Syllabary Texts 56: Struck-on-the-Spine's Wife is Rescued

Harry Achenam
Harry Achenam
(1)mîna pêyakwâw kî-mihcêtiwak nêhiyawak, paskwâhk ê-papâmipicicik.1 ita ê-mihcêtiyit mostoswa, êkota kî-kisâtamwak, ê-nôcihâcik, mîna ê-miyawâtahkik. êkosi namoya miywâsiniyiw onipîmiwâw. kîtahtawê mâwacihitôwak, kita-nâtahkik nipiy ê-miywâsiniyik. êkosi sêmâk otinêwak atimwa; postamohêwak; pôsihtâwak okwâpikâkaniwâwa wînâstakayêpicikana.2 sipwêhtêwak. mâka wâhyawês ihkatawâw. êkotê k-êtohtêcik, mitâtaht nistosâp ihtasiwak oskinîkiskwêwak. kîtahtawê êkota mêkwâc ê-ayâcik, kâ-môskîstâkocik otêhtapiwa ayahciyiniwa. kêhcinâ namoya ta-kî-nakatâcik. âta tapasîwak. ispi ê-atimikocik, ati-nôcihikwak. pêyak piko namoya ohci nânitaw tôtâk. wâhyaw kî-nakatêw wîc-îskwêwa. pêyak nâpêw ê-wâpamât iskwêwa ê-mâkohimiht, kî-môskîstamawêw. namoya ê-nîmâskwêt. êkosi iyikohk ê-kaskihtât kî-tôtam. piyis ê-wâpahtahk êkâ ta-kî-wîcihât, nitawâc ôhi kâ-nakasiwêyit kî-têhciwêpinêw. êkosi tâpwê kî-âpacihêw; kî-pimâcihêw. êwako anohc kâ-kîsikâk k-ô-pimâtisiyân: êwako nikâwiy niya âcênam. pêyak kisêyiniw nîso otânisa nipahimâwa êkospi k-âtotamân, tâskatanêsiw.3
(1)At another time the Cree in a large band were trekking about the prairie. They were staying close to a great herd of buffalo, hunting them and making merry. Then they had not good water. Then they all gathered to go where there was good water. So at once they took the dogs, harnessed them, and loaded on their water-containers, bags made of buffalos' stomachs. They set out. But it was some distance to a water-hole. Those who went there, were thirteen young women. Then while they were there, suddenly they were attacked by some mounted Blackfoot. it was certain that they could not outrun them. Nevertheless they fled. The others, as they overtook them, hunted them down. Only to one of them they did nothing. She had far outrun the other women. A certain man, seeing the women in their plight, attacked their assailants. He was unarmed. So he did what he could. At last, seeing that he could not help them, he at least lifted onto his horse the one who had outrun the others. In this way really he served her; he saved her life. It is thanks to him that I today am alive: for this woman was the mother of me, Achenam. One old man's two daughters were killed at this time of which I am telling, Taskatanesiw.
(2)êkosi kîhtwâm ê-askîwik êwako kisêyiniw kî-papâmohtêw, ê-papâ-mawihkâtât ayîsiyiniwa, otawâsimisa kita-nâtamawâyit.4 êkosi tâpwê mihcêt kî-tâpwêhtâk, ayahciyiniwa kâ-wî-nitawâpamât, ê-nitawi-nôtinât. êkosi kî-mâwacihitôwak, êkoyikohk ê-mihcêticik. sipwêhtêwak. tâpwê kî-miskawêwak. êkosi kî-nôtinitôwak; mitoni kî-sâkohêwak. êkota ohci wîhcikâtêw pêyak sîpiy; kâ-kahêhtânihcik isiyîhkâtêw, pêyak ayahciyiniw ê-kakêhtâniht nêhiyawa.5
(2)So the next summer this old man went about, imploring the people to avenge his children. Then many consented, willing to go look for the Blackfoot and fight them. So they assembled, until there were many of them. They set out. Really, they found them. There was a battle; they sorely defeated them. From this happening a certain river has its name: Where-They-Were-Held-Under-Water it is called, because a Blackfoot was there held under water by a Cree.
(3)êkoyikohk nânitaw nikotwâso-mitanaw askiy ôma kâ-kî-aspayik.
(3)It is now about sixty years since this took place.
Footnotes
  1. This text begins on page 3 of the MS., but is referred to by the words “and his wife” at the head of page 2; see Text 55, note 2. The incident is probably the same as that in the following text (No. 57).
  2. Written u- for pu-. As a result, in reading, Achenam first gave the word as utâpahêwak: “they hitched them up.” but then corrected himself.
  3. Apparently the old man’s name; written separately here, at the head of page 4; he did not include it in reading the text to me.
  4. Literally “he goes for it for him,” ordinarily, I believe, “he helps him.”
  5. The words pêyak ayahciyiniw: “one Blackfoot” are inconsistent with the name of the river, which is plural. The word nêhiyawa: “Cree (obviative)” is out of construction, since the verb is passive, – for in Central Algonquian a passive verb does not allow mention of an actor.