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

72

The Foolish Young Man

Given the Sweat Lodge

Lillian Brave


nuukuwiteetuunúʾaʾ – tsu – NAhkUhunuuwaáWI
There came the village in a long procession, – and – as they traveled around
– na – witiisAh- kaʾá wiiteešútš.
– and – there was in the village a young man.
kanawiteesškAxá.
He was not sensible.
kanawituhnaanuunawíʾIt wiiteešútš – tsu –
He did not behave properly the young man – but –
NAhkiisAhkaʾaáhNA NAhkiisAhkawaawanú wiiteešútš.
when he went around the village as he wandered around the village the young man.
na tákuʾ wituuteéRIt suxtipiiraninoósiʾ noowitikoótIt.
And when he saw someone an ugly old woman then he killed her.
– noowitiʾihkawaaruúsAt.
– Then he punctured her body.
noowitikoótIt.
Then he killed her.
– hawá kuNAhúx nikunoowituutaánuʾ noowitikoótIt haáwaʾ.
– Also an old man then that is what he was doing: then he killed him, too.

natsú wiítA tiwititčiríkUx.
But a man here he was watching him.
tiwititčiríkUx wiítA.
Here he was watching him the man.

noowitiwaákoʾ WIštéh.
Then he said: "Wait!"

tiíNI – Ahnaaʾá – wehnaahuusawiraaʾá
This time – when he came – when he came down along the creek
wiiteešúts wehnaahuusawiraaʾá NAhkiisAh- koókUt –
the young man when he came down along the creek to enter the village –
nuu – niiʾAhnaʾítIt a noowitiihatUhká- kUx – kunahUxtinoósiʾ.
there – where the village was and there he sat on the path – a shriveled old man.
kunahUxpiiraninoósiʾ– witiihatUh- kákUx.
An ugly old man– there he sat on the path.

wehnuuteéRIt wiiteešútš – noowitiwaákoʾ čą́ą́ – čukú 
When saw him the young man – then he said: "Say, – where
NAxwóʾ čukú NAxUhuutUhuuwiʾúʾ.
are you going? In which direction are you headed?"

witiwaákoʾ kaakíʾ.
He said: "No.
tatuxwískaʾ aateesAhkaʾiišátA niiʾanineetúhkUx.
I wanted to go into the village where the village is.
weneekuunaačiteeʾá.
It is too difficult for me.
wačéh wetAtkaríš.
Poor me, I am now paralyzed.
wekaakItkaxtsaRAhčíš.
My legs are not strong anymore.
wekaakíʾ NItkiisAhkoókUt.
I cannot enter the village."

noowitiwaákoʾ – wah WIštéh.– koxteéRAt.
Then he said: – "Now wait!– I will take you.
anuú koxteéRAt.
Over there I will take you."

na noowituutuuníkUt na štAhčituúnuʾ noowituutuuníkUt.
And then he took hold of him, and with full effort then he took hold of him.
nikunoowititáhpA.
Then he put that one on his back.
noo – weNAhkoótA – weNAhkooweétA noowiti- kúx.
There – as he went – when he tired then he put him down.
wehnuutaánu tiwekuwitiiʾót nakiisAhkoókUt.
As he was doing that it was now close by where one enters the village.

noowitiwaákoʾ nawáh tiiháʾ nooNUxtaateéhAt.
Then he said: "Now here let it end!
teeʾIš- kúxkux.
Put me down here!"

na noowitikúx wiiteešútš.
And then he set him down the young man.

kaakíʾ.
"No.
siíno kooxteereesAhkaʾiíšAt.
Yet I will take you into the village.
Axtóh siíno aahtAstaRAhčíš.
Surely yet I have a little strength."

kaakíʾ.
"No.
teetineetúxkUx.
Let me just sit right here!"

noowitihkúx.
Then he set him down.

tiwehneeriwátAt tiwehnaʾuuneéRIt čiišaahnunačeéʾIs wiítA.
When he got up when he stood upright here he was tall a man!
– či wiítA šaahnunačeéʾIs.
– Here the man he was tall!
– čiríkU noowitanuuna- wataahkákUx – kuniítuʾ.
– Oh my, then he had a light around him – flame (ie halo).
kuniítuʾ – noowitohkákUx.
A light – then he had it around his head.

wehnuuteéRIt noowitirinuʾá.
When he saw it then he became frightened.
čą́ą́ či nóʾ tinaaríčI čikohnáʾU.
"Hey, here he is this one something!
tehnawaaRUxtíʾ.
He must be holy."
– noowiwitohnee- wáNIt.
– Then he stepped back (in fright).

noowitiwaákoʾ kuNAhúx nawáh wetatooxiiranítkuʾ.
Then he said the old man: "Now I was testing you.
hásI.
Listen!
– nookaakatiínaʾ tiiháʾ.
– I do not come (from) here.
– anuú tatUtčiriiNAsákUx nataakutčiriikawaáWI nataakuutuhčiriikawaáWI.
– There I looked down that I could watch you, that I could watch your movements.
niinooNAxkuuxaWIsátA tsu tatotčiríkUx.
No matter where you go but I'll see you.
tatooteérikuʾ.
I'm seeing you.
nootatotčiríkUx.
Then I'll see you."

a noowitirinuʾá wiiteešútš.
And then he became frightened the young man.
štoh AhnoowiwiteewáNIt.
Again then he just moved back (in fright).
wititeewáNIt.
He moved back.

noowitiwaákoʾ hásI.
Then he said: "Look!
koxteeraaʾú – na – činiNIskaniNAh- kaawíʾuʾ.– na
I will give you the way – and – the sweat lodge.– And
činiNIsísuʾ na tikaniNAhkaáWI.– na nooteerani- takároʾ kanítš.
sweat lodge you'll make it.– Make them hot rocks.
na nootiirikaáʾAt tákuʾ niiNAhkuunaaxIhú.
Take him inside whoever is sick.
tákuʾ niiNAhkuunaaxIhú na nootiirikaáʾAt.
Whoever is sick take him inside.
na tinaáxA hiíkuʾ na nikutohnáʾA nakuwaapinú.
And this wand you'll use this one to brush (hot air) on him.
na tiitaʾiwát.
Touch it (the body).
aašuuxaWIskakawaákAt tíštIt – tuúʾUt paátuʾ – nakutskaruuWAt- waáhAt.
Even if it cuts him well – it is blood – if it comes out.
na nootitšičiitá Ištoh.
And then he'll be alive again."

nikuwitUsuuxaáwa táWIt.
That is what he did three (times).
táWIt niku- witUsuuxaáwa weNAhkutaRAhtšwaáhNA.
Three (times) that is what he did as he tried hard.

noowitiwaákoʾ wiiteešútš a či tiihéʾ kananaaxíʾI.
Then he said the young man: "And here (from) here you are not."

kaakíʾ.
"No.
tsu tatUtčiriNAsákUx áskAt nataakutčiriikawaáWI nataakuutuhčiriikawaáWI.
But I look down above for me to watch you, for me to watch all of your movements.
a či kananaaxuuNUhúne.
And here you are not a good character."

a či NAxwaaRUxtíʾ haáwaʾ.
"And here you are holy, too!
a či nikunuú- ʾUt či NAxwaaRUxtíʾ.
And here that is how it is: here you are holy!"

na noowitiwaákoʾ kunahUxtinoósiʾ kaakíʾ.
And then he said shriveled old man: "No.
kaakatíʾ tiihéʾ.
I am not (from) here.
– kaakatíʾ tiihéʾ hunaaníniʾ.
– I am not (from) here on the earth.
– tatíʾ skaRAhkatAhaáhniniʾ.
– I am (from) the sky.
– nuu nikutátkUx.
– There it is where I live
– nikutatohnaa- čiriikáwa.
– That is where I watch all of you
– nikutatotčiriikáwa.
– That is where I watch you.
– niinooNAxkuu- tUhuunaawaanú tsu tatotčiríkUx.
– No matter what you have done, but I have seen you."

a či nikiišaáʾA piirawaaRUxtiíʾuʾ neešaánuʾ  tinačitákUx Ahnaahaáʾu.
And here he was the one the holy child, God (The Chief Above) his child.
a či nikiišaáʾA.
And here he was the one.

na noowitiwaákoʾ wetataraaʾú.
And then he said: "I have given you the way."

wah – tiwehnuutaánu wiiteešútš –
Now – when he was doing it the young man –
tiwehneehnanikaáwo činiNIsískAt wah táWIt nikuwitUsuúxa.
when he was taking them in it in the sweat lodge, now three (times) that is what he did.
noowitehkakawaákAt wenakurikaátA.
Then he cut them (ie used it on them) after he took one in.
nooWIšitihkáWAt činiNIsískAt a noowitiičitúʾ štoh.
Then they took him out the sweat lodge and then he was whole again.

a – nooWIšitiininuʾá.
And – then they became afraid of him.
a – či – nawaaRUxtíʾ – Axtóh.
"An – here – he is holy – surely!
na kaneeneesškAxá.
And he is not sensible.
kaakúhne.
He is not good.
na – tiíNI – táku nikakawaákAt na naraatawé nookananiitšičiíta.
And – now – if he cuts someone, and maybe he might not become alive."

a nooWIšitiininóʾ.
And then they feared him.

na noowitiwaákoʾ nawáh wešitAxkukuuninuʾá.
And then he said: "Now you (pl) fear me.
na kuka- neeneetiíʾI tinaáxA.
And it is not mine this one.
kukaakatiíʾI.
It is not mine.
tinaáxA nuu taáʾ.
This one there it came.
skaRAhkatAhaáhniniʾ taáʾ.
The sky it came.
kanikukaakatiíʾI.
That one is not mine.
wešiineešuninuʾá.
You (pl) have become afraid of it.
wekaakAxunaahnaaheéRIt tsu – wetikuʾiiranítkuʾ.
You have not done right, but – he has been testing me.
wetikuʾiiranítkuʾ – niku- ʾaaxuútA.
He has been testing me – for it to be like that.
a nooNAhiínaʾ weti- kutkawiʾoohtawíhuʾ –
And further on (ie a child) he is going to add on to mine –
axwaaRUxtiíʾU wenikuroóhA – činiNIsísuʾ.
'that you will be holy' when he gave me the way – the sweat lodge."
činiNIskaniNAhkaawíʾuʾ nataraaNAhnuupó neenikuwitunaáhe.
The sacred sweat lodge our going into it that is the good one.

nikunoowituúta noowititaawátAt.
Then that is what he did: then he stepped aside.

noowitiwaákoʾ tAtwískaʾ aaxiniinaaʾiitáWI WIhtíkUx naakuRAhwaʾá
Then he said: "I want for you to tell him the crier for them to come
nakuhneésš niiwenatuutaaníštA.
to know what I am going to do."

na nikunoowituúta.
And then that is what he did.
nikunoowituutAxítIt.
Then that is what happened.

noowitiwaákoʾ nawáh atíʾAx atíʾAx wešitooninuʾá.
Then he said: "Now, father, father, they fear you.
niikohnuúʾUt – wešitooninuʾá.
Whatever it is – they fear you.
wekaakihwískaʾ – tAxíʾ waaRUxtiíʾuʾ.– wešiineekuuninuʾá.– wah
They do not think – you are holy.– They fear me.– Now
tiweneešiniisá hiíkuʾ.
here is yours wand."

noowiteeriwaátaʾ.
Then he raised it up.
noowitiwaawaápIs.
Then there was lightning.
thaáwiʾ iiwaawaápIs.
It seemed that there was lightning.
noowitiwaawaapIstAhkawiiruútIt.
Then the lightning forked out.

noowitiwaákoʾ– wah noowetuhnaánuʾ.
Then he said:– "Now now this is the end.
– štoh wetaátu waaRUxtiíʾuʾ.
– Again (ie back) I have given it holiness.
wetaataáku.
I have given it back."

noowitiʾaáku štoh hiíkuʾ.
So he gave it back again the wand.
a čiišaahwaaRUxtíʾ hiíkuʾ.
And here it was holy the wand.
a čiišaáʾA waawaapIsúxuʾ natakakaaxíku natakakaaxíku atipaawaarúxtiʾ.
And here it was lightning when he cracks, when he cracks Holy Grandfather.
a či nikiišaáʾA.
And here this is what it was.
anuú štoh nikunoowituutuuníkUt.
There back then that is the one he took.

atsú wačéh wewitiisAhkaʾá
But, the poor thing, now he walked around the village
wešiniininuʾaáNA tinaraačitáWI kana- neesškáxA.
after they had become afraid of him its being the reason his not being sensible.
nikuwitiraačítA šohniininuʾaá- NA wačéh kanaahnuhnaawiʾuúʾA.
That was the reason their having become afraid of him, poor thing, his not having been right.