An old Prayer......

Thought you might enjoy reading a prayer stated by one of our old Potawatomi gentlemen, recorded by Ruth Landes, and early anthropologist who visited our people in Kansas in the 1930's. Tom Topash was from Michigan originally but made his home with the Prairie Potawatomi of Kansas then. He still has relatives living in the Southwestern Michigan area.
Read and enjoy then....

Nin se Neaseno.



TOPASH PRAYER.

THUNDER:

O Jigwé Nagan’ien (énaganiyen)
Oh Thunder Leader

Mamwé mishkwezyen shote
Supreme Power here

Égi bgednegoyen éwi je
You were placed and to

Kewabmiyak I je mine
Protect us (also) and

Éwi nizhokmodwan gij
To help your other

Mishkwezimak éwi
Lesser plants under you and good

Mnogmoak éwi nizhokmodwan *(always praise the
Rains and help (bless us with) rains)

Éwi mno bmadziyak jak gégo
Good lives (that we may live good lives)

Mine éwi gsiabaudi’ek (gsiabadwiyek)
All crops, growths and every variety

Nebeshknegen jayék
All rotten things (and washes clean atop the ME
All rotten things)

Anaké tatbégwen mine mishkoyen
Along with leaves and weeds

Nebeshknegen éwi binabaud’iek (binabadwiyek)
Rotten and made clean by the rain

Édnesyak iw je pi
Where we live and when

Zhawno’enmek émnoskyag inoden
The South Winds with their nice damp air and the Great
Good Wind

Égche mnobmadji shka gwi yak
Enable us to live and able

Ije gedzhi’esk miyak jak
To continue all

Mno mikjéwiwen éwi
Variety of good work and

Jak gishkwiyak we’an meze
Variety of completed work pursuing

Mno mikjéwiyak éwi zhigojkemegon
Good work and to avoid

Mine jak nenyézanyek
Any and all danger.


NORTH SPIRIT:

Ahau Pondesé wéwéne
Greeting Coldness (One) earnestly

Genadotmonenan éwi
We ask you and

Kewabmiyak wéwénije
Protect us earnestly we ask
Genadotmonenan éwi
You to protect us and

Kewabmiyak éwi bwa zigdezhiyak
Watch over us and not to freeze us

Bénagdze éwi zak senyak
Be very mild then Cold Ones

Ije gche gdotmonenan
And we request

Débtso éwi bgeshagon
A sufficiency then of falling snow

Éwi ngwagneg se kig
So as to blanket the Earth

Éwi déb mno Otakiwak
And so sufficient a nice dampening of the Earth

Gé she je kejkadoiyag éwi
In order to help us then

Gizhgatoyag wabgonen
Raise pumpkins

Ndamneg mine penik
Corn and potatoes

Mine kojések mine
And beans and

Jak ézgak washkgbek
All variety of growing things

Mine jak ézgak bébiz wayak
And also small fruits.

THE EAST:

Kegnaswé ékche yéwak
Coming Daylight Greatest

Gebébamzawen gin
Power you

Éwedzema dzegék jak gégo
Start varieties of everything

Bamgak mshkekegé jak
Growing medicine all

Éshkek wa nadwashkag wiyak
Kinds that grow for doctoring ourselves

Ébgosén demak wéwéne éwi
We wish sincerely then

Gizgak iw je wéwéne gé je
They grow then nicely so we can

Skeksedoiyak éwi
Gather them and

Nado’owé wiyak iw pi éyaknogéyak
Cure ourselves when we fall ill

Iw je wéwéne géndotmon nag tche
And respectfully I ask you an early

Ewi Mnokmek iw je wéwéne
Spring and respectfully

Endotmonag jak ézgak
We ask you for it all kinds of growing

Washkgbeg gé je skeknemag
Fruit that we may gather

Iw pi Ponok éwi mijyak
When Winter comes and we eat

Mine éwizgek nekmek jak
And gather all kinds

Ezgek mashgeké
Of growing things.




THE SOUTH :

Zhawdesi ik she éndotmonag
Hotness now we pray

Ewi mizhyak jak gégo kazegek
Then give us varities of all that

Géte ga nak gin jayék épamzen
Grows in the fields you do have all kinds of control

Ékwabdoyen éwi mno zak ki’eg
You have charge of them and good growths


MOTHER EARTH:

Mesekmekwé ngyénan ik she
Top soil our Mother now we

Wéwéne éndotmonag gé pe
Respectfully ask you to fulfill your

Bamziwen gé gin ga wje
Responsibility that is your duty

Bgetnegoyen éwi je nizhokmowiyak
You were placed to do and help us execute

Shewénmatenejnag éwi mno
Graciously and good

Zak k’yég mine wéwéne éwi
To sprout and properly to

Gizhgag jak gégo waje’ gé’ak
Mature all everything they/we plant

Éwi mémek mikwékek
And make them grow abundantly.



THE GOOD SPIRIT:

She wén ge’en mnomneto wéwéne
Merciful Good Spirit respectfully

Gnedotmomen éwi kewabmiyak
We say to protect then (us) from

Jak gégo éje nizan wiyag
All of the dangers

Gche tche igwan n’mo jenak
Avert cyclone or

Gche wawiyasto jayék gégo
Great Whirlwind and all sorts of

Ze’angek égche mkomi
Dangers with great hail or falling storm


Biésag gé’aba éwi bwa
Also avoid excessive

Ozam wizganmek
Winds

Iw je gé she ndotmomen
Also again we pray you

Gche tche igwan jayék
Ward off all kinds

Éwi nénmoyak jak zengak
Then ward them off all danger

Éwi bwa pe gém jeka gwi yak
Then so it will not touch

Gche tche igwan nénmo jenak
Us ward off great dangers

I gé zenan dek noden
Including Hot Wind.