(1) kayâs mitoni kisêyiniw êwako okimâw. ôma nakîwacîhk ôta wîkiwak. kîtahtawê kîkisêpâ otinêw misatimwa; oyahpitêw, ê-têhtapit; sipwêhtêw, ê-papâmohtêt. mêkwâ ê-pimohtêt, ispatinâw wâpahtam, ê-âmaciwêyit ayîsiyiniwa, nâpêwa.¹

kiskêyimêw ayahciyiniwa.²

êkwa opâskisikan pîhtâsôw; môskîstawêw ê-pimisiniyit. êkwa ê-kî-kiskêyihtahk awa ayahciyiniw, nêhiyawa ê-môskîstâkot, tapasîw; ê-sakâyik kotêskâmôw. êkosi pâskiswêw nêhiyaw. namôya matwêwêw pâskisikan. êkota ê-sêskâmot, êkota ohci matâwisiwak nîsosâp ayahciyiniwak. êkwa nêhiyaw ê-pêyakot môskîstawêw, ê-wî-nôtinât, ê-wî-pâskiswât. tapasîwak ôki ayahciyiniwak, ê-pêyakoyit ê-kostâcik, ê-pâh-pâskisokocik. kotak sakâw êkota mîna sêskâmôwak. âsay mîna matâwisiwak, ê-pimipahtâcik. êkwa awa nêhiyaw ê-têhtapit, êkotê mîkiwâhpa, mitoni ê-mihcêticik nêhiyawak, êkotê ê-itisahwât. ayahciyiniw"êkotê nika-pimâtisin", ê-itêyihtahk, namôya kiskêyihtam ayîsiyiniwa nêhiyawa ê-mihcêtiyit êkota kâ-itohtêcik. iyikohk ê-wâpamâcik nêhiyawa, êkoyikohk wâyonîwak, ê-kî-wâpamâcik mihcêt nêhiyawa.

(1) In the time of the men of long ago he was chief. Here at Sweet-Grass they dwelt. One morning, he took a horse; he saddled it and mounted; he set out to roam. As he went along he saw someone climbing a hill, a man. He observed him, watching through a spy-glass, this man who was looking for people. He knew him for a Blackfoot. He loaded his gun and attacked him as he lay on the ground. When the Blackfoot perceived that a Cree was attacking him, he fled; he hid in the bushes. The Cree tried to shoot him, but the gun did not go off. From the place where he had fled into the woods, twelve Blackfoot came out upon the trail. The lone Cree attacked them, wanting to do battle and shoot them. The Blackfoot fled, fearing the one Cree who was shooting at them. They fled into another wood. Again they came forth in their course. But the Cree on his horse was driving them to where the Cree were many in their tents. The Blackfoot meanwhile, thinking, “In this direction I shall escape,” did not know that there were many people, many Cree in the place to which they were going. When they saw the Cree, they turned, at the sight of the many Cree.

(2) êkwa pêyak awa nîsosâp ayahciyiniwa ê-nawaswâtât, ê-sakâyik êwako môskîstamwak sîpîsis. êkota pahkopêwak, ê-âsôwahahkik. êkota nipîhk kôkîw pêyak ayahciyiniw, ê-kâsot, "namôya nika-wâpamik nêhiyaw", ê-itêyihtahk. kotakak ôki tapasîwak pêyakosâp; kotak sakâw êkotê sêskisiwak. êkotê êkwa nêhiyawak wîhkwêskawêwak, tâpiskôc wâtihkân ê-osîhtâcik ayahciyiniwak, ê-nôtinikêcik. êkwa ôki nêhiyawak kisiwâk ê-itohtêcik ita ê-ayâyit ayahciyiniwa, êkwa êwako kâ-papâ-nawaswâtât, êwako nîkânohtêw, tâpiskôc aya simâkanisikimâw, êkwa ôki ayahciyiniwak kisiwâk ê-wâpamâcik nêhiyawa êkwa ôma wâtihkân ôma kâ-ayâcik. êkwa ninisô nêhiyawak êkota nîpawiwak wâtihkânihk cîki.³

êkwa pêyak nêhiyaw tâpiskôc ôma mistik ôta-- ê-tâh-tahkamât môhkomân ohci ayahciyiniwa; êwako pêyak nêhiyaw kâ-tôtahk. êkosi êkwa kahkiyaw nêhiyawak pîhtokêwak wâtihkânihk, môhkomân ê-tahkonahkik, nêhiyawak ôhi ayahciyiniwa ê-tâh-tahkamâcik môhkomân ohci. nipahêwak; kahkiyaw nama awiyak pimâtisiw pêyakosâp aniki ayahciyiniwak. êkosi êkwa môhkomân ohci ê-manisamawâcik, ostikwâniyiwa ê-manisamawâcik nêhiyawak. êkosi poyôwak. ayis mêscihêwak; êwako ohci kâ-poyocik. êkota ohci ana kâ-pêyakot, nistam kâ-wâpamât ôhi ayahciyiniwa, êwako ohci mistahi kî-okimâwiw. êwako ôma swît-kwâs isiyîhkâsôw, wîhkasko-kisêyin isiyîhkâsôw. êwako ê-kî-okimâwit, kayâs kisêyiniwak.

(2) Then, as the one was pursuing the twelve Blackfoot, in a wooded place they made for a creek. They went into the water to cross. There one of the Blackfoot ducked under water to hide, thinking, “The Cree will not see me.” The other eleven fled; they went into another wood. There the Cree surrounded them, the Blackfoot making a kind of trench as they fought. When the Cree went near to where the Blackfoot were, then he who had pursued them, he went in the lead, like an officer, and the Blackfoot saw the Cree come near the trench where they were. And the Cree stood there close to the pit. Then one Cree - holding it like this stick here - with his knife began to stab the Blackfoot; one Cree did this. Thereupon all the Cree began to enter the trench, knife in hand, stabbing one Blackfoot after another. They slew them; not one of those eleven Blackfoot was left alive. Then with their knives they scalped them; the Cree cut the scalps from their heads. Then they ceased. They had finished them all; that was why they ceased. For this exploit he who had gone alone, and had first seen those Blackfoot, he became a great chief for this exploit. His name was Sweet-Grass. He was chief among the men of old.

(3) êwako kayâs âcimôwin. êwako otaskîhk kâ-pêhtamân ôma otâcimôwin, êkota ê-apiyân otaskihk ôma kâ-otinamân âcimôwin. êkosi.

(3) This is a story of long ago. In his land I heard this story of him; even here where I sit, in this his land I learned this story. That is all.

Footnotes

¹?? ispatinâw ‘hill’?

²LB on ayâhciyiniwah: In earlier texts I have noted the second vowel of this word as long; later I heard it as predominantly short.

³LB on ninisô: Word unknown to me; probably a mishearing.