XML version dated October 16, 2025. © Douglas R. Parks, Indiana University.

74.

The Hidatsa Who Ridiculed

the Arikara Bear Doctors

Lillian Brave


wah – tsu – wenehkukaawaaríčI sáhniš
Now – but – when they were in a medicine ceremony Arikaras,
arakarahú – nataraakíčI – wenehkukaawaaríčI na
Arikaras – ourselves – when they were in a medicine ceremony, and
– noowiteeraanookaaʾiíšaʾ – wiiteešútš oowátkAt wehniinatharaáhNA.
– then they came into the clearing by the house – young men outside when they ridiculed them.
wewitiinathára.
They ridiculed them.

na noowitihwáčiʾ – sáhniš wah – anuú noonuuxunú.
And then they said – Arikaras: "No – there let them be!
kaakiiNIsšxá witatshaánuʾ čeésuʾ.
They are not sensible Hidatsas too.
kaakiiNIsšxá.
They are not sensible.
šeekaakee- ninuunaáwa
They are impulsive."

na noowitiRAhkaʾiíšAt wiiteešútš.
And then they went into the woods the young men.
anuú wehnaraanátA waraačeékAt noowitanuhnaaʾiitUxIswátAt áxkUx.
There as they went in thick woods then he remembered a song one.
noowitiwaáko.
Then he sang.

nawaraaniiwakaa tiʾaaseeni.
wenawaraaniiwaáka atíʾAx tiʾ.
When he comes thumping through the brush my father it is.
nawaraaniiwakaa tiʾaaseeni.
wenawaraaniiwaáka atíʾAx tiʾ.
When he comes thumping through the brush my father it is.

wehnaraanátA noowitiwaákoʾ áxkUx axiwaakaáhuʾ.
As they were going then he said one: "Don't say that!
axiwaakaáhuʾ.
Don't say that!
kaakuhniwá sáhniš.
They are not good Arikaras.
kaakuhniwá arakarahú.
They are not good Arikaras.
kaakuhniwá.
They are not good.
tinaaná čeésiʾ niininaanaáhNA.
They have power, too, the power they have.
– tihwaaRUxtíʾ.
– They are holy.
– kuúNUx šitiiná.
– The bear they have it.
nihwaaRUxtíʾ.
They are holy.
kaakunaáhe.
It is not good.
na kaakuutaánuʾ.
Don't be doing that."

wah tsu wekuwituhnaaʾúʾ wiiteešútš.
Now but he continued young man.
noowititakaáhAt.
Then he dismounted.
noowititakaáhAt AhnuuxičitáWI.
Then he dismounted the one he rode.
noowewitiihAxwánuʾ wehnaakaáhu wehnaakaáhu.
Then he was dancing around as he was dancing, as he was dancing.

čiríkU naawiitakaaraahIškúsuʾ noowiteečišwakaRAsáʾ kuúNUx.– či
Oh my, all of a sudden then it let out a growl a bear.– Here
tiweešeénaʾ anačiíšiniʾ.
it had come there from the rear!
– anačiíšiniʾ či tiweešeénaʾ.
– From the rear here it came there!
čiríkU noowitinoohuuniričíšAt.
Oh my, then it threw him to the ground.
noowitihkakawaákAt.
Then it tore him up.
čituúʾuʾ noowitihtapaánoʾ.
All then it tore him to pieces.
noowitihtapaánoʾ.
Then it tore him to pieces.
noowitihčirikáWAt.
Then it took one eye out.
nuukuwitehčiriikawáNIt.
It threw the eye over there in the distance.

noowitiwaákoʾ áxkUx wiitatshaánuʾ wah sí nikuNIt-
Then he said one Hidatsa: "Now, see, that is
kuxwaákAhu nooNUsuxtaánuʾ.
just what I was saying: 'Let it be!'"

noowitinaaničitawiítIt.– noowitiinuuwáʾAx.
Then they mounted.– Then they ran off in different directions.
– noowitini- kUxwísAt – niiʾAhnaʾítIt – wiitatshaánuʾ.
– Then they fled to the safety of it – where the village was – Hidatsa.
wetihkoótIt áxkUx.
He had been killed one.
kuúNUx wetihkoótIt.
A bear he had been killed by it.

na – noowitihwáčiʾ – wiitatshaánuʾ kaakuhniwá sáhniš.
And – then they said – Hidatsas: "They are not good Arikaras.
kaakuhniwá arakarahú.
They are not good Arikaras.
tihwaaRUxtíʾ.
They are holy.
nikutatuxwaakaáhuʾ axiraanoókuʾ.
That is what I was saying: 'Don't sing it!
axiraanoókuʾ.
Don't sing it!'
neeniitaʾiíta.
He became more intense.
wetuhnaaʾúʾ.
It continued.
nooweteeWIhuučitawíhuʾ naraanoóku.
Then he was repeating it his singing.
neenihtapAtkawaakároʾ.
Then he was torn to shreds by it.
na tiíNI niiwekohnaáxa niiwekohnakoósta – wetihkoótIt – kuúNUx.
And now wherever he lies, wherever the corpse is, – he was killed by it – a bear."

witiwaákoʾ sáhniš wah číra iitaraahnaneewaáta.
He said an Arikara: "Now let's take a look."

na noowitiraáNAt sáhniš.
And then they went Arikaras.
nooWIšitiitiiteéRIt.
Then they saw the body.

hásI tiNAhnapaaríčI tAhnapaaRUxtíʾ.
"Look, we here, we are holy.
Ahnookaakatuhnaa- kaawaanúʾ.
We don't just do things.
tikuhnaakaapaačíštI kuúNUx tičé nuúʾUt uuxawásU skarustaahiísuʾ.
He pitied us the bear, its being thus even if it was a dried hide!
titaahíš.
It is dried.
tíʾ skarus- taahiíšuʾ.
It is a dried hide.
tsu neewaaRUxtíʾ.
But it is holy.
tetkoókuʾ.
It hears.
tetkoókuʾ.
It hears.
nii- NItkuraapačíʾA nootetkoókuʾ kuúNUx.
What we say then it hears it the bear."

na noowitiwaákoʾ witatshaánuʾ heeʾ nikutatuxwaakaáhuʾ tinaaríčI
And then he said a Hidatsa: "Yes, that is what I was saying this one
natuuNUxtaanipakú – kanaʾaaxuutaáNA.
when I was telling him not to do it: – 'You ought not do that.
– na kaakiraath- thará.
– Don't ridicule them.
axiraathará.
Don't ridicule them!'
tsu neeniitaʾiíta wenaraatharaáhNA.
Instead he became more intense his ridiculing them."

noowitiRAhkaaʾiíšAt.
Then they went home.
nooWIšitiiteéRIt.
Then they saw him.

hásI.
"Look!
– šiišuxtipaána.
– Hide him!
šiišuxkaáWI.
Bury him!
šiišuxkaáWI.– neeši- naahnaánaʾ.
Bury him!– Then you can come.
neešiišuuteéRIt.
Then you'll see him.
neešiišiRAxwé warakuʾé.
Then you can look for him your friend.
neešiišiRAxwé na inookananiišá.
You can look for him and he won't be there!"

na – noowitiRAhkaaʾiíšAt – wiitatshaánuʾ.
And – then they went home – the Hidatsas.
wehnaRAhkaaʾii- šátA na nooWIšitihkaáWI.
When they went home and then they buried him.
nuuwekuwitiRAhwíʾAt natš wešohniituučitaroosíhA wiítA.
It was piled up high wood after they piled it over him the man.

nuu wehnaRAhkaaʾiišátA tsu witiRAhkaaʾiíšAt sáhniš.
Then when they went home and they went home Arikaras.
noowitiNAsačiwaapí kuúNUx.
Then they gathered them up bears.
skarustaahiíšuʾ nootinanipaahwá.
The dried hides then they put them in (bundles).

wehnaraanáta wiitatshaánuʾ na inoó číkuʾ kanawitiišá natš áxkUx.
When they went the Hidatsas, and there there was not any stick one.
– AhnoowitiraaNAhpátkUx.
– There was just a bloody spot.
– AhnoowitiraaNAhpátkUx niiʾAhnuúsA wiítA
– There was just a bloody spot where he had lain the man.
nikunoowiteeraaníhIt wehnihnaaʾeéRIt.
Then that was the only thing when they saw it.

nawáh si wetAxuhnaahnaaʾeéRIt niinatuhnaakuúʾA čeésiʾ sáhniš.
"Now, see, you (pl) have seen it, the way that we are ourselves Arikaras."

nawáh wetatuhnaahneesiíšuʾ.
"Now we know.
kunooxuhnaánuʾ.
That will be all.
nikunooxi- raateéhAt.
This will be the end.
štoh kanaaxteeraahthará.
Again I won't ridicule you.
kunooxuhnaánuʾ.
That will be all."