XML version dated February 14, 2024. © Douglas R. Parks, Indiana University.

18

Red Dog and the Four Stars

Alfred Morsette

AhnatoxtaakitUhwaáhAt nuuNAhuukaawiraátA kaa- kiíhiʾ
When we used to live in villages there in the east it is not located
naáNIt čéstIt niineesawatuúNU.
really far off below Ft. Clark.
nooNAhiínaʾ nikuwitiíhiʾ AhnatoxtaakitUhnaáhkUx.
Farther beyond that is where it was where our villages used to be clustered.
tíʾIt sáhniš.
They were Arikaras.
kaakíʾIt wiitatshaánuʾ na káNIt tsu sáhniš tiwenatunaaʾiitIhú.
They were not Hidatsas or Mandans, but Arikaras these I am telling about.

suúnaaxuʾ šiNIhkuraáhNA – šiNIhkoosštáWI – na takú
A young woman whom they had – whom they loved – and some-
witištóxwoʾ aasíhtiRA.
one admired her (wanting)'that we be together.'
nookanawituh- naaʾiíwoʾ.
She was not willing.
kanawitiwískaʾ nikunakuútA.
She did not want it for it to be that way.

na witIsakUhtawéʾ noowiteeraánaʾ wiítA.
And there was a day then they came men.
wituhnaanúʾ čiitíʾIš.
They numbered four.
noowiteeraanookaaʾiíšaʾ.
Then they came to the door.
witinaná tsástš aaníčI NAhnunáhtš nooNAhkúʾU.
They had it meat, whether it was deer (or) whatever it was.
witaRAhnuúkaʾ.
They came in.
noowitinoósI tsástš huNAhtAhtíš.
Then they put it down the meat on the west side.
tinawaaríčI táWIt – noowitiraanaWIsítIt tsu uunaákUx –
These three – then they went out, but that other on –
NAhiRAxaáhNA nootiíkUx.
the leader there he sat (ie remained).
a či niikiišeeNAhtákuʾ tinaákUx suúnaaxuʾ.
And here that one was her husband this young woman.

wah wewitiraanaaNIhuúʾU nikuNAhkuutaánu nehkuutAhna-
Now it was many times his doing that, his bringing
nuuwaáhu tsásts niinooNAhkuraáʾU.
things for them meat, its being different things.
wenehkoo- wiRIstaʾaáNA – noowitunaahiwá –
When it became summer – then things were good –
wenehkuraaNAhkawaakaráʾU AhništaaNAhkawaakarookUxukú neéšuʾ
when they planted gardens when they used to plant gardens corn,
WAhúx átit.
squash, beans.
kanux- tsawé patát.
There weren't any potatoes.
tsu átit WAhúx neéšuʾ nikuwiti- raáʾIt Ahnoowitunaahé.
But beans, squash, corn these were the things. It was just good then.

wah atsú nakutawé wiiteešútš kananakuunaa- wiʾiiruhkoóčI
Now but it's always the case a young man one who is dauntless
noowititaWAhniwiítIt tinaákUx suúnaaxuʾ.
so he began bothering her this young woman.
wehnuhtawaáto hUhtiísuʾ witaahtakuúxa.
After courting her finally he married her.

nawáh – číkuʾ niiwekohnaRItkhaáʾA nooteeraánaʾ – čiitíʾIš AhnaaraaNAhú.
Now – whatever night it was then they came – the four who always came.
witaRAhwísaʾ.
They arrived.
witaRAhnuúkaʾ.
They came inside.
tsástš noowitinoósI.
The meat then they put it down.
tinaákUx NAhiRAxaáhNA wekuwitu- tuúnuʾ.
This one the leading one he continued walking.
noowiteeWIsítIt.
Then he went outside.
noowitiraanaWIsítIt.
Then they went out.
noowi- tiraáNAt štoh nuuNAhuukaawiraátA.
Then they went again there (to) the east.

tinaákUx suúnaaxuʾ wituuNUxaakaWIhaákuʾ anináʾU wiítA AhneeNAhtakúʾU.
This young woman she headed them off that man whom she was married to.
wah wekuwituúʾUt AhnaraanátA wehnaraanátA.
Now it was the way their going, as they went.

tsu noowiteéʾaʾ wah kunaačitawíʾuʾ NAhnaaWIškáhtš škuusuxtánoʾ.
And so she came now the leading doctor: "(My) pipe fill it for me!"
noowituhnánoʾ naaWIškaánuʾ.
Then he filled it (with) tobacco.

tinaákUx suúnaaxuʾ nootíʾAt.
This young woman then she went.
nuu wituutakunaa- wísAt.
There she caught up up with them.
wituutakaákus neeNAhtakúʾU aaxuutapítaahAt.
She laid the pipe down before them her husband 'that you turn back.'
noowituNAsaákahAt.
Then he went around.
wekuwituhnaánuʾ.
Now he continued.
štoh noowitíʾAt.
Again then he went.

nawáh čiitíʾIš nikuwituhnaanaánuʾ.
Now four the times numbered that.
noowiteesšoóxIt tinaákUx suúnaaxuʾ.
Then she gave up this the young woman.
– nooteéʾaʾ.
– Then she came.
– tawísaʾ niiʾAhneetúhkUx.
– She arrived back where the village was.
noowitiiNAsštaʾá haáwaʾ.
Then she felt downhearted also.

noowitiraaniWAhteeʾá.
Then there was a famine.
aa tanáhaʾ wehnaRAhkataátA číkuʾ kanawitíʾ číkuʾ šinehkUhúNAx.
Ah, the buffalo after they went up on the prairie they could not f ind any.
wewitiitaNAsáʾUx.
Now they were hungry.

a tinaákUx suúnaaxuʾ witiwaraahaána.
And this young woman she became angry.
nikutAxúhnaʾA.
"You are the cause."
wiiteešútš kuwiteešaáʾA – xaátš tipAhaáʾAt – wiiteešútš
The young man he was named – Red Dog, – the young man
wehnihtaʾuútI wehneeNAhtakuuxaáNA apAhníniʾ.
when he stole her when he married her secretly.
tinaákUx suúnaaxuʾ nootiwaraahaána.
This young woman then she became angry.
nootiraaWIhkawátAt.
Then she went out angrily.

atsú tinaákUx xaátš tipAhaáʾAt noowitiRAsaahaána aa nuuNAhkuwiiruutikú.
But this Red Dog then he became sickly, ah, his just sitting down here and there.
wetiinaaxíhuʾ.
Now he was sick.

noowitiraaʾIhwísAt tinaákUx suúnaaxuʾ.
Then she went there angrily this young woman.
noowi- tiwaákoʾ wah áriišIt tAxuhnáʾA niiweNAxuútA.
Then she said: "Now yourself you are the cause the way you are.
na nikuneešuhnáʾA tiwenatakuhnaaNAsáʾUx niiNAxuutaáNA
And you are the one who is the cause (of) our being hungry what you did
– niiNAxkuuNAhuunuúʾA – NAxkučiwiNIščé.
– what you did to me – then you deceived me.
wah nikuwetAxinihčítA.
Now you are the one who is the cause.
wah tičé NAxuutaánuʾ číkuʾ  nakuraaneeritšíkA čeésuʾ.
Now what are you doing to save (the tribe) yourself?"

wah – tinaákUx – xaátš tipAhaáʾAt– noowitiiriwátAt.
Now – this – Red Dog– then he got up.
– heeʾ.
– "Yes.
wah na nikuneetuúta.
Now and that is what I did."

nawáh noowitiʾuuneéRIt wewitohnuunawiišátA.
Now then he stood up as he shook himself.
noowitiiči- winiíta.
Then he changed himself.
noowituhnaaʾiitáWI – hiʾáxtiʾ wah – šiš- waakAhuutáʾ –
Then he told him – his father: "Now – call out: –
tiNAxtaakituunoótA – šištaaNAhkaaWAhnuuwáʾ nii – taakáxtš
'All of you in the village, – go through everything where – dried meat
– naakunuuNUxkaroosIhú niinakuroosihUxukú.
– you used to keep yours where one puts it.
aa hItkaataátš kanaʾuuxaWIstIhuúNU škuúxu.
Ah, the fat even if it is small give it to me!'"

na nikunoowitsá.
And so they did that:
noowiteeNAhkaaWAhnuuwáʾ hItkaataátš wešohniiNAxwé.
then they searched through things, the fat their looking for it.

wah suúnats nootiwitiwanúʾ.
Now a little girl then she was going about here.
witot- čiskakuúxuʾ sáx.
She had it around her neck a turtle.
kanawitiRIhuúʾU sáx nehkutčiskákUx.
It was small the turtle the one she wore around her neck.
nooWIšitiíNAt.
Then they took it from her.
inoowitiiká hItkaataátš.
There it was inside (a piece of) tallow.
kanawitiRIhuúʾU – niiʾAhnakaákUx – sáx – na – noʾ
It was small – where it was inside – the turtle – and – it was
oowátkAt šinehkuraʾoowá.
outside after they had blessed it.
číkuʾ tehnuhkawáNIt hItkaataátš.
He must have put some ???n it (ie the turtle) the fat.

tineékUx.
"Here it is."

nooWIšitíNAt anináʾU xaatš tipAhaáʾAt.
Then they took it to him that one Red Dog.
wah šitatunáx na tinaaríčI suúnatš weteeraaničíšAt.
"Now we have found it and this girl she has saved us."

wah šuxtaakAhíNIt.
"Now make a fire!"

nootihkAhíNIt uu čeekakúsuʾ.
Then they made a fire, oh, a big fire.

noowitiwakaraanawaáWI čeésuʾ.
Then he prayed to the powers himself.
noowitiskukoohaá- sAt.
Then he threw it in the fire.
uu wituhnaathaanáwiʾ číkuʾ nehkuhčiraahAhkaroóku.
Oh, it looked as if they were boiling meat.
noowitiraatšičiíta niiʾAhneetuunoótA AhniisuuxaNAsáʾUx.
Then they became lively where the village was the ones who were hungry.

noowitiwaákoʾ wah čiitíʾIš niihaweéNA tákuʾ nooníʾAt aninawaanaanawaáhAt.
Then he said: "Now four after the days pass someone then he'll go where the hills are.
noonireewaáta číra tičé wenuúʾUt.
Then he'll look to see what is (happening).
wenaahtehkukuhnaahnaawiísaʾ.
Maybe fortune is coming towards us."

uu wehniinaahuníkUx čiitíʾIš witiihawé.
Oh, as they were waiting four it was days.
pítkUx wiiteešútš nooWIšitíWA.
Two young men then they (du) went.
nooWIšitiihuuwiraáWA.
Then they (du) went fast.

na – tanáhaʾ nookanawituuneešawíhAx – wehnaačitataaWIsá.
And – buffalo there was a multitude of them – their having come in a herd.

noowitiwaákoʾ nawáh tiweneekaništaanuúhAt.
Then he said: "Now here there's a big herd.
wetehnaa- RAhwiísaʾ tanáhaʾ.
Now they must have come closer the buffalo.
nawáh tičé natohnaakaánuʾ.
Now what are we doing?"

nootiraáNAt.
Then they went.
noowitistuuwíRIt.
Then they slaughtered them.
noowitiraa- tšičiíta wehniinakaawačiitaáNA.
Then they became lively after they became sated.

atsú – tinaákUx xaátš tipAhaáʾAt – nikunoowitaahtakuúxa tinaákUx
But – this Red Dog – then he married that one this
suúnaaxuʾ wehnuxtaʾuútI.
young woman the one he had stolen.

wah tiwehnaraaʾá wehnaahtakúʾa .
Now after time came when they (ie th
.
e
.
village) moved . .

wah witIhaátAt.
Now there was a trail.
witooxaátAt.
There used to be a trail.
niku- tiisUxtaanehkUxuúkuʾ – hatUhpiraáRIt.
That is what they used to call it – Winding Trail.
hatUhpiraáRIt– niku- tiisUxtaanehkUxuúkuʾ taanikuwitiíhiʾ.
Winding Trail– that is what they used to call it. That is where it was.

atsú tinawaaríčI wiítA -- a či tinawaaríčI wiítA a – či
But these men -- and here these men, and – here
sákaaʾA šaáNIt.
stars they were.
wituhnaánuʾ – čiitíʾIš tinawaaríčI sákaaʾA.
They numbered – four these stars.
tuuhéʾ tuukutiwaáRIt hunaa- napsíniʾ.
Over there they stand over there in the south.
wah nikuwitíʾIt.
Now they are the ones.
áxkUx nikuwitíʾ wešinihtaʾuútI sápat.
One she was the one her being stolen by them the woman.

wah tiwehnaahtakuʾá – tsu – tinaákUx xaátš tipAhaáʾAt tiwaaRUxtíʾ.
Now when they migrated – but – this Red Dog he was holy.
– tiwaaRUxtíʾ – čeésuʾ – xaatš – wešiNItkaapaatš- tíRA kanaahnunaawiʾiiruhkoóčI.
– He was holy – himself – a dog – his having been blessed by it his having been daring.

nawáh taanikutatuhneesšUxteéhAt.
Now this is all of what I know.
kuúNUx kananiiwičeésU tuuNUxtaaʾiitihUxuúkuʾ.
Short Bear he used to tell the story.
atsú anuunaraanawáNA tákuʾ tunaá- ʾit AhtiraaʾiitUxičíWI.
But those (others) someone will tell it; it'll be slightly different.
wewititatuhní kanaʾaa- toonaaʾiítI nakútawe
I hesitated that I should tell it, perhaps
tanuunoočíWI niinakuwaákA.
he has (ie tells it) a different way when he tells it.
wah tsu tiwenatunaaʾiítI nikunuxwaakahU- xuúkuʾ atípaʾ kuúNUx kananiiwičeésU.
Now but what I have told that is what he used to say my grandfather Short Bear.