Emil Afraid-Of-Hawk's style (A Personal Impression)

[Clive Bloomfield]

Hello Alfred & friends, If you mean the Lakota text is 'European- 
style' in the sense that it was a work of European literary FORM  
(novel/novella), which Emil Afraid-of-hawk was "translating" back in  
the 1940's, then I totally agree with you. But that seems to me the  
only European thing about it, (apart from the Roman alphabet) :  the  
grammatical structure & syntax of his sentences, his  
"Weltanschaung" (if you like) seem,IMHO, "echt-Lakhota", being in my  
view completely unlike the grammatical/thought structure of any  
European language of which I am aware, even of non-Indo-European ones  
like Finnish, Estonian, Turkish. Hungarian, or even Basque. (I am not  
putting myself forth as an expert in any of those languages, but I  
know enough about  the way they "work".) And yet neither does it  
resemble the structure of the language as it is used in the Deloria  
or Bushotter Tales. IMHO, it would seem to have more in common with  
the modern Lakhota style of Ivan Starr's 'Lakota Eyapaha". I would  
love to know more about Mr. Afraid-Of-Hawk, wouldn't you? Who was he  
raised by? Who were his parents & grandparents? Any storytellers in  
the family? How traditional a background did he come from? What  
education had he acquired? What books, if any, had he read? Does the  
first name "Emil" perhaps indicate some European strain, not "full- 
blood" : French/German/Swiss/Belgian? All I have been able to  
ascertain so far is that he was an Oglala, an assistant at a trading  
post on Rez. (Pine Ridge, I think) in the 1920's & '30's, who was  
apparently remembered with much affection, a Catholic "catechist &  
prayer-leader" in 1930-31, and an interpreter who was engaged 1) by  
the famous John Neihardt in the course of interviewing Nicholas Black  
Elk in '30/'31; 2) Employed as one of 5 interpreters by Eleanor  
Hinman & Mari Sandoz in their work in the same years with Oglala  
informants on Crazy Horse. 3) Engaged as Lakhota interpreter for a  
number of bilingual children's books by the B.I.A. teacher & author  
Ann Nolan Clark, published by the Bureau in the '40's. IF I am right  
about his use of Lakhota, he is a distinguished author & artist,  
whose stature awaits due recognition! If I am wrong, I would like to  
have it demonstrated, by a Lakhota scholar, or other informed source.  
In fact, I would love to analyse/discuss the grammar & syntax of some  
of his sentences with any scholars here who might be interested. :)  
Here is a link to the book, with interlinear translation(s)  
available :  http://lol.iyapi.net/bomd.php  Best regards, Clive  
Bloomfield.
On 02/07/2006, at 4:59 AM, A.W. Tüting wrote:

> Hello Clive,
>
> I checked my paper copy of Buechel-Manhart (2002) and it's like  
> quoted by you. There seems to be a typo in the source I'd looked it  
> up first.
>
> I'd support your 'wish' regarding Sunka wan wakan agli k'un he.  
> Never encountered such a 'European- style' Lakota text written by a  
> native speaker. Great!
>
> T.a.
>
> Alfred
>
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