"It means Little Falls and nothing else." Letter
to the author.
[77] The game of the Plum-stones is one of the favorite games of the
Dakotas. Hennepin was the first to describe this game, in his
_Description de la Louisiane_, Paris, 1683, and he describes it very
accurately. See Shea's translation p. 301. The Dakotas call this game
_Kan-soo Koo-tay-pe_--shooting plum-stones. Each stone is painted black
on one side and red on the other; on one side they grave certain figures
which make the stones _Wakan_. They are placed in a dish and thrown up
like dice. Indeed, the game is virtually a game of dice. Hennepin says:
"There are some so given to this game that they will gamble away even
their great coat. Those who conduct the game cry at the top of their
voices when they rattle the platter, and they strike their shoulders so
hard as to leave them all black with the blows."
[78] _Wa-tanka_--contraction of _Wa-kan Tanka_--Great Spirit. The Dakotas
had no _Wakan Tanka_ or _Wakan-peta_--fire spirit--till white men
imported them. There being no name for the Supreme Being in the Dakota
tongue (except _Taku Skan-skan_.--See note 51)--and all their gods and
spirits being _Wakan_--the missionaries named God in Dakota--"_Wakan
Tanka_"--which means _Big Spirit_, or _The Big Mysterious_.
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