(1) kayâs nistam ê-ihtakohk ôma askiy, kisêyiniwak wîhtamâkwak kisê-manitôwa. "ayamihêwikamik kiwî-miyitinâwâw, kâ-ôh-ohpikihitoyêk, okîsikôwak ta-nitotamawâyêk kinwês kita-pimâtisiyêk, mîna kitawâsimisiwâwak kita-ohpikihâyêkok." "êwako mâmawô ê-sôhki-astâyân ôta askîhk mawimoscikêwikamik ayamihêwikamik nipâkwêsimôwikamik;" "êwako kimiyitinâwâw kita-pimâtisiyêk," itikwak kisê-manitôwa.

(1) Of old, when this earth first began to exist, the ancient men were told by the Great Spirit, “A church I will give you, by means of which you will succeed in bringing up your successive generations, a church, so that you may pray to the dwellers in the sky for long life and for success in bringing your children to maturity. This is what I establish here on earth for all, the house of worship, the Christian Church, the Sun-Dance Lodge. This I give to you, to be for you a source of life,” they were told by the Great Spirit.

(2) "isko askiy kita-ihtakohk, êwako ta-mawimoscikâkêyêk, miyo-kêkway ta-nitotamêk, êkosi kitisi-pakitinitinâwâw." "êkâya wîhkâc pônihtâk, isko kita-ihtakohk ôma askiy." "miyo-kêkway kâ-wîhtamâtakok;" "nama wiya kêkway ê-mâyâtahk ka-kî-wîhtamâtinâwâw;" "êwako kinwês ê-pimâtisiwiniwik kâ-wîhtamâtakok," itikwak kisê-manitôwa.

(2) “That, as long as the earth shall endure, you pray, asking for rightful things, that is the way I set you down to live. Do you never cease from this as long as this earth endures. It is a rightful thing I proclaim to you; no evil thing shall I ever by any possibility proclaim to you. This which I have proclaimed to you is that there be long life,” they were told by the Great Spirit.

(3) êwako ohci êkâ wîhkâc kâ-ôh-pônihtâcik, ayisk kisê-manitow miyo-kêkway ê-itikoyahk, piko awiya êkosi ta-tôtamahk. êkosi kinwês ka-pimâtisinânaw; nama wiya kî-nipinâniwiw.

(3) That is why they never cease from it, since the Great Spirit told us it is a rightful thing, and that every one of us is to practice it. In this wise we shall live long; there shall be no dying off.

(4) mêstanaskowêw isiyîhkâsôw kisêyiniw; êwako otâcimowin. êkota nêhiyawi-masinahikan kâ-kî-miyikot, êkota ohci ta-tâpwêhtamihk, namôya awiyak ta-kî-ânwêhtahk, ê-wâpahtamihk masinahikan anima kâ-kî-miyikot. êwako ohci êkâ kâ-kî-pônihtâcik nipâkwêsimôwikamik, êwako mâmawô ê-sôhki-astamâkoyâhk.

(4) Mestanaskuwew was the name of a man of old; this is his report. There the Great Spirit gave him the Cree writing: so that it would be believed, so that no one would be able to disbelieve it, when that writing was seen, which the Great Spirit had given him. That is why they cannot cease from the Sun-Dance Lodge, since the Great Spirit founded it for all of us.

(5) "êwako ohci kâ-ôh-wîhtamâtakok nipâkwêsimôwin, nipiy tê-nitotamêk, ta-kimiwahk, kahkiyaw kêkway ôta askîhk ta-miyo-ohpikihk, kâkikê ta-sâpopatât askiy piyêsiw."

(5) “It is for this that I proclaim to you the Sun-Dance, that ye may pray for water, so that it rain and that all things on this earth grow well and that the Thunder-Bird may ever drench the earth.”

(6) êwakoni ê-kî-miyât, ta-pamihtâyit askiy, ta-nitotamâmiht, kisêyiniwak ta-nitotamawâcik êkota nipâkwêsimôwikamikohk. êkosi kâ-isi-pakitinât.

(6) To this last he gave the prerogative of being implored to care for the earth, the prerogative that the old men should pray to him there in the Lodge of the Sun-Dance. Thus he created and set him down.

(7) êkwa êkâ kâ-kimiwahk, ê-sâkihtâhk kita-nipâkwêsimoyâhk, mîna êwako ohci mistahi kâ-ôh-yâh-yôtihk; êkosi nititêyihtênân kâ-nêhiyâwiyâhk. êwako ohci kâ-ôh-ihkihk ê-nisiwanâtisit ayîsiyiniw, ê-kî-sôhki-astamâht omawimoscikêwin, êkwa ê-sâkihtamâht. kîspin pakitinikâtêk mawimoscikêwin, namôya êkosi ta-ihkin. tâpwê ôta ê-kî-miyikoyâhk ta-isi-kakîsimototawâyâhk kôhtâwiyinaw. mâmawô ôhtâwiyimâw ayisk ê-ôhtâwiyihk ê-nitohtâht, kwayask ispayinâniwiw.¹

(7) And that it does not rain is because it has been forbidden that we dance the Sun-Dance: and it is due to this that there are great storms of wind; so we think who are Cree. It is owing to this that the Indian is going to ruin, because his way of worship which was fixed for him is being withheld from him. f his religion is permitted to him, things will not be thus. Truly the Father of us all gave it to us that in this place we should implore him. If he who is the Father of all is worshipped as becomes his Fatherhood, all will go well.

(8) êkosi.

(8) So it is.

(9) kisê-manitôw namôya ohci wîhtamawêw môniyâsa tânisi ê-kî-isi-pakitinâyit nêhiyawa ôta askîhk. êwako ohci êkâ kâ-ôh-kiskêyihtahkik. mâka êwako ohci kâ-ôh-pakitinahk nêhiyawêwin, nêhiyaw omasinahikan, êkota ohci ta-kî-tâpwêhtamihk.

(9) The Great Spirit did not tell the White Man how he placed and instructed the Cree upon this earth. That is why they do not know it. But this was why he sent down the Cree writing, the Cree Syllabary, that through it it might be believed.

Footnotes

¹? ohtawiwi -hk