TRANSCRIPT

Kosa yo a tika (Yellowface)

Kosa yo a tika (Yellowface)
Son of Nose Hills Yellowface,
Half brother of old Jim O'Chiese
Who lived with two bull buffaloes
On the rolling prairies
Near the Red Deer river,
Who led his band of Saulteaux
To west of the North Saskatchewan river,
To that land of muskegs
Near the Babtiste river
And the Nordegg river
Looking for a home.

Maswka the black bear
Stole a dinner from his teepee,
Walked inside through the doorway
Before noon hour in the summer,
He tore apart the rugs and blankets,
Upset the pots and dishes,
Ate up all of Kosa yo a tika's sugar,
Feasted on dried fruit and pemmican;
Tore the flour bin all asunder,
Left the contents of the tepee scattered.
Left everything in disorder.

Yellowface went hunting
Mouswa in the timber;
Crossed over hills and valleys
Early in the morning.
Up amoungst the windfalls,
Through big spruce and poplars,
Over jackpine ridges
To the land of tamarac
In the muskeg lowlands
Where bull moose were browsing
On buck brush and willows.

Quietly he stalked them
With his modern rifle;
Stalked them all the morning,
Cold it was in November,
Snow had not yet fallen,
Leaves were dry and brittle,
Everything was frosty
In that land his fathers
Hunted moose before him.

Nearby in a thicket
A young bull moose was feeding
On young shoots of alders
Which were sweet and tender
In a sheltered valley;
Kosa yo a tika raised his rifle,
Sighted long and steady,
Breathed a prayer to Manitou,
Then gently squeezed the trigger.

The moose fell on the hard ground,
Kosa yo a tika laid his rifle,
Gently by a willow;
Took off his hat of muskrat hides
And laid it by his rifle;
Silently he stood erect
Then raised his hands above his head
And from his heart in thankfulness
To Manitou, gave thanks.

He now had meat in plenty
For his squaw and children.
Kosa yo a tika's squaw was standing
Just outside their wigwam
When she heard a gunshot,
Murmured "That was big chief's rifle",
Called unto her children;
Dance around the camp fire,
Marrow bones for supper.