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

55

The Elk Doctor Who Called the Elk

Alfred Morsette

wah wetatuhwakuuniítihuʾ šiniisuxtéhku wáRUx.
Now I am now repeating his words the one whom they called Jackrabbit.
wešitúxtI atináʾ atíʾAx itáhniʾ wenuhnunáhAs
They (du) were together my mother, my father his sister, after hers died
áwit šinuxtíRA.
first their (du) being together.
nátkAt neešiiniitiRAxítIt šiniisuxtehkUxúku wáRUx.
Later she and he began to be together the one whom they called Jackrabbit.
hawá číkuʾ  kukaakuuxAxaáʾA.
Also he had no other name.
nootiraáNIš NAtkotkoóku wáRUx.
It is truly so my hearing it Jackrabbit.
wiítA wituuNUxpaaNIšé – nuxtaakawaakaroóku – nuuxitUhpakútkUx.
The man he had a good voice – when he used to sing songs – where the old village was.
wah nikuneenuunaaʾít tiwenatunaaʾiitštáNI.
Now he told the one this story I am going to tell.
kaakatuxtaaníhtš siíno.
I was not old (ie was young) yet.
kaneeneetuuxIskUhnuupóʾ siíno.
I was not going to school yet.
kaakatuxwákoʾ saNIštaaká.
I did not speak it English.
neenuunaaʾít tiwenatunaaʾiitštáNI.
He told it this that I am going to tell.

taaNUxtaanoótA kaakíʾIt kunaáʾuʾ
"These who lived there they were indeed medicine (men),
NIhkuutIšUhuunaawaanú niinooNIhkuusaahnú.
their doing sleight-of-hand different ones who used to do it.

wah tinaákUx wiináxtš šinatuxtíRA.
"Now this boy he and I were together.
kuteešaáʾA kaakaʾ nuhneéRA.
He was named Good Crow.
wah wetikutpsiwá nooxiníʾ na čiitíʾIš.
Now I was now winters fourteen.
wah číkuʾ niiwekooNUtpsiwá šiNItkuutíRA
Now however old he was (I do not know) when we were together
šiNItkuwaawanú – niihéʾ IsAhkhaáhniniʾ – natuxtaakitUhčituúʾU.
when we went around – there "in the village – when we were in the combined village.

wah neeniiwaákoʾ kunaáʾuʾ wetiRAhká.
"Now he did say medicine they met inside.
nikUšita- tuuxItkookUxuúkuʾ hiʾáxtiʾ – kuʾeenuúxU –
He and I used to hear it his father – whether it was, –
ipáhniʾ kuʾeéNU iwaaníRIš kuʾeéNU.
his grandfather whether it was, his uncle whether it was.
tiwaakaáhuʾ wešititkAxaahíštA – wáh arikaraánuʾ –
He was saying: 'They are going to call it now – an elk Deer Society –
weniitIškUxuunaawaanú niinatawé.
as they are performing sleight-of-hand,' where he belonged.
weWIšititkAxaahíštA wáh.
'Now they are going to call it an elk.
wetiraaNAxwéʾ čiraátóʾ nuutáxtA – šiʾeéNU –
They are seeking the way whether it is going to be – whether it be –
eenapakuniiNIštáNI čiraátoʾ naahíštA.
if it is going to believe them whether it is going to come.'

uu – AhnootikatistátAt– naáNIt.– nootitsUhihtápAt.
"Oh – it was just dark– really.– It was a fine rain.
– huNAh- WIhíniʾ – wešitatiišá niinuhneekákUxwiʾuúʾA – NAhuukaawiraátA.
– Under the bed – we were lying where the door faced – east.
wešitatiišá.
We were now lying.
šitatuhnaasíštA.
We were watching.
neeneékaaʾ wiítA.
He did come out a man.
uu ništaanoókuʾ – NAhaakariiWAhnaahú.
Oh, they were singing – as the drum was sounding.
– neeneékaaʾ wiítA.– nuukutUtwiʾúʾ skaweéraaʾuʾ.– neeniiʾuuneéRIt.
– He did come out a man.– He faced the other way west.– He stood there.
neeniičišwaáhnaʾ uuuu.
He whistled: 'Uuuu.'
neenuhnaaʾíšWA.
It gradually died out.

neeníʾAt.
"He went.
nuuwenaátA neeniihoowiisaʾiíšAt niiʾAhnuuxitUhnoowiisákUx.
When he went he went to the edge of the bluff where the village was at the edge of the bank.
wešineetiihUhpaáhwa šikanaʾaax- kuuteéRIt.
We were hiding 'that you would not see us.'
weneekatistátAt naáNIt.
It was now dark really.
teškúNIt weteéRIt wešinatUtčiríkUx nawaaWIhtikú.
Close by he stood when we saw him when he was talking.
štoh neeniičišwaáhnaʾ uuuu.
Again he whistled: 'Uuuu.'
tikaahunaahtaWAhnaáNIt.
The sound echoed.

wetiraačeéʾA.
"It was a while.
nuu skaweéraaʾuʾ neeniičišwaáhnaʾ.
There (in) the west then it whistled.
tikutuhnaapIsaánuʾ wenačišWAhná.
We barely heard it when it whistled.
neeniiwaaWIhtikUxítIt.
Then he began to talk.
tiraanoókuʾ.
He was singing.

štoh neeniičišwaáhnaʾ – wenakaahunaahtaWAhnaaníkA – tina- kaahunaanoótA.
"Again then it whistled – as the sound echoed – (by) the river.
wah xuúhuniʾ tehnaawiísaʾ.
Now close(r) it must have been approaching.
neeniičišwaáhnaʾ teškúNIt.
Then it did whistle close by.
uu tiwakaRIhuúʾU.
Oh, it was a loud sound.
tikaahunaahtaWAhnáʾ wenačišWAhná.
It echoed as it whistled.

wah pítkUx wah štoh tiwenačišWAhná uunaaríčI sáhniš
"Now twice, now again when it whistled, that other one human
náʾU wenačišWAhná uuuu tuuNAhunaʾíšWA.
the one when he whistled 'uuuu,' the sound faded out.
tuuNAhunaʾišwáNIt wenačišWAhná.
The sound faded out as it whistled.
neeniičišwaáhnaʾ teškúNIt niinuuxunaaNAhkákUx.
It whistled close by where the gardens were in the brush.
thaáwiʾ Axtóh šiʾaa- tuuteériku wáh.
It seemed truly that we were seeing it the elk.
uu wešitatihtawaRUskaaraʾaáhuʾ aasiiteéRIt wáh.
Oh, we opened our eyes wide that we might see it the elk.

uunaaríčI wiítA – neeniiwaaWIhtikUxítIt – wenawaaWIhtikú wenawaaWIhtikú.
"That other man – then he began to talk, – his talking, his talking.
nuutaaNIštát.
He finished doing it.
neeniiraanookUxítIt.
Then he began to sing.
wah šeéNIt– kaakiíhiʾ – wenuutapitaáhat tinaaríčI wáh.
Now plain– it was not – when it turned around this elk.
tiwaraačiraWAhnaáhuʾ niiwehnakaátA.
The brush was rustling where it went in the brush.
nuukuneenaahčišwaáhnaʾ niinawaanaaNIskáhAt niinawaaNAhkhunaáhWI.
There was a whistle in the distance over there where the end of the hills is where the hills border the brush.

na – tinaaríčI wiítA neenuutapítaahAt – na neeniihuúkAt.
"And – this man then he did turn around – and then he entered.
neešiineetiihuuwiraáWA niinareekáWI.
Then we did run there where the door was.
neeniiraaʾiitawihUxítIt.
He began to tell about it.
neeniikUxuhkaáhAt.
They ran around inside of the lodge.
niisaaNIštát.
They finished doing it.
nawáh taanikutatsuxtaaʾeéRIt.
Now, this is what I saw."

taanikutiwaákoʾ anináʾU wiítA.
This is what he said that man.
tsu naátU taatIt- koókuʾ niiwenakunaaʾiitIhú.
But I I heard it what he told.
kutiraačítA natuhnaaʾii- tUxIswaaWIšú.
That is the reason my knowing various stories.