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

91

The Wild Buffalo

Ella P. Waters

tiwenatunaaʾiitštáNI kaakiráʾ naaʾiikáWIš saNIšwakúhtuʾ niiniNIštaaʾiiwaawaatIhú.
What I am going to tell it is not a story a fairy tale, the old people what they used to tell.

wituuxitUhnaahkákUx.
There used to be a village at the base of a hill.
wewitiitaNAsáʾUx čituúʾuʾ AhnuxtaanoótA – AhnuuxitúhkUx
They were starving all the ones who lived there – where the village was
ačitaánuʾ sáhniš haahkAhaáhniniʾ.
tribe Arikara at the base of the hill.
niinooNUsakunaanuúʾA nehkUheešá – na – nooWIšitiiNUxkatawáNIt
Every day when dawn came – and – then they sent him up
wiiteešútš – koohaáhniniʾ – nakučiričeeRIšátA čiraátoʾ číkuʾ 
a young man – on the prairie – to scout to see if he
nakuuteéRIt číkuʾ tanáhaʾ wenaakuRAhwiisá.
could see any any buffalo if they were coming close.

anuú nikunoowituutAxítIt nooWIšitinaáNAt áxkUx wiináxtš.
There so that is what happened: then they sent him one boy.
inookanawituhkaniišawíhAx tanáhaʾ.
There there was a huge herd buffalo.
noowiteeta- wiraáʾ.
Then he came down.

na noowitiwaákoʾ wekaakuhkaniišawíhAx tanáhaʾ.
And then he said: "There is now a huge herd buffalo.
wetaRAhwiísaʾ.
They are approaching."

noowiwitiinawireéhAs wiítA.
Then they got ready the men.
noowituNAhkatáʾAt niiʾAhneenuunuhkatariíNU xaawaarúxtiʾ weNAhkiičitawiítIt.
Then they went up onto it the ones having fast ones horses after each one mounted.
tiwehnaRAhkataátA AhnoowitiiNAhninuʾaánuʾ tanáhaʾ.
When they went up onto it then they just became frightened the buffalos.
– AhnoowitinikUxunuuwá.
– Then they just scattered running.
– a nooWIšitiininuʾá.
– And then they became frightened.

na noowitiitawéʾ šitihnaʾíhkuʾ taNAhoosánax.
And there there was among them they call it a wild buffalo.

noowitiwaákoʾ wiiteešútš tatinihkatariíʾI xaawaarúxtiʾ.
Then he said young man: "Mine is fast horse.
tsuuxUhuuniikáʾAt na noonikuunáʾAx a
Let me ride into the middle and then it will chase me and
číkuʾ nuuneetsiráxAt natsú tiiháʾI neešanaakawoótIt tanáhaʾ.
I'll lead it some- where else and here you can kill them buffalos."

nikunoowituúta – wiiteešútš – wehnawaákA
Then that is what he did – the young man – the one who said:
tatinihkatariíʾI xaawaarúxtiʾ.
"Mine is fast horse."
nuu noowituutUhuuniika- ʾiíšAt.
There then he rode into the middle.
na tiwehniiteéRIt – taNAhoosánax na – nuu niku-
And when it saw him – the wild buffalo and – there then
noowitihniraanúʾAt niiwehnuutUhuuniikaátA.
that one chased him as he rode among them.
noowititariiwaátAt niiʾAhnuxtseéhAt tanáhaʾ
Then he passed by where the edge of them was buffalos,
nuuwenihniraanátA a nuuwenihniraanátA taNAhoosánax.
when it chased him there, and when it chased him there the wild buffalo.

anuú skaweéraaʾuʾ nikuwitUtwiʾuuxítIt číkuʾ niinoo- wehniihaweéNA.
There west that is where he headed after however many days had passed.

na noowitiwaákoʾ– xaawaarúxtiʾ AhneečitáWI tinaaríčI wiiteešútš.
And then it said– the horse the one he rode this young man.
noowitikaskáWI noowitiwaákoʾ wah wetikoowíʾAt.
Then it turned its head around then it said: "Now I'm tired.
– tAxuhneesiíšuʾ – tAtwaʾá – na – netčiikaáhuʾ.
– You know – I eat – and – I drink.
aniweNAsakohniraána kaakIhaaNUtwaʾá – na – kaneeniičiikaáhuʾ tstoóxuʾ.
The one chasing us it doesn't eat grass – and – it does not drink water.
natsú koxtitaRAhtšwá.
But I will persevere.
atsú šuxčiwákuʾ táWIt.
But bark thrice!
šuxčiwákuʾ na štoh noonikiihUhtaRAhtšá.
Bark and again then I'll get my strength!"

na – nikunoowituúta – wiiteešútš wehnaawakhuutaʾá wehnačiwáku.
And – then he did that – the young man his calling out his barking.
xaawaarúxtiʾ – tinaaríčI– noowitiihUhtaRAhtšá.
Horse – this– then it became strong.

na štoh xaawaarúxtiʾ – noowitiwaákoʾ wah – wetikoo- wíʾAt.
And again the horse – then it said: "Now – I am tired.
wah štoh šuxčiwákuʾ.
Now again bark!"

nikunoowituúta – wiiteešútš – wehnačiwakú.
Then he did that – the young man – his barking.
natsú weWIšiteenuutunaawísaʾ taNAhoosánax.
But it was overtaking them (du) the wild buffalo.

táWIt nikuwituxwaawaákoʾ wiiteešútš.
Three that is what it was telling (him) the young man.

na noowitiwaákoʾ xaawaarúxtiʾ wah wetikoowíʾAt.
And then it said the horse: "Now I am now tired.
kaakíʾ číkuʾ niiNItkuutaáNA – tsu – tatuhneesiíšuʾ noowetatinih- nuNAhteéhAt
I canno t do anything, – but – I know I'll have my end."

wituxwaanaanuúhAt.
There was a line of hills.
– wituxwaanaaNAsánax.
– The hills were rugged.
– noowititawiraáʾAt na noowiwitiihUhtakaaráhAt wiiteešútš.
– Then it went down (a hill) and then he threw himself off (the horse) the young man.
a noowitíʾAt a – nuu – witUtwaačiríškA – nuu –
And then he went and – there – it was a pointed hill – there –
wenataátA tsu wehneenuutunaawísaʾ taNAhoosánax.
when he went up but it now caught up with it the wild buffalo.

wewiteéRIt xaawaarúxtiʾ – tsu – wewititáʾAt wiiteešútš.
It stood the horse – but – he went up the young man.
na taNAhoosánax noowiteeRAhuunukaaraahUxítIt xaawaarúxtiʾ
And the wild buffalo then it began throwing it up in the air the horse
tiwehnineeritšwánu wehnakootíkA.
when it threw it down as it killed it.
NIhúxuʾ noowitiskarútkUx.
Only then the hide lay there.

natsú wiiteešútš wewititáʾAt niiʾAhnawaákUx.
However the young man now he went up where the hill was.
na noowitiNAxweesítIt taNAhoosánax.
And then it began looking for him the wild buffalo.
wehnii- teéRIt wehnaWAhnaáhu – wehnaWAhnaáhu – tanáhaʾ
When it saw him as it was snorting, – as it was snorting – the buffalo,
noowitunaahkawikataʾuúkUt nikuwehnuutaánu.
then it butted against the hillside when it was doing that.
nuu – hUhtiísuʾ– ahnoowitiwaaʾoohásAt.
There – finally– then the hill just got smaller.
– nuu – wewi- tUtwaačiriikunásA niiʾAhnawaatawiriwó.
– There – now the hill was tapered where it was butting the hill.
noowitIhaah- kaʾiíšAt – tanáhaʾ – niiʾAhnuxaahkAhaanuúhAt
Then it went down a bank – the buffalo – where a depression was
wehnaWAhnaáhu wehnaWAhnaáhu.
as it snorted, as it snorted.

tsu – wiiteešútš – nootikUxtakaáhAt iiʾAhnakaaxIšuúhAt.
But – the young man – then he ran down where there was a washout.
noowewitiinipiitataʾús.
Then he lay down on his stomach.
tiwehnaakataʾá taNAhoosánax tsu witiWAhnaáhuʾ
When it came up (the bank) the wild buffalo but it was snorting
tiwehniNAxwé tiwehniNAxwé.
as it looked for him, as it looked for him.
tsu witiWAhnaáhuʾ.
but it was snorting.
noowitihnunáx.
Then he was found by it.
noowitiihaahkAxá.
There he lay in the depression.
tehnaraawičeéʾIs.
It must have been deep.
noowitiihaahkAxá.
There he lay in the depression.

noowitihAstaʾiwooxítIt NIstaakíniʾ taNAhoosánax.
Then it began licking him on the back the wild buffalo.
noowitihAstaʾiwooxítIt – NIstaakíniʾ.
Then it began licking him – on the back.
– nuu hUhtiísuʾ noowi- tehtskaaruuwáʾ paátuʾ NIstaakíniʾ AhnahAstaʾíwo.
– There finally then it drew liquid blood on the back as it licked it.
hUhtiísuʾ wiiteešútš – noowiteečitstáʾ – wehnačíkAt – tsu –
Finally the young man – then he cried – as he cried – but –
Ahneenipii- tatAxá.
as he lay on his stomach.
noowitiwakuunoóxAt tanáhaʾ AhnuxWAhnaahú.
Then the sound ceased the buffalo its snorting.

noowitiwaákoʾ – šuuxiriwaátAt.
Then it said: – "Get up!
wah šiškatáʾ.– šuxwiítIt.
Now come up!– Sit down!"

wah wiiteešútš – tsu– noowitiiriwaátAt.
Now the young ma – but– then he arose.
– noowiteekatáʾ AhnakaaxIšúhAt.
– Then he came up the washout.
– a noowitiíkUx wiítA.
– And there he sat a man.
– witireskukatAhká.
– He had a robe fur side out.

wah šuxwiítIt.
"Now sit down!"

na – noowitiwiítIt – wiiteešútš.
And – so he sat down – the young man.
tsu wewitiisiráxAt iinawaakatiitúhAt.
But he had been led where the Rocky Mountains are.

noowitiwaákoʾ wah tAxkooritštaáhunoʾ iinatuuxaríčI.
Then he said: "Now you spoiled my range where I was.
tAxkooritštaáhunoʾ.
You spoiled my range.
tiwenataakUxniraána tiwenatohniraána weneetohkoótIt xaawaarúxtiʾ
After my running after you, after my chasing you, I killed yours horse,
tsu oopiínuʾ koxteéʾu xaawaarúxtiʾ.
but another I will give you a horse.
tiweNAxkaaʾiišUhtáNI anuuščitáʾAt anuú nakatooxUhuunoótA.
Before you go home you'll go on top there where it is flat.
neeširoósit xaataátuʾ.
You'll take them horse chips.
neešiwaa- híNIt.
Then you burn them.
xaawaarúxtiʾ áriišIt kooxeéʾaʾ.
A horse itself it will come.
kooxuutuu- níkUt.
You will catch it.
nooNAhiínaʾ kutuhné xaawaarúxtiʾ wenateéhA.
Beyond it is better the horse my giving it to you.
a neešikaaʾiíšAt.
And then you'll go home."

na – noowitiiriwátAt.
And – then he arose.
na – inoowitiíʾ tanáhaʾ.
And – there it was a buffalo.
noowiteéRIt štoh wehnaʾaáNA tanáhaʾ sáhniš wehnúxkUx.
There it stood again after it became a buffalo, a human after he had sat there.

wah taanikuwituutAxítIt.
Now this is what happened.