XML version dated March 02, 2004. © Douglas R. Parks, Indiana University.
45
An Assiniboine Raid
Alfred Morsette
nuu | naapakúhtuʾ | aNUsuuxiruutikú | wehnaahta- |
Long | , long ago | when things used to happen | when they were |
kuwaʾá | – | AhnuuxAhtakUhunuuwaáWI | – | číkuʿ |
migrating this way | – | when they went around as a group | – | wherev |
niiNAhkuraaNIhuuníčI | nátš | AxkaáʾA | NAhnunáhtš |
er it was plentiful | wood, | antelope, | deer |
AhništaaWIhkAhunuuwaaWIhú | tanáhaʾ | NAhkUhunuuwaáWI |
when they were going about hunting | buffalo | when they were going around |
teškúNIt | a | nikunoowi- | tiwiitíkuʾ | weNAhkuraanátA. |
close by, | and | then that | is where they camped | when they went. |
wah | štoh | wetatuhwakuuniitíštA | – | atíʾAx | – |
Now | again | I am going to relate his words | – | my father (ie uncle) | – |
Snowbird | haáwaʾ. |
Snowbird | also. |
wekutiihíʾ | niiháʾ | niiʾAhnuuxitUhčituúʾU | AhnuxtaanoótA |
It was | there | where the combined village was | when they lived |
aniwenuuxitUhpakútkUx | nišwačeéhUxúku. |
there where the old village was | what they used to say. |
uu | niikohniiraawiiʾót | hunaaneskúhtš | nikuʾaanaa- | wiiʾoóčI | – |
Oh, | however long ago it was | in the fall | whether it | was that time, | – |
NAhkUhunuuwaáWI | takaraáhNIš | – |
when they used to go around | hunters | – |
nehkuraaWIhkAhunuuwaáWI | aniNAhunaanoótA |
when they used to go around hunting | that land extending |
niiweneetúhkUx | NAhtAsuutaaká | aniNAhunaanúhAt. |
where the village now is | White Shield | that land extending. |
nooWIšitiitaakeéRIt.– | sáhniš | taraánaʾ. |
Then they saw them.– | Humans | they were coming. |
– | wituhnaa- | thaanáwiʾ | – | tanáhaʾ | – | aaraánaʾ. |
– | It looked | like | – | buffalos | – | as though they were coming. |
a | – | či | – | nikiišaáNIt | hunaaníniʾ | wenatuunaakiiwaátI. |
And | – | here | – | they were the ones | on foot | the ones I am now telling about. |
psíʾaʾ | nikuwitíʾIt. |
Assiniboines | they were the ones. |
wetatuhwakuuniitíhuʾ | wáh nuhwakareéRA. |
I am relating (ie repeating) his words | Nice Voiced Elk. |
nawáh | wetatuhwakuuniitíhuʾ | šeeníʾU | psíʾaʾ | wenunaaʾiítI |
Now, | I am now relating his words | the main one | Assiniboine | what he told |
wewitiniiniitIhú | niiʾAhnuutAxítIt. |
when he told about himself | what happened. |
na | noowitiwaákoʾ | tinaákUx | psíʾaʾ | aráh | kaaka- | tuuNUxtaaninoowáʾ. |
And | then he said | this | Assiniboine: | "Say, | I was | not afraid of things. |
tiNAtwaawanú | naawiinakuúnuʾ | NAtkuraaWIhnuukataátA |
As I went around here | (on) the warpath | as I went charging across the water |
uuxaWIstaaxIhnaanuúhAt | na | tAhnaaWIhna- | ʾuúkUt | číkuʾ niiweNAtkuhnaaʾeéRIt. |
even when the ice was floating | and | I jumped in- to the | river | whenever I saw anything. |
noowititatiniiNIštaahukoóʾUs | natuxwaawanú | natuxčipiriíNU. |
I considered myself brave | when I used to travel all around | when I was young." |
nikuwitiwaákoʾ | anináʾU | wiítA. |
That is what he said | that one | man. |
witiwaákoʾ | taanikuneeneetinaahnaánaʾ | naawiinakuúnuʾ. |
He said: | "This is where we came | (on) the warpath. |
tatuxtaahnaaNIhuúʾU. |
We were numerous. |
číkuʾ niikohnatuhnaahnaánuʾ | číkuʾ | áxkUx | šihUxtaánuʾ | aatanuusuxtaahnaanuúʾA. |
I do not know how many of us there were, | perhaps | one hu | ndred | maybe our numbering. |
tatuxtaah- | naaNIhuúʾU | – | wenatinaahnaána | – | aataraaNAxUhunáʾU |
We were | many | – | when we came | – | that we might make war |
tiihéʾ | iiNAxuxtaahnaanoótA | iiNAxuxtaakitúhkUx. |
here | where you (pl) were living | where your (pl) village was. |
witoosuxtAhwísaʾ | niikohnuutunaánuʾ | – | niiništaataraʾoohú |
We arrived on the warpath | whenever it was | – | as they used to talk about it |
– | wiitatshaánuʾ | tanuxtaanoótA. |
– | Hidatsas | here where they lived." |
wah | či | wetikuhnaakeéRIt. |
"Now | here | they saw us. |
neeneetunaahnuuwáʾAx. |
We ran away. |
kana- | naatiraahnaaNIhuúʾU | atíštIt | číkuʾ kaakiíhiʾ | aniweNAhna- | NAhnaanátA. |
There | were so many of us (that) | well | things were not | when we | went there. |
– | uu | tihUsAhaanúʾAt. |
– | Oh, | there was a valley. |
– | uu | tihUshaahkatóx. |
– | Oh, | it was a wide valley. |
hawá | nootiwaraawá. |
Also | there were trees here and there. |
nootikAhuNAhčéʾ. |
It was rolling terrain. |
neeneetiraahnikaʾuúkUt | psíʾaʾ | tiNAhnaNAhnaanátA. |
We took (ie ran) to the brush | Assiniboines | these of us who went. |
uu | noowetatiraahNAhkawá | niinoonakuutaánu |
"Oh, | then we were in bunches here and there in the brush | each one doing it |
– | nakuwaaRUxtiiʾaanú | – | niinoonakuuwaákAhu. |
– | for him to become holy | – | each one saying it. |
atsú | – | wehnaanarikaahtawaʾaáhu | – | wehnaa- |
"But | – | as they were each peeping up over it | – | when they came |
RAhWIsá | wah | nikutíʾIt. |
to that place | now | they were the ones. |
nikutehnáʾIt | sáhniš | ničiísuʾ | niinanaáhNA. |
They must have been the ones | Arikaras, | corn | they who had it. |
neeneewakaraanúʾaʾ | áxkUx | psíʾaʾ. |
"He called out | one | Assiniboine. |
sananaapIhíniʾ | tiwaaWIhtít |
In Sioux | he talked." |
tákuʾ niikóhnoʾ | tiihéʾ | neenuhwakunaasíhtš. |
"Whoever it was | right here | he answered: |
tičé | NAxtaákIt. |
'What | (tribe) are you (pl)?' |
či | nikukohnawaakaáhuʾ. |
Here | he must have been saying that. |
ka NAxtaákIt | xUhkátit | na | aaxanaakíčI | psíʾaʾ. |
'Are you (pl) | Blackfoot, | or | whether your being | Assiniboines? |
tičé NAxtaákIt. |
What are you (pl)?' |
nootiwáčiʾ | tAhnaákIt | psíʾaʾ. |
"Then they said: | 'We are | Assiniboines. |
wenatinaahnaána | naawiinakuúnuʾ | tAhnaákIt. |
Our coming | (on) the warpath | we are.' |
wah | nuunakatAhkáʾU. |
"Now | on the other side: |
wah | psíʾaʾ | aniweesux- | teesiíšuʾ. |
'Now, | Assiniboine, | know | it! |
– | tiNAsaakaríčI | noowetAxiniisakuníhIt. |
– | Today | this is now your last day. |
– | wah | wetatakoótIt. |
– | Now | I am going to kill you.'" |
witiwaákoʾ | wah | nikukooxuúʾUt. |
He said it: | "Now | it will be thus. |
nikUhunáhAs | tákuʾ | koxtuutIšaáhUt | sáhniš | wiiteešútš | niinuhniwaáRA. |
When I die, | someone | I will hold his hand | Arikara | a young man | one who is good." |
nikuwitiwaakaáhuʾ | tinaákUx. |
That is what he was saying | this one. |
nohneewakaraanúʾaʾ | kaakíʾ nikunakuútA. |
"Then he called back: | 'That cannot be.'" |
nawáh | nuuNUxwaaWIhtikú | niinoohuuniričíšAt. |
"Now | the one who was talking | they downed him. |
nihkoótIt. |
They killed him. |
tákuʾ číkuʾ aaxiwaákoʾ. |
"'Don't anyone say anything!' |
a | či | tiraapAhiíʾI. |
And | here | it was quiet. |
a | či | áxkUx | nuuwekutakatáʾ | aniinaweskáhAt. |
"And | here | one | he came up a hill over there | there at the end of the hill. |
wituxtAhkátA | wiiteešútš. |
They were sitting there against it | young men. |
wititakáʾAx. |
There was a shot. |
neekuraakoótIt. |
He killed one of us. |
pítkUx | neekuraakoótIt | tuuhéʾ. |
Two | they killed ours | over there. |
hawá | áxkUx | naraawii- | NIsawaáta | neekuraakoótIt | psíʾaʾ. |
Also | one | the one who | came warlike over the hill | he killed one of us | Assiniboines. |
nawáh | číkuʾ wekutuutAxítIt. |
"'Now | something is happening.' |
neehUhčitaʾá | sáhniš. |
He came over the hill | an Arikara. |
wáRUx | Ahnootíʾ | nuu | nawiiruu- | tikú. |
A jackrabbit | he was just | there | his sitting here | and there. |
wetikuhnaaciríkUx. |
He was watching us. |
wah | tiihéʾ | tiNAhnaNAhnaanookátA | kaakuxwaaRUxtíʾ | tinaákUx | iwenaákUx. |
Now | here | these of us sitting against the bank | he was so holy | this one | when he sat there. |
tUtwiʾuuxítIt | huukaawiraátA. |
He turned to face | the east. |
nootuutAxitíkuʾ | ItkAhaánuʾ | niitinaákUx | noošititkhaahtaruupásuʾ. |
Then it happened | the ears | here where he sat | then he was moving his ears. |
neeneehuunukaawáʾ. |
"He jumped around. |
tukuneenutwiʾuuxítIt | hunaanapsíniʾ. |
He began to face the other way | south. |
nuukutUtkUxwiʾúʾ. |
He sat there facing that way. |
číkuʾ šikaakatuuthuNAhuúnuʾ. |
We could not control him. |
neeneehuunukaawáʾ. |
"He jumped around. |
nuukuneenutwiʾuuxítIt | skaweéraaʾuʾ. |
Then he began to face that way | west. |
wah | Ištóh | neeneehuunukaawáʾ. |
"Now | again | he jumped around. |
nuuneeʾiíšAt. |
He went over the hill. |
saxtš | tiʾiíšAt | neeneeRAhčitáʾ. |
As soo | n as he went over it | they came onto it. |
neekuraahnika- | waawáRIt. |
They scattered | us about. |
wah | aninahUshaanoótA | hawá | tikuraakoótIt. |
Now | (in) that valley | also | they killed one of us. |
tikuraakoótIt. |
They killed one of us. |
wah | niiʾAhnatuxtaNAhkatariíNU | wah | číkuʾ nikutehnaNAhnaaniRAxá. |
Now | those of us who were fast | now | those were the ones who must have been in the lead. |
tinaawiinirúhkukuʾ | wenuhnaanapitaawaáhAt. |
"They were singing praising songs | when they turned around. |
wačéh | wenikunaahnaaniíWIs | inooneetuhnaahnaánuʾ |
"Poor things, | those of us remaining | there we numbered |
NAsawíʾuʾ na áxkUx | na | kanatuuNUxtaahneešawíhAx. |
thirty-one, | and | there had been a great number of us. |
wačéh | wetAhnapaáRIt | weNAhnaNAhčíkAt | wenaahnii- |
Poor things, | now we stood there | all of us mourning | the bodies |
naanoótA | wenikuraakawootíkA. |
that were there | those of us who were killed. |
wah | áriišIt | tatuhnaahnaáNIt. |
"'Now | ourselves | we are to blame. |
aniitoxtaahkaaʾišwóʾ. |
Let's go home!' |
taRAhtšíniʾ | nehnapIswóʾ. |
"Barely | we arrived. |
aa | wah | niiháʾ | nikutikuraa- | kuNAhát. |
Ah, | now | there | that is where | they (nearly) killed us (all). |
sáhniš | witíʾIt. |
Arikaras | they were. |
wah | – | aniwešinatsuuxeéRIt | – | wáRUx | wenaʾaáNA | nikutikunaahništaaNAsuúwot. |
"Now | – | that one that we saw | – | a jackrabbit | his becoming | he was the one who used up our shells. |
niinoonakUsuuxaWI- | saanú | nakuwaaRUxtiiʾaanú | tiiništaaNAsút. |
No matter how they were | doing it | to become holy | they used up the shells. |
wah | číkuʾ wetehnaʾiíšAt. |
Now | he must have gone over the hill. |
wetohnaaNUhčitawáʾ. |
Now they came over (the hill). |
číkuʾ kaakíʾ niinakuutaáNA | – | nakuraawiinúhAt | – | noowenaaku- | nuhništaanuúʾA. |
It was not possible | – | to defend (ourselves | – | when one did | not have any shells. |
nootiraanaáNIš | nakuhkUxáxI. |
Then it was truly the way | to run. |
nootiiNAxteehaahkásIt | kaataRAhíniʾ. |
Then he struck one on the head | with his axe. |
wah | taanikutikuhnaahnoohuunaáwa. |
"Now | this is the way they treated us. |
sáhniš | tíʾIt. |
Arikaras | they are. |
kaakíʾIt | wiitatshaánuʾ. |
They are not | Hidatsas. |
noonehnapIswó | neenihwáčiʾ | nuxtaaNIhtšíčI | áriišIt |
"When we returned | they said | older ones: | Yourselves |
kuwititAxinaakoóʾAt | anuuwenaaniinaanoótA. |
it is your own dead fault | those who are now lying here dead. |
aninoóčI | tíʾIt | waaRUxtiíʾuʾ | sáhniš | tinaraanoótA | niiNAhtaruu- | waʾoohú. |
Those (people) | they are | holy | Arikaras | these,' | the ones | they used to talk about. |
tiwešiNAxuuteéRIt | wáRUx | téhnoʾ | wenoonaahništaaNAsuúwotkA. |
'When you saw him | a jackrabbit | he must have been | when he used up all of your shells. |
na | hawá | WIšitiná | kuúNUx. |
And | also | they have it | a bear. |
– | hawá | nikuwituutaanúʾ.– | hawá | šinína | tanáhaʾ | čiwiíkuʾ. |
– | Also | he does that.– | Also | they have it | a buffalo, | a shedding buffalo. |
hawá | nikuwituutaanuuxuúkuʾ. |
Also | that is what he does. |
na | hawá | arikaraánuʾ | hawá | nikunoowituúta. |
And | also | a stag, | also | that is what he does. |
noonaahništaaNAsuú- | wotkA | noonaahnáʾAx | noonaraakuNAhát. |
When you use up all | your shells, | then he will chase you | and he will kill you (pl). |
suxtaakuneehaaNAhuúʾU. |
Be prepared! |
na kaakiRAhwóʾ | niihéʾ. |
Do not go | over there!' |
wah | tatuuNUxtaahtaaninoóhuʾ | tiihéʾ | číkuʾ Ahnoonaa- | kuuʾá | tiNAhunaanúhAt. |
"Now | we used to be fearful | here | to come just any- | where | this stretch of land. |
wah | tsu | nuuneetUhwaáhAt | tUhkaákaʾ | šiNIskohnunuuwaáWI | tsu | tihkaáRAx. |
Now | but | those villages | Crows | those whom we fight against, | but | they are tough. |
nootikuuraačeehUxítIt. |
Then they will start to strike us. |