calumet de paix

[Koontz John E]

On Sat, 28 Feb 2004 bi1 at soas.ac.uk wrote:
> Haven't seen it in, Lakota, but there is the related expression chanli
> yus^ka 'untie the tobacco bundles' signifying 'to make peace' and later
> on wicazo yuthanpi 'touching the pen' signifying to make a treaty (with
> the whites)

At the risk of partially reversing myself, here's an example of
peace-making in the Dorsey texts involving a pipe.  There is no spdecific
reference to peace, only to ceasing fighting.

JOD 1890:400.6-7

Ni(N)ni'(N)ba ha's^i thi'=           thaN         e'   i'naNs^taN=bi=ama
pipe          later  he arrived here the-standing that they stopped  QUOTE

It was the second man who presented the pipe that they stopped for.

The main verb is i'naNstaN 'to stop by means of'.  The e' clearly forms a
focussing cleft.  "It was the second whom they stopped for" as opposed to
the first man (who was killed for his trouble).  I think that nini'ba
'pipe' and thi'=thaN 'the one who came' are separate arguments of
i'naNs^taN 'they stopped for the one who came by means of (on account of)
(the) pipe'.  The alternative 'they stopped for the one who brought (came
bringing) (the) pipe' requires thi' to act as a transitive verb.

There is also a case of a pipe being used to make war:

JOD 1890:395.7-9

GaN'   ni'kkagahi=akha ni[N]ni'[N]ba waxu'be gagha'=i=  khe
and so chief      the  pipe          holy    he made it the

uz^i'=bi=    ama
he filled it QUOTE

The chief filled a pipe which he held sacred.

GaN'   g=a'=bi=           ama:
and so he said as follows QUOTE

And he spoke thus:

"Ni[N]ni[N]'ba ga'=khe ppaN'dhiN waNgakhidha=tta=i=the
 pipe          yon the Pawnees   we shall surely revenge ourselves on

i'dhana[N]hiN=i=kki, dhana'=i=           ga  ha.
you are willing if   put your lips to it IMP DEC

If you are willing that we should revenge ourselves on the Pawnees,
participate in this pipe.

Us^ni's^?aga=i=   kki, dhana'=b=az^i=             ga  ha, a'=bi=  ama
You are unwilling if   do not put your lips to it IMP DEC he said QUOTE

If you are unwilling, do not participate," he said.