Page:Journal of American Folklore vol. 12.djvu/35

 American Indian Names of White Men and Women. 27

Rev. E. F. Wilson, missionary. Mr. Wilson ("Miss. Work," p. 33) renders this name " Lady of the Sky," but it evidently signifies " sun in the centre of the sky woman," from naw, "in the middle of," gijik, "sky," and ekzva, "woman." The name was that of a dead Indian woman who was much thought of, and it was the wish of the Indians " that her name should be retained among us."

4. Neegig (nigig), "otter." Rev. E. F. Wilson ("Miss. Work," p. 99) informs us that Chief Buhkwujjenene conferred this name in England on Rev. E. F. Wilson's brother Arthur, — the word sound- ing like "otter," hence the translation. This is an interesting pen- dant to the tawine of the Iroquois elsewhere noted.

5. Pashegonabe. Name conferred by Chief Buhkwujjenene on the father of Rev. E. F. Wilson, by whom it is said (p. 99) to mean "great eagle."

6. Pnhgiikahhin (pagakdban), "bright, clear day; broad day- light," — fr -om pakak, "clear," wdban, "it is day." The name of a much respected chief (long since dead), conferred by Chief Buhk- wujjenene on Rev. E. F. Wilson, the missionary (" Miss. Work,"

P- 33).

7. Tabahsega. Name given by Chief Buhkwujjenene to Bishop

Edward Sullivan, of Algoma, August 30, 1884, — said to mean "spreading or radiant light." Rev. E. F. Wilson gives the follow- ing interesting account of the naming of Bishop and Mrs. Sullivan by the Indian chief (" Miss. Work," pp. 248, 249) : " [The chief] proceeded in highly poetic strains, and with a fervid, impassioned manner, to which no description could do justice, to picture the glory of the rising sun ; how at first the night is dark, very dark, and the darkness clears a little, and the light looks through, and the great sun appears, creeping up slowly higher and higher, from east to west, till the whole heaven is filled with his bright, making all things glad : ' so,' said the old chief, turning to the bishop, « has your teaching been, and our hearts are glad because of the new light, and henceforth you will be called Tabasega, i. e. spreading or radiant light.' . . . The old chief then beckoned to the bishop's wife to come forward, and, going back to his former figure, to bring out the idea of the soft, roseate hue that overspreads the sky before the rising of the sun, announced that her name should be Misqnah- benooqita."

This is one typical mode of naming among the Ojibwa and other Algonkian Indians.

8. Wabausenooqiia (wabasemlkwd). This name, conferred by Chief Buhkwujjenene on a sister of Rev. E. F. Wilson, was ex- plained by the giver as signifying "a little spot cleared by the wind" ("Miss. Work," p. 99). Probably "wind-cleaning woman."

�� �