Wisahkecahk and the Moose 2017 (y-dialect, video)

1.1Wîsahkêcâhk êkwa môswaWîsahkêcâhk and the Moose
2.1pêyakwâw êsa wîsahkêcâhk pah-pimohtêw sisonê sâkahikanihk. Once Wîsahkêcâhk was walking along the lake.
2.2kêtahtawê kâ-wâpamât môswa nipîhk ê-pahkopêyit, ê-kah-kanawâpamisoyit. Suddenly, he came upon a moose wading in the water, looking at himself.
2.3kêtahtawê mâna kâ-sipwê-mâtot awa môswa ispîhk kâ-wâpamisot nipîhk. All of a sudden, every now and then, he'd start crying every time he saw himself in the water.
2.4kitimâkihtawêw osîmisa wîsahkêcâhk. Wîsahkêcâhk took pity on him when he heard him cry.
2.5ati-nâtêw. He goes toward him.
2.6wî-sipwêpahtâyiwa mayaw kâ-wâpamikot. nitomêw.But, when the moose saw him, he ran away.
3.1“hay! nisîmis! tânêhki ôma kâ-mâtoyan?” kâ-itât êsa. Wîsahkêcâhk calls him: "Hey! nisîmis why are you crying?" he said to him.
3.2kipihcêyiwa.He stops.
4.1“ayisk ê-osâmi-mâyâtisiyân,” kâ-itikot."Because, I am really ugly!," he said to him.
5.1“hay awas! kimiyosin ôma!” kâ-itât."Hey, oh! You're beautiful! Go on, you're beautiful," he said to him.
6.1“mâka nawac niciwâm apisimôsos ê-miyosit ayisk ê-miyotêskanêt,” kâ-isi-mâtot êsa awa môswa. "But my cousin the deer is much more beautiful, cause he has beautiful horns," said the moose.
6.2kitimâkihtawêw osîmisa wîsahkêcâhk."Hey." W took pity on what he heard.
7.1“hâw, kâya mâto nisîmis,’ kâ-itwêt wîsahkêcâhk. "Haw... Don't cry, younger sibling," said Wîsahkêcâhk.
7.2“kika-osihtamâtin têskanak kîspin nâtamawiyani iskwêw,” kâ-itât osîmisa. "I'll make you new horns, if you go get me a woman." he said to his younger sibling.
7.3aciyaw mâmitonêyihtam awa môswa nawac piko ê-ânwêhtawât ostêsa.A little bit, just a short while the moose thinks about them, because he thinks Wîsahkêcâhk is going to play a trick on him. So he doubts him.
8.1“hâw, mâka nîkân otêskanêstamawin,’ piyisk itêw wîsahkêcâhkwa. "Aah. But first you must make me new horns," eventually he says to Wîsahkêcâhk.
9.1tâpwê piko ani ati-otêskanêstamawêw osîmisa awa wîsahkêcâhk.Now right away Wîsahkêcâhk makes new horns for his younger sibling.
10.1“hâw, kimiyosin nisîmis,” itêw osîmisa. "Aah, there you go, now you're beautiful," he says to his younger sibling."
10.2“kanawâpamiso nipîhk.”Go ahead! Look at yourself in the water!
11.1wahwâ! miyonâsow awa môswa ispîhk kâ-kanawâpamisot nipîhk ayisk ê-misâyiki otêskana. Wahwâ! The moose really likes what he sees in the water. He looks really handsome because he has big, beautiful antlers.
11.2êkwâni sipwêpahtâw, ê-nitawi-nitonawât iskwêwa wîsahkêcâhkwa ta-wîwiyit.And from there he leaves, going to go look for a woman for W to wed.
12.1kinwêsk itahkamikisiw awa môswa. mêtoni ê-ati-iskaci-pêhot wîsahkêcâhk. He's in the bush for a long time, and Wîsahkêcâhk gets tired of waiting.
12.2kêtahtawê kâ-matâwisit. All of a sudden, the moose emerges from the bush.
12.3wah! kitimâkinâkosiw awa môswa, nawac mistahi ê-kinokotêt êkwa otâpiskan kêkâc mohcihk ê-isi-akotiniyik êkwa otêskana ê-napakisiyit.Ho, wahwâ! He takes pity on how the moose looks. The moose looks really pitiful. His face is longer, and his chin almost falls to the ground! And his horns are flat!
13.1“tânêhki ôma kâ-isinâkosiyan nisîmis?” kâ-isi-kakwêcimât osîmisa wîsahkêcâhk."Why do you look the way you look, younger sibling?" Wîsahkêcâhk asks him.
14.1“ê-nawaswâtakik aniki iskwêwak mâka sakâhk ê-ispahtâcik êkwa êkotê nitisi-nawaswâtâwak mâka nitati-micimosinin mistikohk. "I was chasing the women into the bush, but they ran into the bush, and then I followed them there. But I got stuck in the trees.
14.2nitêskanak ê-micimosimakik mistikohk. My horns got stuck in the trees.
14.3tahtwâw kâ-kakwê-wîhkwacihoyân nawac mistahi nimicimosinin. And every time I tried to free myself, I got stuck further and further.
14.4mêtoni nihkwâkan ê-tah-tâwahamân mistikohk êwak-ohci kâ-isi-kinwêhkwêyân! And I banged my face onto the trees every time I tried to get free. That's why I have such a long face.
14.5mêtoni mîna ê-ati-napakisimakik nitêskanak. And my horns got flattened.
14.6mahti kihtwâm miyosêhin nistêsê.”Please, can you make me beautiful again, older brother?"
15.1“nama, osâm namwâc kipêtamawin iskwêw,” itwêw wîsahkêcâhk, ê-ati-nakatât."No! Because you didn't bring me a woman!" said Wîsahkêcâhk, and he left him there.
16.1kêyâpic pêyakwan isinâkosiw awa môswa! The moose still looks the way he looked to this day.
16.2kêyapic mîna mâh-mâtow ispîhk kâ-wâpamisot nipîhk.And he still cries every time he sees himself in the water.

One Response

  1. I really apreciate Solomon Ratt’s storey telling. Both in style, context & narrative. He makes the storey come alive! Could you please clarify who Wisahkêcahk is? I am meti (Sioux) please forgive me as I am on a life long journey. My daughter in law & grandchildren are Plains Cree & I feel it is vital I learn their language & culture to ensure they blossom & grow in thiers. I thoroughly enjoy Solomon’s teaching style…he looks & sounds like my older brother. Who also used to read to me & tell me stories. Teniki!

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