Syllabary Texts 62: Suicide of a Young Assiniboine and of his S

Harry Achenam
Harry Achenam
(1)kîtahtawê mîna pêyakwâw kayâs opwâsîmôwak ê-mihcêtokamikisicik, ê-miyawâtahkik, ê-pipohk, mitoni miyw-âyâwak. mistahi wiyâs ayâwak. êkwa mîna miyawâtamwak, nanâtohk ê-nâ-nîmihitocik.
(1)Once upon a time, again, long ago, some Assiniboine were in a camp of many tents, celebrating, in winter, and they were very well off. They had much meat. They were celebrating, continuing to dance various kinds of dances.
(2)pêyak oskinîkiw okâwiya ê-oskikanêyit, ê-kapatênât askihkwa awa nôtokêsiw, oskinîkiw ômisi itêw okâwiya: «nêkâ, mahti pêtâ mîcimâpiy. nika-kisâkamitêhkwân.»
(2)A certain young man whose mother was boiling the marrow out of bones, when this old woman took the kettle from the fire, said to his mother, «Mother, please give me some of the broth. Let me have a drink of hot soup.»
(3)êkosi nôtokêsiw kwâpaham, ê-miyât okosisa. mwêhci ê-wî-minihkwêt, kâ-pê-yôhtênamoht iskwâhtêm. ê-itâpit oskinîkiw, pôti wîcimosa ê-kitâpamikot. êkos-îsi kâ-kohcipayihtât mîcimâpoy,. sêmâk nipahihkasôw.
(3)So the old woman ladled some out and gave it to her son. Just as he was about to drink, someone came and opened the door-flap of their tent. When the youth looked, there was his sweetheart looking at him. At this he swallowed the soup. Immediately he was scalded to death.
(4)êkosi awa iskwêw kâ-tôtawât k-ô-nipahihkasoyit, «nisâkihâ nîcimos. piko ta-wîcêwak,» itêyihtam wiya.
(4)Then this woman who had caused him to scald himself to death, «I loved my sweetheart. I can only go with him,» thought she.
(5)kêhtê-ayak namoya nânitaw itêyihtamwak; ayis ê-nêpêwisiyit okosisiwâwa k-ô-nipahihkasoyit.1 nama nânitaw itwêw oskinîkiskwêw. mâka mihtâtêw wîcimosa. êkosi wîsta ati-wawêyîw, ita kâ-kî-nipahisoyit wîcimosa, êkota cîki ê-sakâyik, êkota kâ-matwê-nikamot, «nîcimos nisâkihâ! kêka wâhyaw nika-nakatik!» ê-itwêt, mistikohk ê-akosît. êkosi âta ê-môskîstâht, âsay nîhcipayihôw. kipihkitonêhpisôw misipotâkanêyâpiy ohci.
(5)The old people did not suspect anything; their son had scalded himself to death because he was ashamed. The young woman said nothing. But she grieved over her lover. So she, in turn, made herself ready, and in a grove close by where her lover had killed himself, there she was heard to sing, up in a tree, the words, «I loved my sweetheart! If I do not hasten, he will leave me far behind!» Then when people vainly tried to stop her, she had already thrown herself down. She had strangled herself with a thong for stretching hides.
(6)êkosi nîso konita ê-nipahisocik. mâka piyis mitâtaht nîsosâp kî-nipahisôwak, pêyakwan êkota ê-wîkicik isko ê-miyoskamik.
(6)Thus two for no good reason killed themselves. But in the end twelve persons killed themselves, all dwellers in that camp, before spring.
Footnotes
  1. The preceding passage, beginning with the last sentence of the last paragraph but one (êkus-îsi kâ-kuhcipayihtât : “At this he swallowed..”) is written over an erased text. At the present point follow one and one-half more lines of erasure, after which begins the next sentence of the actual text (nama nânitaw...). The erased passage reads as follows: (mitu)ni nêpêwisiw ê-wî-pâhpihikut. namuya wî-pâhpihêw, ê-nêpêwisit. akusi apisi-mustassês wawêyîw uskinîkiw. utinam uwawêsîwina mîna upâskisikan. êkusi ati-wayawîw, ôta kisiwâk ê-ispatinaâk, êkutê ispatinâhk ê-ituhtêt. kîtahtawê piku kâ-matwê-nikamut. êkusi ê-kîsi-nikamut, kâ-pâskisusut. êkusi kiskêyihtâkwan kîkway uhci k-ô-nipahisut : wîcimusa ê-mâkwâskâkut mîcimâpuy ê-minihkwêt. êkusi. “He was very much ashamed when she smiled at him (or: “because she would laugh at him”; if this is meant, then very poorly expressed). He would not smile at her, for he was ashamed. So, a bit later (read: apisi-mwêstasês?) the youth made himself ready. He took his finest clothes and his gun. Then he went out of the tipi, to a hill that was near by. Presently he was heard singing. Then when he had done singing, he shot himself. Then it was known why he had killed himself: because his sweetheart had come upon him when he was drinking broth. Thus... (or: That is all.)”