Harry Achenam | Harry Achenam |
(1)pêyak opwâsîmôw nikî-ka-kanawêyimâw kapê-pipon. êwako otâcimôwina. êkosi wîsta awa kisêyiniw kî-nipahisôw konita. namoya kî-kiskêyihtâkwan kîkway ohci kâ-kî-akotisot. konita kî-kitimahisôw. nânitaw têpakohpo-mitanaw ayiwâkêsis kî-tahtopiponwêw. mihcêtwâw kî-wâphtam ê-âyimaniyik awa kitimâki-kisêyiniw. kêyâpic nik-âcimon. nânitaw êkwa nistw-âskiy kâ-nipahisot. kî-nêhiyawêw. miscanikocâsa-kâ-pimwât kî-isiyîhkâsôw. |
(1)A certain Assiniboine stayed with me one winter. These are his stories. This old man, too, for no good reason killed himself. He destroyed himself for no cause. NO GLOSS He was perhaps a little over seventy years old. Many times had that poor old man seen difficult straits. I shall tell another story. It is about three years since he killed himself. He spoke Cree. His name was Shoots-The-Gopher. |
(2)nitâcimostâk pêyak nôtinitôwin, ê-wîcihiwêt, ê-mâcîcik, ê-mihcêticik, ê-nâ-nawaswêcik. êkosi nanânis minahôwak. êkosi pê-itohtêwak, ê-wî-mâmawêyaticik; ayis kostâcîwak. |
(2)He told me about one battle in which he took part, when they were hunting in a large party, following the herd. In different places different groups made killings. Then they came hitherward to re-assemble in full number; for they suspected danger. |
(3)«êkosi ta-mâmawô-kîwêyahk. ahpô êtokê pwâtak kikitâpamikonawak. âsay piko tahki kit-âswêyihtamwak. âyimisiwak pwâtak.» |
(3)Now we had better all go back home together. It may well be that the Sioux are watching us. Even now the men had better keep a constant lookout. The Sioux are dangerous.» |
(4)êkosi kahkiyaw ati-mâmawô-kîwêwak. tâpwê nama kîkway wâpahtamwak. nisto wâhyaw kî-itisahikêwak. nitawi-minahôwak wâhyawês. êyikohk ê-kîsi-wiyanihtâkêcik, kîwêwak. âsay kahkiyaw nakatâwak. êkwa wâhyaw kit-itohtêcik. |
(4)Accordingly they all started homeward together. Really, they did not see anything. Three men had chased the herd a long ways. They were going off to kill some meat. When they had finished skinning and cutting up the kill, they started for home. The others had already gone on. And they had a long ways to go. |
(5)«kiyâm ka-kapêsinânaw. kêhcinâ kikitâpamikonawak âsay pwâtak. mâka kîwêyahko, kik-âskamâkonawak. kiyâm kapêsitân. ahpô êtokê ka-wanihikonawak. ka-pimohtânânaw. wâhyawês ka-kapêsinânaw.» |
(5)«We had better camp for the night. Surely the Sioux are by this time watching us. If we go home, they will be waiting in ambush for us. We had better camp for the night. It may be that they will lose track of us. Let us walk on. A little ways from here let us camp.» |
(6)êkosi tâpwê sipwêhtêwak. namoya wâhyaw itohtêwak, âsay kâ-pâskisokocik pwâta. êkosi otêmiwâwa nakatisimêwak. kahkiyaw maskamâwak ôki nêhiyawak, ê-nisticik. êkwa ôki pwâtak mitâtaht ayiwâk ihtasiwak. kapê-tipisk nôtinitôwak. piyisk wâpaniyiw. kîkisêpâ pônihikwak. pêyak nipahâw nêhiyaw. êkosi mîna pêyak pwâta nipahêwak. âta wiya ayiwâk ihtatêyihtamwak ê-miswâcik, osâm mistahi mihko a-astêyiw ita kâ-kî-ayâcik pwâtak. êkosi kî-pê-mostohtêwak, ê-pê-kîwêcik. |
(6)Accordingly they went away from there. They had not gone far, when they were fired at by the Sioux. Then they left their horses. The three Cree were robbed of everything. The Sioux were more than ten in number. All night long they fought. At last dawn came. In the morning the others left them. One Cree was killed. And they killed one Sioux. But they believed that they had wounded some more of the Sioux there, for there was much blood here and there where the Sioux had been. So they came hitherward on foot, as they came home. |
(7)namoya kayâs ôma kâ-kî-itahkamikahk. |
(7)It was not long ago that this happened |