WORLD VOICES

THE LANGUAGE RAVEN GAVE US
  BY JOHN E. SMELCER


Contents

Home
Introduction

About the Author
Creation Myth
Playing Hide-and-Seek
    with Raven

The Indian Prophet
On Feet of Clouds
Song of the Rain
Prayer Singer
Zen Raven
A Sufficient Wisdom
Loonsong
Raven's Trans-Species
    Love Song

Squirrel Man
Muskrat Woman
Mountain Smoke

World Voices Home

The Literary Explorer
Writers on the Job
Books Forgotten
Thomas E. Kennedy
Walter Cummins
Web Del Sol





PRAYER SINGER



A dead cow moose along the river's edge.

I make a small fire on a sandbar
sing an old Indian prayer
and the universe will understand.





YII NAHWGHI'AAN


Deyaazi k'ez laak 'Atna'tu.

Sii idilk'aan saas tabaaghe
Sii yii nahwghi'aan
'eł ne'eł dakozet uk'eani'dizet.