Otterskin | Otterskin |
(1)êkosi kâh-ispayik iyiniwak kâ-kîh-nôtinitocik, kîh-nôtinêwak kaskitêwayasitah, mihkôwiyiniwah, êkwah pîkanôwiniwa, pâwistikôw-iyiniwa, kâhkâkiwacêna, katonahêwa, êkwah pwâtah, sasîwah, napakistikwânah; êko-tahtoh kâh-nôtinâcik nêhiyawak, nahkawiyiniwak, opwâsîmôwak, êh-isi-wîcêhtocik nêhiyawa. asiniy-wacîhk kîh-tasîhkêwak, awasâyîhk asiniy-wacîhk kâ-nôtinâcik nêhiyawak. êkosi tastawâyihk nêhiyawak ê-ayâcik, ayahciyiniwak ê-ayâcik, tastawâyihk kî-sâkaskinêw mostos; mistahi kîh-mihcêtiw mostos. nama wiya kîh-itohtêwak êkotê nêhiyawak; mîna ayahciyiniwak nama wiya âstam itê kîh-itohtêwak; kîh-kostitôwak. êwakôh ohci kâ-kîh-mihcêticik mostoswak. nêtawi-nôtinikêtwâwi nêhiyawak, kîh-kâsôwak tahkinê, êh-pimohtêcik. mostoswa kîh-ohci-kiskêyimikwak ôh âyahciyiniwah; kîh-ohci-kiskêyimikwak mostoswah, êh-tapasiyit mostoswah ôhi, êh-wâpamikocik, êh-tapasiyit; êkotah ohci kîh-kiskêyimikwak ôhi kâ-nitawi-nôtinâcik. wâpamêwak mostoswa êh-pêh-tâh-tapasiyit; êkotah ohci mâna kîh-kiskêyimikwak. êkosi mâna kîh-wawêyîstâkwak. tahkinêhk mâna aswêyimikwak wiyawâw. mîna piyêh-nôtinikotwâwi ôhi ayahciyiniwah, êkosi wiyawâw mîna kâ-isi-kiskêyimâcik kisiwak piyê-ayâyici. ayis pê-tawâw itah kâ-pêh-pimohtêcik. êkosi mâna kîsi-kiskêyihtôwak. êwakô ohci kinwês kâ-kîh-mihcêtit mostos, êkâ ê-kîh-otihtitocik. êyakô ohci tawâyihk kîh-mihcêtiw mostos, êh-kostitocik, êkâ êh-kîh-otihtitocik. kîh-kimotiwak mâna misatimwah mihcêt. âskaw mitoni kîh-kimotamawêwak êh-tipiskâyik. êkosi mîna mêkwâc êh-nipâyit kîh-pâskiswêwak nîpâ-tipisk. mihcêt mâna kîh-nipahitôwak. mîna êh-kîsikâyik, nântaw wiyâpamâtwâwi, êh-têhtapicik, kîh-nawaswâtêwak. kîh-ati-nâh-nîhciwêpahwêwak mâna. âskaw kîh-wâtihkêwak, êkotah êh-pîhtokêyâmocik. êkotah mâna kîh-kostikwak. kîh-nâh-nipahêwak mâna êkotah ohci, wâtihk êh-asiwasocik. êkosi mâna kîh-pônihkwak. êkwa wiyawâw nêhiyawak ayahciyiniwah kâ-wâtihkêyit kîh-mêscihêwak mâna; tâpwê pikoh mâna kîh-môskîstawêwak; iyâtah-pâh-pâskisokotwâwi, pâskiswêwak mân, êh-môskîstawâcik. piyisk nama wiya kî-sâkiskwêpayihoyiwa; piyis mâna êkosi ê-at-îsi-otihtinâcik, pîhtokêpayihôwak ôtah k-âsiwasoyit. êkosi kîh-tôtamwak nêhiyawak. êkwah wiyawâw kîh-kostikwak mâna, wâtihk kîspin êsiwasotwâwi. kîh-pônihikwak mâna nêhiyawak. nama wiya kîh-kostêwak wiyawâw. |
(1)When it happened that the Indians fought, they fought against the Blackfoot, the Bloods, and the Piegans, the Gros-Ventre, the Crow, the Katunahew (?), and the Sioux, the Sarsi, and the Flatheads; against all these fought the Cree, the Salteaux, and the Assiniboine, who were allied with the Cree. They campaigned as far as the Rocky Mountains; even beyond the Rockies the Cree would fight them. And so, between where the Cree were and where the Blackfoot tribes were, the buffalo filled the land; very numerous was the buffalo. The Cree could not go there; and the Blackfoot could not come here; they feared each other. Therefore the buffalo were numerous. When the Cree went to fight, they always kept themselves hidden as they marched. Through the buffalo the Blackfoot knew of them; they knew of them through the buffalo, for the buffalo fled, fleeing at the sight of them; through this they were perceived by those whom they were going to fight. They saw the buffalo fleeing toward them; from this they were always known to the others. So then the latter would prepare to fight them. The enemy was always watching for them. And when those Blackfoot tribes would come to fight them, then they, likewise, would know when the others had got near. For it was open where they came. In this way they would know of each other's approach. That is why for a long time the buffalo was numerous, because they could not reach each other. That was why the buffalo was numerous between them, because they feared each other, and could not come to each other. They always stole many horses. At times they would steal many from them in the night. And while the others slept they would shoot them in the dark. They would kill many of each other. In day-time, too, if they saw the others anywhere, they would mount and pursue them. They would continue to shoot them down from their horses. Sometimes they would dig a trench and go inside it. There the others would fear them. They would continue to kill them from there, staying in the trench. Then the others would leave them alone. But the Cree, when the Blackfoot had dug a trench, would massacre them; they would simply assail them by storm; although the others would shoot at them as they came, they would shoot back and take them by storm. At last the others would be unable to stick out their heads; at last they would come upon them and dash in where the others were sheltering themselves. That was the way the Cree did. But when they were inside a trench, the others always feared them. The others would leave the Cree alone. But they did not fear the others. |