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

81

The Stuwis Fill the

Creeks with Water

Lillian Brave

tshunúxuʾ NAhkUhuusawaawanú
Scalped Man when he was going around the coulee
NAhkukUxpaahwaahnú uu witiihuusawaawanúʾ.
when he was going all around furtively, oh, there he was going around in the coulees.

noowiteečeswaátaʾ.
Then he came out of the woods.
noowituhnaaʾeéRIt niiʾAhnuxtswooxukú
Then he saw them where the water had always flowed,
niiʾAhnuxtswooxukú tiiháʾA.
where the water had always flowed here.

wah štoh wehnareewaataáNA kanawitiitsá.
Now again when he looked, there there was no water.

čuwekuNAxtaaNAhnaáNAt stuúWI.
"Where did you all go, Stuwis?"
wewiteekiwaaxáxkuʾ sáhniš.
He was calling them names Arikara.
čuwekuNAxtaaNAhnaáNAt stuúWI.
"Where are all of you, Stuwis?
stuúWI.
Stuwis!"

či weešeeNIhčesWAtwáʾ.
Here they all came out of the woods.
tiwešeeNIhčesWAtwáʾ stuúWI tsu wewitihAstaahIškootíhuʾ.
When they all came out of the woods Stuwis, but he was dying of thirst.
naáNIt wewitihAstaahIškootíhuʾ.
Really he was dying of thirst.

noowitetsčeswaátaʾ.
Then the water came out of the woods.
noowiteečiisUhuuNIswaátaʾ.
Then the water came out flowing.
wehna- raaNAxwé witeečiinaNIsWAtwaʾaáhuʾ.
As he wondered the water was coming from different directions.

či weešehkaasawá stuúWI.
Here they had urinated Stuwis.
noowewitiihíʾ– wehna- psiʾaanuuxukú.
Now it was– when it usually gets cold.
tIheenikututunaanuúkuʾ nooteečii- naaNIsWAtwáʾ.
This was the time of the year then the water comes out all over.

a noowitiwáčiʾ hąąʾ nikututunaanuúkuʾ wenakukuraakaasuuhIštáNI.
And then they said: "Yes, that is the time of year when we feel like urinating."

noowitihkaásuʾ.
Then they urinated.
noowiteečiinaaNIsWAt- wáʾ.
Then the water came seeping out from different directions.
noowititstaraawíš.
Then the water was gray.

kaakuhtsé.
"The water is not good (yet)."

na štoh noowitiišuhkaásuʾ.
And again then they were urinating.
ahwititsčiraanawá- taaʾA tiíNI.
The water was a little clearer now.
ahwititsčiraanawátaaʾA.
The water was a little clearer.

nawáh wetuhtsé.
"Now the water is good."

noowitinaawiíkAt stuúWI.
Then they stopped Stuwis.
noowitihpastsačipiítIt.
Then they closed their vulvas.
noowitiraawiʾuúkAs.
Then it (the water) stopped (running).

wah šitAxkukoosšteéRAt.
"Now you (pl) have pleased me.
naáNIt šitAxkukoosšteéRAt.
Really you (pl) have pleased me.

noowititskatariína wehnaačiinaaNIswaáta.
Then the water became swift as the water seeped out.

a či niikohnuhnaánuʾ stuúWI AhniinuuxI-
And here however many there were Stuwis the ones who
sAhkAhunuuwaáWI či weešeenaánaʾ.
lived in the village here they came.
wehnihkaasú nuukuwititskateewaáhAt.
When they urinated the streams were wide.
hUhtiísuʾ noowitičiisá čipít.
Finally so the water became creek.
naaNIt čipít noowitičiisá.
Really creek then the water became.
tsu wetičiíʾIs xáNIš.
But it was urine.
xáNIš wetičiíʾIs.
Urine it was.
tsu– naáNIt weneečiisá čipít.
But– really now the water became creek.
tsu nikuwetuhnaáNIt stuúWI.
But they were the ones who were the cause Stuwis.

tsu čeésiʾ tshunúxuʾ noowitičiikaahUxítIt.
But himself Scalped Man then he began to drink.
nooti- tititskaawačiínoʾ.
Then he drank himself full.
nawáh noowituutakáxaʾ wah šištaahnaánaʾ sčiríhtš na
Now then he called them: "Now you (pl) come coyotes and
niinooNAxkuuraakíčI wehnuutakAxaawaahú sčiríhtš axiNAhwaawaáhu.
you different ones!" as he was calling them coyotes 'for you (pl) to come.'
šištaaNAhwáʾ.
"Come here!
šuxtahAtsaʾiiranít.
Taste the water!"

noowiteeRAhčesWAtwáʾ sčiríhtš na sčiRIhkaapinát
Then they came out of the woods coyotes and wolves
niinoonuhpiiraninoosíčI wehnihčiíkAhu.
the different ugly ones as they drank.
noowitotsháne.
The water tasted good.
noowititsčiraanawátaaʾA wehnačiisaáNA čipít.
Then the water was clear after it had become creek water.

na nikuwitiisá stuúWI wehnutunaanuúku
And that is what they did Stuwis when it was the season
wehnapsiʾaanú wehnaakučiinaaNIsWAtwáʾa.
when it becomes cold, when the water comes seeping out.
nawáh tihwáčiʾ wetehnihkaasáwaʾ stuúWI.
Now They say: "They must have urinated Stuwis.
stuúWI wetehnih- kaasáwaʾ.
Stuwis they must have urinated."
či čituúʾuʾ weešehkaásuʾ niikoh- nuhnaánuʾ
Here all they had now urinated however many there were
IsAhkAhaahčituúʾuʾ stuúWI.
the entire world Stuwis.

na neenikutuutAxítIt.
And this is what happened.