Cecowįga Green Buffalo Woman (abt. 1859)

Born about 1859 in Minnesota, United States

Ancestors

Cecowįga was Ho-Chunk.

Biography

Cecowįga was born about 1859. She is the daughter of Michel St. Cyr and Aksigaxųnųnįka White Elk.

Name

In Hocąk, the name "Green Buffalo Woman" would be Cecowįga, from ce, "buffalo"; co, "the color spanning the spectrum from green though blue";-wį-, a feminine gender suffix; and -ga, a definite article suffix used in personal names. Given the meaning of co, the name could also mean, "Blue Buffalo Woman." It looks as if it were a Buffalo Clan name, but since in mythology, buffaloes represent stars, it may refer to a star that is bright enough to be seen in the blue sky.

Sources

• Linda M. Waggoner, “Starring Red Wing!: The Incredible Career of Lilian M. St. Cyr, the First Native American Film Star (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 2019) 327 nt. 50.