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

119

The Woman Who Was Taken by a Bear

Dan Howling Wolf

nuuNAhkiituunoótA iiʾAhnatoxtaahnaanawáNA áxkUx wiítA na
There where the village was where we used to live one man and
naahtakúʾU nikunooWIšitiroohúnoʾ čikiisíšWA.
his wife then they (du) planned it: "Let's go!
čikiisištaaNAxwíʾAt tsástš.
"Let's go look for it meat!
čéstIt tuxtaaWIhkaʾá.
Far away let me hunt!"

nooWIšitíWA.
Then they (du) went.
noowitehtakUhunaanátut noowešohnawáNA číkuʾ niikohniíhiʾ.
Then she put their gear on (a travois) when they (du) went there wherever it was.

wah taanikiisišwiiruútIt.
"Now let's camp right here!
taanikutuhnunané.
This is a good place.
taa- nikukooNAhunuúwa NAhnunáhtš.
This must be where they roam deer."

tiiháʾ nooWIšiteekánoʾ.
Here then they put up a dwelling.
WIšitiwiiruútIt.
They camped.

uu witAheéšaʾ.
Oh, morning came.
sápat NAhkuhnaáhkUx noo- witiraaWIhkaʾiíšAt– čéstIt witanáʾU.
The woman while she sat working then he went hunting– far away the man.
witiraaWIhkaʾiíšAt.
He went hunting.
tsu sápat noowitiwiítIt weNAhkooxUhkaroóku.
But the woman then she sat down her making moccasins.
witUstarih- nuuwanúʾ.
She was sewing.
witiʾookaákUx.
She sat outside.

noowitičiRIhtápIs.
Then she saw a movement.
noowehnareewaataáNA wiítA noowitaahkaʾiíšAt.
When she looked there a man then he went into the woods yonder.
– noowitiwaraateéhAt.
– It was at the edge of the woods.
– noowitičehtatatákUx.
– She sat by the edge of the woods.
WIšitanuunáka.
They (du) had a lodge.
witireewaáta – na – wiítA noowitaahkaʾiíšAt.
She looked, – and – a man then he went into the woods yonder.
witotkahUhkAxá kúhtuʾ.
He had a feather on his head a plume.
witikaʾiíšAt weNAhkuuteéRIt.
He went into the woods when she saw him.
číkuʾ kanawituunaanaasíhtš tsu NAhkUstarihnuuwanú.
She paid no attention to it but while she sewed.

nuu hiíš noowitawísaʾ wiitanáʾU.
Then in the evening then he came back her husband.
noo- kanawitinaaʾiitíhuʾ neeNAhtakúʾU taanikutuutaánuʾ wiítA naačeswaatAhú.
Then she did not tell him her husband: "This is what he is doing a man who came out of the brush."

wah– štoh wenehkUheešá wiítA – noowitiraaWIhkaʾiíšAt.
Now– again when morning came the man – then he went hunting.
na štoh nuukunoowituutAxítIt wekuwitíʾ wiítA.
And again then that is what happened: he was the (same) one man.
štoh noowitaahkaʾiíšAt.
Again then he went into the woods yonder.

hą́ą́ číkuʾ niinooNAhkuútA.
"Hey, whatever is the matter?
číkuʾ niinooNAhkuraačitáWI.
What is the reason for it?"

číkuʾ kanawitiniinaaʾiitíhuʾ neeNAhtakúʾU taanikutuu- taánuʾ wiítA
She did not tell him anything her husband: "This is what he is doing a man,
naačeswaatAhú nakaʾiš- wó.
his coming out of the brush, his going in- to the brush.

na štoh witAheéšaʾ.
And again morning came.
na štoh nikunoowituutAxítIt wehnaʾookaákUx.
And again that is what he did while she sat outside.
nuu tawirístoʾ.
There it was hot.
witireewaáta.
Then she looked.
noowitaáNAt wiítA.
There he went in the distance the man.
štoh noowitikaʾiíšAt.
Again then he went into the woods.

noowitiwískaʾ čee číkuʾ niinooNAxkuútA.
Then she thought: "Say, I wonder what it is?
niiháʾ číkuʾ teeNAxtaanúʾAt.
There there must be a camp.
– tehnaáxIt nataraakíčI.
– They must be our (people).
– weʾaaxiNAh- česwaátaʾ – na aaxaaníčI – sanánat.
– Surely they would have come out of the woods – or they might be – Sioux.
aaxiNAhčeswaátaʾ.
Surely they would have come out of the woods."

tsu nootiiNUhčitáʾAt sápat.
But then he got the best of her the woman.
nootíʾAt.
So she went.
čiraátoʾ itooteéRIt iiNAxihčeswaatAhú.
"Let me see him the one coming out of the woods.
číkuʾ naahkoóka.
Maybe there is a camp."

tikaʾiíšAt.
She went into the woods.
nuuwehnakaʾaáhNA nuuwiteečeswaátaʾ.
As she walked there in the woods, then it came out of the woods.
inoowitíʾ kuúNUx.
There it was a bear.
tinaaríčI sápat nootininuʾá.
This woman then she became frightened.

nooteewísaʾ.
Then it arrived.
nootiwaákoʾ nawáh weteeNAxiínaʾ.
Then he said: "Now you must have come."

hąąʾ weneetiínaʾ.
"Yes, I have come."
wewitiiNAsšawáNIt sápat.
She was mesmerized by him the woman.

tiwaákoʾ wah – tuusíšWA – iinatiniinakaáWI.
He said: "Now, – let's go over there – where my lodge is!
tuusíšWA.
Let's go over there!"

nikunootuúta – wehniisiRAxátA – niiʾAhnaanunuunakaáWI.
Then he did that – his taking her – where his lodge was.
noowešinawáNA noowiteehátA.
When they (du) went there there was a hole.

taanikutatiniináka.
"This is my home."

nooWIšitIhuúpA.
Then they (du) entered.
noowititsastoswá.
There was meat lying all around.
atíštIt nikunoowitiwaawaʾá sápat.
Well then that is what she was eating the woman.

tsu wiítA witawísaʾ.
But the man he came back.
tiwísAt.
He arrived.
nookanawitiikaákUx nohtakúʾU.
She was not inside his wife.

hą́ą́ čuwekutaáxAt.
"Hey, I wonder where you went?"
nootiihuuwiraawaáhAt weNAhuusaʾaáhNA AhnareewaawatíRA
Then he ran around his going in the valley when he was looking around
nuuweh- nawanú.
his going around there.
– čituúʾuʾ wewitireeWAtwá.
– Everywhere he now looked all around.
– kanawi- tiihunaáxuʾ.
– He was not finding her.

noowiteewakAhuutáʾ.
Then he yelled.
číkuʾ kanawituunawíʾIt.
There was no sound.

na sanánat číkuʾ naaxehkuxtAhwísaʾ.
"Why, the Sioux they might have come here.
šinaaxehkuu- siráxAt sanánat.
They might have taken her Sioux."
nikuwewitiWIskawaáwaʾ wiítA.
Those are things he thought the man.

noowiteesšoóxIt.
Then he gave up.
noowitohníʾus.
Then he lay down.

hináxtIt – noowitiiriwátAt – štoh.
In the morning – then he got up – again.
nootiihuuwi- raawaáhAt – anuú wenawanú –
Then he went running here and there – there as he went around –
waanaaníniʾ wehnačitaʾaáhNA.
on the hills as he walked on top.

tsu noowiteesšoóxIt.
But then he gave up.
– witeekaaʾiíšaʾ.
– He came home.
– noowitiwískaʾ tooNUhuhkaaʾiíšAt.
– Then he thought: "Let me finally go home!"

nikunootuúta tehtakUhuNAsačiwaapí.
Then that is what he did: he gathered all his belongings together.
noowitiroswá aNUsuxtariinuuwanú.
There they were lying what she had been sewing.
– nootiRAsačiwaapí.
– Then he gathered them.
– wewitIhukaroswaáWI.
– Now he put them on (the travois).
noowitikaaʾiíšAt skaná wiítA – nuu – iiʾAhnatoxtaakítAt.
Then he went home alone the man – there – where our camp was.
nootiisAhkaʾiíšAt.
Then he went into the village.
tiisAhkaʾiíšAt.
He went into the village.

wehnaWIsátA nootíʾAt niiʾAhnuxtAhkaáWI neešaánuʾ.
When he arrived there then he went where they were inside the chiefs.
– na nootunaaʾít – taanikuwetuutAxítIt.
– And then he told it: – "This is what has happened.
sápat– wetikuhnunáhAs.
Woman– mine has disappeared
– číkuʾ niiwešikohniisiráxAt.
– They must have taken her somewhere.
číkuʾ niiwekohnuutUhuuNAxítIt.
I don't know what happened to her.
tatskáʾ aataRAsacipiíNA wiítA NItkuraapó šiNIskuRAxwé.
I want that I gather them men for us to go for us to look for her."

nikunoowitiisá noowiteewakhuutáʾ wah nikuwetuutAxitíštA.
Then that is what they did: then he (a crier) called out: "Now that is what is going to happen."

noowitiRAsačipiítIt.
Then they gathered.
wetataraapóxtA.
"We are now going to go.
tinaaríčI wiítA sápat wetuhnunáhAs.
This man woman he has lost his.
wekanawitíʾ.
She is not."

nikunootIsá noowiwitiinawireéhAs nootiraáNAt.
Then that is what they did: then they readied themselves, then they went.
nootuutaaksiráxAt niišohnúxkUx.
Then he took them where they (du) had been.

noowitiwaákoʾ wah taanikUšitatúxkUx.
Then he said: "Now this is where we were."

noowitikawáRIt – noowenaraanátA – nawaanaanoótA waawičéskAt.
Then they scattered – their going there – where hills were on the high hills.
noowitinaahunáx inoowiteehátA.
Then they found it: there there was a cave.
nootuutItkAhtákUx.
Dirt was hanging down.

noowitihwáčiʾ taatehnakaá kuúNUx.
Then they said: "There must be inside here a bear."

nikunoowitIsá nootiRAsáʾAt iinahatáWI.
Then that is what they did: then they went up (the bank) where the cave was.
noowitiinaaninoosítIt.
Then they became frightened.

táku nakukaátA.
"Who is to go in?
Axtóh kaakuhné kuúNUx.
Why, it is not good a bear."

WIšitiininoosítIt.
They became afraid of it.

aa Axtóh kananaahkuuká.
"Why, surely it might not be inside there."

uunaaríčI – wiítA – noowitiwaraasšá.
Another one – man – then he became angry.
koxtikaáʾAt.
"I will go inside."

wah noowititinaahná na neesítš.
Now then he had a gun, and a knife.
noowituutá noowitiraaWIhkaáʾAt.
Then he did it: then he charged inside.
noowehnakaátA noowiti- čeehaaNUhaáhtA.
When he went inside there there was a light in the room.
na noowitiíkUx sápat šohniiNAxwé.
And there she was sitting the woman the one they sought.

noowitiwakaraanúʾAt a či tináxkUx.
Then he called out: "And here you are sitting here."

noowitiwaákoʾ hąąʾ tinétkUx.
Then she said: "Yes, here I am sitting."

tsu noowititkAxookatákUx kuúNUx.
But it was sleeping by the wall the bear.
wititkAsá.
It lay asleep.

noowitiwaákoʾ wah šuúxAt.
Then he said: "Now go!
wah awít šuúxAt.
Now first you go!
píš.
Hurry!
aninaákUx koxtikoótIt.
That one I will kill it."

nikunootuúta sápat tiihuuniriwátAt.
Then that is what she did the woman: she jumped up.
nooteeWIsítIt.
Then she went out.
noowiteeWIsítIt.
Then she went out.

noowitičirikaʾá kuúNUx wehnawaraasšaáNA.
Then it awoke the bear its getting angry.
tinaaríčI wiítA wituhnuníkUx.
This one man he was waiting for it.
nuuwitiiwáNIt.
Then he shot it.
witikoótIt.
He killed it.
tiraawiinawísAt.
He charged up to it.
neesítš naáNIt nootipaNIš- úkAt.
(With his) knife really then he cut its throat.
nootikawátAt.
Then he got out.

noowitiiwaáRIt sápat AhnataweeríčI.
Then there they stood the woman her being among them.
noowititaweéRIt sápat.
Then she stood among them the woman.

noowitiwaákoʾ wiítA – wetItkoótIt.
Then he said man: – "I killed it.
– nuuneekaaxá.
– There it lies inside.
wetItkoótIt.
I killed it.
niikohnuutáxtA nuunoonuusá.
Whatever is going to happen, let it lie there!
wetiraanoóxAt.
It did wrong.
wah hanuʾ.
Now go on!"

nooWIšitUsiráxAt sápat.
Then they took her the woman.
wiítA nootUsiRAxkaa- ʾiísAt iiʾAhnatoxtaakítAt.
The man then he took her home where our village was.
nuu witiRAhwísAt niiʾAhnee- túhkUx.
There they arrived where the village was.

sápat nootunaaʾít niiʾAhnuutAxítIt.
The woman then she told it what happened.
taanikutuu- tAxítIt.
"This is what happened.
kuúNUx či kohnóʾ kuúNUx natsuu- xeerikú.
A bear here it must have been a bear that I had been seeing.
nootíʾ wiítA wenakukaʾiišátA tsu neekuunuhčitáʾAt.
Then was a man his going into the brush, but it got the best of me.
čiraátoʾ itáʾAt.
'Perhaps I'll go there.
tičé  tAxíʾ tiNAxčeswaatAhú na tiNAxkaʾišwó.
I wonder who you are you, this one who is coming out of the brush and you, this one who is going into the brush?"

nikuneeneetuúta neeneetíʾAt weNAtkaʾaáhNA.
"This is what I did: I went my going into the brush.
neeneekunáwihAt.
He passed in front of me.
– na nooníʾ kuúNUx.
– And there it was a bear.
– nikunee- niiwaákoʾ wah weteeNAxiínaʾ.
– This is what it did say: 'Now you must have come.'

hąąʾ neeneetiínaʾ.
"'Yes, I have come.'

wah tuusíšWA iinatiniinakaáWI.
"'Now let's go over there there where my home is!'

na tikuneeneetuúta.
"And this is what I did.
neeneekuusiráxAt iinanuunakaá- WI niiwešiNAxkUhúNAx.
It took me where its dwelling was where you (pl) found me.
neeneekuusiRAxkaáʾAt niiwešiNAxkUhúNAx.
It took me inside Where you found me.
wah taanikutuúta kuúNUx.
Now this is what it did the bear."