XML version dated February 14, 2024. © Douglas R. Parks, Indiana University.
37
The Separation of the
Hidatsas and Crows
Alfred Morsette
wah | tatunaaʾiitíštA | tiNIhkuraataraʾó | wiitatshaánuʾ | na |
Now | I am going to tell about it | what they talk about it | the Hidatsas | and |
tuunaraanoótA | tUhkaákaʾ. |
those | Crows. |
anuú | naapakúhtuʾ | – | tehnuxtaaNIhuúʾU | – | wiitatshaánuʾ |
Long, | long ago | – | there must have been many | – | Hidatsas |
tuuNAhunaanúhAt | hunaahkoohaáhkAt. |
(in) that land stretching out | in the north. |
wiitatshaánuʾ | nikutehnuuxunuuwaawikáʾIt | naáNIt. |
The Hidatsas | that is where they must have roamed around | really. |
nikuteh- | neenunuusuuxunaanaasíštoʾ. |
That must | have been their favored land. |
wah | tuunatskatAhkáʾU | tehnuxtaaNI- | huúNIt | AxkaáʾA | NAhnunáhtš. |
Now | on the other side of the river | there must have been | many | antelopes, | deer. |
tsu | tuuNAhunaanúhAt | hunaahkoohaáhkAt | naáNIt |
But | that land stretching out | in the north | really |
kaneeteeNUsuxtaaweewíhuʾ | tanáhaʾ. |
there must not have been so many | buffalo. |
kaneetehnuxunuuwaawikáʾIt. |
They must not have roamed all around. |
niikohnuutunaánuʾ | tihwáčiʾ | – | wiiteešútš | – | weNAhkuRAhčituu- |
Sometime later | they said | – | young men | – | when they banded |
waahnú | witihwáčiʾ | toxtaakuukatawóʾ | tuuNAhunaanúhAt. |
together | they said: | "Let's cross the water | (to) that land! |
nootiroohuúʾU | číkuʾ | NAhnunáhtš | číkuʾ naahkUhunuuwá | tanáhaʾ. |
It seems | some | deer | there might be some | buffalo." |
noowitiraanuukatáʾAt | – | tuuNAhunaanúhAt | – | hunaanapsíniʾ. |
So they crossed the water | – | that land | – | to the south. |
wehnaraanátA | nooWIšitiiteéRIt | tanáhaʾ. |
When they were going | then they saw it | a buffalo. |
wah | hásI. |
"Now | look! |
niiNItwaákAhu | tanáhaʾ | nootiRAseewaáhAt | teškúNIt. |
As I said | buffalo | they are ranging there | close by." |
nooWIšitihkoótIt | tanáhaʾ. |
Then they killed it | the buffalo. |
nooWIšitihčiiwaánoʾ | tinaraanoótA | wiitatshaánuʾ. |
Then they were butchering it | these | Hidatsas. |
noowitiitinaawaʾú | tsástš. |
Then it was given to each of them | meat. |
wah | šuxtaakiíroʾ | tinaákUx | paanaaNIskuúxuʾ. |
"Now | divide it up | this | paunch! |
wah | nikii- | suúxa. |
Now | do | that! |
škuxtaahteeruúWA. |
Divide it for us! |
nikiišúxkakAt | paanaaNIskuúxuʾ. |
Cut that one | the paunch!" |
tinaákUx | wiiteešútš | noowitiihuuniríwatAt. |
This | young man | then he jumped up. |
wah | niikana- | niičituusíšU | nikunoowititaráhAt. |
Now | where | it was thinnest | there he sliced it. |
noowituuniíwit | nii- | ʾAhnuhneéRA | – | AhnačituusíšU | – | nii | naáNIt | nohthaneéRA. |
Then he saved it | where | it was nice | – | its being thick, | – | where | really | its tasting nice. |
nihnapsčíšU | noowititaráhAt. |
Where it was thing | then he sliced it. |
nuhnaraanoótA | wah | tiweneešiniinaákUx. |
(To) those sitting: | "Now | here it is for you. |
wah | witiišuxtaahnaawaʾú. |
Now | give it to yourselves! |
šuxkákAt. |
Cut it! |
tsu | tuunaákUx | witikoxtiraáku. |
But | this one | we will give it to ourselves. |
koxtiraakákAt. |
We'll cut it up. |
witiiʾAhnaNAhteeruúWA. |
We will divide it among ourselves." |
áxkUx | noowitiwaákoʾ | Axtóh | wetAxkuraáku | niikananuhneéRA. |
One | then he said: | "Certainly | you have given it to us | what is not good |
– | nootipástš. |
– | It is thin. |
– | kaakičituúsš. |
– | It is not thick. |
číkuʾ kaakoh- | thané. |
It does not | taste good. |
aniwešiNAxkúxIt | skaná | nikutúhne. |
The one you picked up | alone | that's the good one. |
wah | Axtóh | NAxkuteeNIhuúNU. |
Now | surely | you are stingy. |
wah | taakunooxiwánuʾ | na | skaná | šaaná | aninaákUx | paanaaNIskuúxuʾ. |
"Now | then you'll stay here | and | alone | you can eat it | that | paunch. |
wah | tsu | tinaNAhnaanoótA | tsu | wetAhnapóʾ | skaweéraaʾuʾ | – | nii |
Now | but | these of us | but | we are going | west | – | where |
tanáhaʾ | – | naRAseewaáhAt. |
the buffalo | – | their ranging." |
na | nikunoowitiRAhkáʾAx | wiitatshaánuʾ. |
And | then that is where they split up | the Hidatsas. |
tinaraanoótA | witiwaákoʾ | nikunoowetatuútuʾ | kaákaʾ | tsu |
These | he said: | "I am just like it | a crow, | but |
NAtkuwaawanú | tuuNAhunaanúhAt | niinuútA | kaákaʾ |
my wandering around | that land stretching | just as it is | a crow |
aahnooniiʾaáhNA | witinakukaanuNAxwé. |
its just flying around | its looking for a meal for itself. |
wah | nikuwetatuútuʾ | kaákaʾ | tiweNAhnapó. |
Now | I am like that one | a crow | as we go." |
wah | nikuwitiraa- | čítA | – | nihwačeéhu | tUhkaákaʾ | – | tinaraanoótA |
Now | this is the | reason | – | their saying | "Crow village" | – | these |
tUhkaákaʾ | tiNAhunaanúhAt | nakuwaáka | tiweNAhunaanúhAt | Montana. |
Crows | this land | when one says | this land | Montana. |
atsú | tinaraanoótA | wiitatshaánuʾ | nookaakiraáNAt. |
But | these | Hidatsas | then they did not go. |
wekutuúʾUt | tiihéʾ | tiNAhunuuwaáWI. |
It is the same | here | these going around. |
witiraačítA | paanaaNIskuúxuʾ– | niiʾAhnačituusíšU | skaná | – | wenihtareeNIhú. |
It is the reason | the tripe– | where it is thick | alone | – | their being stingy. |
tsu | – | tuunaraanoótA | tUhkaákaʾ | nikuwetihwáhNIš | – | anuú |
But | – | those | Crows | they were truthful | – | there |
wehnaraanátA | – | skaweéraaʾuʾ– | kaákaʾ | weneehUhwaáhnu. |
when they went | – | west– | the crow | their sounding like it. |
wah | taanikutatuuxItkookUxuúkuʾ | NIhkuraataraʾó. |
Now | I used to hear this | when they talked about it. |
wah | tákuʾ naahkuúkUx | nakuhnaaʾiitUxIsšú |
Now | perhaps there is someone living | for him to know the story, |
aataahwaákAhu | oopiínuʾ | tiweNItkunaaʾiítI. |
perhaps my saying it | differently | when I tell it. |