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

107

The Death Feast

Ella P. Waters

wetatunaaʾiitíštA – áxkUx – niiʾAhnuutAxítIt anuu pakúhtuʾ.
Now I am going to tell about it – one – what happened long, long ago
– sahNIšwakúhtuʾ siinó tineetuhnaakaánuʾ– tiíNI tiweNAheeštoswaáWI.
– Old people yet we are doing it– today these days.
tákuʾ weNAhkUhunáhAs nikunootii- sá šiNIhkukaanuunáʾU
When someone he dies then that is what they do: for them to feed him
nikuwetatuhnaakaanúʾ tiíNI.
that is what we do today.
čituúʾuʾ wetiraahunuuwaahaásuʾ – natsú – nikuwenuunaaʾiíWIs niinatuhnaakaánu.
Everything the ways are dying out – but – that is what occurs what we do.

anuu pakúhtuʾ wiiteešútš wituxtawéʾ.
Long, long ago a young man there was.
kanawituxtaawi- teeruuwanúʾ na noowitiwaákoʾ tsu nikukoótI
He didn't believe in anything and then he said: "But when I die
nikUhunáhAs koxtiínaʾ štoh inooʾiteeraakunuuwaáWI neksaánuʾ.
after I die I will come back if we go around (as) a ghost.
kox- tiínaʾ.
I will come.
koxtohnaahnaaʾiitáWI – inooniiraaníšU – Ahnataraakunuu- waáWI neksaánuʾ.
I will tell you (pl) – if it is true – if we go around (as) ghosts."
na nikunoowituutAxítIt wena- wanú wenawanú.
And then that is what happened when he went around, when he went around.

hUhtiísuʾ – noowitiinaaxihUxítIt – wiiteešútš na noowitIhunáhAs.
Finally – then he became sick – the young man and then he died.
na noowitiwaákoʾ nikUhunáhAs koxtiínaʾ štoh.
And then he said: "After I die I will come back."

tiwešohnihkaawíhA nikunoowituúta.
After they buried him, then that is what he did.
tsu itUhčituúʾuʾ – wewitihneesiíšuʾ – niiʾAhnuxwaakaahUxukú wiiteešútš.
But the entire village – they knew – what he used to say the young man.
nuu weNAhunáhAs tákuʾ oopiínuʾ wiiteešútš – híNAx –
Then after he died someone different a young man – at nigh –
noowitIhúukAt šáxtiʾ hiʾáxtiʾ niiʾAhnanuuNUxakaáWI.
then he entered (the lodge) his mother, his father where his lodge was.

noowitiwaákoʾ atináʾ wetatihwísaʾ.
Then he would say: "Mother, I have arrived."

a či tákuʾ witáʾ oopiínuʾ wešiniinoo- hatkú
And here someone he came different, their fooling them (du)
súxtIt na kuNAhúx.
the old woman and the old man.

nuutiwehnúutA nátkAt – nuu – witeehuúkaʾ híNAx takohnáʾU.
As time went on afterward – there – he came inside at night someone.
noowitiwaákoʾ atináʾ wetatihwísaʾ niinatux- waákA.
Then he said: "Mother, I have arrived as I used to say."

noowiteečitstáʾ Išáxtiʾ wetAxanuhnaáka šiNAxkuku- ʾoohatkú.
Then she cried his mother: "You're doing it your (pl) fooling me."

noowitiwaákoʾ kaakíʾ nikutatíʾ.
Then he said: "No, I am the one."
noowititihI- šáx nikutátiʾ.
Then he named himself: "I am the one.
naNUstAhwé niinatuxwaákA wetatiínaʾ.
Arrow Feathers as I used to say I have come.
suxtaaʾiitáWI atíʾAx.
Tell him my father!
nuxčeekatawíʾIš.
Let him stoke the fire!
nuxtáʾAt naanataahíniʾ nakuutakAxaáwa.
Let him go onto it on the earth lodge to call out to them!
tiweneekaákUx wetawísaʾ natihnaáʾU.
'He is here in (the lodge). He has come back my son.
niinuxwaákA wetawísaʾ.
As he said he has come back.'"

anuú nikunoowituutAxítIt – tiwehnaraanátA – sahNIš- tAhčituúʾuʾ.
There then this is what happened – when they went – all the people.

na noowitiwaákoʾ tákuʾ axihwiísaʾ.
And then he said: "No one come near!
tákuʾ axihwiísaʾ.
No one come near!
tákuʾ axkuutuuníkUt niitinátkUx.
Don't anyone touch me here where I sit!"

na nikunoowitsá tiwehnihčeekatawiíšu NIhúxuʾ
And then that is what they did: when the fire was being stoked only
WIšitiiNAtkoókuʾ AhnawaaWIhtikú atsú šikanawitiiteérikuʾ.
they heard him when he talked but they did not see him.

a noowitiwaákoʾ taanikutataraakaapaátš.
And then he said: "Here we are poor.
niinataraa- kítAt nikutiraakaapaátš naaWIškaánuʾ Axkásuʾ neesítš.
Where we are living they are scarce tobacco, sinew, knives."

na noowitiraanaWIsiruútIt na noowiteenanuuwáʾ Axkásuʾ –
And then they went out and then they brought them sinew, –
naaWIškaánuʾ – neesítš.
tobacco, – knives.
nooWIšitihnanoóʾAt tineéros – Axkásuʾ.
Then they handed them to him: "Here it is – sinew."
nookanawitiiraaníšta – nikuwehniisaahnú.
Then he did not have them in his hand – when they were doing that.

weNAheešahIštáNI noowitiwaákoʾ wah wetaátAt.
When morning was about to come, then he said: "Now I go.
– tákuʾ naaxkukuhwakuunáwoʾ.
– Maybe someone will doubt me.
– niiwešiNAxkuxkaawíhA tákuʾ šaanátA neešanuhnaaʾeéRIt niinatuxkawátAt.
– Where you buried me if someone goes there, you'll see the place where I got out.
neeneetikaásuʾ.
I urinated there.
šanuhnaahnaaʾeéRIt.
You'll (pl) see it.
neešanaahnaahuunii- níšIt kutatíʾ weNAtkawátAt.
Then you'll (pl) be- lieve it: I am the one when I got out.

atsú – neetískaʾ aatawaákA tákuʾ – NIhkunaaxíʾU
"But – I want that I say someone – when he is sick,
weNIhkunaaxíʾU – atíštIt kananakuuwaawáʾA čiitíʾIš – nakuu-
when he is sick, – well his not eating, four – after
haweéNA – wah šitAxkaanuunóxtA – niiNAsuxkaanuunoóčI.
days pass – now you are to cook – the things he liked to eat.
šitAxkaanuunóxtA.
You are going to cook.
nikutátskaʾ aatohnaahnaaʾiita- wíhA.
That is what I want that I tell you (pl)."

wah tiíNI – tuNAsaakaríčI – neetuhnaakaánuʾ anináʾU
Now at present – today – we are doing it that
wiiteešútš niiʾAhnawaákA na nikutiisaahnúʾ.
young man what he said: "And that is how you are to do it."
nikutiraačítA tinatuhnaakaánu ačitaánuʾ sáhniš.
That is the reason our doing this tribe Arikara.
niku- tatuhnaakaánuʾ táku wenakUhunáhAs.
That is what we do when someone dies.
čiitíʾIš tiihawé anuú štoh noošitihkaanúnoʾ.
Four days pass then again then they cook.
niiNAhkUsuxkaanuunuúčI noošitih- kaanúnoʾ.
What he liked to eat then they cook it.
wah tiíNI nikutatuhnaakaánuʾ ačitaánuʾ sáhniš.
Now today that is what we do tribe Arikara.

hawá noowitiwaákoʾ naNUstAhwé na šikaakikutaráʾoʾ hiíš
Also then he said Arrow Feathers: "Don't talk about me in the evening,
natsú šaakaričíškAt na šitikutaráʾoʾ.
but in the daytime they can talk about me."