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

137

The Scalped Man Who Stole Things

Dan Hopkins

wetatunaaʾiitíštA tshunúxuʾ nuuxitUh-
Now I am going to tell about it a scalped man where the
noowiisákUx – nihnanéhku – čišwátU
village was by the river bank – the one they called – Fishhook,
AhnuuxitúhkUx AhniiNIšAhnaanunuuwaahAsú.
where the village was when they were losing their things.

tákuʾ NAhkutawíhA – číkuʾ – arúhtuʾ tákuʾ NAhkuuxaruh-
When someone hung it – some – buckskin, when someone was
noóku – noowititáWI – híNAx.
tanning it – then she hung it – at night.
na witAheešáʾ inookanawitiítA.
And in the morning there it did not hang.
na tákuʾ wetehnikuhtaʾút.
"Why, someone must have stolen mine!"

na – neečiíNI – NAhkiíčI – taakáxtš – taakáxtš
And – especially – when it was – dried meat, – dried meat
NAhkuRAsawaawíhA na – niiNAhkuxtIhuuníčI – taakáxtš noowiteeNUxkhíroʾ.
when one hung it out, and – the ones that were big – dried meat, then he would pick them out.
– nootaaNUxkhíroʾ.
– Then he would pick them out.
– noowitaNAsaríkUt.
– Then he would pick them off.
na witAheešáʾ na tákuʾ tehnikuhtaʾút taakáxtš iinuxtIhuuníčI.
And morning came: "Why, someone must have stolen mine dried meat the biggest ones."

nikuwehnuutAxitikú witohništaʾutka- roóku
While this was happening as they were blaming each other for stealing
niiNAhnaanunuuwaahAsú noowitiwaákoʾ áxkUx wiítA nawáh.
when they were losing their things, then he said one man: "Now!"
niikohnóʾ arúhtuʾ noowiti- waákoʾ šuxtáWI.
Whatever it was a buckskin, then he said: "Hang it up!
oowátkAt šuxtáWI.
Outside hang it up!"

noowitiwaákoʾ tinaákUx sápat hą́ą́ tákuʾ xikuhtaʾút.
Then she said this woman: "Hey, someone might steal it from me."

kaakíʾ.
"No.
šuxtáWI.
Hang it up!"

nikunoowituúta sápat noowititáWI.
Then she did that the woman: then she hung it up.
wehna- tawíhA atsú wiítA noo híNAx niinaʾookaaʾaasíʾU nootikUxpaána.
After she hung it, but the man then at night where it was shaded then he hid.
noowituxpaahUhčeéRIš páh niiwekohnaáRIt.
There the moon shone brightly, the moon wherever it was (lit stood).

noowituuteéRIt sáhniš wehneswátAt – -- weh- neswátAt sáhniš.
Then he saw him a person when he got in sight – -- when he got in sight a person.
noowitiwásAt niiʾAhnatáWI.
Then he arrived where it was hanging.
noowitiirút – nátš wehnaWIskáʾA – aatarooʾaáhNA anináʾU
Then he picked up – a stick, his wanting – 'that I take it off, the one
arúhtuʾ aatarooʾaáhNA.
buckskin that I take it off.'

tsu – tinaaríčI – nootiraawiiNIswaátAt.
But – this one – then he charged out.
tshunúxuʾ nootuhkúxAx.
The scalped man then he ran off.
– nootunáʾAx.
– Then he chased him.
– wenuhniraanátA wenuhniraanátA noowitiihaahtiwiítIt.
– After chasing him, after chasing him, then it became daylight.
wenohniraanáta číkuʾ niiwekohniiraawiiʾót.
As he chased him, it is not known how far it was.

a noowitaaxUhuunawiíʾaʾ sáhniš.
And then the tracks disappeared human.
teeNA- hunaáxa hunaaneeká AhnaraaxIhnaanoowooxukú.
There must have been snow on the ground spring when the ice used to float.
noowitaaxUhuunawiíʾaʾ sáhniš.
Then the tracks vanished human.
noowitootAxUhuunoóhtA sčiríhtš.
Then the tracks turned into coyote.

nikutinaaríčI – wiítA – NAtkú noowewitiwanúʾ.
This one – man – aimlessly then he was going around.
noowewitiihuuwiraaʾá.
Then he was running to and fro.

noo – štoh – noowitootAxUhuunoóhtA – sáhniš.
Then – again – then the tracks became – human.
wah – štoh nootunáʾAx.
Now – again then he ran after him.

tiwehnuhniraanátA – šakUhčituúʾ – tiwehnuhniRAhwanú wah
After he chased him – all day – while he was chasing him now
nikuwituúta weNAxkuutAxUhuunoohtawiítIt sčiríhtš.
he did that his tracks changing into them a coyote.
atsú wetuhneesiíšuʾ wekuwituutUhuúnuʾ.
But he knew it: he continued going.

nohnaahkoótIt NAhnunáhtš tinaátA tshunúxuʾ AhnaWIskáʾA
Then he killed it a deer this one going scalped man, when he thought
tshunúxuʾ Axtóh kooxanuutáwi.
the scalped man: "Certainly you will stop.
kooxaahkúxIt tsástš.
You will pick it up meat."
nooWIšitaahkaxtaríkUt NAhnunáhtš.
Then he took the (hind) legs off the deer.
nooWIšitaahkaxtaríkUt.
Then he took the (hind) legs off.

tsu noowewitáʾ AhnihniRAhwanú.
But then he came on the one who was chasing him.
na noowitiišá NAhnunáhtš.
And there it lay the deer.
nookanaWIšitiikáxtA.
There were no hind legs.

tsu noowekuwituutUhuúnuʾ AhnuhniraanátA wehnuhniRAhwanú.
But then he continued on running when he was chasing him, when he was chasing him.
nootuhniraanukaataʾiíšAt AhnaraáxIhnaanaáwo.
Then he chased him to the river bank where the ice was floating.

noo tshunúxuʾ witaanuhčitAhuúʾAt tiweneehuunukaawaáhu.
There the scalped man he jumped on the ice over there when he was jumping on various pieces.
noowituutIšaánuʾ niišuxkaaʾiíšAt.
Then he was motioning: "Go home!
– niišuxkaaʾiíšAt.
– Go home!"
– nuukunootIhuukatáʾAt.
– Then he crossed over there.

tinaaríčI nootuutapítaahAt.
This one then he turned around.
a nooteéʾaʾ niiʾAhnaáxA NAhnunáhtš.
And then he came to it where it lay the deer.
nootiírut.
Then he picked it up.
nooti- táhpA.
Then he put it on his back.
nooteerikaaʾiíšaʾ.
Then he brought it home.
nootiri- wísAt.
Then he arrived with it.
– nootičiiwaánoʾ.
– Then he butchered it
– nootiraahánoʾ čituúʾuʾ.
– Then he cooked it all.

noowitiwaákoʾ wah suuxakáxaʾ.
Then he said: "Now call them!
noxtaánaʾ.
Let them come!"

teewakAhuutáʾ.
He called out.
tiRAhnuúkAt.
They went inside.
wehnaRAhkaáWI nootihwaawaaNIšítIt wehnihwaawáʾA.
When they were inside, then they began eating, their eating.
tihkanuuwaáhAs.
They ate it up.

wah tinaákUx nikunootunaaʾít.
Now this one then he told that story.
nootiwaákoʾ noonaahnaanunuuwaahAsú witiNAxtaNAhtaʾutkaroóku --
Then he said: "The things that you were losing when you blamed each other --
tíʾ saNIšičíWI.
it is a different person.
tshunúxuʾ nikutuhnáʾA natawaʾuutú.
A scalped man that one is the cause the one who was stealing things.
nikutatsuxtiRAhwanú nuxkatiisíʾU.
He is the one I was chasing last night.
anuú šakUhčituúʾuʾ wenatuhniRAhwanú na nikunuxkoótIt tinaákUx tiwešiNAxkanéʾIs.
There all day after my chasing him, and he killed it this one what you have eaten up.
anuú weku- tIhuukatáʾAt na neeneetuutapítaahAt.
There he crossed the water and I turned back.
neeneetiwísaʾ wenaraakaanunáʾU tiwešiNAxkanéʾIs.
I arrived when she cooked meat this you have consumed.
tshunúxuʾ tuhnáʾA natawaʾuutú.
The scalped man he is the reason the one who is stealing things.
tákuʾ kaakuh- náʾA.
No one (here) is the cause.
nikutoonaahtawaʾuútuʾ.
He is the one stealing things from you (pl)."