Syllabary Texts 82: Ironic Discourse

kakiy-asiniy

(1)kwayask nitôtâk sôniyâw-okimâw. kêkway nitotamawakih, sêmâk nimiyik. nama wya wîhkâc ninôhtêpayin mîciwin. ayisk nitasamik. kwayask mitoni nipamihik, wâwîs kâ-pipohk. tâpiskôc êh-miyo-wîcêwak, mitoni miywâsin, sôniyâw-okimâw. nîsta kwayask niwîh-kakwê-wîcêwâw. sêmâk kêkway k-âtosit, nitôtamwân. êkotah ohcih nistah nikakwê-miyo-wîcêwâw. piko omasinahikêsis nama wya miywâtisiw, omasinahikêsis.¹

(1)The Agent treats me well. Whenever I ask him for anything, at once he gives it to me. I never am short of food. For he gives me food. He takes very good care of me, especially in winter. It is a very fine thing, the way I am on a friendly footing with the Agent. I, too, try to be a good friend to him. As soon as he tells me to do anything, I do it for him. In this way I, too, try to be a good comrade to him. Only the Clerk is not of good character, that Clerk.

Footnotes

Such irony is usually uttered in the presence of the victim; it is not serious, but a form of teasing. In this instance, however, the Agent was not present, and would not have understood. The Clerk would at least recognize that he was being talked about; hence the repetition of the word “Clerk”.