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

116

The Sioux Captive

Tortured by Mosquitoes

Dan Howling Wolf

niikohniíhiʾ nataraakítAt noowitinoohúnoʾ toxtaapóʾ naawiinakuúnuʾ.
Wherever it was our village, then they planned it: "Let's go (on) the warpath!"
noowiwitiinawireéhAs.
Then they prepared them elves.
xaawaarúxtiʾ tinaaničitawiiruútIt.
Horses they mounted them.
nootiraáNAt.
Then they went.

nuu noowitiraáNAt.
There then they went.
sanánat noowitinaanunáx.
Sioux then they found them.
tiwaápAt.
They fought.
tiRAxUhuúna sanánat.
There was a fight (with) the Sioux.
tiinaakuh- čitáʾAt.
They got the best of them.
nootiinuuwáʾAx.
Then they ran off.

tsu áxkUx nooWIšitiinawíhAt WIšitistaakaruuwaáhAt WIšitiituuníkUt.
But one then they headed him off, they surrounded him, they caught him.
nooWIšitiisiráxAt.
Then they took him.
WIšitiitawaáhUt.
They held him.

witihwačiʾaáhuʾ na tičé šiNAsiNAhuunúxtA tinaaríčI.
They were saying: "And what are we going to do with him this one?
šikanaasihkoótIt.
We will not kill him.
šiisiisuxtawitareewaápI aniNAhaápI a xás kUšiniškoótIt.
Let's tie him up to it that tree and mosquitoes let them kill him!"

uu kanawituuNUxteešawíhAx xás aninaawiriítU.
Oh, there were hordes of them mosquitoes that summer.

nikunootIsá nooWIšitistareewaápI.
Then that is what they did: then they tied him to it.
WIšitiitIštsareewáapI– hawá– Axtaaníniʾ tiiháʾ čituúʾuʾ.
They tied his hands,– also– the feet here all.
WIši- tistawitareewaápI NAhaápI.
They tied his body to it a tree.

anuú nootiraáNAt.
There then they went.

wah hánuʾ.
"Now go on!
šikooxehkoótIt xás.
They will kill him mosquitoes."

nootuutaánuʾ nootiraáNAt.
Then they were doing it: then they went
wešiniiNAh- naáxIt wešiniitAhniraanátA sanánat.
Now they chased them as they pursued them Sioux.
nuu číkuʾ niikohniíhiʾ šitiitakunaawísAt sanánat.
There wherever it was they caught up with them the Sioux.

štoh nootiRAxUhuúna nuu NAhkukoohaahkAhunuu- waáWI.
Again then there was a fight there where they were going about on the prairie.
nootihkawoótIt na tiiNAhnaa- húnoʾ.
Then they killed them and they scalped them.
pAxIskuúxuʾ noowewitinaaNIsaawíra.
Scalps then they were waving them on poles.

wah číkuʾ niikohnuxtaáNAt– noowitiraačeéʾA Ahnuxu-
Now wherever they went– then it was a long time their
nuuwaáWI nuu skaweéraaʾuʾ.
going around there (in) the west.

na noowitiwaákoʾ wah toxtaakaaʾišwóʾ.
And then he said: "Now let's go home!"

xaawaarúxtiʾ nikuwitištaʾuutíšWA a číkuʾ noošikaakiNAhnáNAt.
Horses those are what they had gone to steal and then they did not take any of them.
nooteeRAhkaaʾiíšaʾ.
Then they came home.

anuú wehnaraána áxkUx noowitiwaákoʾ wiítA čeétoʾ itaraápoʾ
There as they were coming one then he said man: "Let's go there
sanánat paatúh šiNAsiisuxtawitareewaapíhA.
the Sioux enemy where we tied him up to it."

nawáh.
"Fine."

nootiraáNAt.
Then they went.
nuuweNAhkUxUhuuwiraátA taanikutií- hiʾ noowitiRAhčeswaátAt.
As they were running there, "This is the place," then they got out of the brush.

noowiteéRIt.
There he stood.
noowitUtkostákUx.
The dead body hung there.
noowitiiskA- huukásIt wešohnehtskaruuwátI
His face was pale white (pallid) after they had taken the liquid out of him
xás paátuʾ.
mosquitoes blood.
noo tákuʾ iiNAhuhwaáWI nii- ʾaNAhaápI
Then anyone where the grass grew where the tree was
tákuʾ NAhkUhuhkaʾiišátA noowiteštaNAh- pAhaáta.
when anyone went into the grass then his feet became all red.
xás weNAhkukaawačiitaáNA nootaah- kót
A mosquito when it became full then it would die
iinakataahwaáWI na noowitíʾ paátuʾ xás
where the grass grew, and there it was blood, mosquitoes
wešohnihtskaruuwátI paátuʾ.
after they had taken liquid from him blood.
noowi- tuxtaaNIhuúʾU naáNIt xás aninaawiriítU.
There were many really mosquitoes that summer.

noowitUtkostákUx.
There his body was hanging.
nooWIšitinoóʾa a číkuʾ nooWIšitihkaʾús.
Then they took it off and then they laid him in the brush.

wah nikunoowituutAxítIt nootiRAhkaaʾiíšAt nuu iiʾAhnatoxtaakítAt.
Now then that is what happened: then they went home there where our village was.
nootiRAhwísat.
Then they arrived.

nootiinaaʾít taanikuwetuutAxítIt.
Then they told of it: "This is what happened.
xás šitihkoótIt sanánat.
Mosquitoes they killed him a Sioux.
taanikutatuhnaáka šineetUstawi- tareewaápI niiNAhaápI.
This is what we did: we tied him to it where a tree was.
xás kananiiraaNIhuúʾU.
Mosquitoes there were many!
šitehnitskaruuwaáWAt paátuʾ.
They must have drained all the liquid blood.
niiwenatinaah- naána na nooNUtkostákUx.
When we came there and the body was hanging there.
nootiihuukásIt.
He was pallid all over.
čituúʾuʾ paátuʾ tehnitskaruuwaáWAt.
All blood they must have extracted it.
na tákuʾ tuuxuh- kaʾuúkUt iiNAhuhwaáWI
And when anyone went in the grass where the grass grew
nooteštaNAh- pAhaáta
then his feet got all red."

xás.
Mosquitoes
wehnakawoótIt číkuʾ nuukuwitiihihtAhwíʾAt xás
where they died there was a deep layer of them mosquitoes.
taanikuWIšitiNAhuúnuʾ sanánat.
This is what they did to him a Sioux.

taanikunootiiraáʾAt.
This is the end (of the story).