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

90

Tied Face, the Boy Given

Power by the Thunderbirds

Ella P. Waters

wah štoh wetatunaaʾiitíštA niinatuuNUxaakAtkawaawoo- kUxukú – naaníhtš.
Now again I am going to relate what I used to hear from them – the old ones.
tiráʾ – wiináxtš tanáhaʾ AhnuxpAxtanátA.
It is the story – a boy buffalo his dragging skulls.

anuú natskatAhkáʾU nooxíniʾ na pítkUx witsuxpAxtaánuʾ
There on the other side of the river twelve the skulls numbered
tanáhaʾ tiwešinihteenaáhAt tanáhaʾ tiwenapAxtaNAhuukaatawiíhAt.
buffalo after they pierced him buffalo when he took the skulls along the bank.
nuu wenaranátA nuu wenaranátA – wiisuʾ shaánuʾ–
There his taking them, there his taking them – Heart River–
nikuwewitešwíʾax- It.
that is where he started from.
číkuʾ niiweNAhkukatateeNIhú tanáhaʾ áxkUx noowitipAx- takaáhAt
Whenever it got caught buffalo one then the skull fell off
natsú nuu wewitipAxtakaaráhAt tiwehnaraNA- huukaataweétA.
and there he dropped the skull when he took them along the bank.

atsú kásuʾ Ahnaawanú -- kásuʾ --
And a meadow- lark its flying around -- a meadow- lark --
noowitaaWIsaáhuʾ nehkuhnaaʾiitaWIhú – taanikuwetuutAxitíštA.
then it kept coming to him, its telling him: – "This is what is going to happen
– taaniku- wetuutAxitíštA.
– This is what is going to happen."

tsu wenaraNAhuukaataweétA nuuwitiraniwísAt iiNAhuukaahaahčitáWI
And as he took them along the bank he took them to it Little Missouri River
tiwenapAxtaniWIsátA tanáhaʾ.
when he took the skulls to it buffalo.
na inoowitiičiiNIhuúʾU wenaatsuutaʾá.
And there the water was deep after the water had risen.

a noowitiwískaʾ wiináxtš wah tiiháʾI nikunoowe- tatanoonuuNAhteéhAt.
And then he thought the boy: "Now here so this is where I have my end."

atsú tiweNAhoókUt číkuʾ niiwekohnuhnaánuʾ
But when he went into the water, however many there were
wehnapAxtsaaruxtáNI -- – taatIsíš – taWIšaápis
when he was about to drag the skulls -- – I think – eight
wetunaaniíWIs wehnapAxtsaaruxtátA tiwehnapAx- tanátA -- –
they remained when he dragged the skulls, when he took the skulls -- –
noowitiraaNIsUxkatapAhnaáhuʾ – tanáhaʾ nooweNAhoótA.
then they snorted through their mouths – the buffalos as he swam there.

a noowitIhuukatáʾAt na tiwenataaweereétIt na štoh noowiteeRAsaRAšá.
And then he crossed the river, and when he went up the bank, and again then they became heavy.
nuu taRAhtšíniʾ witikoosáʾAt.
Then barely he got up onto (the bank).
weNAhuukataátA – nuu – nootiráNAt – anuú –
After he crossed the water – there – then he took them; – there –
nootiráNAt anuuNAhuukaatAhaanúhAt.
then he took them there on the other side of the river.
niinaraaničitáWI iina- waákUx – witiranahUhtáʾAt.
Saddle Butte that hill – he passed it.
aninakoohaáhkUx – číkuʾ niikohniíhiʾ noowiwitiʾús.
That prairie, – wherever it is, then he lay down.
nootítka.
Then he slept.

tiwehnaaheešá – noowitičirikaʾá – niiʾAhnuhkaroósI
When morning came – then he awoke – where there was a nest
waaRUxtiíʾuʾ.– noowiteéʾaʾ – šehnaanuNUhkaroósI.
holiness.– Then it came flying – the main one having the nest.
na nooWIšitiikákUx pítkUx Ihániʾ níkUs.
And there they (du) sat in it two young birds.

na noowitiwaákoʾ – suxtIhnáʾU wah tsu – tatee- rút.
And then she said – the mother: "Now but – I picked you up.
tatetkAxírut.
I picked you up sleeping.
wetataráʾ tiiháʾI.
I brought you here.
tatskáʾ tsu – piiráʾuʾ – tiwešiNItkunúhkUx.
I want but – children – my now having them (du) here.
tiiháʾI tiraanaáNIš nooteekatáʾ.
Here it is true so it comes up.
noošitikohkanéʾIs piiráʾuʾ.
Then it eats mine (du) children.
wah – nikunootiraačítA – wenatetkAxiruúkA
Now – so that is the reason – my picking you up while you slept
tiwenataraʾá – axkootíkA – nikuhkaneehAsú.
when I brought you – that you kill it – the one eating up mine.
wewitinatsuxkawiʾoohtawíhA
They are my offspring."

noowewiteenuhnanuuwaahUxítIt axwaawáʾA wiináxtš.
Then she began bringing them to him 'that you eat them' the boy.
tstoóxuʾ – weneenutčiranuuwaáhuʾ – níkUs.
Water – she now brought him repeatedly – the bird.
nuuwititaraRAhtšá.
Then he regained his strength.

noowitiwaákoʾ noowetiraawiiʾót AhnakataahUxukú nuutawáčeš.
Then she said: "Now it is about the time when it usually comes up the bank the water monster.
nikutikuhkaNIhaásuʾ piiráʾuʾ.
It is the one that eats up mine children."

a noowiteenuhnanoowáʾ níkUs.
And then she brought him things the bird.
áxkUx witiriškatiíʾIt na áxkUx – AhnapAhaátU – wiináxtš tiwenariškaroóku.
One it was a black arrow and one – its being red – the boy when he made arrows.

noowitiwaákoʾ níkUs wah noowetiraawiióʾt niinakataahUxukú.
Then she said the bird: "Now it is just about the time when it usually comes up."

anuú wenačiisUxaáhu anuú – haahkAhaáhniniʾ
There as the water was roaring there – at the base of the preci- pice,
wenačiisUxaáhu – tiwehnuuNUxpAxiíWIs –
as the water was roaring – when the head appeared –
tiʾAhnaawanú šeeníʾU níkUs – a –
when she was flying around the main one bird, – and –
noowiteewikátAt wiináxtš narišpAhaátU.
then he nocked an arrow the boy its being the red arrow.
– noowituhnaakaratawikásAt.
– Then he shot it in its mouth.
– anuú AhnoowitiihUhtawíʾAt niiwehnoxkataʾá.
– And then it just slid down where it had come up.
witiihUhtawíʾAt.
It slid down.
witikoótIt.
He killed it.

atsú tiʾAhnuxteeWAtwaahnú AhnuxteeWAtwaahnú wituhnaathaanáwiʾ waawaapIsúxuʾ.
But as he was looking around, as he was looking around it appeared to be lightning.
atsú wiináxtš anuú nikunootuhnaataʾuúkUt.
But the boy there that is where the power befell him.
wehnareeWAtwaawaahnú wituhnaathaanáwiʾ nakuwaawaapIsú.
When he was looking all around it appeared to be to lightning.
nikuwitiraačítA noowiwitutčiriNAsareépI NAhkureewatíRA kanaʾaxkuučiriNAhwaawaapIsú.
That is the reason he tied it over his eyes when he would look so that his eyes would not flash lightning.
na nooWIšitihnehkUxítIt skatáret.
And then they began calling him Tied Face.

tsu wiináxtš wiiteešútš WIšititkaapaačíštIt níkUs
But the boy, the young man he was blessed by them birds
niiweniiraNItšíkA šohniiniškaneehAsú.
after he had saved them (from) their (du) being eaten up by it.
weWIšitiiričíšIt – natsú níkUs šeeníʾU – suxtIhnáʾU níkUs
He saved them (du – and bird the primary one – the mother bird
nikunoowetitkaapaačíštIt wiináxtš.
that is the one by whom he was blessed the boy.

wah wituxtaačeéʾA Ahnuxwanú.
Now it was a long time his having lived.
WIšitiisuxtehkUxuúkuʾ skatáret.
They used to call him Tied Face.