Čiąkamąnįga Blackhawk (abt. 1745)

Born about 1745 in Wisconsin

Descendants

Čiąkamąnįga was Ho-Chunk.

Biography

Name

The surname "Blackhawk" is assigned ex post facto from the surname adopted by Chiakamanika's descendents.

Chiakamanika is actually for Čiąkamąnįga, which means, "Walks the Lodges," perhaps a reference to the Thunderbirds walking above the lodges. The name comes from či, "lodge, house, home, dwelling"; -ąka, a positional suffix indicating reclining or horizontal objects; mąnį́, "to walk"; and -ga, a definite article suffix used for personal names. The name suggested by Jipson, "He who goes on the village," would be Činągᵋmąnįga.

Lineage

"The lineage of the Blackhawk family, as given by John Blackhawk, is as follows: First, Chiakamanika (He who goes on the village), wife unknown. Second, his son, Naxi-karajusaip-ka (Fourth son, Blackhawk). Third, his son, Sayokoruspinki (Acceptance of sacrificial moccasins), Thomas Blackhawk, who died in 1899 aged ninety-five (near Black River Falls). His daughter, Henuka (First girl) married Kaxinopaka or Two Crow, and she lived to the age of one hundred. She died in Winona, Minnesota in 1904." (Jipson, 241)

“The Blackhawks were members of the Thunder Clan and accordingly of the dominant class. In war ceremonies they were recognized as being descendants of Wamannkayka, a mighty warrior and the originator of the war-bundle and its theory.” (Jipson, 241) The odd double /nn/ is probably a misreading of a manuscript /nu/ given that the best fit for this name is Wamąnųk’ega, "Habitual Thief." This is from wamąnų́, "to steal something", and -k’e, a suffix meaning "often." This name, attested in the Bear Clan, refers to the ability to seize enemy property (such as horses) on military raids.

Sources

• Norton William Jipson, Story of the Winnebagoes (Chicago: The Chicago Historical Society, 1923). This is an unpublished typescript.