Meaning of Hethushka...Another consideration. (fwd)

Sat Sep 18 22:14:51 UTC 2004

Greetings all:

I don't know if [anyone] remembers the online conversation posted on the
"Siouan Languages Mailing List" (copy below) concerning the meaning of
the Dhegiha term "Hethushka."  I stumbled on it while doing some personal
internet research into Ponca Hethushka traditions and origins, as I have
been a dancer and follower of the Ponca Hethushka traditions since 1980.

I wanted to comment on some information I found that may be of interest,
to consider as a related connection between oral tradition, literal
translation, and implied meaning to explain "Hethushka."

I would like to suggest that since there are some published scholars
(Wissler, 1916), (Howard, 1965), (Young, 1981), (Browner, 2002), (Belle,
2004) that attribute the possible origin of the Hethuska traditions to the
Pawnee Iruska; and since the Pawnee Iruska has as its oral origin
tradition, a story of culture hero Crow Feather who had a vision in which
he meets spiritual beings as well as the spirit of a fallen Pawnee warrior
who had his scalplock removed in a battle, that provide him certain
teachings; and since it is well established that the Pawnee Iruska
warriors wore their hair shaved on the sides with a braided scalplock at
the nap of the neck, laden with grease and stiffened in an upturned
fashion to resemble a "horn," so that the sign language for Pawnee was a
hand at the back of the neck going in an upturned arch immitating the
scalplock "horn"; and since according to Mr. Garvin, the commonly held
interpretation for the term "Heyoska" for a group of songs among the
Ho-Chunk is "to untie or remove the horn" (which could be interpreted to
mean: to have your scalplock "horn" removed in battle, such as the Pawnee
warrior spirit in Crow Feather's vision); and since the translation of
"he" in Dhegiha is "horn", might there be a connection? (note: In "The
Omaha Tribe", 1911, Page 182, there is a photo (Figure 40), of an Omaha
man named "Hethi'kuwinxe", wearing his hair with an upturned scalplock
"horn" at the base of his hair roach.)

Lastly, I do not profess to know that much about the Dhegiha dialect, but
I found the name of an Omaha person on page 174, of the same book, "The
Omaha Tribe" by Fletcher & LaFlesche, 1911. The name is "U'shkadazhi",
translated as "Dauntless or Rushing Into Battle Without Hesitation".
(note: According to the Oklahoma State Historical Society, on 20 October
1880, when Agent A.R. Satterwhite filed a report for the Ponca Agency,
"Rush Into Battle" was listed as one of the Ponca leaders or sub-chiefs at
that time.)

I know "u" is translated as "in", but I don't know enough to sub-divide
the rest of the name. Could there be a similar translation relationship
from the "u'shka" in the beginning of this name and the "thushka" segment
in "hethu'shka"? Just wondering. Any thoughts...comments? Jonathan Holmes

**************************************************************************

Date:         Thu, 18 Dec 2003 22:46:36 -0600
From:         Henning Garvin <hhgarvin at hotmail.com>
Subject:      Re: Hethuska

Thought I'd chime in here.  In Hocank, the word "herus^ka" nowadays refers
to people who go through the pow-wow circuit.  Some say it refers to
living a humble, giving way of life, but as far as I know, it is not
related to any "war dances" and is often associated mainly with pow-wow.
At least at this point and time. Many of the songs we sing at pow-wow have
this word, and are actually called "herus^ka songs"

I've been told that the word itself means "untying of the horn" and refers
to the headgear worn by dancers (roaches, turbans, etc.).

Don't know if this helps.

Henning Garvin
Linguistic research
Ho-Chunk Nation Language Division

>From: "Tom Leonard" <tleonard at prodigy.net>
>Reply-To: siouan at lists.colorado.edu
>To: <siouan at lists.colorado.edu>
>Subject: Hethuska
>Date: Thu, 18 Dec 2003 18:56:41 -0600
>
>Thought I'd share parts of a conversation I've been having with John
>Koontz.
>I'd appreciate any thoughts on the subject.
>
>I've been studying the "war dance complex" amongst the Dhegiha tribes.
>
>In Ponca, the word for this is "hethu's^ka". I also have the word being
>pronounced "heo's^ka" (hey-o-shka) , hetho's^ka (hey-low-shka) and
>hethoo's^ka (hey-thoo-shka).
>
>Most Poncas today say the word is an ancient term who's meaning is lost but
>add "it means 'the war dance' or 'man dance'". However, my dad Joe Rush in
>1977 said the word came from "xthe-xthe" (tattoo or
>tattooed people) and "s^ka'de" (play or to enjoy). From a tape of him in
>1977: "it meant for the enjoyment of those old folks...those old
>folks...they had tattoos on them.....they kind of showed their rank".
>
>Does this make linguistic sense?
>
>Let's look at "s^ka" in the word first.
>
>John suggested "It is interesting to see another connection to s^kade, but
>I
>think that it's not likely that a final s^ka in OP would derived from
>s^kade.  I suspect that the Osage revised form with this association in it
>has maybe influenced your father, though, of course, I don't know if that's
>really a plausible assumption." Joe Rush was the head singer for all three
>Osage Districts for many years and he certainly had plenty of contact over
>there. So, that might have been the case (although he would have never
>admitted it). So, I'll give that a "maybe".
>
>The question regarding s^ka from s^kade (to play) came from a discussion of
>the widely held translation of ilon's^ka (the Osage word for the 'war
>dance'), that is "playground of the eldest son". LaFlesche (1939)
>translated
>ilon's^ka as "those who partake of thunder" ("iloN" or igthoN - thunder).
>It
>is my contention the "playground of the eldest son" translation is a folk
>etymology that has become quite engrained. In the 1970's I had several
>elderly Osage people tell me, quite adamantly, that ilon's^ka had nothing
>to
>do with "playing" or "playgrounds" or the "eldest son". Each told me it had
>to do with "the old religion"...then they usually started to change the
>subject (the old religion being a very taboo topic of conversation).
>
>Oddly enough, the "old religion" had lots to do with bundle rites that
>featured "xthe-xthe" - tattooing. The old priests were given tattooes when
>they acheived a certain status (see LaFlesche). I think the last Osage who
>had these died in the mid 1970's, but I remember seeing him.
>
>I've also wondered if "s^ka came from "s^ka'xe" (you make). I have heard
>"s^ka'xe" abbreviated to "s^ka". For instance, you often hear "u' doN s^ka"
>(you did good). John mentioned: "In OP gaghe can be used as a sort of
>causative, but it means something like "act like, perform as."  There's not
>much tendency to lose final syllables in compounding except in initial
>elements, e.g., s^aNttaNga, iNkhesabe, waz^iNttu and so on." Culturally,
>s^ka from s^kaxe makes some sense. It also makes some sense in the context
>of the anthro. literature in this regard.
>
>Now here's the rough part.
>
>Is it conceivable the word ( "hethu's^ka" or "heo's^ka" (hey-o-shka) or
>hetho's^ka (hey-low-shka) or  hethoo's^ka (hey-thoo-shka)) could have
>changed from "xthe-xthe-s^ka" [s^kaxe or s^kade] to "xe-xthe-s^ka" to
>"xe-tho-s^ka" to "he-tho-s^ka"...... (I do have some elders saying
>"he-tho-s^ka")......or perhaps.......
>
>"xthe-xthe-s^ka" to "xthe-xthu-s^ka" to "xe-thu-s^ka" to
>"he-thu-s^ka"........
>
>Are any of these a plausible morph or liguistic change pattern?
>
>One other question. In Otoe, the war dance is called "ithu's^ka" or
>"idu's^ka" (not certain). In Pawnee, I believe it's "iru's^ka". Can anyone
>shed any light on etymologies or meanings from those languages?
>
>Any thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated.
>
>Wi'btha hai ho!

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