Story of the Old Man Willie Pigeon (1964)

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ᎤᏃᎮᎸᎯ
uhnohelvhi
(Wili Woyi) told (this)
ᎠᎾᏗᏍᎪᎯ
anadisgoi
they say
ᎢᎸᎯᏳᎢ
ilvhiyu'i
long ago
ᏥᎨᏒᎢ
tsigesv'i
'it was'
ᎠᏂᏓᏪᎯ
anidawehi
(to be) magicians
ᏥᎨᎨᏲᎲᏍᎨᎢ
tsigegeyohvsge'i
when they were taught
ᎠᏓᎾᏬᎯᏃ
adahnawohihno
(during the) war
ᎨᏎᎢ
gese'i
it was
ᎯᎠ
hi'a
this
ᎾᎯᏳ
nahiyu
then
ᎨᏒᎢ
gesv'i
was
ᎤᏁᎳᏅᎯᏃ
unehlanvhihno
God
ᎤᎾᎵᏍᎳᏓᏁᎴᎢ
unalis[ta]dahnele'i
they happened upon
ᎠᏂᏓᏪᎯ
anidawehi
sorcerers, magicians
ᎢᏳᎾᎵᏍᏙᏗ
iyunalsdohdi
for them to become
ᎤᏲᏢᎢ
uyotlv'i
pitiful
ᏄᎾᎴᏍᏓᏁᎲᎢ
nunalsdanehvi
while they were experiencing
ᏴᏫ
yvvwi
people
ᎠᏓᎾᏩ
adahnawa
(during the) war
ᎠᎾᎵᎲᎢ
anahlihv'i
while they were fighting
ᎤᏅᏌᏊ
unvsaquu
they themselves
ᎠᏂᏏᏴᏫᎭᎢ
anisiyvwiha'i
individually
ᎨᏒᎢ
gesv'i
were able (to learn)
ᎤᎾᏕᎶᏆᏍᏗ
unadehlohquasdi
(for them) to learn
ᏂᏚᏩᏁᎴᎢ
niduwanele'i
He (God) caused them to
ᎤᏁᎳᏅᎯ
unehlanvhi
God

They say Wili Woyi retold this story long ago. It was during a war that they were taught to be sorcerers. God appeared to them because such bad things were happening to them—fighting in the war. God taught the men individually—they learned alone with God.

ᎤᏙᎯᏳᎯᏃ
udohiyuhino
(and) truly
ᎠᏂᎦᏔᎾᎢ
aniktana'i
knowledgeable
ᏄᎾᎵᏍᏔᏁᎢ
nunalistane'i
they became
ᎠᏂᏣᎳᎩ
anitsalagi
Cherokees
ᏱᏂᎦᎵᏍᏗᏊᏃ
yinigalsdiquuhno
whatsoever
ᎢᏳᏍᏗᏊᎢ
iyusdiquu'i
anything
ᎠᏁᎵᏍᎬᎢ
anelisge'i
they thought of; they could visualize
ᏓᎾᏓᏟᎶᏍᏗᏍᎨᎢ
danadahlilosdisge'i
(objects) took on the appearance of
ᎢᏂᎦᎵᏍᏗᎢᏊ
inigalsdi'iquu
wherever
ᎠᏁᏙᎲᎢ
anedohvi
they were present

The Cherokees became very skilled in the craft. Wherever they were, they could make themselves take on the appearance of whatever came into their minds—and they could change quickly.

ᏒᏃᏱ
svnoyi
night
ᎠᏰᎵ
ayehli
middle (of)
ᏱᎩ
yigi
if it was (pertains to time)
ᏥᏏᎩᎵ
tsisgili
long-eared owls
ᎠᎾᏙᏢᏍᎨᎢ
anadohlvsge'i
they made themselves into
ᏩᎱᎱ
wahuhu
owls
ᏱᎩ
yigi
if
ᏓᎾᏓᏟᎶ[ᏍᏗ]ᏍᎨᎢ
danadahlilo[sdi]sge'i
they replicated, copied them
ᎠᏎᏃ
asehno
but
ᎠᎴ
ale
almost
ᎢᎦᏊ
igaquu
(it was) daytime, during the day
ᏱᎩ
yigi
if
ᏩᎭᏯ
wahaya
wolf
ᎠᎴ
ale
or
ᏬᎾᏁᏍᎦ
kana'nesga
spider
ᏓᎾᏓᏟᎶᏍᏗᏍᎨᎢ
danadahlilosdisge'i
they replicated, copied them
ᎠᎴ
ale
and
ᎤᏙᎯᏳᎢ
udohiyu'i
indeed
ᎠᏂᏓᏪᎯ
anidawehi
magicians
ᎨᏎᎢ
gese'i
they were
ᎾᏍᎩᏃ
nasgino
and that
ᏅᏗᎦᎵᏍᏙᏗᏍᎨᎢ
nvdigalsdohdisge'i
was the reason why
ᎠᎵᏊᎢ
aliquu'i
it was possible (that)
ᎠᏂᎦᏛᎴᏏᏙᎮᎢ
aniktvlesidohe'i
they went through, endured
ᎠᏓᎾᏩ
adahnawa
war
ᏚᏩᎫᏗᏓᏅᎢ
duwagudidanv'i
afterwards
ka
thus
ᎢᎸᎯᏳᎯᏳ
ilvhiyuhiyu
ever

If it were the middle of the night, they could become a screech owl. If it were just at daybreak, they could take on the appearance as a wolf or a spider. They were skilled sorcerers. That is the reason they were able to get through the war and continued to thrive afterwards.

ᎢᎬᏩᎵᏍᏔᏅᎯ
igvwalistanvhi
since this happened
ᎯᎠ
hi'a
this
ᏥᎪᏪᎳ
tsigohwela
that is written
ᏌKᏊᎢ
saquui
one
ᎠᏍᎦᏯ
asgaya
man
ᎤᏃᎮᎸᎯ
uhnohehlvhi
told
ᎤᏍᏆᏂᎪᏗᏳ
usquanikdiyu
amazing
ᎨᏎᎢ
gese'i
it was
ᎾᎯᏳ
nahiyu
then
ᏥᎨᏎᎢ
tsigese'i
which was
ᎠᏓᎾᏩᏬᎯᎢ
adahnawohi'i
during that time of war

Now, this happened long ago, that which is written and told by one man. It was amazing during that time of war.

ᎠᎦᏯᎵ
agayali
elder
ᏦᏩ
tsowa
Joe
ᎱᎵᎡKᏩ
huli'equa
Big Drum
ᎤᏃᎮᎸᏅᎯ
uhnohelvhnvhi
repeatedly told
ᎯᎠ
hi'a
this
ᏥᎪᏪᎳ
tsigohwela
that which is written
ᎠᏎᏃ
asehno
yet
ᎠᏅᏓᏗᏍᏗ
anhdadisdi
to be remembered
ᎢᎨᏐᎢ
igeso'i
it is to be (remembered)

An elder, Tsowa Huliequa (Joe Big Drum) Told this that is written to Wili Woyi. It must be remembered.