(1) kêtahtawê âsay mîna ê-âh-ihkihk, mîna kotak ayahciyiniw kâ-âsitêyimât kotaka nâpêwa.¹

(1) Another thing which used to happen, was when some Blackfoot became suspicious about another man.

(2) "kônâpêmin êwako ana oskinîkiw," itêw.

(2) “You are consorting with that young man,” he would tell her.

(3) "â, namôya!"

(3) “Oh dear, no!”

(4) "â, kônâpêmin ohcitaw!" "wâpahki misi-yêkawaciyihk ki-ka-itohtân."

(4) “Yes, you are, just the same! Tomorrow you will go to the great sand-hill.”

(5) êkwa ê-wâpahk, kâ-wawêyît, "kâ-miywâsiki kitayiwinisa postiska."

(5) Then, the next morning, when he had made ready, “Put on your best clothes.”

(6) êkwa tâpwê wawêsîw.

(6) Accordingly she dressed up.

(7) "wayawîtimihk êkwa kitâpam iskwêyâc kâ-manitôwit pîsim," itêw.

(7) “Go outside now and for the last time look upon the holy sun.”

(8) êkwa wayawîw iskwêw. kitâpamêw; êkwa pîhtokêw.

(8) Then the woman went outside. She looked upon the sun; then she came in.

(9) "tânima wâh-otinaman?" itêw owîkimâkana; "ta-nipiyan, awêkâ ta-kîskikotêyan?"

(9) “Which will you take?” he asked his wife; “To die, or that I cut off your nose?”

(10) êkwa iskwêw, "kiyâm kîskikotêson," itêw.

(10) Then the woman answered him, “Cut off my nose.”

(11) kîskikotêsok.

(11) He cut off her nose.

(12) êwako mîna kayâs ayahciyiniwak kâ-kâhkwêyihtahkik, wîwiwâwa êkosi ê-kî-tôtawâcik, maywês wiyasôwêwin ihtakohk, piko isi kâ-kî-tôtawâcik wîwiwâwa. mâka êkwa anohc nama takon êwako anima; wêtinahk êkwa iskwêwak pimâtisiwak. êkoyikohk kî-kakwâtakihâwak; mâka êkwa wânaskêwak. êkwa mîna ê-kî-paskoswâcik, êwakonik nêhiyawak, ê-kîsi-nôtiniskwêwêcik, êkwa nama wîhkâc mâninâk ohci nipahêwak, piko ê-kîsi-kîskahwâcik wîwiwâwa, êyakonik nêhiyawak. êyakonik nêhiyawak kâ-kî-tôtahkik; mâka êkwa nama-kîkwayiyiw. êwako anima miywêyihtamwak kahkiyaw ê-pônipayiyik iskwêwak, mitoni ê-wânaskêcik.

(12) This is another example of how the Blackfoot of old, when they were jealous, treated their wives, before there was law, when they did what they pleased to their wives. But now this no longer happens; now the women live in peace. Then they were tormented; but now they are delivered from it. These Cree, too, mutilated their wives when they were angry at them, but they never went as far as killing them; they only cut them up, did these Cree. That was what these Cree did, but now it has ceased. The women are glad that it has stopped, for they are delivered from great suffering.

Footnotes

¹CHECK heaviness of ây