Battle between the Dakotas and Omahas in 1847

Me´ ki, pe´zhe e´thoñbe ki, e´githe Shaoñ´ shi we´nudoñ ahi´i, shi wa´kitha ahi´i.
Spring / when, / grass / came in sight / when, / behold, / Dakotas / again / to war against us / arrived, / again / to fight us / they arrived. /

Wa'u´ waxe´ gthi´xthu'a ahi´i. Ki Shaoñ´ ama´ e´di ahi´i te. We´naxi´thai te
Woman / &cache / to empty their own / arrived. / And / Dakotas / the (sub.) / there / arrived. / They attacked them /

wa'u´-ma´. Wa'u´ aka´ tha´bthiñ te noñ´ thoñka´ Maxe´wathe aka´ edui´hai te, zhiñga´xchi,
the women. / Woman / the (sub.) / three / the / grown / the ones who / Maxewathe / the (sub.) / joined, / small very, /

ihoñ´ ke t'e´kithai´ te´di. Ki ti´i thoñ we´ahide waxe´ gthi´xthu'a-ma´
his mother / the (ob.) / they killed her for him / when. / And / village / they / at a distance / &cache / those who emptied theirs /

she´nawatha´-bi, ai´. Wa'u´ wiñ´ niñ´ta agthi´ aka´ e´ uthai´. Goñ´ she´nuzhiñ´ga ama´
they destroyed them, it is said, / said they. / Woman / one / alive / who came back / that / told. / And / young men / the (sub.) /

shoñ´ge-ma wagi´koñtoñ shi e´di athai´, wa´thixe. Goñ´ pahe´-de ni´kashiñga bthu´gaxti
the horses / tied their own / again / there / went, / chasing them. / And / hill when / person / all /

aki´i noñshtoñ´i. Ki wi´ ha´shidoñ agthe´ ki, agtha´-bazhi-ma´ shoñ´ e´di aki´. Wa'u´zhiñga
they came again to / they stopped going. / And / I / afterward / I went homeward / when, / those who did not go homeward / after a while / there / I came again to. / Old woman /

ki´u agthi´ ama´, e´ Maxe´wathe ethoñ´ba ethoñ´ba niñ´ta agthi´. Wawe´ama´xe:
she was wounded / she came back / the (mv. sub.), / that / Maxewathe / too / alive / came back. / I questioned her: /

Iñda´doñ uki´t'ai a, wa'u´zhiñga, ehe´. Poñ´ka ebthe´goñ. Umoñ´hoñ ie´ ua´wakiai´
What / tribe were they / ? / old woman, / I said. / Ponkas / I think. / Omaha / speech / they talked to me /

he, ai´ wa'u´zhiñga aka´. Ke´, oñga´gthe tai´; oñwoñ´doñbe tai´, ehe´. Ki´shtawa´gu
. / said / old woman / the (sub.). / Come, / let us go homeward; / let us see them, / I said. / Kictawagu /

ki nu´zhiñga a´zhi wiñ´ she´na tha´bthiñ oñga´thai. Ki ushte´ ama´ ha´shi agi´i. E´thoñbe
and / boy / another / one / enough / three / we went. / And / the rest / after / were coming. / In sight /

oñga´kii ki, paha´di ni´ashiñga wiñ´ e´di nazhiñ´. E´di oñga´kii ki, we´ahusai´
we got back / when, / on the hill / man / one / there / stood. / There / we got back / when, / scolded us /

iñsh'a´ge aka´. E'oñ´ hau, oñthoñ´i ki, Hoñ´egoñche´xti wa'u´-ma wa´xthi. Iñda´doñ
old man / the (sub.). / What is the matter / ? / we said / when, / Early in the morning / the women / they killed them. / What /

hni´toñ thagthiñ´-ba´doñ wathi´sniñdai e´iñte. Ka´shixti a´kia´gthai te, ai´. Hoñe´goñte´goñ
you worked at / you sat and / you delayed / it may be? / Long ago / they had come and gone, / he said. / Some time in the morning /

wa´xthi i´shpahoñ ki, uhna´ thaki´ ete´de. Ki wa'u´zhiñga
they killed them / you knew it / if, / you tell it / you should have reached home. / And / old woman / totally unable to move / running very swiftly to get there soon /

ki´ te, ehne´goñ a, ehe´. Gai´: The´thoñke´e ha. Wathi´shna zhoñ´i. Ga´thu
reach home / will, / you think it / ? / I said. / He said as follows: / These are the ones / . / Visible / they lie. / In that place /

t'e´wathai´, ai´. Goñ´ e´di oñga´gthai ki, e´di oñga´ki wa'u´ thoñka´. Moñ´ ge oñwoñ´thishnu´dai
they killed them, / he said. / And / there / we went homeward / when, / there / we reached again / woman / the (pl. ob.). / Arrow / the (pl. ob.) / we pulled out of them /

waiiñ´ etai´ ge oñthi´zai-de oñ´gube´toñ i´heoñ´thai. E´githe shoñga´gthiñ
robe / their / the (pl. ob.) / we took while / we wrapped them in / we laid (them) down. / At length / horseman /

bthu´gaxti aki´i, ni´ashiñga gthe´bahiwiñ-xti-e´goñ aki´i. Goñ´ oñga´tha-ba´zhi; e´di
all / reached there again, / men / hundred about / reached there again. / And / we went not; / there /

oñwoñ´doñbe oñna´zhiñi. E´githe ni´kagahi wiñ´ aki´i. I´shkada´bi ake´. Ke´, oñwoñ´thixe
we looked at them / we stood. / At length / chief / one / reached there again. / Ickadabi / it was he. / Come, / let us chase them /

tai´ ha, ai´. Ni´ashiñga bthu´ga, Ahau´! ai´. Sigthe´ ke wioñ´guhai, oñwoñ´thixai.
. / he said. / Men / all, / Oho! / they said. / Trail / the / we followed them, / we chased them. /

Gishkoñ´xti-ba´zhi, i´thapi´thiñ we´uhe oñmoñ´thiñi. Zhu´ga-hnoñ pahoñ´ga we´uhe
Not going very fast, / slowly / following them / we walked. / Body only / before / following them /

oñmoñ´thiñi sigthe´ ke. Shoñga´gthiñ ama´ a´gahadi wi´utoñ gthiñ´i. E´githe wati´shka
we walked / trail / the. / Riding horses / the (sub.) / at the outside / next to us / they say. / At length / creek /

aka´ toñga´thehai; uxthu´xa-ba´zhi´; xa´de ha, thi´xthe shku´be bazoñ´ agthai´ ke. Goñ´
the (sub.) / extended wide in all directions; / it was not a hollow; / grass / . / canes / deep / pushing among / they went homeward. / And /

agthoñ´koñhoñ una´sude goñ´ si´gthe u´nai. Shoñ´ge a´gthiñ-ma pahe´ we´ahide´xti
on both sides / it had been burnt bare / so / foot-prints / they sought them. / Horse / those who sat on / hill / at a great distance /

si´gthe u´negoñ noñ´ge ku´wiñxai. Ki ni´kashiñga xa´de shku´be ke´di wi´uhe aka´
trail / they sought them, as / running / they went around. / And / man / grass / deep / in the / followed them / the (sub.) /

koñ´gexchi ahi´i ki, Shaoñ´ ama´ bispe´ zhoñ´i ithoñ´. Oñ´thiñ we´tha-bathiñ´ ni´ashiñga
very near / arrived / when, / Dakotas / the (sub.) / crouching / lay / suddenly. / He came very near finding them / man /

wiña´xchi aka´, shi kigthi´soñtha agi´i. Shoñ´ge toñ´di agthi´ e´goñ a´gigthiñ. Goñ´
one / the (sub.), / again / turned about / he was coming back. / Horse / to the / he came back / as / he sat on his. / And /

a´kihoñ bthu´gaxti shoñ´ge a´gthiñ u´nai, e´gaxe a´kikipai´. Wathu´tada wiñ´
beyond / all / horse / sitting on / they sought them, / around in a circle / they met one another. / Oto / one /

zhua´wagthe. Wathu´tada aka´ wahu´toñthiñ athiñ´; wi´ moñ´ abthiñ´. Ge´pe ha:
he with us. / Oto / the (sub.) / gun / had; / I / arrow / I had. / I said as follows / : /

Kage´ha, xa´de thoñ´di e´di bispe´ zhoñ´i, ebthe´goñ. Utha´se te ha, ehe´. Hau.
Friend, / grass / in the / there / crouching / they lie, / I think. / You will set it afire / . / I said. / (Paragraph.) /

Umoñ´hoñ wiñ´ agthi´i. Goñ´ oñna´zhiñ edi´toñ use´ athiñ´ agthai´. Goñ´ una´he
Omaha / one / came back. / And / we stood / thence / setting it afire / having it / they went homeward. / And / conflagration /

a´musta pahe´ ge a´toñ shoñ´ge a´gthiñ-ma´ bthu´ga bate´te nazhiñ´i, una´he a´musta
right above it / hill / the (pl. ob.) / how far / horse / those who sat on / all / in groups / stood, / conflagration / right above it /

doñ´be nazhiñ´i, e´gaxe nazhiñ´i. Una´he aka´ na´hega-ba´zhi, xa´de aka´ shku´be
looking / they stood, / all around / they stood. / Conflagration / the (sub.) / burnt with much heat, etc., / grass / the (sub.) / deep /

e´goñ. Shoñ´ge a´gthiñ-ma sha´pe-xti-e´goñ zhua´wagthe ana´zhiñ wi´ shti, utoñ´nadi.
as. / Horse / those who sat on / six about / I with them / I stood / I / too, / apart. /

E´githe una´he ama´ ni´ashiñga thoñka´di ahi´i te. E´githe boñ´ awa´na'oñ´. Shagthai´
At length / conflagration / the (moving) / persons / to the / arrived. / At length / calling / I heard them. / I go homeward to you /

ha, huñ+! ai´. Shaoñ´-ma na´ethoñbewa´thai. E´githe waki´de a´kia´gthai.
, / halloo! / they said. / The Dakotas / the fire made come out. / At length / shooting at us / they had come and gone. /

Wa'u´ tha´xthi shki´ Poñ´ka hniñ´ e´iñte utha´ i´thai-ga, ai´ I´shkada´bi aka´. Ki
Woman / you killed them / you were coming back / Ponkas / you are / it may be / to tell it / send ye this way, / said / Ickadabi / the (sub.). / And /

Shaoñ´ ama´ i´a-ba´zhi. Ki I´shkada´bi aka´: I´shkada´bi wi´ebthiñ´ ha, ai´ te, kiki´n
Dakotas / the (sub.) / they spoke not. / And / Ickadabi / the (sub.): / Ickadabi / I am he / . / he said / when, / fighting /

'ithai´. Oñ´b itha´ugthe a´kikithai´. Wa´thiñ athai´ e´goñ miñ´doñbe a´naxti-e´goñ ahi´i
they spoke of. / Day / throughout / they contended with one another. / Having them / they went / as / hour / about how many / it arrived /

te, e´githe Shaoñ´ wiñ u´i. E´githe Shaoñ´ thiñ wiñ´ wa´shai, shkoñ´thi'ai´. Ushte´ ama´
when, / at length / Dakotas / one / was wounded. / At length / Dakota / the (mv.) / one / they made them abandon him, / he was unable to move. / The rest /

agthai´. E´gaxe ithoñ´thai Umoñ´hoñ ama´. Shoñ´ge toñ aoñ´btha. Zhu´ga-hnoñ bthiñ´.
went homeward. / Around in a circle / they placed / Omahas / the (sub.). / Horse / the / I left. / Body only / I was. /

Shkoñ-thi'a´ aka´ moñ´de athiñ´. Wa´baaze-hnoñ´ ama´ Umoñ´hoñ-ma´, wazhiñ´pi´bazhi
Unable to move / the (sub.) / bow / had. / He scared them off regularly / they say / the Omahas, / temper bad /

Shaoñ´ aka´. Ha´shidoñ e´di pi´. E´di pi´ te shoñ´shoñ itha´naxi´btha bthe´ Shaoñ´
Dakota / the (sub.). / Afterward / there / I arrived. / There / I arrived / when / without stopping / I attacked him / I went / Dakota /

thiñke´. Koñ´ge pi´ ki, oñki´de-hnoñ´i thoñ´zha, moñ´ ge we´dazhi-hnoñ the´the-hnoñ´i.
the one who. / Near at hand / I arrived / when, / he shot at me regularly / though, / arrow / the (pl. ob.) / elsewhere regularly / he sent them away. /

Goñ´ a´xthi Shaoñ´ thiñke´; moñ´d itha´tiñ ha. A´zoñ ihea´the, ki Wathu´tada aka´
And / I killed him / Dakota / the (ob.); / bow / I hit him with / . / I hit him and knocked him down, / and / Oto / the (sub.) /

zha´hai te. Goñ´ ni´ashiñga ama´ i´kinai. Pa´dai. Pa´de thishtoñ´ ki, oñwoñ´thixe;
speared him. / And / persons / the (sub.) / snatched at the pieces. / They cut him up. / Cutting up / they finished / when, / we chased them; /

ushte´ ama´ wa´thiñ athai´. Shi-e´di oñga´thai´. Xthabe´ shu´gaxti e´di e´gihaxti a´kia´gthai
the rest / having them / they went. / Again there / we went. / Tree / very thick / there / right headlong into / had gone /

Shaoñ´ ama´. Shi ni´kagahi ahi´-bi ehe´ aka´, I´shkada´bi aka´, gai´: Hau!
Dakotas / the (sub.). / Again / chief / arrived / I said / the one who, / Ickadabi / the (sub.), / said as follows: / Ho! /

shoñ´gaxa´i-ga. Gaski´ gi´'oñziki´the gi´i-ga, ai´. Goñte´goñ ki, shi wa´thaki´hna tai´,
cease ye. / Panting / to rest one's self / be ye coming back, / he said. / Some time / when, / again / you contend with them / will, /

ai´. Hau! e´goñ te, ai´. Paha´ta bthu´ga aki´gthiñ. Shoñ´ge-ma´ shti gi'oñ´ziwagithai´.
he said. / Ho! / so let it be, / they said. / At the hill / all / sat together on. / The horses / too / they caused them, their own, to rest. /

Shaoñ´ ama´ xthabe´ uki´gthiñ gthiñ´i, wa'oñ´ za'e´xti gthiñ´i. Xthabe´ uthu´nazhiñ aka´
Dakotas / the (sub.) / tree / sitting together in / sat, / singing / making great confusion / they sat. / Tree / were depending on /

Shaoñ´ aka´. I´i-ga! oñ´gakiki´tha tai´, e´-hnoñ, oñ´gaba´gtha ta´-bi ethe´goñ e´goñ.
Dakotas / the (col. sub.). / Be ye coming! / let us contend together, / they said regularly, / we will draw back / they thought / as. /

Iñtoñ´! noñhe´be gthiñ´i-ga. Goñche´goñ ki, goñ´ oñ´gakiki´tha taite´, ai´. Hau.
Hold! / waiting / sit ye. / Some time / when, / of course / we contend together / shall, / he said. / (Paragraph.) /

E´githe Wathu´tada ama´ ahi´i te. Eshoñ´ iñwiñ´gthiñi, a´doñ u´wagitha ahi´i. Ni´kathi´xe
At length / Otos / the (sub.) / arrived. / Near / we sat to them, / therefore / to tell it to them / they arrived. / To chase the foe /

ahi´i Wathu´tada ama´. Xthabe´ thoñ´ oñ´guba´azai te, Wathu´tada ama´ ati´i.
arrived / Otos / the (sub.). / Tree / the (cv. col.) / we scared them into / when, / Otos / the (sub.) / came. /

Goñ´ ni´kagahi aka´ gai´ te: Iñtoñ´! noñhe´bai-ga. Goñche´goñ ki, goñ´ oñ´gaki´tha
And / chief / the (sub.) / said as follows: / Hold! / wait ye. / Some time / when, / of course / we contend together /

taite´, ai´. Goñ´ Wathu´tada ama´ noñshtoñ´i. Bthu´ga oñgthiñ´i. Ka´shi oñgthiñ´i,
shall, / he said. / And / Otos / the / stopped going. / All / we sat. / A long time / we sat, /

shoñ´ miñ´doñbe wiñ´ a´kihoñ-xti-e´goñ oñgthiñ´i. Hau. Ni´kagahi aka´ moñ´gthe
in fact / hour / one / beyond about / we sat. / (Paragraph.) / Chief / the / erect /

nazhiñ´i. E´eki´thai: Hau! shetoñ´ ha. Ke´! wa´kitha´i-ga, ai´. Goñ´ woñ´githe,
stood. / He proclaimed: / Ho! / so far / . / Come! / contend with them, / he said. / And / every one, /

Ahau´! ai´. Xthabe´ thoñ bu´ta ha. E´gaxe ithoñ´watha´i-ga. Masa´ni hi´-ba goñ´
Oho! / said. / Tree / the (col.) / round / . / Surround ye them. / The other side / reach and / so /

gi´i-ga, ai´. Goñ´ wa´kithai´. T'e´kitha-ba´zhi ka´shi. E´githe Umoñ´hoñ wiñ´ t'e´tha-bi,
be coming back, / he said. / And / they fought them. / They did not kill one another / a long time. / At length / Omaha / one / was killed, /

ai´. Umoñ´hoñ wiñ´ t'e´thai ha, ai´. E´di pi´ ki, e´githe oñ´ka-ba´zhi; ha´thezaha´
they said. / Omaha / one / has been killed / . / they said. / There / I arrived / when, / behold, / not so; / just on the surface /

thiñke´. Wa´gata gthiñ´i ki, Shaoñ´ aka´ e´toñthiñ ki´dai, a´ ke u´i. Hau. Shi
the one who. / Aiming / he sat / when, / Dakota / the (sub.) / first / shot at him, / arm / the (ob.) / he wounded. / (Paragraph.) / Again /

goñche´ ki, Wathu´tada wiñ´ t'e´thai, e´ t'e´thextioñ´i. E´githe Shaoñ´ aka´ shi wiñ´
some time / when, / Oto / one / was killed, / he / was killed indeed. / At length / Dakotas / the (col.) / again / one /

t'e´thai, e´ Umoñ´hoñ ama´ wat'e´thai. Shi Shaoñ´ aka´ Wathu´tada wiñ´ t'e´thai.
was killed, / that / Omahas / the (sub.) / were the slayers. / Again / Dakotas / the (sub.) / Oto / one / they killed. /

Shaoñ´ aka´, oñwoñ´gaba´gtha ka´shi oñmoñ´thiñi, t'e´awathe-hnoñ´i. Xthabe´ thoñ shoñ´
Dakotas / the (sub.), / we drew back from them / a long time / we walked, / they were killing us. / Tree / the (col.) / at any rate /

uoñ´sii-ga, ai´ I´shkada´bi aka´. Wa´shpagthai´ te, e´githe t'e´thithe-hnoñ´i te. Goñ´
leap ye into, / said / Ickadabi / the (sub.). / You draw back from them / when, / beware / they kill you regularly / lest. / And /

xthabe´ thoñ shoñ´ uoñ´sii ni´ashiñga bthu´ga. Xthabe´ thoñ´ wiñde´tan-di hi´ ki, shi
tree / the (col.) / at any rate / leaped in among / men / all. / Tree / the (col.) / to one-half of the distance / arrived / when, / again /

oñnoñ´shtoñi, oñwoñ´gaba´gthai. Shi goñche´ zhiñ´ga ki, I´shkada´bi aka´ gai´: Shoñ´
we stopped going, / we drew back from them. / Again / a little while / when, / Ickadabi / the (sub.) / said as follows: / At any rate /

uoñ´sii-ga. Wa´shpagthai´ ki, e´githe t'e´thithe-hnoñ´i te, ai´. Noñ´b e´thoñbe oñwoñ´gathiñ
leap in. / You draw back / if, / beware / they kill you regularly / lest, / he said. / Two / coming out of it / we had them /

oñga´hii, aki´wa niñ´ta oñwoñ´thizai´. Umoñ´hoñ-ma wiñ´ Shaoñ´ t'e´thai ke
we arrived, / both / alive / we took them. / The Omahas / one / Dakotas / they killed him / the (ob.) /

oñthoñ´gipahoñ-ba´zhi oñgi´padai´. Shi Wathu´tada t'e´ ke eda´be oñgi´padai´. Shaoñ´
we knew not ours / we cut up ours. / Again / Oto / who was dead / also / we cut up ours. / Dakota /

wiñ´ itha´naxi´btha ki, ni´ahithe´. Wahu´toñthiñ ke gthi´shnoñ goñ´ ni´ ke e´gihithe´. Ni´
one / I attacked him / when, / he fell into the water. / Gun / the (ob.) / he let drop / as / water / the (ob.) / it fell right into. / Water /

ke ua´oñsi goñ´ e´thoñbe gthi´ ki, a´ te aki´tha ubthoñ´. Nazhiñ´akithe´goñ Umoñ´hoñ-ma
the (ob.) / I leaped into / as / he came up / again / when, / arm / the / both / I held. / As I made him stand / the Omahas /

pa´deawa´kithe. Shaoñ´ ushte´-ma wachi´shka ke a´kithe´te oñ´he-ma Umoñ´hoñ ama´
I made them cut him up. / Dakotas / the rest / creek / the (ob.) / crossing together / those who fled / Omahas / the (sub.) /

wa´kipai´ ha. The´ Shaoñ´ ama´ wahu´toñthiñ ge uzhi´ thiñge´ athiñ´i e´goñ t'e´wathai´.
met them / . / This / Dakotas / the (sub.) / gun / the (pl. ob.) / filled / without / they had / as / they were killed. /

Shoñ´xti goñ´ mu´kihoñ´i. Miñ´ ithe´xtioñ´i ki, she´nawathai´ Shaoñ´-ma.
They shot at one another even till night. / Sun / it had fully set / when, / they destroyed / the Dakotas. /