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

140

The Man Given Power

by the Thunderbirds

Matthew White Bear

nooWIšitiraaWIhkaʾíšWA niiʾAhnawaanaanúhAt
Then they (du) went hunting where the hills stretched on
tišwačiʾaahUxuúkuʾ waakastAhkataáʾuʾ.
they used to always say (ie call them) Killdeer Mountains.

tiihéʾ – tiNAhunaanoótA – aniwešohnatiína wešoh-
Here – this land stretching – where they (du) came when
nítka áxkUx – tiwehnačirikaʾaáNA – nookanawi- tiišá.
they (du) slept one – when he awoke – there he (ie the other) did not lie.

nootiwískaʾ weteeNAxtaaWIhkaʾiíšAt.
Then he thought: "You must have gone hunting.
awít wetehnaáxAt.
First you must have one."

nootuutaaNIštát – wenakaanunaʾU – na nootíʾAt – NAhkuraaWIhkaʾaáhNA.
Then he finished doing it – his cooking a meal – and then he went – his going hunting.
witawísaʾ – wenaakaa- ʾiišAhú wehnaasšaweétA.
He arrived back – after he was coming to camp after he became tired.
nootiwísAt.
Then he arrived.
kanawitiiwanúʾ.
He was not there.

nootiRAxweesítIt.
Then he began to look for him.
– noowitiwískaʾ – wetee- NAxkUhuNAhaásuʾ
– Then he thought – "Now you must be lost."

na híNAx wekananiikatiisiʾá.
And at night it became really dark.
noowitičeekaričitá- kux.
Then he put a fire on it.
witikAhíNIt – waahíniʾ – kooxanutkuniiteéRIt.
He made a fire – on a hill – (so that)'you will see the flame.'

tiwehnaaheešá – nookanawituhníWIs.
When morning came – then he did not appear
– noowitiwískaʾ weteeNAxkaaʾiíšAt.
– Then he thought: "Now you must have gone home."

witawísaʾ.
He arrived.
noowitiRAxweesítIt.
Then he began to look for him.
witiwáčiʾ číkuʾ kaakaWIsaáhuʾ.
They said: "He has not returned at all.

nooWIšitiiNAxwíʾAt.
Then they went to look for him.
– noowitihwískaʾ – wešiteeNAxihkoótIt.
– Then they thought: – "You must have been killed by them."

tsu – tiwehnačirikaʾaáNA – inoowitiihíʾ nuu áskAt niiʾAhnawaákUx.
But – when he awoke – there he was there up above where there was a hill.
na nooWIšitiíkUx nikUsIhániʾ noošohnakuúʾU kúhtuʾ
And there there sat (du) young birds, their (du) being there down feather(ed)
siíno niišohnaákUx.
yet where they (du) were.

tsu – inoowitiíkUx – niíšuʾ wehnaaraʾá thunderbird
But – there there was – an arrow after she brought it the thunderbird
– niikóhnoʾ – nakuwaákA.
– whatever it is – to say (ie call it).
šitit- nehkUxuúkuʾ.
They used to mean it.

noowitiwaákoʾ wetatoosiráxaʾ tišinaákUx piiráʾuʾ taanikUšinakuutuúʾA.
Then she said: "I brought it to you these (du) children for them (du) to be thus (ie to be the same).
čikohnáʾU noo- teeraaʾIhwísaʾ.
Something then it arrives here angrily
– noošitikuhkanéʾIs.
– Then it eats ours up.
šitikuhkanéʾIs.
It eats ours up.
wetátskaʾ NAxkukootíkA.
Now I want for you to kill it."

nootiništaánu.
Then she gave him arrows.
nootihtinaáku.
Then she gave him a bow.

tsu iiʾAhnawaákAhu tiišohnaákUx nikUsIhániʾ tíštIt wešikanawitiíkUx.
But while she was talking these (du) young birds well they were not now sitting.
noowitipIhuuʾá.
Then it became foggy.
číkuʾ kanawitíʾ nakuhnaaʾeéRIt niihnuutaánu wenehkutaʾá.
Nothing could be seen as it did it when it came up.
noowitipIhuuʾá.
Then it became foggy.

šáxtiʾ – na – hiʾáxtiʾ nooWIšitunaači- teeʾá
The mother – and – the father then it became difficult for them (du)
niišinakuuwó šinakuuwaníkA.
where they were going for them (du) to shoot it.
noošitihkanéʾIs.
Then it ate them (du) up.
nootaahtawiraáʾAt štoh.
Then it went down over yonder again.

wiítA noowiwiteewireéhAs.
The man then he readied himself.
noowiteepAxkatáʾ.
Then its head came up.
noowitIhaakaarákUx.
Its mouth was wide open.
nuutawáčeš nikuʾaáNU witiRIhuúʾU.
A water monster if it were that one it was big.

tsu wekananiirištaná.
But he now had the arrows indeed.
nootuutUhuunooku- wáNIt.
Then he shot it in the mouth
– kananiirištaná.
– He had the arrows indeed.
– wah tsu tiraaná waaRUxtiíʾuʾ číkuʾ weNIhkuuhaásIt.
– Now but he had the way holiness (ie lightning) for him to flash (lit throw).
noo- tihkoótIt.
Then it was killed by him.

nikunooWIšititwaaWIhtít anináʾU wiítA.
Then they were the ones who spoke to him that man.
WIšititkaapaačíštIt.
They (du) blessed him.
wewišitiniitá niihnuxWIskáʾA.
Now they (du) did it for him what he had wanted.

nooteekaaʾiíšaʾ.
Then he came home.
nootiwísAt niihnuuxítAt.
Then he arrived where the village was.

nooWIšituuteéRIt.
Then he saw them (du).
číkuʾ noowenehkuhnaána.
"What did they come for?
číkuʾ  noošikanawitiituuNAhuunuúku wewitinuhnaahúNAx.
Could they not do anything his finding a way for himself?"

niiwenehkuʾá weNAhkuwaákA waarúxtiʾ wenehkuʾa NAhkuWAhnaahú
When it came when it spoke the thunder, when it came, when it sounded
– na – wenehkutUsiína – noowituuNItkoókuʾ – NAh- kuhnéhku.
– and – when it rained – then he heard it – what it meant.
nootiraaʾiitáWI niikanaNAhkuunaaheéRA.
Then he told it what was not good (ie misfortune).

nootiraaʾiitáWI – číkuʾ tákuʾ nakuhnunáhAs – xaawaarúxtiʾ noóčI tákuʾ weNAxkukuhtaʾút.
Then he told it – when someone lost something – a horse the ones, "When someone stole mine."
nikunootuúta anináʾU wiítA – noowitičiraánus tstoóxuʾ.
Then that is what he did the one man: – then he put it in it water.
– nootirii- šaʾús.
– Then he laid an arrow in the water.
kawíʾuʾ kóhnoʾ.
An arrowhead it must have been.
nootuh- neésiš.
Then he found out.
– nootihnaaʾiitáWI.
– Then he told him.
witiwaákoʾ – šooxikuh- taʾút.
He said: – "They might have stolen mine."
– nootiisunaaʾiitáWI.
– Then he told him the place.
– nikutiwaáRIt tsu wešinihkuhtaʾuútI.
– They stood there, but their having been stolen from him.

noowitiwaákoʾ – wešitohtaʾút.
Then he said: – "They stole yours."
– wituhnáʾA áriišIt tiNAhunuuwaáWI číkuʾ niiwenehkutaʾuútI
– He did it himself: "These going around the ones stealing something
číkuʾ nii- weNAhkUhunáhAs nikuwewitíʾIt.
anything that is lost they are the ones."

noowitiwaákoʾ tátskaʾ šiʾaxkuNAxwé.
Then he said: "I want for you to look for it.
tehni- kuhkúxIt tinaraapiRIhuuníčI.
He must have taken mine this valuable thing."

nikunoowituúta wiítA.
Then that is what he did the man.
– witiwaákoʾ – aniišuúxAt na šanuhnaʾít – škuúxu – NAxkuunaáhNA.
– He said: – "Go there and tell him: – 'Give me – what you have of mine!'
noonii- raanipá.
He is hiding it.
neetohnaaʾiitáWI niinaákUx.
I'll tell you where it is.
neešikúxIt.
You'll take it."

na nikuwituutaawaánuʾ.
And these are the things he was doing.
wituuxItkawoókuʾ waarúxtiʾ nehkuʾá NAhkuwaakAhú.
He was hearing it Thunder as it came as it was sounding (lit speaking).

wah taanikunoowetiraaʾiitúxAt niinatuhneesšú.
Now then this is as far as the story goes what I know.