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

59

The Scalped Man and

the Eagle Trappers

Alfred Morsette

nuu niiʾAhnatoxtaakitUhwaáhAt nuuháʾ wiiteešútš noowitiraáNAt.
There where our villages used to be there young men then they went off.
witihpiʾaananíkUx niiʾAhniisuusaahpaahnuuxukú áwit neétAhkas niiʾAhniisuxtaanuunikUxukú.
They were eagle trappers the way they used to do formerly eagles the way they used to catch them.
witihpi- ʾaananíkUx.
They were eagle trappers.
noowitiraáNAt niikohnuhnaánuʾ wiiteešútš anuú koohaahníniʾ
Then they went however many there were young men there on the prairie
niiʾaNAhuNAhwaraáčI nii neétAhkas naRAseewaáhAt nuuháʾ skaweéraaʾuʾ.
where the wooded country was, where the eagles they ranged there (in) the west.

wah taanikutIhunaáʾA číkuʾ neétAhkas šiNAsIhkUhúNAx číkuʾ
"Now this is the land some eagle that we might find one."

na noowitiinakánoʾ.
And so they made a lodge.
tišwačeehUxuúkuʾ akanaanuútuʾ niikohnuutakaanuúʾIt akanaanuútuʾ.
They used to call it a hunting lodge, whatever kind of lodge it was a hunting lodge.
nootiinaahiwaáRIt.
So they fixed every- thing up.
wah witištaawakaraanawaawanuuxuúkuʾ.
Now they used to pray to various things.
taNAhaapaáxuʾ witiíkUx.
A buffalo skull there it sat.
witeenunúhkUx.
They had it.
na neešookatawíʾuʾ atináʾ witeéRIt.
And Mother Corn Mother there she stood.

wenehkuunaahiwaawaaríkA wenehkuraaNAhuuWIsátA a
After they fixed everything up, after they readied things, th
noowitiwáčiʾ taanikukoxtiíkUx.
en they (each) said: "I will sit here."
taanikukoxtiíkUx.
"I will sit here."

wah šuuNUxtaahnaahiwaáRIt niiwenakuúkUx.
"Now you (pl) fix things up where to sit!"

witihnaasštáwa nuunakaáWI NAhkukawátAt a
Each one watched things that one inside as he would get out and
nuunakaáWI anuunoonaáhkUx nootikawátAt.
that one inside the one over there, then he got out.
noowitiRAsačipiítIt AxkunoóNIt.
Then they gathered together.
wewiteeRAhkaaʾiíšaʾ.
Now they came back to the (hunting) lodge.
nikuwitsuusaahnuuxuúkuʾ.
That is what they used to do.

atsú tuunaraanoótA wiiteešútš nuuwehnaraáNAt
But the other ones young men after they went there,
noowiteeRAhkaaʾišwáʾ hiíš.
then they came back to the (hunting) lodge in the evening.
číkuʾ kaakIhunaáNIt číkuʾ neétAhkas.
"There are not any in this land any eagles."

niiweNAhkukaáWI weNAhkUhunaahnatawíhA noowitiRAhčitaʾús
After he was inside after he had dug a hole then he laid them on top
čitapátš natš.
willows sticks.
witohnáta iiʾAhneesuuxaakaratáWI niiwenaáxA – sAhíšuʾ
There was a hole where the smokehole was where it lay – the bait,
šiniitAhnéhku – sAhíšuʾ wáRUx.
what they called them – the bait, a rabbit.
wah wešinehkuunukawátI nooWIšitistareewaápI.
Now after they skinned it then they tied it.
tinaakAxíštoʾ neétAhkas kananakoowiiruúkA wáRUx.
It was tied tightly an eagle that it would not snatch it up the rabbit.
tunaaheéRIt.
He fixed it up.
wetiraakáxIš.
Now it was tight.

wah neétAhkas weNAhkuwiítIt wenakúʾA wáRUx na
Now the eagle when it alighted to eat it a rabbit, and
nikunoowitiiraawiiʾót šinakUtkaaxuuníkUt.
it was at about that time to catch it by the legs.
wah noo- WIšitiraaNUtwiinápIt.
Now then he would break the wings.
niikooNUsuxtAhwooxuúkuʾ.
It is not known what they used to do.
Axtóh kana- tuhneesiíšuʾ – tsu – niinatuuxItkawooxukú niiNIštaaʾiiwaawaátI.
Surley I do not know, – but – that is what I used to hear when they used to tell stories.

nawáh – nooteeRAhkaaʾišwáʾ.
Now, – then they came home.
witiRAhWIswaáWA – iiʾAh- neenunuunakaáWI.
They each went to it – where their lodge was.
noowitiRAhnuúpA nehkunuhnaaNItkatawaáWI NIšaátuʾ.
Then they went inside while theirs were roasting over the fire ribs.
atsú wetaraapIsaáhuʾ.
"But we will come back."

noo číkuʾ nuukuwitaanookatákUx– NIšaátuʾ.
Then there was one along the–edge of the lodge– a rib.
noowitiroosánax.
Then it was in a disheveled state.
nátš noowitiRAhkaaxá a tinaákUx taNAhaapaáxuʾ
Wood then it was lying inside and this buffalo skull
noowitiisotkaatiíʾIt weNAhkukAhuukaráʾU saʾúhtuʾ.
there it was sooty black after he had smeared it with it soot.
weNAhku- kAhuukaráʾU noowitiikatiíʾI – hawá uunaákUx –
After it was smeared, there it was black – also the other –
neešooka- tawíʾuʾ weNAhkuNIskaawaawíhA sápat niinooNAhkuutaánu.
Mother Corn after he had drawn a face on her a woman; whatever else he would be doing.

hee noowitiraáʾAt nikukohnuutAxitikú.
Oh, then time went on this, whatever it was, happening.
niiʾAhnaNAhwiraaníkUx čiišaáʾA tshunúxuʾ.
What was bothering them here it was a scalped man.

waaxtóh – kaakunaáhe – tákuʾ niikohnóʾ tinatakuraatA- haraáhNA
"Certainly – it is not good – whoever he is this one making fun of us
nuutaawaanú wenaakuRAhuuNIsaRIšwaáhnu atípaʾ
the one doing those things the one ridiculing him grandfather
tinaákUx taNAhaapaáxuʾ na neešookatawíʾuʾ.
this buffalo skull and Mother Corn.
wah čiraátoʾ itoohnaahneésiš čirá tačé nawánuʾ
Now let's find out whoever it is going around
tinaroosaNAxtoóku wenatakukuunaakUxawaawaníkA
this one making devilment his scattering our things all around
nataakuxtaapaaruusAtkú atíštIt kooxaanánax.
what we were roasting, (thinking) 'Well it will cook.'"
nootaanawáNIt.
Then he threw it away over there.
nuukuwitanuunookatoohaásAt.
He threw it over there at the face of the dwelling.

kaneetehniisaRIšawíʾIt tákuʾ niikóhnoʾ.
"He must be one who really mocks (people), whoever he is.
wah čiraátoʾ šiisiituuníkUt.
Now let's catch him!"

noowitihnatawaáWI teškúNIt.
Then they made holes close by.
uu hináxtIt noowitiraanaahkáWA.
Oh, early in the morning then they went into the holes.
wewitiraawičeéna.
Now it was awhile later.
noo- witinaaneéhAs niinakureewaátU niiʾAhnaakaáWI.
Then they arranged things how it should look where the lodge was.

wewitiraačeéʾA.
It was awhile later.
witeehuNAhwaákaʾ Ahneehuuwiraaʾá.
There was the sound of him coming walking, his coming fast.
witiwísAt – iiʾAhnaakaáWI uu – NAhkureewaawatíRA.
He arrived – where the lodge was, oh, – as he looked all around.
wituhnaathaanáwiʾ uhneesiíšuʾ šohnihnuníkUx.
It seemed as if he knew they were waiting for him.
witipAxuúkAt NAhkureewaawatíRA.
His head went inside as he was looking all around.
štoh noowitIhuúkAt iiʾAhnaakaáWI.
Again then he went inside where the lodge was.

na tinaraanoótA – wiiteešútš – noowitiRAhkaruu- wátAt.
And these – young men – then they got out of the holes.
tiraanookaaʾiíšAt.
They went to the door.
haakAhíniʾ witiwaaWIhtiíkuʾ sáhniš.
With his mouth he was talking Arikara.
na witiwaákoʾ čee aráh wenataakuRAhuuWI- sátA – aa
And he said: "Hey, oh my, when I get you fixed up, – ah,
atíštIt – AhnooweNAxkuútA – aa – atináʾ nooteenaanaahUhkároʾ
well – that you will just be – ah – Mother, then they spoil things
– niiNItkUsuuxaáNA.
– what I have done.
na – tinaákUx taNAhaapaáxuʾ NAtkuxtAhuuWIsátA – na –
And – this buffalo skull that I have fixed up – and –
noošitehčíWAt štoh.
then they changed it back.
čą́ą́ aráh Axtóh kaakunaahé.
Ah, why, surely it is not good."
nikuwitiwaawaa- kaáhuʾ.
That is what he was saying over and over.

witipaanaanuNAhwíkUx čeehaanuukaríkAt.
He was kneeling in the middle of the room.
áxkUx noowitIhuúkAt phiináNIt hawá uunaaríčI wehnaRAhnuúpo.
One then he entered slowly, also another as they were going.
nuukuwitUtkUxwíʾuʾ iiʾAhnaákUx taNAhaapaáxuʾ AhnawaaWIhtikú
He sat facing the other way where it was the buffalo skull his talking to it,
áriišIt witooNUtwaaWIhtikú.
himself his talking to himself.
noowitiwa- ʾuuneéRIt wiiteešútš niiʾaNAhuwaátU AxíkUxaWIsítIt.
Then they stood there the young men where the doorway was that he would not run out.

hawáh.
"Hello!
čee aatAxaahwanúʾ na kanaʾaatiwanúʾ na aatiniinítAt.
Hey, you would go around far off, why, I would not go around and if I had a village!"

tiwehneehuuniriwátAt tshunúxuʾ wehnuutaakeéRIt tiʾAhnawaaríčI noowitiwiʾuúhAt.
When he jumped up the scalped man when he saw them these, then he fell over.
noowitirinukót.
Then he died of fright.

noowitiinawiišánoʾ.
Then he was shaken by him.
– kanawitiitaruúpIs.
– He never moved.
– anuú noonuusá.
– "There let him lie!
wah parúNIt tiinaahtehkUxtaapaáRIt.
Now quickly let's be on our way!"

noowitinoswaakároʾ – neešookatawíʾuʾ– na taNAhaapaáxuʾ
Then they picked up all their things – Mother Corn– and the buffalo skull,
na nooteeRAhkaaʾiíšaʾ.
and then they came home.

kaakunaahé niinatakuhnaaNAhuunuúku natakuraahtAha- raáhNA.
"It is not good what he was doing to us his making fun of us."
noowitiitAhneswátAt wiiteešútš weNAhunáhAs iiháʾ – pakúhtuʾ
Then they remembered it a young man his having died there – long ago,
– a – či – šaahwanúʾ niikukohnuuxA- xaáʾA.– kaakatuhneesiíšuʾ.
– and – here – he was living, whatever his name was.– I do not know it.
– WIšitiitIsiíšuʾ wešiniiteéRIt.
– They knew him when they saw him.

haa tiʾAhnawaaríčI nooteeRAhkaaʾiíšaʾ wiiteešútš.
Ha, these then they came home the young men.
wehnaaRAhkaaʾiišá na witiwaákoʾ áxkUx aráh niku-
After they came home and he said one: "Why," they
WIšitihnaʾíhkuʾ – tikuxtaahtAhará a – či kohna-
were meaning that one, – "he was ridiculing us and – her e he was
wánuʾ – na weneerinukót.
living – and now he died of fright.
wah – taanikutuúta tiwešinatuutuuníkUt.
Now – this is what he did when we caught him.
wešinatuhkaahuunawíhAt neenii- rinukót.
When we caught him in the act he did die of fright.
áWAx tikaaxá siíno.
A left behind he is lying inside there yet.
neeneetinaahnaánaʾ.
Then we came."

wah – niišikohniitsšú anináʾU wiiteešútš – noo- tiraáNAt šiiʾaasiiteéRIt.
Now – the ones related to him that one young man – then they went 'that we may see him.'
nookanawitiikaaxá.
There he did not lie inside.
či weešaahkUxiriwátAt štoh niikohnáʾAt.
Here he had jumped up again wherever he went!

aa wehnaRAhčíkAt aa áriišIt tAxuhnáʾA.
Ah, while they cried, "Ah, yourself you are the cause."
noowitiwáčiʾ – waáwi šiʾaatuutawaʾuuníkUt.
Then they said: – "We sh ould have grabbed him.
– noošiʾaatii- siráxaʾ nii waáwi kohnoóʾUt.
– Then we would have brought him what ever w ould have been (ie happened)."