(1) mitoni ninikotwâsinân, ê-sipwêhtêyâhk. wiyâpahtamâhko mîkiwâhpa, nikâsowânân, êkâ ta-wâpamikoyâhkok ayahciyiniwak,¹

ê-pimohtatâyâhk ôtê ohci ayiwinisa, ê-nitawi-wîtaskiyâhk wâhyaw awasâpisk. piyisk nôtihtênân asinîwaciy, têpiskâki piko ê-pimohtêyâhk, êkâ awiyak ta-nôtinikoyâhk, ê-wî-kakwê-takohtêyâhk itê kâ-itohtêyâhk. piyisk awasâpisk nitakohtânân.

(1) There were six of us who set out. When we saw any tipis, we hid from the people, lest the Blackfoot see us. We were carrying garments with us, from here, for we were bound on an embassy far beyond the Rocky Mountains. At last we came to the Rocky Mountains, walking the while only at night, lest anyone fight with us, for we meant to reach our destination. At last we arrived beyond the Rockies.

(2) êkotê piyisk mînisa miywâsinwa, iyikohk ê-takohtêyâhk. iyikohk ê-wâpahtamâhk mîkiwâhpa, namôya nikî-pîhtokânân, osâm êkâ ê-kî-nipâcik oskinîkiwak, êkâ ta-wâpamikoyâhkok. piyisk kinwês âkawâyihk nikâsonân.

(2) The berries were ripe by the time we arrived. When we came in sight of the tipis, we did not enter, for we did not care to have them see us before the young warriors were asleep. For quite a while we stayed in hiding.

(3) êkosi kîtahtawê êkwa nikaskihtânân pîhtêyask ê-cimatêk mîkiwâhp, ê-okimâwit kinêpikoyiniw. nipîhtokânân, ê-tipiskâk. ê-pîhtokêyâhk, waniskâw awa okimâw. êkosi apisîs piko pônasiwak. wîwa nayêstaw nistiwak, ê-nîsôskwêwêt. êkosi pêyak wayawîw awa, ê-atotak, niwîcêwâkan; êkosi otinam; kahkiyaw pîhtokatâw ayiwinisa ôhi ê-pimohtatâyâhk, ê-nitawi-mêkiyâhk, mîna nanâtohk akohpa. êkosi isi pakitinamawâw awa kâ-pîhtokawâyâhk. êkosi wîwa kitotêw; wayawiyiwa. kîtahtawê pîhtokêyiwa wîwa. wîhkâc pê-pîhtokêyiwa ôhtâwiya. êkosi ka-kitotêw ôhtâwiya; ati-wayawiyiwa. êkosi ê-pîhtokêyit ôhtâwiya, wa-wayawîwak ôki iskwêwak, kotakihk ê-itohtêcik. êkosi kotakak okimâwak pâh-pîhtokêwak. êkosi mitoni sâkaskinêwak.

(3) Then in time we managed to gain the tipi which stood in the center, that of the Snake who was chief. We entered when it was dark. When we entered, the chief arose from his couch. So they made only a small fire. With his wives, they were only three, for he had two wives. So then I bade one of my companions go out; he took the things; he brought in all the things we carried with us to give away, and all kinds of blanket-robes. Then they were set down before him whose tent we had entered. Then he spoke to his wives; they went out. Presently his wives came in. At times his father came in. So then he spoke to his father; the latter would go out. In this fashion, when his father came in, his wives would go out, and go to some other place. Then other chiefs began to come in. The tent became crowded.

(4) êkosi êkwa awa okimâw pîkiskwêw: "hâw, ê-âta-sâkwêyimoyân, kikî-miyinâwâw ta-okimâwiyân." "êkosi kinitawêyimitinâwâw êkâ ta-pâsitâhkoskêyêk ôma kâ-wî-ititakok." "kîspin kî-pê-maci-nôcihtâcik, kitêmiwâwak tahto kâ-miyosicik ka-kimotamâkawinâwâw; êkosi mîna niya nika-nipahikwak." "âsay kayâhtê ê-nipâyân, kayâhtê kotawêwak." "êkosi nikoskonikwak." "êkâ ohci ôhi kâ-astêki ê-pê-nitawi-miyicik ayiwinisa, mîna môsw-asiniya, mîna kaskitêw." "êkosi kinitawêyimitinâwâw ta-miyo-otôtêmiyêk." "êkosi kê-wâpahk ta-pê-nitawi-okwêmêsiyêk kinitotamâtinâwâw." "hâw, êkosi êsi-wîhtamâtakok," itêw otôskinîkîma; "êwako ohci kâ-ôh-nitomitakok."

(4) Then that chieftain spoke: “Now then, although I was unwilling, you made me chief. Accordingly, I now ask of you not to overstep that which I shall tell you. Had they come here with evil designs, you would have been robbed of as many of your horses as are handsome; and likewise, me they would have killed. Without my knowledge, and while I was yet asleep, they made a fire. Then they awakened me. Their purpose was to come give me these things that lie here, garments, and bullets, and powder. Accordingly, I ask of you that you be good friends. Tomorrow I shall call upon you to come here and make friends with them. There, this is what I had to say to you,” he said to his followers; “It was for this that I summoned you.”

(5) "hâw, ôma kâ-itwêyan namôya nika-kî-miyâskênân kipîkiskwêwin," itik ôhi otôskinîkîma.

(5) “Now, this which you have spoken we shall not by any chance transgress, this speech of yours,” his followers answered him.

(6) "êkosi mâka kêkwayak ôki?"

(6) “But now, what sort of men are they?”

(7) êkosi kakwêcimêw awa okimâw.

(7) Thereupon the chief asked them.

(8) wîhtamawêw pêyak awa nâpêw, êwako ciwayân kâ-itiht: "nêhiyawak niyanân," itêw; "êkosi ôhcitaw ê-pê-nitawâpamitâhk." "'wâhyaw askîhk kiyâm nika-wâpahtênân,' ê-itêyihtamâhk, êwako ohci ôta kâ-wâpamiyâhk," itêw.

(8) One of those men, the one whose name was Tehiwayan, told him: “We are Cree,” he told him; “And we have come with the express purpose of visiting you. 'We shall see much of the earth,' was our thought, and therefore you see us here,” he told him.

(9) êkosi nitawi-kawisimôwak ôki okimâwak.

(9) Then those chieftains went home to bed.

(10) êkwêyâk êwako kitotêw awa ôhtâwiya. êkosi ati-wayawiyiwa. ê-kî-kîwêyit ôhtâwiya awa okimâw, êkwêyâk êkwa pîhtwâwak. êkosi pîhtokêyiwa wîwa awa okimâw, ê-pêtâyit ta-mîcisocik ôki kâ-nitawi-wîtaskîcik. êkosi ê-kî-mîcisocik, wayawîwak; wîcêwêwak ôhi okimâwa. sipwêhtêwak; nâtêwak otêmiwâwa mîna kotaka ayiwinisa. êkosi ê-takohtêcik, sâ-sakahpitêwak otêmiwâwa. êkosi isi pâh-pîhtokatâwak ôki iskwêwak ôhi nêhiyawa kêkway ê-pê-miyikocik. êkosi isi pîhtokêwak kahkiyaw ôki nâpêwak. êkosi êkwa kawisimôwak. ê-wâpahk, waniskâwak. kwayask pamihâwak. ê-kî-mîcisocik, nahascikêwak ôki iskwêwak. êkosi wayawîwak; ôhtâwiya awa okimâw pîhtokêyiwa. wîhtamawêw ê-ta-têpwâtimiht kotaka okimâwa. kahkiyaw mitoni sâkaskinêwak ôma mîkiwâhp. kîtahtawê kotak okimâw nitawi-nitomâw. takosin êwako. êkosi êkwa wî-nipahêw êwako nicawâc awa okimâw.

(10) Only then did he address his father. Thereupon the latter went out. When the chief's father had gone home, only then did they smoke. Then the chief's wives came in, bringing food for those to eat who had come to make a treaty. When they had eaten they left the tipi; the chief went with them. They went from there; they fetched their horses and their other things. Then, when they came back, they tethered their horses. Then those women began to bring into their dwelling the things which the Cree had given them when they came. Then all those men went into the tent. So then they went to bed. When day broke, they got up. They were well cared for. When they had eaten, the women put the dwelling in order. Then they went out; the chief's father entered. He told him of the arrival of other chiefs who had been summoned by calling. When all were there, they entirely filled that tent. Presently one more chief was sent for. He arrived. Then this chief thought it best to kill them.

(11) "hâw, nikwêmê, nîsta kika-nipahin." "wî-nipahatwâwi, nîsta ka-nipahin."

(11) “Now then, my brother in arms, you will kill me too. If you are to kill them, you will kill me too.”

(12) êkosi nitomâw kotak iskwêw ê-nêhiyawêt. pê-itohtêw êkota; pîhtokêw. êkosi kakwêcimâw awa nâpêw nêhiyaw.

(12) Then a woman was called who spoke Cree. She came there; she came into the tent. Then that one Cree was questioned.

(13) "â, namôya! namôya ê-pê-nipahtâkêyân, mîna namôya ê-nôhtê-kimotiyân." "'mahti nika-nitawi-pîhtwân; mîna nika-nitawi-mîcison,' ê-itêyihtamân," itwêw awa nêhiyaw.

(13) “Oh, no! It was not for murder that I came here, and not because I wanted to steal. 'Suppose I go and smoke; suppose I go and eat,' was what I had in mind,” said that Cree.

(14) êkosi ê-wîhtamâht awa okimâw. êkosi êkwa okwêmêsa misatimwa nîso miyêw ê-mîhkawikiyit, kiyâm êkâ ta-pisiskêyimâyit ôhi kâ-nôhtê-nipahâyit. tâpwê naskomik. êkosi isi miyêw cistêmâwa, môsasiniya, kaskitêw, mîna ayiwinisa. êkosi êkwa kîwêwak.

(14) Then that chief was told this. Thereupon he gave his friend two swift horses, that he might cease to mind those whom he desired to kill. He consented. Then likewise he gave him tobacco, bullets, powder, and garments. Thereupon they went home.

(15) kapê-pipon êkotê ayâwak ôki nêhiyawak. mitoni misatimwa mihcêt miyâwak. êkosi ê-nîpihk, wawêyîwak. êkwa pê-wîcêwêw okwêmêsa kinêpikoyiniwa. iyikohk wâhyaw ê-pê-ayâcik, êkoyikohk kîwêyiwa okwêmêsa. niyânanomitanaw ayiwâk nikotwâsik miyikwak misatimwa.

(15) Those Cree stayed there all winter. They were given very many horses. Then, when summer came, they made ready to depart. The Snake who was the Cree leader's friend accompanied him a ways. When they had gone quite a ways on the hither journey, only then did his friend go back. The others had given them fifty-six horses.

(16) êkosi êkwa, "wâpamaci ayahciyiniw, wî-nipahiski, wêpinâhkanik ôki misatimwak kâ-miyikawiyêk." "mistahi mâh-mîhkawikiwak êkonik." "piko kîwê- tapasîhkêk."²

"êkosi ta-miywâsin, takosiniyani kitaskîhk."

(16) And so then, “If you see Blackfoot and they want to kill you, give rein to these horses that have been given to you. They are very swift. Simply flee for home. In this way you will easily reach your country.”

(17) êkosi isi kîwêwak. êkosi têpiskâki iyikohk, pimohtêw, êkâ ta-wâpamikot ayahciyiniwa. piyisk miyâskawêw. iyikohk kêkâc ê-piponiyik, êkoyikohk takosin.

(17) So then they went home. Then only at night did he march, so as not to be seen by the Blackfoot. At last he had passed them. When it was almost winter, he arrived.

(18) pêyak ayahciyiniwa ê-kimotamâkocik, atimêwak. êkosi êkoni maskamêwak. êkosi ê-wî-nipahikocik, nipahêwak. êkosi isi kîwêwak.

(18) One Blackfoot had stolen horses from them, and him they overtook. They took them away from him. Then, when he tried to kill them, they killed him. So they went home.

(19) êkota ohci kâ-kî-ihtakohk kiyôtêwin wîtaskîwin, êkâ ta-kimotamâtocik otêmiwâwa.

(19) So began the mutual visiting and the alliance and the agreement not to steal each other's horses.

(20) êkoyikohk pêyak pipon, iyikohk êsa ê-kî-sipwêhtêt, pîtos-iyiniwa otaskiyihk ê-kî-ayât.

(20) It was one year from the time when he had set out on his visit to the foreigners' country.

(21) "tâpwê nisâkihikwak kinêpikoyiniwak," kî-itwêw êwako kisêyiniw: "'pitanê êkâ wîhkâc maci-wîcêhtocik, wiyâpahtotwâwi,' nikî-itwân mâna, ispî ê-okimâwiyân." "êwako ohci nanâtohk ayîsiyiniwak kâ-ôh-kî-sâkihicik: namôya wîhkâc n-ôh-nipahtâkân." "kâkikê nikî-ayân ayahciyiniwak otaskîwâhk." "êkosi kiyîwêyâni nitaskîhk isi, nikî-mâna-pîkiskâtâwak ayahciyiniwak."³

"êwako ohci, kwayask ê-itâtisiyân, kâ-ôh-kisêyinîwiyân." "'êwako ani kakwê-ayâk, nitawâsimisitik, êwako.'" "'kahkiyaw ayîsiyiniw ka-miyo-wîcêwâwâw,' nikî-itâwak mâna nitawâsimisak."

(21) “Truly, the Snake people were fond of me,” said that old man; “'Would they might never deal wrongly with each other, when they see one another,' I used to say, when I was chief. That is why all kinds of people loved me: I never killed people. All the time I was in the Blackfoots' country. And when I went home, they would always regret my departure, the Blackfoot. Because I was of decent and righteous character, is why I reached old age. 'That is the way you must try to be, my children, even thus. You must deal rightly with every human being,' I always told my children.”

(22) hâw, êkoyikohk. hâw, êkosi.

(22) There, that is all. There, even so.

Footnotes

¹CHECK ?? kâsow VTA - RELATIONAL -wânân 1eAIrel3

²LB on kihîh: Probably kîwêh-: “homeward”.

³pikiskatawak Direction possibly mistranslated.