The Algonquins Discover Henry Hudson
Evan Pritchard
From Great Floating Bird
The following is a fictional dramatization based on known circumstances and customs. It takes the form of the song of Mach–quoyuokus (Little Bears), a Navesink Indian, recording his impressions of the arrival of Henry Hudson to Barnegat Bay, New Jersey, and other events of Sunday August 29th through Wednesday, September 1st, 1609. It is in the style of an Algonquin story–song, as no Navesink songs still exist. The chorus is made of vocables, words that express feeling rather than information, although igaton means “that is good” in Akansea language. Unless otherwise noted, Native words are Sanhikan/”Unalatchtigo” terms from Johannes DeLaet’s list of 1633. Joannes DeLaet (1581–1649) was a Dutch geographer and director of the Dutch West India Company. He is the author of History of the New World which presents vivid 17th century accounts of the Americas.
“This morning I paddle my dugout alone, sailing towards the rising sun, along the inlet Manasquan and out into the sea. A beautiful morning, full of light. A beautiful morning full of light. Hey hey a no ha, Igato(n) Igato(n).
I toss out my nets on the sea and nacha syackameek [1] come to me. We will wait three days, three days! I see Peckamanna [2] to the west and as the tide is right, I ride the back of niska [3], through the inlet and into the Lake: “The Long Shallow Lake Inside the Islands.”[4] Hey hey a no ha igato(n) igato(n). Hey hey a no ha igato(n) hey.
Evan Pritchard standing on the location of Cranberry Inlet, at Seaside New Jersey, 2008. This is the exact place where he imagined the fictional Many Bears entered Cranberry Inlet from the sea.
I arrive as night begins to fall, first of many men to follow, at the windswept end of long–tongued island, as go to the hitteockek. [5] I gather piles of wood. My friend arrives also by boat, and we carry the wood to the top of the hill, the towering hill of golden sand. The hill is so steep, the height of six men, six men standing end to end. From its summit one can see the Forked River burial grounds on the mainland, and the fires of Pygmy Forest too. Then I take the embers from my torope [6] shell and saying prayers, I make a fire for the council. Its light will guide their boats to this most sacred spot. And tomorrow discuss the prophecies, the seven fires prophecies, the turning time of which is dawning now. Hey hey a no ha, igato(n) igaton(n); Hey hey a no ha igato(n) hey.
And here we stand, thirteen moons from when we saw the sun reveal its circle of fire. We see the union of sun and moon and see grandfather sun turn dark at mid–day, and then we wait one turning of the earth, we wait the thirteen moons and then it comes. The fulfillment of the prophecy. A messenger arrives; he says the strangers from the east are headed right this way. We build this fire in the dark of night to welcome them, visitors who come in brotherhood and peace, so that they might find their way to Turtle Island safely.
We wait three nights, according to the signs, and then they come. A crescent moon arises in the east at sunset. Not too long after the dawn there comes a great floating bird with wings unfurled, the tips of which are loftier than the hill on which we stand. It bears the sign of a crescent moon. It enters the Shallow Lake Behind the Islands, passes us by without a sound. It is a most amazing sight, fulfillment of our prophecy. Will they come with hearts of hate? Or will they come in peace? We hide behind the hill and let it pass, but we find much to say among ourselves that day!
[1] Nacha syackameek – three eels.
[2] Peckamannak, an inlet through the islands, which also sounds like peckaminak, the word for cranberries in Navasink. This area became known at Cranberry Inlet, now Seaside, New Jersey.
[3] Niska – rushing wave of water
[4] Islands – Barnegat Bay
[5] Hitteockek – trees
[6] Terrapin
Bio
Evan Pritchard is a critically acclaimed author of Mi'kmaq and Celtic descent. He is the director of the Center for Algonquin Culture and has been a professor of Native American Studies at Vassar College, Pace University, and Marist College, and is a frequent keynote speaker at the American Museum of Natural History, and other nationally known organizations. Recognized for his classics Native New Yorkers and No Word For Time, his self–published book Great Floating Bird: How the Algonquins of New York Discovered Henry Hudson, will also be released (under another title) by Council Oak Books in September of 2009, in honor of New York's Quadricentennial.
Diplomacy, bravery, curses, taboos, misunderstandings, betrayals, murders, prophecies, and visions, enliven the story behind Robert Juet's cryptic ship's log of 1609.
