Story of the Little People (1964)

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ka
now
ᎦᎵᏉᎩ
galhquogi
seven
ᎢᏯᏂᎢ
iyani'i
number of (animate beings)
ᏧᎾᏛᏐᏅᎯ
tsunatvsohnvhi
the elders
ᎤᏂᏂᏱᏘᎢ
uniniyhti'i
(for them) to catch
ᎤᎾᏚᎸᎮᎢ
unadulvhe'i
they wanted
ᎯᎠ
hi'a
this (little person)
ᎾᏍᎩ
nasgi
those
ᎦᎵᏉᎩ
galhquogi
seven
ᏧᎾᏛᎯᏍᏘ
tsunatvhisti
elders
ᎠᎹᏱᏃ
amayihno
and to water
ᎤᎾᏨᏎᎢ
unatsv'se'i
they went
ᎦᎵᏉᎩ
gahlquogi
seven
ᏧᏒᎯᏓ
tsusvhida
nights
ᎢᎪᎯᏛ
igohidv
for a period of
ᎬᏂᏃ
kvhnihno
until
ᎤᎾᏕᎶᎰᏒᎢ
unadelohosv'i
(until) they found out
ᏄᎵᏍᏔᎾ
nulistana
antecedents, precedents

Now, seven elders wanted to capture a little person. These seven elders went to the water ceremony for seven nights until they found out what they wanted to know about capturing a little person.

ᎩᎳᏃ
kilahno
before
ᎾᎾᎢ
nahna'i
there
ᎤᎾᏛᏅᎢᏍᏔᏁᎢ
unadvnv'istane'i
they had prepared
ᎾᎾᎢ
nana'i
place
ᎨᏒᎢ
gesv'i
being
ᎤᏂᏂᏱᏘᎢ
uniniyhti'i
(for them) to catch
ᎯᎠ
hi'a
this
ᎾᏍᎩ
nasgi
particular
ᏴᏫ
yvwi
person
ᎤᏍᏘᎢ
usti'i
little
ᎢᎸᏢᎢᏃ
ilvhdlv'ihno
somewhere
ᎡᎳᏪᏗᎯ
ehlawedihi
quiet
ᏥᎨᏐᎢ
tsigeso'i
which was
ᎾᎾᏃ
nahnahno
and there
ᎾᏊ
naquu
at this point
ᏚᏄᎪᏔᏁᎢ
dunuktahne'i
they decided (on)
ᎾᎾᏃ
nahnahno
there
ᏄᏍᏛᎢ
nusdv'i
way, path
ᎤᎾᏅᏁᎢ
unanvhne'i
they sat down
ᎾᎾᏊ
nahnaquu
and there
ᎤᏂᎭᎷᏁᎢ
unihalune'i
they waited in hiding (to block his way)
ᎤᎷᎯᏍᏘᎢ
u'luhisti'i
for him to arrive

The elder men got ready to go to the place where they would capture this little person. They headed for a place that was very quiet. They all sat down to block the path to the place where they thought the little person would arrive.

ᎤᏙᎯᏳᎯᏃ
udohiyuhihno
and in fact
ᎪᎯᏊᏴᎢ
kohiquuyv'i
a short while later
ᎤᎩᏨᏂᏕᎾ
ugitsvnidena
sunrise
ᎾᎾᏊ
nahnaquu
there
ᎠᎾᏛᎩᏍᎨᎢ
anatvgisge'i
they heard (them)
ᎠᏂᏬᏂᏏᏙᎲᎢ
aniwonisidohv'i
while they were going around talking
ᎠᏎᏃ
asehno
but
ᏝᏃ
hlahno
not
ᎪᎱᏍᏗ
gohusdi
anything
ᏯᏂᎪᏘᏍᎨᎢ
yanigowtisge'i
they (did not) see it
ᎡᎵᎦᏯᏃ
eligayahno
and very soon
ᎤᎩᏨᏃᏅᎯ
ugitsvnohnvhi
daybreak
ᎨᏎᎢ
gese'i
it was
ᎩᎳᏃ
kilahno
soon
ᎾᏊ
naquu
at this point
ᏌᏊᎢ
saquu'i
one (of them)
ᎤᎷᏤᎢ
uluhtse'i
arrived
ᎾᎥᎢ
na'v'i
nearby
ᎠᏂᏅᎢ
ani'nv'i
while they were sitting
ᎾᎾᏃ
nahnahno
(and) there
ᎤᎷᏣ
uluhtsa
when he arrived
ᎤᏁᏤᎢ
uhnetse'i
he spoke
ᎯᎠ
hi'a
this
na
particular
ᏴᏫ
yvwi
person
ᎤᏍᏗᎢ
usdi'i
little
ᎯᎠᏃ
hi'ahno
and this
ᏄᏪᏎᎢ
nuwe'se'i
he said

Sure enough, a short while later, just before sunrise, they heard the little people talking, but couldn’t see them. Soon, it was daybreak, then one of the little people came near to where the men were sitting. When he came to them, this little person spoke.

ᏗᏣᏛᎯᏍᏗ
ditsatvhisdi
you elders
ᎦᏙ
gado
what ... ? (with following word)
ᎤᏍᏗ
usdi
what ... ? (with preceding word)
ᎢᏣᏚᎵᎭ
itsaduliha
you (pl.) want
ᎯᎠ
hi'a
this
ᏥᏂᏣᏛᎾ
tsinitsadvhna
that you all are situated here
ᏧᎾᏛᎯᏍᏗᏃ
tsunatvhisdihno
and the elders
ᎤᏂᏁᏨ
unihnetsv
they spoke up, answered
ᎪᎱᏍᏗ
gohusdi
something
ᏂᎯ
nihi
you
ᎯᎦᏔᎲᎢ
hiktahv'i
know
ᎦᎸᏉᏗ
galvhqudi
sacred
ᎠᏅᏬᎢ
anvwo'i
'healing'
ᏍᎩᏰᏲᏗᎢ
sgiyeyohdi'i
for you to teach us
ᎢᏨᏔᏲᏎᎭ
itsvtayoseha
we are asking you
ᎤᎾᏓᏙᏎᎴᎢ
unadadosele'i
they said to him
ᎰᏩᏃ
howahno
and so
ᎤᏙᎯᏳᎢ
udohiyu'i
truly
ᎨᎨᏲᏅᏁᎢ
gegeyonvne'i
they were taught (repeatedly)
ᎾᏍᎩᏃ
nasgihno
and that's why
ᎢᏳᏍᏗ
iyusdi
(see previous word)
ᎠᏂᎦᏔᎾᎢ
aniktahna'i
knowledgeable
ᏥᏄᎾᎵᏍᏔᏁᎢ
tsinunalstahne'i
they became
ᏧᎾᏛᏐᏛᎯ
tsunatvsohnvhi
the elders
ᎠᎾᏗᏍᎪᎢ
anadisgo'i
they used to say
ᎢᎬᏱ
igvyi
first
ᎤᎾᏕᏅᎯ
unadenvhi
ancestors
ᏧᎾᏔᎾ
tsunatana
great
ᎾᏍᎩᏊᏃ
nasgiquuhno
and that (is)
ᏂᎦᎠ
niga'a
all

“What do you elders want, being here like this?” asked the little persno. “We are asking you to teach us what you know about sacred healing," they told him. The little people truly taught them. Our ancestors say that is how the elders learned so much about healing medicine. That is all.