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

40

The Killing of White Horse's Son

Alfred Morsette

wah tuuNUxUhuunaʾít.
Now let me tell it awhile!
kaakiraaʾiitUxčeéʾIs tsu niiNIštaaʾiiwaatihUxukú NAtkuunaakItkawoóku.
It is not a long story but a story they used to tell what I heard.

anuú wehnaRAhwaʾá sáhniš -- tatuunaaʾiíwat
There while they were migrating this way Arikaras -- I am telling a story
sáhniš -- niiháʾ niiNAhkiitUhwiítIt anuú iiNAhkuraátA
Arikara -- there where a village camped there after time passed
weNAhkupsiwaáhNA a noowitaRAhwiísaʾ.
after it was (so many) winters, and then they moved closer.

wah witiišAhneešaáʾA wiítA.
Now there was a chief of them a man.
kuwituuxAxaáʾA xaataaká.
He was named White Horse
– xaataaká – nikuwituuxAxaáʾA .– xaačiišawatá.
– White Horse – that was his name .– White Horse.
wah na wituuxakaá naapIhúxuʾ.
Now and there used to be a dwelling a store.
tehnuuxaananí- kUx – sapaakIsaNIštaaká.– tehnooxAhtákuʾ.
He must have been married to he – a white woman.– She must have been his wife.
wešohniinaapaaWIhú ništiwíruʾ– na naakaanuúnuʾ– saNIš- taaká
When they traded with them shells– and food– white men
niiwehneenaakaanunanuuwaáhu nehkU- huuʾá nakuuhUhwaáhnaʾ
where it was bringing food (ie freight) when it came floating the steamboat
nehkuranuuwaʾá nehkuraapaa- WIhú – nehkuranuuwaáhu –
what they brought for them (ie Indians) to buy – what they were bringing –
skarútš– tanáhaʾ – NAhnunáhtš sčiríhtš čítUx nehkuraapIhú.
hides– buffalo – deer, coyote, beaver, what they bartered with him.

atsú tehnuxtaaWIhkAhunuuwá wiiteešútš wiiteešUtči- piríhtš.
But they must have been hunting young men, very young men.
niikohniíhiʾ nuu wehnaaraánaʾ.
Wherever it was, there when they were coming
inoowiteéka.
there was a house.
saNIštaaká – ačiišanaanúʾAt – niikoh- nuhnaánuʾ.
White men – here they were living – however many there were.

noowitiwáčiʾ naaWIškaánuʾ noowetatanuhnaahnaánuʾ a síno niíhiʾ
Then they said: "Tobacco we are lacking it and yet it is
čéstIt niinateenaakítAt.
far where our village is.
wah šitiitIswaa- wiíšuʾ haáʾAx – saNIštaaká.
Now they know him your father – white men.
šuúxAt.
Go!
hawá – neešuh- wákoʾ saNIštaaká xáx náʾU sapaakIsaNIštaaká.
Also – you speak it a little English your mother her being a white woman.
wah hánuʾ.
Now go on!
číkuʾ naaWIškaánuʾ šuuNUxAhnaniwóʾ.
Some tobacco beg for it!"

nooWIšitíWA anináʾU – xaataaká AhnaahaáʾU – hawá áxkUx.
So they (du) went that on – White Horse his son, – also one.
– nooWIšitíWA.
– Then they (du) went
– pítkUx weWIšitiíʾAt.
– Two now there they (du) went.

wešohnawáNA wešohnaWIswáNA niiʾAhnaa- kaáWI
As they (du) went, as they (du) got there where the dwel- ling was
noowiteeraaWIhkaáʾ saNIštaaká.
then he came out angrily a white man.
wititinaahná.
He had a gun.
šooxihWIswáʾ.
"Do not come nearer!
niineešiišuxwaáRIt.
You (du) stand there!"

tinaaríčI wiiteešútš wituxwakaraanáwoʾ wetatihnaánaʾ číkuʾ
This young man he called out: "I came for it some
naaWIškaánuʾ naaxkuraahnaná.
tobacco should you have any for us.
tineéros skarútš
Here they are hides."

číkuʾ kanawitihwakunaasíhtš.
He did not pay any heed to his (ie the boy's) words.
noo- witihwáNIt.
Then he shot him.
nootihkoótIt.
Then he killed him.

uunaaríčI nootuhkúxAx.
This other one then he ran away.
noowitikUxwísAt niiʾAhnaraanoótA AhnihtíRA.
Then he arrived running where they were the ones he was with.

witiwaákoʾ wešitihkoótIt.
He said: "They have killed him.
xaačiišawatá NAhaáʾU wešitihwáNIt.
White Horse his son they have shot him."

noowitinaparaahaána tinaraanoótA niikooNUsuxtaánuʾ.
Then they got angry these however many there were.
wah – itakuhtaahnaanunáhAs – čeésuʾ.
"Now – let us all die – too.
skaná uuxunáhAs.
Alone let him not die!"

wituuNIsaʾuúkUt.
They went for them.
noowitihkawoótIt saNIštaaká tsu áxkUx číkuʾ tehnakUxpaána.
Then they were killed the white men, but one he must have hidden somewhere.
nikutehnaraaʾii- túxtAt – číkuʾ niikohnuxtaaʾiitúxtAt –
That is the one who must have taken word – wherever he took the word –
xunáNIš niikohnuxtaanúʾAt.
the soldiers wherever they were garrisoned.
nootunaaʾít wetikuraaka- woótIt saNIsahníš.
Then he told it: "They killed all of us Indians.
neeneetuunačíšAt tiwenatihWIsá.
I survived my arriving here."

noowitohnaánaʾ nakuuhUhwaáhnaʾ wehneena- naʾá niškúsuʾ.
Then they came to fight (us) the steamboat while they brought them cannons.
witaRAhwísaʾ.
They arrived.
noowitiinapaníkU- xitIt.
Then they began shoot- ing them.
noowitiinaakitUhwírit wehniinakawooruutikú šinehkuwaasakú.
Then they leveled the village as they killed them, as they were wounding them.
tsu noowitiRAxUhuúna tsu kanehwískaʾ škuxtaačéʾ.
But then there was a battle but he (ie the Indians) did not want (that)'you kill us!'

wah suúnaaxuʾ noowitiihuuwiraáʾ.
Now a young woman then she was running.
noowitiʾuúkUt niiʾAhnuutUhuuwiʾuúʾA.
Then it fell where she was headed running
– nookanawitiRIhuúʾU.
– It was not large.
– xáwos wi- tíʾ.
– A ball it was.
noowitUtwaatštaákA.
A string stuck out.
witiwaatšuuniíkuʾ.
The string was burning.
tinaaríčI suúnaaxuʾ noowitirooʾá waatíšuʾ.
This young woman then she took it off the string.
noowitiwaatšká- WAt.
Then she took the string out.
noowitičeewíRIt.
Then the flame went out.

noowituutAhnaaʾiitáWI wiiteešútš niiʾAhnaRAxUhuunaánu.
Then she told them the young men where the battle was.
aninoóčI niiʾAhnaRIhuuníčI– wenehkooWIsá – nooWIšitiinawíkuxIt.
Those the large ones– after one reached them – then they picked it up quickly.
nooWIšitiinawáNIt – niiʾaNAháxA – nakuuhUhwaáhnaʾ saNIštaaká.
Then they threw it – where it was on the water – the steamboat the white men.
noowitešwíʾaxIt.
Then it moved on.
na nikunoowitíʾAt nooNAhiínaʾ natskatAhkáʾU.
And then that is where it went farther on the other side of the river.
nikunoowitIhookateeriítIt tsu šohnihwaníkuʾ.
Then that is where it landed on the water but while they shot at it.

noowitikatistatateétIt.
Then it became dark.
noowiteenuunuuwáʾAx saNIštaaká.
Then they ran away white men.
atsú tinaraanoótA – saNIsahníš – noowitinaaNIsaátut šinehkukootíkA.
But these – Indians – then they put them on scaffolds after they had been killed,
číkuʾ šinehkuraʾaáNA.
after one had been hurt.
štoh noowitiinitunookUxítIt.
Again then they began to build the village.

niikohniiraáʾAt nooWIšitiniinaaʾít neešaánuʾ
However long a period of time it was then they told him the chief
niiʾAhniinačitawíʾU taanikuwetikuhnaNAhuúnuʾ.
who was their leader: "This is what they did to us.
wetikuraakawoótIt
They killed us."

wah – tinaaríčI – wiítA – atípAt kunaáʾU – wiítA noowitiraahaána.
Now – this – man – the President his – man then he became angry.
noowituutaakUhuniraáhNAt xunáNIš niiweNUsaáhNA.
Then he reprimanded them the soldiers what they had done.

noowitiwáčiʾ Axtóh witiinakawoótIt.
Then they said: "Surely they were killed by them."

noowitiwáčiʾ – kaakiraáNAt.
Then they said – "It is not true
– áriišIt tAxuhnaah- naáNAt.
– Yourselves you are the cause.
tinaaríčI wiináxtš tohnaánaʾ naaWIškaánuʾ noošohnihwáNIt.
This boy he came after it tobacco, then they shot him.
noošitihkoótIt.
Then they killed him.
nikutuhnaanáʾA wewititatuhnaakawiítIt čeésuʾ.
That is the reason we have been avenging ourselves too.
weneeraasštaʾaanúʾ niiwešiNAxuNAhuunuúʾA nikuraakitunaáhNA nikuraahneešaáNU.
His feelings are hurt that that is what you did to him the one who has our village the one who is our chief.