Otterskin | Otterskin |
(1)kayâs iyiniwak nama wiya kîh-nipiwak. âskaw pêyak kîh-nipiw. mitoni kîh-sôhkisiwak kayâs iyiniwak. wiyâs pisisik êh-kîh-mîcicik, êyakô ohci mitoni kîh-sôhkisiwak. nama wiya kîh-nihtâh-âhkosiwak. kiyâm kâ-tihkitêk nipiy, _ kônah akohcin, miskwamiy, _ kîh-pahkopêwak; nama nântaw kîh-isiy-ayâwak, êh-kîh-pahkopêcik. êkosi kîh-mihcêtiwak. mitoni ôtênawah kîh-mâh-misâwah. awâsisak kîh-mihcêtiwak. kisêyiniwak nôtokêwak, pâtos mitonih êh-kawikihkâcik, nama wiya mîna kîh-wâpiskâyiw ostikwâniwâw; apisîs kîh-wâpiskâyiw. anohc mitoni tâpiskôc niya, _ wâpiskâw nistikwân, _ wîpac wâpistikwânêwak ayîsiyiniwak anohc. tânêhk êtokê? êkwah anohc mitoni wahkêwisiw iyiniw. mayaw kâ-pahkopêt, âsay âhkosiw mistahi. mâka nikiskêyihtên k-ôh-isiy-ayât; pîtos kîkway êh-mîcit, êyakô ohci k-ôh-wahkêwisit ayîsiyiniw, pîtos kêkway êh-mîcit. |
(1)The Indians of old did not die. Once in a while one would die. The Indians of old were very strong. Because they ate nothing but meat is why they were very strong. They did not easily get sick. Even into thawing water, - snow would be floating in it, and ice, - they would plunge; they would suffer no consequences when they had plunged in. So they were many. The bands were very large. There were many children. The old men and women, after they had become very old, were not white of head; their heads were only a little white. Nowadays, very much, like me, - my head is white, - the Indians quickly get white-haired now. I wonder why. And nowadays the Indian is very liable to sickness. No sooner has he gone into the water, but he falls sick. But I know why he is thus; because he eats various things, that is why the Indian is liable to sickness, because he eats strange food. |
(2)êkosi mitoni kîh-pimâtisiwak k-âhkosicik, sîsîkwanah k-âpacihâcik kisêyiniwak, êh-nanâtawihâcik k-âhkosiyit. osâm pikoh kîh-pimâcihêwak. mistahi k-âhkosit awiyak, iyiniw, awâsis, misatimwah kîh-miyâw kisêyiniw, êh-atotiht êh-nanâtawihât; êkosi kîh-pimâtisiyiwa. kayâs ohci kisêyiniwak kîh-âtotamwak êwako. manitôwah ê-kîh-miyikocik kîh-itwêwak mâna. êkwah anohc pîtos ispayiw. nama wiya waniyaw kîh-kiskêyihtamwak êyako. kîtahtawê pêyak kisêyiniw kîh-miyikôwisiw êh-kiskêyihtahk êwako êh-nanâtawihât wîci-ayîsiyiniwa; nama wiya waniyaw. êkwah anohc pîtos ispayiw êyakô. nama wiya pimâcihêwak k-âhkosiyit tâpwê. osâm kipihtinamwak; êwak ohci êkâ kâ-pimâcihâcik tâpwê. mîna maskihkiy êkosi mina kîh-pimâcihêwak, maskihkiy kâ-kiskêyihtahkik. êwakô ohci nitêyihtên, kahkiyaw kâ-otinamâhcik omawimoscikêwiniwâw kâ-kîh-isi-miyikôwisicik, manitôwah kâh-kîh-miyikocik, êh-kitahamâhcik ômawomoscikêwiniwâw. êkwah anohc êkwah kây-isi-ayât iyiniw, wanihtâw êwakoh. |
(2)Also, to a great extent sick persons recovered, because the old men used rattles in curing the sick. They cured them straightway. When anyone was badly ill, man or child, the old man was given a horse, to employ him for the cure; and so the other recovered. From of old the old men told of this. They always said that God had given it to them. Nowadays it goes otherwise. Not any person at all had this knowledge. At some time one or another old man would be given by the Higher Powers the knowledge of how to doctor his fellow-men; it was not anyone at random. But nowadays this goes on differently. They do not really cure the sick. They have ceased from it; therefore they do not really cure them. And with herbs also they cured them, for they knew the herbs. I think the reason is that they have had all their religion taken away from them, the religion given to them by the Higher Powers, the religion God gave them, for they have been forbidden their religion. As the Indian is nowadays, he has lost it. |
(3)êkwah pîtos, kotak êkwah. niyân kiskimanacîhk mitoni nikitimâkisinân; misiwê isi nama kêkway ntayânân isihcikêwin, mawamoscikêwin; nîmihitôwin nama kêkway. êkwah mîna sôniyâw mitoni âyiman niyân. kotakah ohpimê iskonikanah atâwâkêwak; atâmâwak otaskîwâwa; pahkih atâmâwak. êkosi niyân nama wiya; nama kêkway êyako niyân. |
(3)And now another, a different thing. We, at File Hills, are very poorly off; we have no rites at all, no religion; there are no dances. And as to money, too, our situation is very bad. The other Reserves hereabout make sales; they sell their lands; they sell them, in part. But we do not; for us there is nothing of this. |
(4)êkwah mîna kotak. sâkahikan ôtêh ayâw, ê-kîh-osihtâcik iskonikan, kinosêwah êh-mihcêtiyit, pâhkwahcâhk k-âyâcik êkotê ta-kîh-isi-mâcîcik kinosêwah. êkosi kîh-âtâwâkâniwiw êwako. êkosi nkotwâsik iskonikanah tipahamawâwak; niyân nama wiya kîkway. ôtah nêwo iskonikanah nama wiya nimiyikawinân niyân sôniyâw. êkwah niyân pêyak iskonikan êk ôh-misâk êh-nêwikih iskonikanah ôtah; êkosi nicikawâsisinân, kêhcinâh têpakohp nâpêwak. êkosi mitoni nikostên êkâ kîkway t-ôhtisiyâhk ntaskînân, mêscinêyâhkih. nkâh-miywêyihtênân, âpacihtâyâhk ntaskînân sôniyâw ohci, mêkwâc êh-pimâtisiyâhk. êkosi mitoni ta-kîh-miyw-ayât iyiniw, ta-kîh-wêyôtisit otaskiy ohci, kîspin kîh-kiskêyihtahk nistam kâ-kakwêcimikot kihci-okimâwa; mâka nama wiya kîh-kiskêyihtam kîkway. nama kêkway kîh-kiskêyihtam isihcikêwin. êwakô ohci k-ôh-ispayit iyiniw. êkosi mâk êkwah nimihtâtênân êwako. êkosi mistahi sôniyâwah ntaskînân, tân-iyikohk misiwêskamik ôtah wêsihât wâpiskêwêw sôniyâwa, itah êh-pêw-ohci-pimâcihot. êkosi mitoni iyiniwah ta-kîh-miywêyimât, ta-kîh-kitimâkinawât wâpiskêwêw, ta-kîh-nanâskomât anohc, iyikohk ôtah kâ-pê-ohci-pimâcihot. nimâmaskâtên ê-isi-mihcêtit wâpiskêwêw. |
(4)And another thing. There is a lake near here where they made the Reserve, with many fish, where people staying on the shore could catch fish. Now this was sold. So six Reserves got paid for it; but we not at all. We of the four Reserves here were given none of the money. And we who would not make one big Reserve, are here in four Reserves; and so we are few, exactly seven men. And so I much fear that we shall get no benefit from our land before we all die off. We should be glad, if we could make use of our land to get money while we are yet alive. In this way the Indian could be very well off, and could be rich through his land, had he but known it when first he was asked by the Government; but he did not know anything. He did not know anything about business. That is why the Indian fared as he did. Now, of course, we regret that. And now much money has come from our land, all the money the White Man has made from all this our land, from which he makes his living. Therefore the White Man ought to love the Indian and pity him; he ought to thank him now for all the sustenance he derives here for himself. I wonder at the great number of the White Men. |
(5)êkosi pitah aciyaw. |
(5)That is all for the present. |