[An entirely made-up legend, created to explain a mysterious modern phenomenon.]
Originally posted in Facebook group Nêhiyawêwin (Cree) Word/Phrase of the Day
kayâs mâna kimosômipaninawak kî-nihtâ-mâcîwak. cêst nika-âcimâwak ôki.
A long time ago, our grandfathers were great hunters. Listen, I will tell a story about them.
wihkâc cî mâna kimîcin ôhi “baffalo wings” kâ-icikâtêki?
Do you ever eat those they call “buffalo wings”?
âhâw, ka-wihtamâtin, kayâs mâna ispîhk nêhiyawak kâ-kî-nôcihâcik paskwâwimostoswa namôya mâna kî-nipahêwak, têpiyahk mâna ê-kî-nâtwâhwâcik otahkahkwaniwâwa… ê-kaskitahtahkwanêhwâcik
Okay, I’ll tell you, a long time ago when the Cree went hunting buffalo they would not kill them, they only knocked off their wings..breaking off their wings
tâpwê! têpiyahk mâna ê-kî-nâtwâhwâcik anihi mitahtahkwana…paskwâwimostos mitahtahkwana!
Really! They only knocked off those wings..buffalo wings!
kayihtwêhk kî-nânahêwak! namôya mwâsi kî-nipahêwak anihi paskwâwimostoswa, êwako ohci kâyâs kâ-kî-mihcêticik paskwâwimostoswak!
They were very skillful, true to their mark! They very rarely killed the buffalo, that is why there were so many buffalo a long time ago!
osâm kî-nâh-nahêwak ôki nêhiyawak, pêyisk ôki paskwâwimostoswak kî-ati-nânihtâwîkiwak êkâ kîkway ê-otahkahkwanicik, “evolution” êwak ôma! “evolution” ohci kâ-pê-wâpamâyahkik paskwâwimostoswak mêkwâc kâ-isi-nâkosicik, êkâ ê-otahkahkwanicik!
These Cree very skillful hunters, eventually these buffalo came to be born without wings, “evolution” is the cause of why we see buffalo the way they are now, without wings.
mâka kêyâpic niwihkistên “buffalo wings”!
But I still like the taste of buffalo wings!
(Shared with permission of Solomon Ratt, 12 January 2012)
