Interview · North Dakota · Martha Bird Bear · NDNAEU 4 · NDNAEU 7
Themes: Language & revitalization, Kinship & family, Storytelling & oral tradition, Education & learning, Culture & continuity, Humor & play
Learn About questions
Where are Hidatsa speakers primarily found in North Dakota?
Is it possible to translate Hidatsa directly into English without losing meaning or nuance?
Why do Native Americans use their lips to point out direction? Is it similar to other methods of pointing found in other cultures?
Why might words for directions (north, south, right left) not have been used in the Hidatsa language?
Learn From questions
What creates humor in a story or a joke?
How does humor change the way we experience a story?
Have I ever learned a joke in a language other than the one I speak normally? How does the language change the way I experience the joke?
Are there jokes told in my family whenever we gather? Why do family jokes tend to be retold when the family is together?
What causes jokes told in my family to lose their humor when told outside of the family?
Transcripts
Hidatsa Joke with Martha Bird Bear NDNAEU 4 & 7
Watch this interview on YouTubeGoing to be telling a joke today and Hidatsa first then in english and i want to ask my students what the differences are why in English why in Hayden’s it is so humorous and it loses that something in English when it’s called in English so that’s what I’m this is my joke I’m gonna be telling they had a conference at Red Lake reservation somewhere over there at a school and a white man came from a different school to that conference and there after the conference they had a break or lunch time or something the white man went and asked the ended guy he said where’s the post office around here there was two old guys two Indian guys standing together and when the white guy asked these two he said one of the guys said it’s right over there he pointed with his lips over there and the guys standing by him said Oh cripes is not bad for so and the guy left to the post office no I’m gonna tell it and head out the same story but say I will go what see Karl shaken up Red Lake Chicot shaheed gawah questio shake oh my ugh aquatic Mongoose Keiko’s I don’t get what’s called shake whatever but say knock you to put her car wash an aqua girl who totally the mugger said we heard the other day that to him um okay either Bogart North City walk cucas to God already sake that oval a good duration Kukoc it has a Rhodesia headed or gorilla Agora gold naturally it could be the key this no okay that’s the two version Harada English but it’s a lot funnier when it’s told in Hadassah and in English it’s just so what do you think what was this so I’m wondering when you tell it in Hadassah can you describe to us a little bit about how you’re seeing it or thinking about yeah the guy when he pointed his used his lips to point where the post office was and the guy standing by him you know his lips were so big that it went you know to wherever the post office was but when you talat name English it loses that you know somewhere that translation so and that’s the funny part and also yeah it’s mostly I think it’s all and then people yeah I think that’s what it is they’re just cool over there you know yeah at a point that’s just didn’t know how to describe it and just over there they probably didn’t know how to say you go left to you know go right up two blocks or whatever you know they probably didn’t know how to say though all these things because in when you’re in your own language a long time ago they I don’t think they really did have like two blocks and you know the blocks now they have and so they really didn’t tell direction over there
Resource text
NDNAEU Alignment:
Source materials
Supplied transcript documents. Text and transcription uncertainties are preserved as supplied.