(1) wîhkasko-kisêyin kîtahtawê ê-nipât, ohtawakâhk sakimêsa kitoyiwa: "hâw, wêsâ kikitimâkisin." "kî-nêwo-tipiskâki êkospî kika-miyitin; kimiyitin ta-okimâwiyan." "osâm kikitimâkisin ê-nôhtê-okimâwiyan."

(1) Once upon a time when Sweet-Grass slept, a mosquito spoke into his ear: “Indeed, too pitiable is thy state. Four nights from now I shall give it thee; I shall give thee chieftainship. Too pitiable is thy plight in thy longing to be a chief.”

(2) êkosi pêkopayiw. ê-pêkopayit, sakimêsa ohpihâyiwa ohtawakâhk ohci. mitoni ê-mihcêtiki mîkiwâhpa êwako ôta natimihk. êkosi ê-nisto-tipiskâyik,-- kayâs môsasiniya wâwiyêyâwa,-- êkoni ê-mâh-môhkotahk, opâskisikanihk ê-âh-asiwatât, ê-tâ-tâpiskopayiyiki nôhtaw. êkosi wîstâwa pîhtokêyiwa.

(2) Then he awoke. As he awoke, a mosquito flew up from his ear. This was in a place where there were many tents, here in the west. So when three nights had passed, - the old time bullets were round, - these he was shaping, putting them into his gun to fit them beforehand. Then his brother-in-law came into the lodge.

(3) "tânitê ê-wî-itohtêyan?" itik wîstâwa.

(3) “Where are you planning to go?” his brother-in-law asked him.

(4) "kîkisêpâ ê-wî-sipwêpayiyân," itêw wîstâwa.

(4) “Early in the morning I mean to ride away,” he answered his brother-in-law.

(5) sakahpitêw wayawîtimihk otêma.

(5) He tethered his horse outside the lodge.

(6) "êkâ wiya nakasîhkan." "kiwî-wîcêtin," itik wîstâwa.

(6) “Do not leave me behind. I want to go with you,” said his brother-in-law.

(7) êkosi ê-tipiskâk kawisimôwak. kîkisêpâ ê-wâpahk waniskâw. namôya mitoni ê-wâpaniyik, "anohc kâ-kîsikâk êkwa kika-ôh-nisitawêyihtâkosin, anohc kâ-kîsikâk."

(7) So, when night came, they lay down. Early in the morning he got up. When it had not yet dawned much, “For this day thou shalt be renowned.”

(8) mîhkawikiyiwa otêma. êkwa oskinîkiwiyinîsa wawêyîyiwa. nitawi-wîhtamawêw wîstâwa. êkosi wawêyîwak; sipwêpayiwak. wâhyaw nimitaw wâpaniyiw ê-ay-apicik ispacinâsihk. kîtahtawê kâ-wâpamâcik ê-pimi-âmaciwêtâcimoyit. kîtahtawê nahisiniyiwa ê-pâ-pakamahikêyit.

(8) His horse was fleet. Some young lads made ready. He went and gave the word to his brother-in-law. So they made ready; they rode away. Far to the south dawn came, as they sat on a small eminence. Suddenly they saw one who was crawling up a hill. Presently that person lay down and hammered.

(9) "êkosi namôya kiwîcêwâkaninaw." "mahti nika-itohtân."

(9) “Plainly he is not of our comrades. Let me go there.”

(10) nakatêw otêma êkota. tâpwê otihtêw ospiskwaniyihk ohci.

(10) He left his horse there. He came upon the other from the rear.

(11) êkosi, "awîna kiya? kiwî-pâskisotin," itêw.

(11) Then, “Who are you? I mean to shoot you,” he said to him.

(12) êkosi tihtipipayihôw. êkosi ê-pâskiswât, êkosi patahwêw. êkosi sêskâmoyiwa. êkosi têpwâtêw wîstâwa. êkosi sipwêpayiwak ôki nîso, ê-nitawi-wîhtahkik. êkwa wiya kanawêyimêw; têhtapiw; ayisk tapasîyiwa. tahki kitâpamêw; kisiwâk wêsâpamâci pâskiswêw.

(12) The other threw himself to roll downhill. Then he shot at him, but missed him. The other fled into the brush. Then he called out to his brother-in-law. The two rode off, to go and tell it. But he kept the other in sight; he mounted; the other was fleeing. He kept watching him; wherever he caught sight of him, he shot at him.

(13) kîtahtawê têpwâtêw, "mîkiwâhpihk, mîkiwâhpihk kâ-itâmoyan," itêw.

(13) Presently he called out to him, “To the tent, to the tent is where you are running to escape,” he said to him.

(14) êkosi sîpîsis otihtamiyiwa. êkwa ê-itâpicik, wâpamêwak misahkamik ayîsiyiniwa. êkwa wâskâmowak; âsowahamwak sîpîsis. pêyak mistikohk sêkopayihôw. êkwa pêyak mâhi-kôkîw. âsowahamwak kotakak. sêskâmowak; ômisi ê-itahcâk sêskâmôwak. êkwa nêhiyawak tâpitawi takopayiwak. piyisk mistahi mihcêtiwak. mêniskihkêwak ayahciyiniwak. pêyak êkota ayahciyiniw okimâwiw; êwako kîskihkomân isiyîhkâsôw. êkosi wîhkwêskawâwak. kîtahtawê êkwa nôtinikêwak.

(14) The other reached a creek. When they looked there, they saw a great many people. They fled; they crossed the creek. One hid among the trees. Another dived downstream. The others crossed. They fled into the woods; up a slope, like this, they fled into the woods. The Cree arrived in the same way. Soon there were many of them. The Blackfoot made a trench and breastworks. One of the Blackfoot there was a chief; he was called Cut-Knife. So they surrounded them. Then soon they fought.

(15) kîtahtawê pêyak nêhiyaw: "ôtê ohci wayacâwîwak."¹

(15) Presently a Cree called out, “They are escaping over here.”

(16) êkosi têpwêwak nâpêwak. pâskisamâkwak; namôya wî-nakîwak. pêyak câpês isiyîhkâsôw; pêyak waskasîw-âwâsis isiyîhkâsôw, ê-osîmihtocik. êkosi tâpwê, "ispî manihkomânêk!" itwêwak nêhiyawak. maywês ê-sâkowêhk sêmâk ohpîwak. otihtinêwak ayahciyiniwa. êkosi môhkomân âpacihtâwak, ta-mosci-tâh-tahkamâcik.²

âtiht namôya tahkamêwak. ôta maniswêwak; êkosi otinamwak ostikwân. êkosi isi ê-kî-otinahkik, êkosi êkwa tahkamêwak êkwêyâk. êkosi mêscihêwak. êkosi êkwa kîwêwak. pitamâ akimêwak: nîsitanaw ayiwâk nîso; iyikohk nipahêwak, êkoyikohk kâ-têpwêwâcik, ê-mêscihâcik.³

êkosi ê-kî-kîwêcik mistahi miyawâtamwak. êkota ohci okimâwiw wîhkasko-kisêyin. êkosi namôya wîhkâc ka-pôni-okimâwiw kîskihkomân. êyâpic isko kê-askîwik, êyâpic anohc kîsikâw okimâwiw. êwako kat-nayip kâ-isiyîhkâtêk, êwako kîskihkomân kâ-kî-mêscihiht. âta ê-kî-nipahiht, êyâpic okimâwiw anohc kîsikâw. êkosi pêyak ana kâ-kôkît sîsîp-ostikwân isiyîhkâsôw; pêyak kâkâsôw isiyîhkâsôw; êwako kâ-sêkopayihot mistikohk; êyakonik piko pimâtisiwak. nîsitanaw ayiwâk nêwo ê-kî-ihtasicik, êkosi piko nîso pimâtisiwak. êkonik âcimowak otaskîwâhk ê-takosihkik.

(16) Then the men whooped. The others shot at them, but they would not halt. One man was named Chapess, another Claw-child; they were brothers. Then, “Get ready your knives!” said the Cree. Before the cry had gone forth, they leaped up. They grappled with the Blackfoot. They used their knives, trying to stab them. Some they did not stab. They scalped them; they took their scalps. Only then, when they had taken these, did they stab them. So they killed them all. Then they went home. First they counted them: twenty-two; they killed all of those at whom they had whooped; they exterminated them. So, when they had returned home, they made a great celebration. On account of this Sweet-Grass became a chief. [no translation, paraphrase of next sentence: All the time since then, to this very day, he is chief.] All the time since then, to this very day, he is chief. The place that is called “Cut-Knife” in English, that is where Chief Cut-Knife and his band were all slain. But although he was killed, yet to this day he is a chief. he one who dived was called Duck-Head; one was called Hider; he it was who hid among the trees; only these two remained alive. Of the twenty-four, thus only two remained alive. They told the tale when they reached their country.

(17) "êwako ohci nama wîhkâc ka-pôni-okimâwiw," itwêwak sasîwak. nêhiyawak têkosihkwâwi, "êyâpic okimâwiw kîskihkomân," itwêwak êsa, kêyotêtwâwi nêhiyawak.

(17) “From that time on never will he cease to be chief,” say the Sarsi. Whenever any Cree arrive, “Cut-Knife is still chief,” they say, when the Cree come visiting.

(18) êkosi êkwa mistahi kî-okimâwiw wîhkasko-kisêyin. êkâ ôma askiy ôma wîwotinaskêyiwin okosisa ôta kî-okimâwiyiwa.⁴

êwako nâpêw apis-iyinîs kî-isiyîhkâsôw. nîsitanaw ayiwâk kêkâ-mitâtaht aspin kâ-nipit.

(18) And so Sweet-Grass became a great chief. And here, on this very land, when the Reserve was assigned, his son was chief. Little-Man was his name. It is twenty-nine years since he died.

(19) êkosi kahkiyaw.

(19) That is all.

Footnotes

¹?? wayacîwî-wak ‘break into run’

²CHECK mos -> mosci

³CHECK têpwêwâcik

⁴LB on wîwotinaskêyiwin: If correctly recorded, then “the taking of land,” i.e. the assignment of Indian Reserves