Chester Pepper: "Deer-hunting Medicine" (1957)

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[1]	púufich	u-'ákunvar-eesh
	deer	3pl(>3s)-go.hunting-FUT

They were going deer-hunting.

[2]	xás	vaa	u-kúphaa-nik	páy nanu'ávahkam veekxavnamíchmiif
	then	so	3s(>3)-do-ANC	sky.black.wolf

And páy nanu'ávahkam veekxavnamíchmiif (name of an ikxaréeyav, probably "black little-wolf of the sky") did this.

[3]	xás	vaa	u-kúphaa-nik
	then	so	3s(>3)-do-ANC

He did this.

[4]	pufích-taay	kun-iykára-tih	itráhyar	mu-túnviiv
	deer-much	3pl(>3s)-beat-DUR	ten	3sPOSS-children

His ten sons were killing lots of deer.

[5]	xás	u-xús	kíri	kin-píychaak	pa-mu-túnviiv
	then	3s(>3)-think	I.wish	3pl>3pl-inflict.bad.luck	the-3sPOSS-children

And he wished that his children would have bad luck.

(Bright: "Literally, 'he thought 'let his children have bad luck.'' A more normal mode of expression would be with... nanitúnviiv 'he thought, 'let my children...'' The unexpected person of the possessive perhaps reflects the structure of English indirect discourse.")

[6]	kári	xás	u-hravrikûunish	pa-mu-hrôoha
	then	then	3s(>3)-copulate.with	the-3sPOSS-wife

So he copulated with his wife.

(Bright: "Sexual intercourse is believed to bring bad luck in deer-hunting.")

[7]	xás	u-'av	pa-púufich
	then	3s(>3)-eat	the-deer

And he ate the deer meat.

[8]	xás	púyava	kun-p-ákunvan-va	kúkuum
	then	you.see	3pl(>3s)-ITER-go.hunting-PL.ACT	again

Then they went hunting again.

[9]	púra fâat	iykár-at
	nothing	beat-PAST

They didn't kill anything.

[10]	kúkuum	vúra	imáan	kun-p-ákunvan-va
	again	Intensive	tomorrow	3pl(>3s)-ITER-go.hunting-PL.ACT

The next day they went hunting again (but were still unsuccessful).

[11]	víri	káan	ník	mâam	kun-'iruveehrím-piithva
	so	there	a.little	uphill	3pl(>3s)-stand.(long.objects)-around

They stood around uphill there.

[12]	víri	kôokaninay	kúuk	kun-thítiimu-tih	p-eekxaréeyav mukinínaasich
	so	everywhere	to	3pl(>3s)-listen.in.a.direction-DUR	the-deer

They heard the deer (lit., "spirit's pets") everywhere.

[13]	fâat	kúnish	kun-'ixáxa-naa-tih
	what	sort.of	3pl(>3s)-cry.(pl.)-PL-DUR

They were sort of crying somewhat.

[14]	p-eekxaréeyav	kun-piykára-naa	ikxaréeyav mukinínaasich
	the-spirit.person	3pl(>3s)-slaughter-PL	deer

The (other) spirits were killing the deer.

[15]	kári	xás	kun-xus	xâatik	nu-pêerunpa
	then	then	3pl(>3s)-think	it's.better	1pl(>3)-die.(pl.)

Then they thought, "Let's die!"

[16]	kun-kôoha	pa-'ahavíshkaanva
	3pl(>3s)-stop	NOMZ-fish

They stopped hunting.

[17]	kári	xás	yítha	niinamichtâapas	xás	u-piip	chími	nu-p-ahavíshkaanv-i	páy nanu'ávahkam
	then	then	one	smallest	then	3s(>3)-say	soon	1pl(>3)-ITER-fish-IMPER	sky

Then the littlest one said, "Let's hunt in the sky!"

[18]	káan	ník	kun-p-ihmár-iroopith-va	páy nanu'ávahkam
	there	a.little	3pl(>3s)-ITER-run.(pl.)-around-PL.ACT	sky

They ran around there in the sky.

[19]	vúra	púra fáat
	Intensive	nothing

(But) there was nothing (i.e., no deer).

[20]	ikmaháchraam	kun-pavyíhivrath
	sweathouse	3pl(>3s)-go.back.into.sweathouse.(pl.)

They went back to the sweathouse.

[21]	kári	xás	pihnîichich	u-vôonsip	pa-mukun-'ákah
	then	then	old.man	3s(>3)-get.up	the-3plPOSS-father

Then the old man got up, their father.

[22]	ta'ítam	pírish	ú-kyav
	so	plant	3s(>3)-make

And he made medicine.

[23]	kári	xás	ta'ítam	u-pakxuuyvávath-vunaa	pa-mu-túnviiv
	then	then	so	3s(>3)-rub.medicine.on-PL	the-3sPOSS-children

Then he rubbed it on his children.

[24]	yáas	tá	kun-p-ákunvan-va
	then	PERF	3pl(>3s)-ITER-go.hunting-PL.ACT

Then they went hunting again.

[25]	p-eekxúrar	púva-xay	thivrúhish	koovúra	axupa-'ithvu-tih-ar-a-múrax
	the-evening	not.yet-not	float.ashore	all	dressed.deermeat-pack-DUR-INST-DEVERB-nothing.but

When evening hadn't (even) floated down yet, they were all doing nothing but carrying dressed deer meat.

[26]

kári

xás

u-xús-aanik

yaas'ara-'îin

tá

na-'apúnmiik-ahaak

víri

yaas'ára

káru

vúra

vaa

u-kuph-eesh

then

then

3s(>3)-think-ANC

rich.person-TOPIC

PERF

2s/3s>1s-learn.from-when

so

rich.person

also

Intensive

so

3s(>3)-do-FUT

Then (the father) thought, "If Mankind has learned it from me, Mankind will do this way too."

[27]	naa	kích	îin	tá	nu-'apúnmiik
	1sg.	only	TOPIC	PERF	1pl(>3)-learn.from

I alone have learned it from you.

[28]	naa	káru	vaa	ni-kuph-eesh
	1sg.	also	so	1s(>3)-do-FUT

I will do that too.