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

52

The Origin of

Virgin's Breasts Buttes

Alfred Morsette

AhnatoxtaakunuuwaawikoóčI nuu wehnaahtakuwaʾá Axtóh –
When we used to wander around there when they migrated, certainly –
kanatuhneesiíšuʾ niikohniíhiʾ – atsú taaniku- niinaataraʾoóhu.
I do not know wherever it was – but this is what they used to tell.
nikuwitiíhiʾ tiwenihwačeéhu suúnaaxuʾ etwaáʾuʾ.
That is where it is what they call Virgin's Breasts Buttes.
neeniinaaʾiitáWI niiʾAhnaraačitáWI tinawačeéhu suúnaaxuʾ etwaáʾuʾ.
They told it what the reason was this calling it Virgin's Breasts Buttes.

niiháʾ weneetunaáhkUx tuhnunané.
There where the village was it is a nice place.
tihUs- haanúʾAt.
A cou- lee goes there.
nuu nehniiwaraawá.
There there were trees.
tuhnunané.
It is nice land.

wah suúnaaxuʾ wituxtaanúʾAt.
Now young women they were there.
wituuxitUhwaáhAt.
There was the village.
suúnaaxuʾ – nootiRAhkatáWA –
The young women – then they went up (onto the prairie) –
wenehkukaruuwatú WIsuúkaʾ NAhkukoohaahkAhunuuwaáWI.
when they were digging them turnips when they were going around on the prairie.

na – áxkUx – suúnaaxuʾ – wititakUxtá – pii- ráʾuʾ.
And – one – young woman – she carried it on her back – a baby.
witíʾ piiračipiriínuʾ.
It was a young baby.
noowitítka piiráʾuʾ na noowitiʾús.
Then it slept the baby and then she laid it down.
noowitiniinaaheéRIt nii- wehneésA tsu wehnakaruuwatú
Then she fixed it nicely for it where it lay, but while she dug them
WIsuúkaʾ wehnawanú.
turnips as she went around.

ahteeNAhuunawičeéʾIs číkuʾ tehnataawátAt.
It must have been quite a distance; she must have separated somehow.
čéstIt tehniihiʾá.
Far it must have been.
wah toóxAt.
"Now let me go!
Axtóh wetAxiniinaaNIhuúʾU WIsuúkaʾ.
Truly I have many turnips."

nuu nootíʾAt niiʾAhnanuúsA piiráʾuʾ.
There then she went where hers lay baby.
na inoo- kuwitiičíkAt áskAt.
And there it was crying above!
noowitireewaáta na inookanawitiišá piiráʾuʾ.
Then she looked, and there it was not lying the baby!
na inoowitiíkUx sAhuútš AhnuxwítAt.
And there it lay (lit sat) the shawl the one it had had wrapped around it!
inootuukuwitiiʾá piiráʾuʾ wehnaraaNItwihtawaáWI.
There it flew up there the baby its having wings!

noowitUtkAxaahUxítIt.
Then she began to call to it.
noowiwitiʾeehnaawitikUxí- tIt.
Then she began to show her breast.
parúNIt šíšaʾ.
"Quickly come!
wenehkuNAsáʾUx.
Maybe you are hungry."

nuukuwitíʾAt.
It went the other way
– kuwiteehUhwičeesaánuʾ.
– It began flying higher
– wačéh tinaaríčI suúnaaxuʾ nooteesšoóxAt.
– Poor her, this young woman then she gave up.

wah niihéʾ niikohnuutAxítIt.
Now there it is not known what happened.

tsu – wehnaRAhkaaʾiišátA sápat – noowitiwaákoʾ
But – after they had gone home the women – then he said
neeNAhtakúʾU čuwekunáʾAt piiráʾuʾ.
her husband: "Where did he go the baby?"

neenuuxIhtakúʾU noowituhnaaʾiitáWI taanikuwetuutAxítIt.
Her husband then she told him: "This has happened.
wetiíʾAt.
It is flying.
wetiihUhkateeriítIt.
It flew up into the sky.
wetíʾ níkUs.
It is a bird."

wah tiiháʾ niikohnuutAxtítIt kaakatuhneesiíšuʾ.
Now here whatever happened I do not know.

iišineewaákUx šeéNIt aniNAhatUhnaanátA.
There there are (du) hills prominent where the roads go there.
iišinee- waakoohaahkákUx.
There the hills (du) are on the prairie.
šitUtwaačiríškA.
They (du) are pointed hills.
niiháʾ nikuwitiíhiʾ.
There that is where the place is.
nikutišwačeehUxuúkuʾ suúnaaxuʾ AhnooxaáʾU piiráʾuʾ --
That is what they used to say young woman her child the baby --
aánuʾ wiinásts – na – aánuʾ suúnats -- weneehUhkateeriítIt
if it was a little boy – or – if it was a little girl -- when it flew up
wenaʾaáNA nikutawikúsuʾ.
when it became a hawk.

na nakuraatawé nikutawikúsuʾ wenakukAxaahú
And sometimes a hawk when it is calling out,
tuhnaathaánawiʾ piiráʾuʾ iičíkAt.
it seems to be the way a baby as if it were crying.
naátU tatuuxItkóʾ áriišIt xaawaarúxtiʾ natiišAhnuuwaahUxúku.
Myself I heard it myself horses when I used to herd them.
tuxtaaNIhuúʾU xaawaarúxtiʾ niiNIštanihkarookUxukú.
There were many horses when they used to brand.
iiháʾ neetuxtaaNAhčítA xaawaarúxtiʾ NIhkUhuhwaawáʾA.
There we were on a hill horses as they ate grass.
thaáwiʾ tákuʾ iičíkAt.
It seemed as if someone were crying.
noonikuníʾ nikutawikúsuʾ niiʾaáhNA.
There that one was a hawk its flying around.
tikAxaáhuʾ wenaWAhnaahú.
It was calling its making the sound.
wah nikutUtwakáʾuʾ piiráʾuʾ.
Now it sounded thus the baby.
číkuʾ nikutehnaraačítA.
Maybe that is the reason.

wah nikutatuuxátkoʾ.
Now that is what I heard.
tsu šeéNIt šineewaá- kUx Glen Ullin Hebron.
But prominently the hills (du) sit (between) Glen Ullin (and) Hebron.