed the dignity of judgeship at I
the Standing Rock agency. His name /
was derived from a peculiar walking /
stride
His swift gait and a tendency toward (
deep religion gave name to Running /
Holy.
Afraid of-Soldier was another mis-
homer. The Sioux name meant liter
ally, Their Soldiers Fear Him
Ages agone the races that have long
been called civilized lived without fam
ly names, though they maintained
system of genealogy. to record the line
IF descent. something the Indian did
lot have. When the races became num-
srous and communal life grew beyond