Lakóta Wičówoyake/Lakota Story/Strong Heart Society

​CaŋteT’iŋzá Wačipí Kiŋ
Čantet’inzá Okólakičiye
 
Ptelyela woyakapi. Ptaŋ’opi Wakpala el ewíčoti na hetaŋháŋ Oŋȟiŋȟiŋtḱa Wakpála el ewíčoti. Na waŋna Čaŋtet’inzá Oḱolakičiye waŋ kaǵapí ča el míčopi ča el wau. Mató Yamní hí. Hočokám tipi waŋ itičaǵapi na el ewičoti na ečoŋpi.
 
Yunkaŋ toḱeyá oyate kiŋ atáya okśaŋ najiŋpi. Na waŋna Mato Yamni hínapa na iŋyan waŋ jaŋjaŋ ča – ča heoŋ aglágla waŋwičayaŋk aú na wikčemna iwíčaču na hená tokel tawáčiŋpi kiŋ wičayaotaŋ’inpí lená čatesútapi ča.
 
Mato Yamni el letaŋhaŋ Čantet’inzá Okólakičiye ewičakíyapi kté lo, eya na, lena tohaŋl okičize waŋji el uŋpi na kúwa awičahiyúpi eśa napápi kte śni yelo, eya na, lena – ča yuhápi kte lo, eya, na wahúkeza tópa na waṕaha okijata nuŋpa na wagmúha tópa.
 
Hečel wiḱčemna. Ho na waŋna tipi kiŋ iyúblah iyeyápi. Na waŋna čatkúta owaŋkiyápi waŋ haŋ ča hetaŋhaŋ itánuŋk enajiŋ. Na oyate kiŋ tipi tiyópa kiŋ na atáya iyúwaŋka iyéyapi na waŋwaŋyaŋkápi. Na waŋna wauŋčipi. Olówaŋ kiŋ le uŋ: “kola, túwa, nape či hé opá kté śni ye.”
 
Na wagmúha k’oŋ héna kah́la wačipi. Na waŋna enáuŋkíyapi. Na waŋna Čaŋtet’iŋzá Okólakičiye k’oŋ héna zúya aya. Yuŋkaŋ oyate kiŋ wičota ob uŋyaŋpi, wičemna zaptaŋ sám śakpe uŋyaŋpi. Na waŋna Túki Wakpa kiŋ hel Kaŋǵi wičaśa kiŋ wičoti ča el waŋna hośiwičaglípi. Na waŋna ok’oyákel śkaŋpi.
 
Na waŋna iglútaŋpi na nataŋ ay ana wičoti kiŋ el ehuŋni na waŋčag ouwičuŋtapi na lila – toŋa tóka tipi kiŋ ikíyela tóka waŋ kat’a yeyápi ča tokéya ewákte na hečena waŋna śuŋkawákaŋ kiŋ eyáya na ečel aké num wičawákte. Ehaŋl waŋna h́eyatákiya ukíya na, na waŋna kúwa uŋkaúpi kte kiŋ waŋna iyéhaŋtu ehaŋl Čaŋtet’iŋzá Itaŋčan k’oŋ he lečel eya: “waŋna eyaś heuŋhaŋtúpelo ča wakpála kiŋ elk ú po.” eya.
 
Na waŋna kawíta ehaŋ na tóka k’oŋ waŋna najiŋ uŋyaŋpi na Čaŋtet’inzá Itaŋčan k’oŋ he líla lowaŋ. Na waŋna waṕaha k’oŋ he kič’uŋ na hečena iyáhaŋ ča ihákab iyauŋhaŋpi na tóka tipi etkíya uŋyanpi. Čaŋke líla uŋkúwapi na ečel waŋna wičoti kiŋ líla ikíyela uŋkh́uŋnipi. Čaŋke waŋna tí ih́peya napápi. Na hečena hočokaŋ uŋkiyáyapi. Na waŋna uŋkitáwośitku kiŋ líla ahíyu na wiuŋkíničapi na aké śuŋkawákaŋ kiŋ óta iwičačupi. Na hečena ukíya na wikúčiyela ye ehaŋl uŋkawíčayuśtaŋpi.
 
Yuŋkaŋ Kaŋǵi wičaśa kiŋ wikčemna num aké yamŋi wičuŋktepi na taśuŋkepi kiŋ oḱiseya iwičuŋktepi na Čaŋtet’inzá opápi kiŋ héna tóna wičaópi záptaŋ na waŋjila ktepi, wagmúha yúha kiŋ toṕ na waṕaha uŋ kiŋ hé waŋji na hečel waṕaha yúha k’oŋ hé waŋji t’a. Hečel hečeča eśa – ukíya. Na waŋna aglihuŋni na hečena Čaŋtet’iŋzá Wačipi, h́tayétu ehaŋl.
 
Ho le wičoh’aŋ kiŋ líla teh́ika na waŋna túkte waŋjila eśa okičize waŋji el uŋpi na tóhaŋl waŋna líla wičakúwapi ča na waŋna wahúkeza paslátapi na el najiŋwičayápi na ená wičaktepi. Hečel wičoh’an ečoŋpi. Ho hečel slolwáya na le wauŋ.
 
The Strong Heart Dance
The Strong Heart Society
 
Word was abroad for a short time. On Wounded Otter Creek, they were encamped, and since then they camped on Rosebud Creek. And when they invited me to a Strong Heart Society that was fore, I became a member of it. This was the Three Bears (Group).
 
A tipi was erected center camp, they stayed in it, and did their business. And at first, the people all stood around. Three Bears came out, so for that reason he came out front to see the people, he picked ten of them, they declared what their intention was, since they were strong of heart. Three Bears said, “from today on they will be called a Strong Heart Society, and when they are engaged in a fight, they should not flee, though they come being pursued, for these they will have: four lances, two double streamer warbonnets, and four rattles.
 
Thus there were ten items. Well now, they raised the tipi walls. He stood in the space made for the honor place, and they stood form there on either side. The people pushed up the tipi door and the whole wall and were spectators. Now we went to dancing. This was the song: “friend, one who flees, do not join him.”
 
They danced shaking these rattles. We quit. And the Strong Heart Society members went off to the warpath. We went along with a great many people, fifty-six of us going. They received word that there were Crow Indians camped on the Shell River. And they were engaged in making noise. So they went and dressed for an attack; and we all of a sudden fired on them when they reached the camp, and he was the first killed, when an enemy was struck dead very near a number of enemy tipis, and eventually they took along the horses, and so he killed twelve of the enemy. They then would return to the mountains; and if we should come in pursuit, now then the Strong Heart leader said: “now however, when we are there at that place, come back to the creek.”
 
They stood together, and we withstood the enemy, and the Strong Heart leader sang loudly. He donned a warbonnet, and finally when he went up on a rise, we went up after him and went toward where the enemy lived. And so our pursuit was intense, and we reached the camp in close range. And they fled, abandoning their homes. And in the end, we went into center camp. Our auxiliaries came forward fast, cleaned up after us, and again many horses were taken. Finally, we came on home, and when it was already late afternoon, we finished with them.
 
So we killed twenty-three Crow Indians and half their horses. Those who accompanied the Strong Hearts who were wounded numbered five, and one was killed; four rattle carriers and one wearing a warbonnet, and thus the one who had the warbonnet died. So though it was that way, they came on home. They arrived back, and finally the Strong Hearts did dance, when it was evening. Yes, this custom was very costly, and to whichever ones were in a dispute; and when they were given a hot pursuit, then a lance was driven in the ground, they made a stand, and there they were killed. So the custom was done. Now, that is the way the Strong Heart Dance. To this day, I am well off.

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