Ohkwari’kó:wa

É:so iohserá:ke tsi náhe, akohserá:ke nikahá:wi, Ratinien’kehá:’ka ratiká:ratonhskwe.

Aniatarí:io nikaniataró:ten iothnekaténkion tho ahsén:nen nón:we ne kanatakwe’niió:ke. Thó nón:we ne Ratinien’kehá:ka rontóratskwe. Shaià:ta ne rató:rats ohská:wakon rothahitá:khe wahatkátho ne kowá:nen iokà:ronte. Nó:nen sénha wahakaién:ion wahatkátho tsi ohkwari’kó:wa se’ tehahsi’taierón:ni. Waháhsere ne ohkwari’kó:wa tehahsi’taierón:ni tánon wahatkátho tsi ronatená:taien tehohkwatá:se thó:ne ó:nen ohská:wakon nieshawé:non.

Í:iah tekarì:wes, wahónttoke ne onkweshón:’a tsi í:iah teskanákere ne kontí:rio. Í:iah tetsiohwahren’tónnion tsi ratihstathá:tha. Ronnaterién:tare tsi ohkwari’kó:wa shakórios. Ó:nen tontáhsawen wahontonkária’ke ne onkweshón:’a. Wahatitsiénhaien ne Rotiianéhshon tánon ne onkweshón:’a. Wahonnì:ron entá:on’k tsi enhonwáhton’te ne onhkwari’kó:wa. Né:’e tharihón:nis tsi nihonatera’shò:ten rontonhká:ria’ks tánon kiótkon rotihterón:ni.

Wahontateweienénta’ne ne rontó:rats tánon wahonhtén:ti ne ahonwaia’tisákha ne ohkwari’kó:wa. Wakié:son tsi wahatitshén:ri tsi tehahsi’taierón:ni tánon ne wahatíhsere. Tóhka niwenhniserá:ke watíhsere ne tehahsi’taierón:ni. Tontaiawénhstsi ákta wahón:newe tsi í:re’s. Wahotinehrá:ko tsi ní:ra. Tho nihahnén:ies ne tsi nikiotkwiraténion tánon tho ní:ra tsi ní:wa ne kanónhsa.

Wahón:nerek ne rontó:rats ahonté:kon né:k tsi iathonwanonhtónnion ne roná:kia’ke ne thatì:teron, thontonhká:riaks. Óksak ne kaiénkwire iahontka’wánion né:k tsi sótsi ká:tens ne raóhwhare, í:iah tha’teionatohétston. Í:iah thé:nen tehottó:ken.

1. É:so iohserá:ke tsi náhe Many years ago

2. Akohserá:ke nikahá:wi Winter Time

3. Ratinien’kehá:’ka ratikà:ratonhskwe The Mohawks used to tell this story

4. Aniatarí:io nikaniataró:ten iothnekaténkion tho ahsén:nen nón:we ne kanatakwe’niió:ke. Lake Ontario was in between the main village

5. Thó nón:we ne Ratinien’kehá:ka rontóratskwe.

That is where the Mohawks used to hunt

6. Shaiá:ta ne rató:rats ohská:wakon One man was hunting in the brush

7. Rothahitákhe wahatkátho ne kowá:nen iokà:ronte. As he walked he saw a big footprint

8. Nó:nen sénha wahakaién:ion wahatkátho tsi ohkwari’kó:wa se’ tehahsi’taierón:ni. When it was easy to see the big bear’s tracks

9. Waháhsere ne ohkwari’kó:wa tehahsi’taierón:ni He chased the bears tracks

10. Wahatkátho tsi ronatená:taien tehohkwatá:se He saw it went around their village

11. Thó:ne ó:nen ohská:wakon nieshawé:non. Then it went into the brush

12. Í:iah tekarì:wes, wahónttoke ne onkweshón:’a tsi í:iah teskanákere ne kontí:rio.

It wasn’t long the people noticed they weren’t seeing the wild animals

13. Í:iah tetsiohwahren’tón:nion tsi ratihstathá:tha.

No meat was hanging on their drying racks

14. Ronnaterién:tare tsi ohkwari’kó:wa shakórios. They new the bear was killing them

15. Ó:nen tontáhsawen wahontonkária’ke ne onkweshón:’a. The people started to get hungry

16. Wahatitsiénhaien ne Rotiianéhshon tánon ne onkweshón:’a.

The leaders and people had a meeting

17. Wahonnì:ron entá:on’k tsi enhonwáhton’te ne onhkwari’kó:wa.

They said they must kill the bear

18. Né:’e tharihón:nis tsi nihonatera’shò:ten rontonhká:ria’ks tánon kiótkon rotihterón:ni.

It was his fault that they were hungry and always afraid

19. Wahontateweienénta’ne ne rontó:rats tánon wahonhtén:ti ne ahonwaia’tisákha ne ohkwari’kó:wa. The hunters got read and left to look for the bear

20. Wakié:son tsi wahatitshén:ri tsi tehahsi’taierón:ni tánon ne wahatíhsere.

It was easy to find his tracks and they followed them.

21. Tóhka niwenhniserá:ke watíhsere ne tehahsi’taierón:ni. They followed the tracks for days

22. Tontaiawénhstsi ákta wahón:newe tsi í:re’s Suddenly they arrived near where he was roaming

23. Wahotinehrá:ko tsi ní:ra. They were surprised at his size

24. Tho nihahnén:ies ne tsi nikiotkwiraténion tánon tho ní:ra tsi ní:wa ne kanónhsa.

He was as tall as the trees and as big as a house

25. Wahón:nerek ne rontó:rats ahonté:kon The hunters thought they ought to run

26. Né:k tsi iathonwanonhtónnion ne roná:kia’ke ne thathì:teron, thontonhká:riaks.

But they thought of the others at home who were hungry

27. Óksak ne kaiénkwire iahontka’wánion né:k tsi sótsi ká:tens ne raóhwhare í:iah tha’teionatohétston They quickly let go of their arrows but his fur was too thick and they could pass through it

28. Í:iah thé:nen tehottó:ken. He didn’t even notice

29. Kwáh né:k ne wahonwana’kón:ni. But they just made him mad

30. Wahshakóhsere ne rontó:rats The bear chased the hunters

31. Wahshakohóntera’ne tánon ronónha wahshakóhton’te.

He caught them and they were killed