Native American help please

So I watch this show on A&E called Longmire about a Sherrif in Wyoming and many of the characters are Cheyenne. In the most recent episode while questioning a man who was a part in an effort to reestablish the Dog Soldiers Longmire says to him:

"Why don't you tell me? After all you're the one who sits behind the moon."

Does anyone know what that means? This is tv so it might not necessarily be a Cheyenne term, it might be from another tribe or made up entirely.

Also a few years ago I attended a Lakota pow-wow and during an opening prayer the the guy said something along the lines of:
(I have to write it phonetically in English)
"Hi hetcha too aloh hojta hey"

Anyone got a clue about that as well?

Thank You

a reply to: Josephus

All that is interesting, I will be following this thread.

Also, I gotta watch that show. Thanks.

a reply to: Josephus

without having seen the show...

I can only guess that """Sits behind the moon"""
is the English translation of this guys NA name...

BTW I'm Ute but if I remember right the Shoshone and Arapaho share a Rez up there...

Here's a link to their website why not ask them this same question... I'm sure one way or the other the tribe has to have a hand in the production of this show ... and they would be better able to answer

It's a favorite show of ours. It's based off a series Walt Longmire series.

Good questions.

About 'sitting behind the moon'; maybe could mean, hiding in the shadows?

The second query?
I'm guessing it has something to do with identifying who the prayer is addressing?

maori-detected?

Your hetchetu aloh our identity

originally posted by: Josephus

Also a few years ago I attended a Lakota pow-wow and during an opening prayer the the guy said something along the lines of:
(I have to write it phonetically in English)
"Hi hetcha too aloh hojta hey"

Anyone got a clue about that as well?

Thank You

"HIye hetchetu aloh" would be something like. "So it is". I'm not so sure of the last part. Could it be more like "hoka hey" as that would be something like "look here" or an acknowledgement of spirit or calling the spirit to look here.

Penny

a reply to: Josephus

The moon gives light. To "sit behind it" means "you're supposed to have all the answers"...or can shed light on this.

a reply to: pennylemon

It could definitely have been "hoka key" I only heard it the once but that fits well with being like a closing phrase to a prayer.

Thank You

a reply to: mysterioustranger

Well I'll be. That makes sense contextually but is kind of disappointing. It certainly a phrase with more gravitas than calling someone a know it all.

Thank You

A loose translation for Hoka Hey is ~ it's a good day to die. It was Crazy Horses battle cry. He supposedly used it at the little big horn in the battle against Custer.

a reply to: Quauhtli

This phrase attributed to Crazy Horse has long been known to be a myth, and a mistranslation. The account the phrase was taken from is the story told by Chief Low Dog to another man who then told it to someone else.

I'm not fluent by any stretch but native languages generally are difficult to translate word for word in that way. Phrases are more like actions.

The words it is a good day to die would be more like Anpetu waste' kile mi but even then it would be stand strong or pay attention.

Penny

I know it's been a while, but I was just watching Longmire and I came across your question in a Google search. But, if you're still interested, I have an answer for you.

The character you're referring to is Sam Poteet. Walt says that Sam "sits behind the moon," and later in the series, when Walt asks Sam for an alibi, Sam says he was doing just that, "sitting behind the moon." A recurring plot device in the 3rd and 4th seasons of the series is Sam's dealing and use of peyote. Peyote is a psychedelic cactus with powerful hallucinogenic effects on the mind, similar to those of L S D. It is native to some western states, and some Native American tribes, including the Cheyenne, have been known to use it for religious purposes—rituals, rites, and so forth.

There's no giant Native American secret or great historical significance in the phrase. When Walt, Sam Poteet, or any other character on Longmire says "sitting behind the moon," they're simply referring to a self-induced peyote trip!

a reply to: Josephus

a reply to: Josephus
My guess is Hollywood BS. I've seen stuff on the show that just makes me roll my eyes and leave the room.