XML version dated March 02, 2004. © Douglas R. Parks, Indiana University.

37

The Separation of the

Hidatsas and Crows

Alfred Morsette

wah tatunaaʾiitíštA tiNIhkuraataraʾó wiitatshaánuʾ na
Now I am going to tell about it what they talk about it the Hidatsas and
tuunaraanoótA tUhkaákaʾ.
those Crows.

anuú naapakúhtuʾ – tehnuxtaaNIhuúʾU – wiitatshaánuʾ
Long, long ago – there must have been many – Hidatsas
tuuNAhunaanúhAt hunaahkoohaáhkAt.
(in) that land stretching out in the north.
wiitatshaánuʾ nikutehnuuxunuuwaawikáʾIt naáNIt.
The Hidatsas that is where they must have roamed around really.
nikuteh- neenunuusuuxunaanaasíštoʾ.
That must have been their favored land.

wah tuunatskatAhkáʾU tehnuxtaaNI- huúNIt AxkaáʾA NAhnunáhtš.
Now on the other side of the river there must have been many antelopes, deer.
tsu tuuNAhunaanúhAt hunaahkoohaáhkAt naáNIt
But that land stretching out in the north really
kaneeteeNUsuxtaaweewíhuʾ tanáhaʾ.
there must not have been so many buffalo.
kaneetehnuxunuuwaawikáʾIt.
They must not have roamed all around.

niikohnuutunaánuʾ tihwáčiʾ – wiiteešútš – weNAhkuRAhčituu-
Sometime later they said – young men – when they banded
waahnú witihwáčiʾ toxtaakuukatawóʾ tuuNAhunaanúhAt.
together they said: "Let's cross the water (to) that land!
nootiroohuúʾU číkuʾ NAhnunáhtš číkuʾ naahkUhunuuwá tanáhaʾ.
It seems some deer there might be some buffalo."

noowitiraanuukatáʾAt – tuuNAhunaanúhAt – hunaanapsíniʾ.
So they crossed the water – that land – to the south.
wehnaraanátA nooWIšitiiteéRIt tanáhaʾ.
When they were going then they saw it a buffalo.
wah hásI.
"Now look!
niiNItwaákAhu tanáhaʾ nootiRAseewaáhAt teškúNIt.
As I said buffalo they are ranging there close by."
nooWIšitihkoótIt tanáhaʾ.
Then they killed it the buffalo.
nooWIšitihčiiwaánoʾ tinaraanoótA wiitatshaánuʾ.
Then they were butchering it these Hidatsas.
noowitiitinaawaʾú tsástš.
Then it was given to each of them meat.

wah šuxtaakiíroʾ tinaákUx paanaaNIskuúxuʾ.
"Now divide it up this paunch!
wah nikii- suúxa.
Now do that!
škuxtaahteeruúWA.
Divide it for us!
nikiišúxkakAt paanaaNIskuúxuʾ.
Cut that one the paunch!"

tinaákUx wiiteešútš noowitiihuuniríwatAt.
This young man then he jumped up.
wah niikana- niičituusíšU nikunoowititaráhAt.
Now where it was thinnest there he sliced it.
noowituuniíwit nii- ʾAhnuhneéRA – AhnačituusíšU – nii naáNIt nohthaneéRA.
Then he saved it where it was nice – its being thick, – where really its tasting nice.
nihnapsčíšU noowititaráhAt.
Where it was thing then he sliced it.
nuhnaraanoótA wah tiweneešiniinaákUx.
(To) those sitting: "Now here it is for you.
wah witiišuxtaahnaawaʾú.
Now give it to yourselves!
šuxkákAt.
Cut it!
tsu tuunaákUx witikoxtiraáku.
But this one we will give it to ourselves.
koxtiraakákAt.
We'll cut it up.
witiiʾAhnaNAhteeruúWA.
We will divide it among ourselves."

áxkUx noowitiwaákoʾ Axtóh wetAxkuraáku niikananuhneéRA.
One then he said: "Certainly you have given it to us what is not good
– nootipástš.
– It is thin.
– kaakičituúsš.
– It is not thick.
číkuʾ kaakoh- thané.
It does not taste good.
aniwešiNAxkúxIt skaná nikutúhne.
The one you picked up alone that's the good one.
wah Axtóh NAxkuteeNIhuúNU.
Now surely you are stingy.

wah taakunooxiwánuʾ na skaná šaaná aninaákUx paanaaNIskuúxuʾ.
"Now then you'll stay here and alone you can eat it that paunch.
wah tsu tinaNAhnaanoótA tsu wetAhnapóʾ skaweéraaʾuʾ – nii
Now but these of us but we are going west – where
tanáhaʾ – naRAseewaáhAt.
the buffalo – their ranging."

na nikunoowitiRAhkáʾAx wiitatshaánuʾ.
And then that is where they split up the Hidatsas.

tinaraanoótA witiwaákoʾ nikunoowetatuútuʾ kaákaʾ tsu
These he said: "I am just like it a crow, but
NAtkuwaawanú tuuNAhunaanúhAt niinuútA kaákaʾ
my wandering around that land stretching just as it is a crow
aahnooniiʾaáhNA witinakukaanuNAxwé.
its just flying around its looking for a meal for itself.
wah nikuwetatuútuʾ kaákaʾ tiweNAhnapó.
Now I am like that one a crow as we go."
wah nikuwitiraa- čítA – nihwačeéhu tUhkaákaʾ – tinaraanoótA
Now this is the reason – their saying "Crow village" – these
tUhkaákaʾ tiNAhunaanúhAt nakuwaáka tiweNAhunaanúhAt Montana.
Crows this land when one says this land Montana.

atsú tinaraanoótA wiitatshaánuʾ nookaakiraáNAt.
But these Hidatsas then they did not go.
wekutuúʾUt tiihéʾ tiNAhunuuwaáWI.
It is the same here these going around.
witiraačítA paanaaNIskuúxuʾ– niiʾAhnačituusíšU skaná – wenihtareeNIhú.
It is the reason the tripe– where it is thick alone – their being stingy.

tsu – tuunaraanoótA tUhkaákaʾ nikuwetihwáhNIš – anuú
But – those Crows they were truthful – there
wehnaraanátA – skaweéraaʾuʾ– kaákaʾ weneehUhwaáhnu.
when they went – west– the crow their sounding like it.

wah taanikutatuuxItkookUxuúkuʾ NIhkuraataraʾó.
Now I used to hear this when they talked about it.
wah tákuʾ naahkuúkUx nakuhnaaʾiitUxIsšú
Now perhaps there is someone living for him to know the story,
aataahwaákAhu oopiínuʾ tiweNItkunaaʾiítI.
perhaps my saying it differently when I tell it.