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

45

An Assiniboine Raid

Alfred Morsette

nuu naapakúhtuʾ aNUsuuxiruutikú wehnaahta-
Long , long ago when things used to happen when they were
kuwaʾá – AhnuuxAhtakUhunuuwaáWI – číkuʿ
migrating this way – when they went around as a group – wherev
niiNAhkuraaNIhuuníčI nátš AxkaáʾA NAhnunáhtš
er it was plentiful wood, antelope, deer
AhništaaWIhkAhunuuwaaWIhú tanáhaʾ NAhkUhunuuwaáWI
when they were going about hunting buffalo when they were going around
teškúNIt a nikunoowi- tiwiitíkuʾ weNAhkuraanátA.
close by, and then that is where they camped when they went.

wah štoh wetatuhwakuuniitíštA – atíʾAx –
Now again I am going to relate his words – my father (ie uncle) –
Snowbird haáwaʾ.
Snowbird also.
wekutiihíʾ niiháʾ niiʾAhnuuxitUhčituúʾU AhnuxtaanoótA
It was there where the combined village was when they lived
aniwenuuxitUhpakútkUx nišwačeéhUxúku.
there where the old village was what they used to say.

uu niikohniiraawiiʾót hunaaneskúhtš nikuʾaanaa- wiiʾoóčI –
Oh, however long ago it was in the fall whether it was that time, –
NAhkUhunuuwaáWI takaraáhNIš –
when they used to go around hunters –
nehkuraaWIhkAhunuuwaáWI aniNAhunaanoótA
when they used to go around hunting that land extending
niiweneetúhkUx NAhtAsuutaaká aniNAhunaanúhAt.
where the village now is White Shield that land extending.

nooWIšitiitaakeéRIt.– sáhniš taraánaʾ.
Then they saw them.– Humans they were coming.
– wituhnaa- thaanáwiʾ – tanáhaʾ – aaraánaʾ.
– It looked like – buffalos – as though they were coming.
a – či – nikiišaáNIt hunaaníniʾ wenatuunaakiiwaátI.
And – here – they were the ones on foot the ones I am now telling about.
psíʾaʾ nikuwitíʾIt.
Assiniboines they were the ones.

wetatuhwakuuniitíhuʾ wáh nuhwakareéRA.
I am relating (ie repeating) his words Nice Voiced Elk.
nawáh wetatuhwakuuniitíhuʾ šeeníʾU psíʾaʾ wenunaaʾiítI
Now, I am now relating his words the main one Assiniboine what he told
wewitiniiniitIhú niiʾAhnuutAxítIt.
when he told about himself what happened.

na noowitiwaákoʾ tinaákUx psíʾaʾ aráh kaaka- tuuNUxtaaninoowáʾ.
And then he said this Assiniboine: "Say, I was not afraid of things.
tiNAtwaawanú naawiinakuúnuʾ NAtkuraaWIhnuukataátA
As I went around here (on) the warpath as I went charging across the water
uuxaWIstaaxIhnaanuúhAt na tAhnaaWIhna- ʾuúkUt číkuʾ niiweNAtkuhnaaʾeéRIt.
even when the ice was floating and I jumped in- to the river whenever I saw anything.
noowititatiniiNIštaahukoóʾUs natuxwaawanú natuxčipiriíNU.
I considered myself brave when I used to travel all around when I was young."
nikuwitiwaákoʾ anináʾU wiítA.
That is what he said that one man.

witiwaákoʾ taanikuneeneetinaahnaánaʾ naawiinakuúnuʾ.
He said: "This is where we came (on) the warpath.
tatuxtaahnaaNIhuúʾU.
We were numerous.
číkuʾ niikohnatuhnaahnaánuʾ číkuʾ áxkUx šihUxtaánuʾ aatanuusuxtaahnaanuúʾA.
I do not know how many of us there were, perhaps one hu ndred maybe our numbering.
tatuxtaah- naaNIhuúʾU – wenatinaahnaána – aataraaNAxUhunáʾU
We were many – when we came – that we might make war
tiihéʾ iiNAxuxtaahnaanoótA iiNAxuxtaakitúhkUx.
here where you (pl) were living where your (pl) village was.
witoosuxtAhwísaʾ niikohnuutunaánuʾ – niiništaataraʾoohú
We arrived on the warpath whenever it was – as they used to talk about it
– wiitatshaánuʾ tanuxtaanoótA.
– Hidatsas here where they lived."

wah či wetikuhnaakeéRIt.
"Now here they saw us.
neeneetunaahnuuwáʾAx.
We ran away.
kana- naatiraahnaaNIhuúʾU atíštIt číkuʾ kaakiíhiʾ aniweNAhna- NAhnaanátA.
There were so many of us (that) well things were not when we went there.
– uu tihUsAhaanúʾAt.
– Oh, there was a valley.
– uu tihUshaahkatóx.
– Oh, it was a wide valley.
hawá nootiwaraawá.
Also there were trees here and there.
nootikAhuNAhčéʾ.
It was rolling terrain.
neeneetiraahnikaʾuúkUt psíʾaʾ tiNAhnaNAhnaanátA.
We took (ie ran) to the brush Assiniboines these of us who went.

uu noowetatiraahNAhkawá niinoonakuutaánu
"Oh, then we were in bunches here and there in the brush each one doing it
– nakuwaaRUxtiiʾaanú – niinoonakuuwaákAhu.
– for him to become holy – each one saying it.

atsú – wehnaanarikaahtawaʾaáhu – wehnaa-
"But – as they were each peeping up over it – when they came
RAhWIsá wah nikutíʾIt.
to that place now they were the ones.
nikutehnáʾIt sáhniš ničiísuʾ niinanaáhNA.
They must have been the ones Arikaras, corn they who had it.

neeneewakaraanúʾaʾ áxkUx psíʾaʾ.
"He called out one Assiniboine.
sananaapIhíniʾ tiwaaWIhtít
In Sioux he talked."

tákuʾ niikóhnoʾ tiihéʾ neenuhwakunaasíhtš.
"Whoever it was right here he answered:
tičé  NAxtaákIt.
'What (tribe) are you (pl)?'
či nikukohnawaakaáhuʾ.
Here he must have been saying that.
ka NAxtaákIt xUhkátit na aaxanaakíčI psíʾaʾ.
'Are you (pl) Blackfoot, or whether your being Assiniboines?
tičé NAxtaákIt.
What are you (pl)?'

nootiwáčiʾ tAhnaákIt psíʾaʾ.
"Then they said: 'We are Assiniboines.
wenatinaahnaána naawiinakuúnuʾ tAhnaákIt.
Our coming (on) the warpath we are.'

wah nuunakatAhkáʾU.
"Now on the other side:
wah psíʾaʾ aniweesux- teesiíšuʾ.
'Now, Assiniboine, know it!
– tiNAsaakaríčI noowetAxiniisakuníhIt.
– Today this is now your last day.
– wah wetatakoótIt.
– Now I am going to kill you.'"

witiwaákoʾ wah nikukooxuúʾUt.
He said it: "Now it will be thus.
nikUhunáhAs tákuʾ koxtuutIšaáhUt sáhniš wiiteešútš niinuhniwaáRA.
When I die, someone I will hold his hand Arikara a young man one who is good."
nikuwitiwaakaáhuʾ tinaákUx.
That is what he was saying this one.

nohneewakaraanúʾaʾ kaakíʾ nikunakuútA.
"Then he called back: 'That cannot be.'"

nawáh nuuNUxwaaWIhtikú niinoohuuniričíšAt.
"Now the one who was talking they downed him.
nihkoótIt.
They killed him.

tákuʾ číkuʾ aaxiwaákoʾ.
"'Don't anyone say anything!'
a či tiraapAhiíʾI.
And here it was quiet.

a či áxkUx nuuwekutakatáʾ aniinaweskáhAt.
"And here one he came up a hill over there there at the end of the hill.
wituxtAhkátA wiiteešútš.
They were sitting there against it young men.
wititakáʾAx.
There was a shot.
neekuraakoótIt.
He killed one of us.
pítkUx neekuraakoótIt tuuhéʾ.
Two they killed ours over there.
hawá áxkUx naraawii- NIsawaáta neekuraakoótIt psíʾaʾ.
Also one the one who came warlike over the hill he killed one of us Assiniboines.

nawáh číkuʾ wekutuutAxítIt.
"'Now something is happening.'
neehUhčitaʾá sáhniš.
He came over the hill an Arikara.
wáRUx Ahnootíʾ nuu nawiiruu- tikú.
A jackrabbit he was just there his sitting here and there.
wetikuhnaaciríkUx.
He was watching us.
wah tiihéʾ tiNAhnaNAhnaanookátA kaakuxwaaRUxtíʾ tinaákUx iwenaákUx.
Now here these of us sitting against the bank he was so holy this one when he sat there.
tUtwiʾuuxítIt huukaawiraátA.
He turned to face the east.
nootuutAxitíkuʾ ItkAhaánuʾ niitinaákUx noošititkhaahtaruupásuʾ.
Then it happened the ears here where he sat then he was moving his ears.

neeneehuunukaawáʾ.
"He jumped around.
tukuneenutwiʾuuxítIt hunaanapsíniʾ.
He began to face the other way south.
nuukutUtkUxwiʾúʾ.
He sat there facing that way.
číkuʾ šikaakatuuthuNAhuúnuʾ.
We could not control him.

neeneehuunukaawáʾ.
"He jumped around.
nuukuneenutwiʾuuxítIt skaweéraaʾuʾ.
Then he began to face that way west.

wah Ištóh neeneehuunukaawáʾ.
"Now again he jumped around.
nuuneeʾiíšAt.
He went over the hill.
saxtš tiʾiíšAt neeneeRAhčitáʾ.
As soo n as he went over it they came onto it.
neekuraahnika- waawáRIt.
They scattered us about.
wah aninahUshaanoótA hawá tikuraakoótIt.
Now (in) that valley also they killed one of us.
tikuraakoótIt.
They killed one of us.
wah niiʾAhnatuxtaNAhkatariíNU wah číkuʾ nikutehnaNAhnaaniRAxá.
Now those of us who were fast now those were the ones who must have been in the lead.

tinaawiinirúhkukuʾ wenuhnaanapitaawaáhAt.
"They were singing praising songs when they turned around.

wačéh wenikunaahnaaniíWIs inooneetuhnaahnaánuʾ
"Poor things, those of us remaining there we numbered
NAsawíʾuʾ na áxkUx na kanatuuNUxtaahneešawíhAx.
thirty-one, and there had been a great number of us.
wačéh wetAhnapaáRIt weNAhnaNAhčíkAt wenaahnii-
Poor things, now we stood there all of us mourning the bodies
naanoótA wenikuraakawootíkA.
that were there those of us who were killed.

wah áriišIt tatuhnaahnaáNIt.
"'Now ourselves we are to blame.
aniitoxtaahkaaʾišwóʾ.
Let's go home!'

taRAhtšíniʾ nehnapIswóʾ.
"Barely we arrived.
aa wah niiháʾ nikutikuraa- kuNAhát.
Ah, now there that is where they (nearly) killed us (all).
sáhniš witíʾIt.
Arikaras they were.

wah – aniwešinatsuuxeéRIt – wáRUx wenaʾaáNA nikutikunaahništaaNAsuúwot.
"Now – that one that we saw – a jackrabbit his becoming he was the one who used up our shells.
niinoonakUsuuxaWI- saanú nakuwaaRUxtiiʾaanú tiiništaaNAsút.
No matter how they were doing it to become holy they used up the shells.
wah číkuʾ wetehnaʾiíšAt.
Now he must have gone over the hill.
wetohnaaNUhčitawáʾ.
Now they came over (the hill).
číkuʾ kaakíʾ niinakuutaáNA – nakuraawiinúhAt – noowenaaku- nuhništaanuúʾA.
It was not possible – to defend (ourselves – when one did not have any shells.
nootiraanaáNIš nakuhkUxáxI.
Then it was truly the way to run.
nootiiNAxteehaahkásIt kaataRAhíniʾ.
Then he struck one on the head with his axe.

wah taanikutikuhnaahnoohuunaáwa.
"Now this is the way they treated us.
sáhniš tíʾIt.
Arikaras they are.
kaakíʾIt wiitatshaánuʾ.
They are not Hidatsas.

noonehnapIswó neenihwáčiʾ nuxtaaNIhtšíčI áriišIt
"When we returned they said older ones: Yourselves
kuwititAxinaakoóʾAt anuuwenaaniinaanoótA.
it is your own dead fault those who are now lying here dead.
aninoóčI tíʾIt waaRUxtiíʾuʾ sáhniš tinaraanoótA niiNAhtaruu- waʾoohú.
Those (people) they are holy Arikaras these,' the ones they used to talk about.
tiwešiNAxuuteéRIt wáRUx téhnoʾ wenoonaahništaaNAsuúwotkA.
'When you saw him a jackrabbit he must have been when he used up all of your shells.
na hawá WIšitiná kuúNUx.
And also they have it a bear.
– hawá nikuwituutaanúʾ.– hawá šinína tanáhaʾ čiwiíkuʾ.
– Also he does that.– Also they have it a buffalo, a shedding buffalo.
hawá nikuwituutaanuuxuúkuʾ.
Also that is what he does.
na hawá arikaraánuʾ hawá nikunoowituúta.
And also a stag, also that is what he does.
noonaahništaaNAsuú- wotkA noonaahnáʾAx noonaraakuNAhát.
When you use up all your shells, then he will chase you and he will kill you (pl).
suxtaakuneehaaNAhuúʾU.
Be prepared!
na kaakiRAhwóʾ niihéʾ.
Do not go over there!'

wah tatuuNUxtaahtaaninoóhuʾ tiihéʾ číkuʾ Ahnoonaa- kuuʾá tiNAhunaanúhAt.
"Now we used to be fearful here to come just any- where this stretch of land.
wah tsu nuuneetUhwaáhAt tUhkaákaʾ šiNIskohnunuuwaáWI tsu tihkaáRAx.
Now but those villages Crows those whom we fight against, but they are tough.
nootikuuraačeehUxítIt.
Then they will start to strike us.