20_Nelson

Yes, thank you [for what you are doing].

Hee, hohou.

That´s what people say, because you are here. over there that teacher, maybe, maybe he taught her.

Nee'eesinihii3i' nenitee, toh'entoon huut. huu3e' hinee neyei3eibeihii, nooxeihi', nooxeihi' niineyei3eiheit.

I met him, where you are from.

Nihnouxono' hinee heeteihin

Well what my younger brother said,

Wohei niine'eehek nee'eeneesinihiit nehe' neehebehe',

Because(?) I am copying/following [what he said] about those old times.

Tohuu3oo3ookunihiinoo hinee 3eboosei3iihi'.

And there was a gathering [of elders/ceremonial leaders].

Noh hoo'eixootiini'.

People wereonly speaking English.

NiiP niibeexo'oo3ouyeitiitooni'.

These old men, and these Rabbit Lodge Men were there.

Nuhu' beh'eihoho' wo'ei3 nuhu' nookuhnenno' nih'eentoo3i'.

They were talking about something.

Nih'iiheenetiitooni' heeyouhuu.

This old lady was siting there and listening.

Nehe' betebihehi' nih'ii3i'okut nih'iiceeceh'e3tiit.

Can I say something else, which you're not going to like, she said ??.

Ne'P kooneetciini'kohtowunihii, nih'iit nooxuuni.(?)

Maybe now I can say something critical, now that I'm an old woman.

nooxeihi' woow niini'kohtowunihiinoo woow beneeseseinoo.

I am listening to you, and you are only speaking English, she said.

Nuhu' ceeh'e3ihe3enee, 'oh beexo'oo3ouyeitinee, nih'iit.

Speak Arapaho!

Niinono'eiti'.

You're not white people, she said.

Heihoownih'oo3ounibe, nih'iit.

Maybe, maybe now the white people have gotten the best of us, she said.

Nooxeihi' nooxeihi' woow heetniixoowo'oneino' nih'oo3ou'u nih'iit.

Well that's it. It was like...

Wohei hi'in nenee'. Wootii neneiP

what she said to us, it was like she was encouraging us, so that

tih'iiP nih'iisinihii3ei'eet, 'oh ne'P wootii neniisibei'eet, heetniiP...

The younger people, so they would try and know our language.

nuhu' wonooniii'oo3i' heetniiP, neyeiP, neyeihei'inou'u niiyou heteenetiitoonin.

There is were we are headed, as my younger brother said.

Neeyou heenee3e'eiseeno' heesinihiit nehe' neehebehe'.

And now there aren't many who speak it.

'oh woow hoowoo3eihino' neeneti3i' hiiwoonhehe'.

There is how an Arapaho, this is how s/he lives.

Neeyou hinee heeneesoo' niiyou hinono'ei, heesiine'etiit.

There are still medicines.

Noosouneeneentou' woxu'uu.

Our ceremonies/ways of worship are still around.

noosouneenentou' hinee hotowoo'ootiinin.

The [ceremonial/religious] things we have, that is when...their language is [essential] for this.

Heesnii3nowooni', nenee' tihnoonoyeiP... niiyou hiteenetiitooninoo nenee'.

****

NiiP niiP

We are trying to hold on tight to it.

neeyeinei'iitoowuno';

We are trying, trying [to do things so that] it will be turned back around, So they will turn their language back around.

niineyeiP neyeice'iineeseenoo', tohuuneexou'u hinee hiteenetiitooninoo.

That, this younger generation, they are the ones whom we are thinking about.

Hinee nehe' wonooniii'oo3i' nenee3i' niiP niikookokoh'oeneetP kookokoh'oenebee3i'.

It will be them who will...

Heetne'P heetne'nee3i' heetne'inP.

[Like] when the old men did [ceremonies] back in the old days, [they] are going to...

tih'eeneistii3i' beh'eihoho' nuhu' 3eboosei3iihi heetwonP.

The younger generation are the ones who will...

Hi'in wonooniii'oo3i' heetne'nee3i' heetne'P.

Still, still, their ceremonies and also their language, we are still living with the aide of that.

Noosouniini, noosouniini hitowoo'ootiininoo wo'ei3 howoo hiteenetiitooninoo, noosouniini hi'eeneine'etii3i'.

This is because their language is a serious thing.

Nuhu' tohP toh'ouuneenoo' niiyou hiteenetiitooninoo.

This is how much, even you, how much [we] are trying [so that a way] will be found, how you will turn this language back around.

Niiyou hee3ei'neeniihi', howoo neneenin, hee3ei'neeniihi' neyeiP bii'iihi' heetniisce'iineexow hinee heenetiit.

That's it.

Hi'in nenee'.

Our old men of long ago told us about this, hold on to that pipe, which you talk about, or hold on tight to that cedar.

Nuhu' 3eboosei3iihi' nebeih'eihebinoo nihP nih'eenei'towuuneino' hi'iihi', hiinei'iito'owunee hinee neeyou hinee heenetinee hiicooo, wo'ei3 nei'iitiibi' hinee ceeh'ee.

Hold on tight to your language.

Nei'iitiibi' uhh neeyou hinee heteenetiitooninoo.

Hold on tight to it [for the sake of the pipe and the smudging].

Nei'iitiibi'.

And there is that singing [too].

Neeyou hinee niiboot.

You must try to hold on tight to it, they said.

Heetneyeinei'iitiibinee, nih'ii3i'.

That will be, that will be where, they are still trying to live [that way].

Heetne'P nee'eetne'P, noosouneyeiheeneine'etii3i'.

This younger generation, and those farther on down the line as well.

nuhu' wonooniii'oo3i' howoo 3ebcebe'einiihi'.

These kinds of things, that is what is being looked for:

Heenei'isiihi' tihP tihP nenee' notiihi'.

Whatever way our language can be turned back around.

Toonheetniisce'iineeseenoo' hinee heteenetiitoonin.

[It is sacred] just like life and water are sacred.

Howoo nenee', howoo hiine'etiit, nec tohP tohbeteenoo'.

Here is this earth [which is sacred too].

Niiyou nuhu' biito'owu'.

This is it.

Nenee'.

We are still living by means of these things.

Noosouni'eeneine'etiino'.

Here, here is my younger brother or others, they know the [proper] Arapaho ways.

Huut, noh huut niine'eehek nehe' neehebehe' wo'ei3 hoo3oo'o', niihei'inou'u niiyouno heeneisP heeneisP heeneistoot hinono'ei.

We love [the Arapaho way of life].

Niibixootowuno'.

We are trying to hold onto it tightly.

NiineyeiP neyeiP niineyeinei'iitiibi'.

That's it, so that...

Hi'in nenee' heetih'ini.

Thank you, that's how it is.

Hohou, nee'eesiini.