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

151

The Young Women Who Became Stars

Eleanor Chase

anuú pakúhtuʾ natoxtaakitUhwaawáNA
Long, long ago when our villages extended (along the river)
niinatohnaaNUhwiʾuúʾA skaweéraaʾuʾ noowitiinakAhkawaakároʾ
where we were headed west then they built dwellings
niikohniíhiʾ – wenataraakítAt – weNAhkUhunuuwaawikoóčI.
wherever it was – when we camped – when they traveled around.
noowitiraáNAt niikohniíhiʾ tuuhéʾ hunaaNIsaátI.
Then they went wherever it was there Santee land.

wiítA – wituxtaná – taWIšaapiswaáNA suúnatš.
A man – he had them – seven girls.
noowita- naáNAt weNAhkUhunuuwaawikoóčI.
Then they went off when they were traveling around.

šeenoowitiikanítkUx.
There plainly was a rock.
witikaniNIhuúʾU.
It was a large rock.
kanítš wititskatóx.
The rock it was flat.
noowitiraáNAt – wehniiNIhtakoówa – suúnatš.
Then they went – as they were playing – the girls.

áxkUx wewitíʾ suunáxtš wehniiNIhtakoówa.
One she was a pubescent girl while they played.
noo- witeečišwakaRAsáʾ áxkUx suúnatš.
Then she screamed one girl.
noowitiwaákoʾ wetáʾ kuúNUx.
Then she said: "It comes a bear!"

noowitiiNAhnaačiteeʾá – nakuraanátA – niiʾAh- neenunuunakaáWI.
Then it became difficult for them – for them to go – where their lodge was.
– noowitiiNAhninúʾa.
– Then they became frightened.
– tiiháʾ toxtaahnaanuučitawiítIt
– "Right here let's sit on top of it!"

noowitiraanuučitawiítIt niiʾAhnakanítkUx.
Then they sat down on top of it where the rock was (sat).
witikaNIstakarúx.
It was a big rock.
nikunoowitiraanuučitawiítIt tinawaaríčI suúnatš.
That is what they sat down on these girls.

nootiraanaáNIš tinaákUx – kanítš – noowiteehuuwaátaʾ.
Then it was truly so this – rock – then it rose up.
witunaathaanáwiʾ – nakiihaaNIhakú – naakiihuuwaátAhu nuu
It appeared – to be stretching out – to be rising there
wehnaátA – nuu – wehnaátA atsú wehnaaraaʾIhwísa kuuNUxkaatItkúsuʾ.
as it went – there – as it went, but as it arrived charging a big black bear.

noowitešwiNAsaʾiwaʾaáhuʾ AhnaWIskáʾA aatakoosaá- tA.
Then it was clawing it its wanting 'that I climb on top.'
AhnoowiteešwiNAsaʾiwaʾaáhuʾ tiweNUstaahakú
Then it was just clawing it while it was going around,
tiweNUstaahakú atsú tinaákUx kanítš wenehkiihuu- waátAhu
while it was going around, but this rock its rising up
tiwehnaátA tiwehnaátA.
as it went, as it went.

nuu – wewitiwičeéʾIs – naaNIšíšuʾ noowituutáwi.
There – it was now high – truly then it stopped.
suúnatš – niiʾAhnaRAhkoosákUx – wewitiiNAhnaničíšIt tinaákUx
Girls – the ones sitting on top – now it saved them this
kaNItkúsuʾ tsu kuúNUx tiwehnaraaʾIhwanú seenoowituuta- káʾIt
large rock, but the bear as it charged around the marks were plain
niiʾAhnešwiNAsaʾiwaahakú wehnaWIskáʾA tákuʾ aatootuuní- kUt suunatš
where it was clawing it as it wanted 'that I grab one' a girl
tiwehnaraanuučitáWI tiwehnaraanuučitáWI.
when they were on top, when they were on top.

aa niiʾAhneetúhkUx noowitiinaNAxweesítIt suúnatš.
Ah, where the village was then they began to look for them the girls.
čuwéku tAxtaáNAt.
"I wond er where they went?"

wiiteešútš wehninaaWIhkaʾaáhNA niiháʾ witi- kaNItwé.
Young men while they were going hunting, there it was an upright rock.
číkuʾ noowitiikaNItwé.
There there was an upright rock.
nuu witi- koosawaáRIt niikohniísa AhnaRAhkoosaátA.
There they stood on top of it whatever they had done their going on top of it.

tsu kuúNUx niiwekohnáʾAt nooteeraánaʾ.
But the bear wherever it had gone then they came.
noo- WIšiteéwaʾ šáxtiʾ hiʾáxtiʾ na čituúʾuʾ
Then they (du) came: their mother, their father and all
niiʾAhnuutaakIswaaWIšú nooteeraánaʾ.
those who were related to them there they came.

suúnaaxuʾ – áxkUx – noowitUstawiítIt.
Young woman – one – then she hung over.
áxkUx noowiti- waákoʾ kuuNUxkaatItkúsuʾ tikuunaahnuuwáʾAx a
One then she said: "A big black bear it chased us, and
tinaákUx kanítš neeNUxtskatóx.
this rock it was flat.
neeneetiraahnikUxkoosáʾAt.
We scrambled up on top of it.
wah číkuʾ kaakuxtaačeéʾA tinaákUx – kanítš – thaáwiʾ iiriwataá- kuʾ.
Now it was not a long time this – stone – it seemed as if it rose.
neeneehuuwaátaʾ tiwenikuraahnaniwaáta.
It rose as it brought us up.
tikuraahnani- číšIt – weneekunaahnaačiteeʾaanú –
It saved us – when it was becoming difficult for us –
niiNAtkuhnaakaáNA NAtkuraaNIsakaáhAt.
what we should do for us to get down."

uu – wehnaRAhčíkAt wehnaRAhčíkAt – šáxtiʾ hiʾáxtiʾ
Oh, – while they cried, while they cried – their mother, their father,
na ipáhniʾ čituúʾuʾ witiRAhčíkAt naraačiteéʾU
and their grandfather all they were crying, "Its being difficult
číkuʾ niiNAtkuhnaakaáNA NAtkohnanooʾaáhNA suúnatš.
what should we do for us to take them down the girls?"

niiwekohnuuxawé – weNAhkuraanátA – šinehkuuta-
However many days it was – after they had gone – when they
pakaraanáwo áxkUx suúnatš noowitUstawiítIt weNAhkuwaaWIhtikú.
called to them one girl then she hung over when she was talking.

wewitAheeštaaNIhuúʾU nikukohniisaahnú.
It was now many days that which they were doing.
wewi- tiitaNAsáʾUx.
Now they were hungry.

tákuʾ noowitíʾAt wenehkuutapakaraanáwo.
Someone then he went for him to call out to them.
tákuʾ Ahnookanawitiinapakunaasíhtš.
Then no one answered them.

a tiwehnuútA tiwehnuútA hiʾáxtiʾ na šáxtiʾ nooWIšituhnaáʾIt.
And as time passed, as time passed their father and their mother then they (du) dreamed.
tinawaaríčI suúnatš inoowitiiwaáRIt wešohnuhneétš.
These girls there they stood, while they (du) dreamed.
noowitihwáčiʾ tinawaaríčI – suúnatš – a číkuʾ kaakiítAsšuʾ.
Then they said these – girls: – "D on't feel hurt.
– atíštIt – wetAh- nakunuuwá.
– Well – we are living.
wenakukatiisiʾaáNA niikohniRAtkhaanawiiʾoočíštA taWIšaapiswaáNA
When it becomes dark sometime during the night seven
tuhnaánuʾ sákaaʾA.
they will number stars.
nootiRAhči- túʾ.
They will be together.
nikutAhnaákIt.
We are the ones.
wetikuraahnáNAt anuú áskAt.
We have been taken there above.
anuuháʾ nikuwetAhnakunuuwá.
There that is where we are living.
atíštIt wetAhnakunuuwá.
Well we are living."

wah teenikuwituutAxítIt – suúnatš – wehniiNAhnanoohuu- waáta
Now this is what happened – the girl – when it rose with them
kanítš wehniitaakAsškaapaatštíRA naraačitáWI kuuNUxkaatItkúsuʾ
the rock when it pitied them its being the reason the big black bear
waáwi kooxiinakawoótIt.
it wou ld have killed them.
teenikuwituu- tAxítIt.
This is what happened.

ačitaánuʾ – oopiínuʾ – teenunuunaaʾiitUxičíWI atsú
Tribes – different – they have a different story but
taanikunuhnaaʾiitUxúʾ niišinikuusuxtaaʾiitawíhA atípaʾ nuuNUxtaaʾiitIhú.
this is the story what I was told by him my grandfather what he used to tell.