---
title: Improvement Era
description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930.
authors:
  - Huntington, Dimick B.
collections:
  - periodicals
tags:
  - magazine
  - improvement-era
periodical: Improvement Era
volume: 17
number: 12
published: 1914-10
publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations
publisher_place: Salt Lake City
language: en
type: magazine
reference: 'Huntington, Dimick B., "Indian Dialect and History", *Improvement Era* 17, no. 12 (October 1914): 1110–1119.'
source:
  url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1712unse
  transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers.
  identifier: improvementera1712unse
start_page: 1110
end_page: 1119
rights:
  status: public-domain
  basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1914-10)
  source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1712unse
  publication_year: 1914
  note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1914, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright.
---

# Indian Dialect and History

<!-- page:1110 -->

Indian Dialect and History

                         BY DIMICK B. HUNTINGTON

     [The following is reproduced from a little pamphlet .published by
the well-known pioneer and scout, Dimick B. Huntington, and copyrighted, or "entered according to Act of Congress, in the year of our
Lord 1872, in the clerk's office of the Third District Court of Utah
Territory," by the author. Besides a vocabulary of the Ute and Shoshone dialect, it contains what purports to be the tradition of the
Utah Indians in relation to the creation of the world, and a brief history of the famous Indian chief, Walker, with a brief history of the
Utes. Mr. Stanley Clawson kindly loaned the Era a copy of the rare
book from which we print the complete text, beginning with the
preface.  Editors.]
                                 PREFACE
     The author, D. B. Huntington, was born in Watertown, Jefferson county, New York, on the 26th of May, 1808; and came to
the  mountains in 1847 as a soldier in the Mormon battalion, his
family accompanying him through New Mexico to Salt Lake
valley, where he learned the Utah and Shoshone dialects in the
emplovment of the United States Government during a period of
twenty years as Indian interpreter. His long acquaintance with
the Indians, their language, manners and customs, has given him
a thorough knowledge of their traditions and legends    and the    ;

influence which he has acquired among them has enabled him to
render the Government valuable service with them since the first
settlement of Utah.

VOCABULARY OF THE UTAH AND SHOSHONE DIALECTS
        UTAH         :Blood              Pwap
Arm                           Poorets Bad                               Kadz-at
Axe    .                 Quepannump Bed                                Sham-up
Apple                      Peag-a-mar Buffalo                         Quitsen
Antelope                      Wanzitz Buffalo skin              Quitsen-pooah
Another                     Ker-mush Black                            Toquer
All                       Mah-no-nah Bear                          Queo-gand
All   gone                 Topic-quay Bridle                        Timbi-up
Awl                          Wee-uds Break                           Ko-poke
Arrow point              Pan-now-nup Beads                               Tso
A boundary line           Tig-ah-kent Bread              Pan (or Te-shut-cup")
A straight line            Tomequint Bite                                Keae
A hole                       Puckage Brass                           Wah-ker
A well                      Oroc-kent Boy                                 Ipeds
A great way off           To-edg mae Beaver                            Pow-inch
A long time ago          To edg-e-tish Bow                        Ads
A long time in future              Born                 Nan-to-un-gee
                  To-edg-pe-nun-ko Badger                 O-num-buds
Boat                      Obishock Black-tail rabbit          Cam-mo
Bridge               Oyem-po-shag Beaver trap     Pow-inch-yeari-nump
                                                     .

<!-- page:1111 -->

INDIAN DIALECT AND HISTORY                                              1111

Big black cricket                              My-soods Eat                                                    Tick-i
Clock                                       Tab-by-nump Ear                                             Nan-kub-bah
Chest or Trunk                             O-yem-fat-sup Elk                                                Par-ri-ah
Canter                                       Ap-poo-yah Eye                                                  Poo-ye
Corn                                             Co-mee Equal                                           To-a-now-er
Cut-throat                                Co-rets seeb-in            Egg                                     No-pub
Chicken             .   .       .                 Cam-boonk Earth                                          Tee-weep
Come                                                  Pie-ka Enough                                     Own-shump
Crow or Raven                               At-taw-konts Eagle                                           Quan-a-tich
Crow Indians                                  Up-sa-ro-ka Fire                                              Coo-nah
Comb                                      Nan-zu-ri-nump Fish                                            Pan-gwitch
Chair                                      Pah-ger-nump Friend                                             Tig-a-boo
Crane                                           Tsuck-ore Fishhook                                   Pah-ger-a-nump
Cottonwood                                         Sho-ap Fix or make                                     E-ne-kend
Choke-cherry                                     To-nump Foot                                                  Namp
Certain                                     Tuege-shump Finger-ring
Chief                                                  Ne-ab          Pan-a-mah-ger-i-nump
Child                                             Tow-ats-en Forgotten          Katz-shu-mi
Cedar                                               Wap Fight                  Nah-oo-quey
Cry                                               Yah-gi Fish hunting. Pan-gwitch-pushager
Colt                                       Co-war-o-wets Fox                  Tab-boon-zits
Cut                                          -. Scheb-in Fence
                                                  .   .                        O-ven gwup
Coat                                                            Tah Foolish                            Katz-te-su-ah
Cheese          .   .       .       :           Ka-sooch Flour                                          Tu-shu-kent
Centre                                   To-tery-wup-unt Ford                                             Par-a-boo
Chew                                                      Cuts-so-i Feathers                                   Peeb
Cane    .   :            Nan-ze tope Face                                                                    Ko-bub
Cat                       Moo-chich File                                                            O-one-er i-nump
Confined to the bed ... .Nah-me quy Gradual ascent                                                        Pan-nunk
Candle                  Nighty-nump Good                                                                         Att
Coach        Po-kent-o-yem-bon-go Go with me                                                       Tam-my-nah-wah
Conceive                 O-net-shpee Give                                                                    Mug-gi
Catch                           Tsi Great                                                                    Ah-bat
Catch with lasso. .Witch ung nunk Gone away                 i                                            Katz kar-ra
Creek or River             No-quint Gun                                                                  Tum-by-oo
Die                        E-iqueay Get out of the way                                                    In-e-to-ah
Dead                             E-t Grass                                                                   O-weep
Done                         O-wish Get up                                     .   .   .   .   .            Quir-i ka
Do you understand                    Ground squirrel                                                        See-pitch
                 Poo-suds-a-way-ah Grasshopper                                                            A-ran guts
Doctor                    Poy-gand Gambling                                                               Ni-a-witch
Drink                     E-bee-bee Go                                                                      Pi-equay
Deaf                    Katz-nan-ki Glean, to pick                                                             Tso-i
Dry (thirsty)                        Grease wood                                                             To-nub
              Town goo-nary-oo-ah Go home                                                             Pi-equay-band
Deer                          Te-ah Go slow                                                              Shan-neech
Dog                                                       Sar-rich   Go fast                              Pun-ker-ro
Dig                                                             O-ra Gold                           Wah-pana-kar-ra
Drown                                                      Pah-e-i Girl                                    Nan-zitch
Dust                                                      O-coomp Grow                                        Nan-a
Dance                                                     Weep-pi Hard                                      Tin-zeer
Duck                                                    Tsig Heart                                             Pe-in
Dream                                             No-ni-shee Hair                                     Tots-sib-a-wub
Devil                                               Shin-nob Horse                                 Teah or Ka vah-u
Door                                           U-ra-wop Hat                                                Katz-oats
Drum                                    Que-tum-bi-nump Hand                                              Moo-ninch
Daylight                                          Tash-a Hen                                             Kam-boonk
Encamp                                      Meah-a-bitch Handkerchief                                    Pan-shi-ack

<!-- page:1112 -->

1112                  IMPROVKMENT ERA
Hand it to me      Yen-no or Yack Man                                             Tow-ats
Hind sight to a gun                  Mad                                            Ni-ah
                    Poon-ery-nump Mountain                                         Ki-bah
Hare                   Tshuch-kum Morning                                Po-e-chi-co
Hog           Ko-sho or Ko-chee na Mud                                           Pow-e-ibe
Hold up your hand           Tone-do Move                           Meah-bike-way
Head                      Tot se-in Marry                                   Pe-oh-a
Hobble                  Mo-e chuck Mountain top                          Wig-ki-bah
House                          Kahn Mountain side                                Pi-ab-bah
Heavy                     Put-te-ent Muskrat                         *   .   .   .Pah-rant
Iron                    Pan-a-kar-a Move camp                      Me-ah-bi-quay
Ice                        Tesh-pah Morning dove                                      I-oo
I do not know                        Male kind                                   Ko-mong
  Um-pio or Katz-poo-soods a-way No not so                                           Katz
Indian tobacco              Pow-rah Not certain                                   Ump-i-o
In the future            Pe-nun-ko Not any                                   Katz-i-an-o
In the past                  E-tish Needle                          Tidz-ah-nump
I   say                 Ick-in-nish Noon                                         To-tab-by
I   said               Mkie-e-neah    No name                            Katz-ne-ate
Interpreter              Tin-ne-ah    New                                    Ah-ger-um
Kneel down                To-to-un    Now                                             Ahp
Knfe                      Weitch Never                             Katz-pe-nun-eo
Kettle              Pam-boon-nah Night                                             To-can
Kill                       Puck-ki Open the door                                 Tsap-kak
Kick                        Tang-i Old man                                   Nan-i-peds
Load a gun             To-wudg-ka Otter                                          Pan-sook
Look and stand .... Poon-nv-won-y Old                                                Etum
Light the fire    Coon-ah-night-y Onion                                  Kin-kah
Liar                  Tu-wish-er-er One                                     Soos
Long                     Cu-ber-ant Over the river   .   .   .   Mah-bah quan-do
Lie down                 •\h-be-nuy Pack (to carry)                                  Noke
Look                   Poon-e-kee Paper                                            Po-kent
Lead (a metal)                Oo Pantaloons                                         Pe-mo
Looking-glass       Nah-voo-nump Potatoes                                            Tsing
Long ago                     E-tish Plpte          Tuwup or Tick-i-numo
Lame                      Shan-gee Pistol                                        To-i-pidg
Lice                      Poo-chup Pipe                                             Tsong
Laugh                        Kee-en Pine                                             Ompe
Lodge pole                 Wan-din Powder                           Koots-ah-wah
Large                        Ah-bat Painting                       An-ker-ker-oak
Live                       No-re-ah Poor in flesh                     Kan-e-bitch
Lend                      Yow-e-na Pain                                Pe-kon-gah
Licentious           Nah-soon-chee Pine-nuts                                         Teeb
Light (not heavy)       Shi-pun-ny Polecat                                         Po-ney
Make                      Inlnelka Plover (a bird)                                 Queets
Mule                      Moo-rats Roan                                       Ash-sheer
Moon                       My-toge Red                                          An-karr
Mosquito                     Mo-ap Run                                       Pun-ker-ro
Mine                        Nin-ny Rabbits                                       Shuc-cum
Myself                    Tam-my Rattlesnake                                        To-ab
Make haste                Te-we-ne Road                                                 Po
V other                     Pe-ades   R ed shirt                             An-ker-tah
Money                 Pan-na-car-ra   Ride                                        Shpee
Medicine         My-shoot-te-quoop    Round circle                           Que-o-kent
Milk                      Pee-chup    Rope                    Tshap
Many or Much               Hah-van Rabbit-brush            Shpoomp
Mountain sheep            Nah-gadz Resurrection
Meat                       To-quab       .      Man-no-nah quyr-a-ky

<!-- page:1113 -->

INDIAN DIALECT AND HISTORY                                                      1113

Ramrod                              Sku-ri-nump Table                                             Tick-i-nump
Rifle                                    Aukage Tail                                               Quah-sitch
Ripe                                    Quash-a Toad                                              Quan-nump
Report                                To-ah-boy To catch fish                        Pang-gwitch-tsi
Salutation                        Mike tig a boo To cook food                                   Tshi
Sick                               Puck-kon-gah Trot                                               Ap-poo-na
Small bells                        Tappa-a-rump Want                                                Ash-en-ty
Small                                Me-poodg-e Watermelon                                         Shan-te-cut
Sing                                        Kah White-tail              deer                        Soo-goosh
Sleep                                   Ep-weh Warm                                               Coo-too-rich
Salt                                    O-ab-bit   Wrong                                              Katz dat
Slow                                 Shan-neach What is you nane.        -
                                                                                      .   .   .   An-na-ne-ah
Soft                               Katz tin-zeer Wash hands                                       Ne-var-e-ga
Shut the door                            To-ock Wood                                                     O-pti
Sack or Bag                              Co-nob Walk                                                   Pah-wi
Shoot                                    Co-que Wolf                                                   Ye-oge
Saddle                              Car-ri-nump Wash clothes                                         Pah-shoa
Strong                                Nar-ri-ent   Water                                                 Pah
Stirrup              Tang-i-nump Willow                                                              Kan-nab
Sage-hen                   She-jah White hair                            .   .   Tshar-tots-sib-i-wub
Sioux Indian .... Pam bitch a-men White                                                                Tsharr
Stand up                    One-e Wagon                                                   O-yem-bon-go
Stinking                           Pe-quy-na-ry What                                                 Hum-pah
Stink                                 Quan-na Wild goose                                      O-bi-nunk
Spy-glass                     Poon-e-rey-nump Whiskey                                      Koon-ah-pah
Spirit                                  Mo-ap White face                                  T-shuker-boin
Sage-brush                               Mahb Yellow or Brass                                        Wah-ker
Snow                               New-wappy Younger brother                                         Suck-ige
Service-berries                      To-em-py You                                                         Em
Sinew                                 Tam-mo Yonder                                                  Mah-bah
Spaniard                              Co-quets Yes                                                     Oo-ah
Sheep                                Can-na-rich
Shield                                   Tap-po
Sun                                      Tab-by                         NUMBERS:
Stone                                     Timp
Spoon                                  Mon-zoo One                                                       Soos
Soap                      Ne-var-a-ga-nump Two                                                        Wy-une
Sewing-thread         .   . Pan-shi-tam-mo Three
                              .                                                                        Pi-une
Sheep-eaters                Na-gads-tick-er Four                                                  Wats-u-enc
Shot-gun                     Pant-tum-bi-oo Five                                           Man-i-gin
Shade or Shadow                        Wah-bab Six                                         Nav-i-une
Sunrise                           Tabby-moushy Seven                                      Tat-su-ene
Sundown                            Tabby-eiquay Fight                            :     Ni-wat-su-ene
Stars                                 Poo-chitts Nine                                 Sur-rom-su-ene
Snring of water                       Shpee-kin Ten                                Tom-su-ene
To fly                             Mah-be-nunk Eleven          .   .   .Tom-su-ene soos spinko
This, that or    it                        Inch Twelve
To baptize                           Tsow-oo-ni    .... Tom-su-ene wy-une spinko'
Think                                    Shu-mi Thirteen
Thunder                               O no-nint          Tom-su-ene pi-une spinko
The      night                           To-can Fourteen
Talk                                  At-am-bar      .Tom-su-ene wats-u-ene spinko
                                                     .

Trout                             At-em-pah-gar Fifteen
Tired                                Oo-wo-one       .Tom-su-ene man-i-gin spinkc
                                                     .

Tobacco                                    Quao Sixteen
To     trade                         Nar-ro-wap      .   .   .Tom-su-ene nav-i-une spinkr
Tie up                              Tap peech-e Seventeen
Throw away                           Tur-reb-by      .   .Tom-su-ene tat-su-ene spinko

<!-- page:1114 -->

1114                          IMPR0VEMEN1 ERA
Eighteen                                     I   )rink                                       My-he-bc
      Tom-su-ene ni-wat-su-ene spinko Drown                                               Pah te-i
Nineteen                            Dream                                              Now-she-ah
   Tom-su-ene sur-rom-su-ene spinko Eat                                                   My-dick
Twenty              Wamp-su-ene Ear                                                              Nank
Twenty-one                       Equal                                                       Soo-wite
       Wamp-su-ene soos spinko Empty                                                          Kay-wut
Thirty                Pam-su-ene Earth                                                       Shog-oup
Forty      Wtas-u-ene tom-su-ene Enough                                               *.   So-bi-gush
Fifty        Man-i-gin tom-su-ene            Fire                                            Koo-nah
Sixty        Nav-i-une tom-su-ene            Finger-ring                                     Mah-van
Seventy    .Tat-su-ene tom-su-ene
              .   .   .                      Frightened                                     Shir-re-er
Eighty ..Ni-wat-su-ene tom-su-ene            Fish hunt   .   .   .   .       Pan-gwitch-mo-wick
Ninety Sur-rom-su-ene tom-su-ene
          .                                  Friend                                            Hanch
One hundred                       Soos meh   Fat                                                Yope
                                             File                                             Tim-uts
                      SHOSHONE:              Foot                                             Em-pah
                                             Forgot                                         K-shwuck
Axe                                 Oo-han Fight                                       Nah-be-tink
Another thing                Kick-er-much Father                                                   Ap
Another person                  Under-sih Flour                                       To-se-te cup
All                                O-yate Flint                                   Tim pah nah rackAntelope                     Qura-retz-ey Good                                              Tshant
Arrapahoe                      Sar-ry-tcik Give me water                                 Pah-mote
Awl                                 Wey-oe Go away                                         Me-a ro
All come                       O-yate-kim Go home                                      Can me-a ro
Arrow point                Oo-pah-zuts-ski Grass                                             Sho-neep
Blood                                Pweep Grasshopper                                        At tankBad                                 K-gent Good for nothing                                  K tshant
Buffalo                           Kood-sin Green                                           Sha-go-ebit
Black                              To-e bti Get up                                           E ate-sey
Bear (a beast)                  Oo-rets-ey Gum                                               Sham-up
Bridle                             Tun-bup Hard                                               Ke-tant
Berak                               Ko-pup
Brown                        Toop-she-bit Heart                                                    Pe
Black hair                     To-pam-py Horse                                                 Bon-go
Belly                               Shap Hair                                                 Pom-py
Been done                          Pwesh Hat                                                Tits-o-mo
Brother                          Pad-zits Hard heart                                       Pe-ke-tant
Bannack                         Pan-nack Hare                                          To-se-cumb
Black feet                       Pah-kee It's enough                                       So-bi-gush
Beaver                            Han-ny I do not know                   .   .   K-my-shun-bun-ny
Blue                         Em-boo-e-bit Iron                                          Poo-e-wee
Corn                             An-neap Knife                                                 We-its
Coffee    .                         Cop-py Kettle                                           Wit-to-ah
Crow Indians                  Up-sa-ro-ka Kill                                               My-beck
Come                                   Kim Laugh                                            Ye-an-net
Cloud                       Pah-ger-nump Long ago                                             So-bash
Certain                          Tee-bits Lance                                               She-jah
Chief                        Ty-gwun-nup Large                                               Peah-up
Cord                              Tim-mook Looking-glass                               No-boo-way
Cedar                                 Wap Look                                           Mah-boon
Cnild                              To watsi Long                                           Kiv-er-ant
Deer                         Shock e r-ah Lie                                                Ish-ump
Don't kill                     K-my beck Make                                                 Ma-hon
Dig                               Ah-we Moon                                          Man-e-goots
Dead                                   Te-i Mosquito                                        Mom-poo
Dog                                  Sar-ry My friend                                  Neah hanch

<!-- page:1115 -->

INDIAN DIALECT AND HISTORY                                          1115

Money                   Lay-pe-ase Sundown                                     Tab-by-ti   i

Milk                        Pit-see   Throw away                                  Mu-e-ty
Many                         Shont That'                                               Ick
Mountain sheep         To coot sey Thunder                                   Too-yah-kay
Meat                       Un-toke To-night                                   To-can-inch
Man                        Tur-nup To talk                                       Ty-gwun
Mountain                 To yab-by Tired                                        Pah-buck
Morning                Po-eech-i-co Tobacco                                     Pau-mo-e
No, not so                     Kay To trade                                     Nah a me
Nose                         No-be To know                              Mah-shum-bun-ny
Noon                    Tab-by-pant To kill      -wash or Mah gar-vie
Old                 Tsoo-goo-pet-sy Tail Ma                  Qua-shay
Otter                      Pan-sook Wagon             Wah-bin-bon-go
Open the door           Mah-sah-tak White                  To-see bit
Percussion cap             Nar-rack White hair         To-see pom-py
Pig                          Co-sho Wife                Un-gwab-it-se
Poor               Nash-en tee-tant White blanket .To-see-bit wan up
                                                                   .

Powder                Nau-gar tush Water                                              Pah
Pipe                         Un-to Wolf                                            E-chup
Paper                      Tu-wup Wood                                             Ho-pit
Pantaloons                    Coos Warm                                           Ear-rint
Roan                     Ash-en-bit What                                              Hin
Red                       An-ke-bit Wild goose                             Noo ken detch
Red hair             An-ke-pom-py Yellow                                         Owee-bit
Red blanket          An-ke-wan-up You                                                Him
Run fast              Kit-tant-nook Yes                                               Oos
Run                          Nook
Road                            Po                        NUMBERS:
Sick                   Ne che quy
Small                             One
                           Te-titch                                            Sim-i-titch
Sing                        E-moo Two                                                 Wat
Sleep                      Ep-wee Three                                               Pite
Slow                      O-be-tah Four                                         Wat-su-et
Soft                    Ke ke tant Five                                         Man-a-get
Salt                     Oun e bit Six                                             Nav-ite
Shut the door          Mut sut'-tum Seven                                        Tat-su-it
Sack or Bag           Mow gut say Eight                                       Ny-wat-su-it
Shoot                   Mah-gwoot Nine                                    Shim-mer-o-men
Saddle                    Nar-ri-no Ten                                         Shim-mer
Strong                   Nar-ri-ent Eleven
Stirrup                Nar re-tuck    Shim-mer sim-er-titch ma-do-ick
Sweet water            Pe nah pah Twelve      .Shim-merw.atma-do-ick
                                              .   .   .

Sugar                      Pe nah    And so till twenty.
Sister                    Pad-zits Twenty                   Wam-i-no
Shot-gun                     Pe-yet Thirty                                       Pam-i-no
Snow                     Tuck-e-bit Forty                                  Wat-su-wee-ny
Service-berries          Te-em-py Fifty                                      Man-i-gen-ny
Smoking leaf            Mi-tim-e-ah Sixty                                  Nav-i-te-wee-ny
Shield                      Tap-po Seventy                                Tat-su-et-wee-ny
Sun                         Tab-by Eighty                              Ni-wat-su-it-wee-ny
Snake river           Jamph-pah-pa Ninety                              Shim-mer-o-men-ny
Sunrise             Tab-by to-wick One hundred             .   .       Shim-mer-shim-mer

    The Utes and Shoshones recognize the same seasons, and
they are distinguished hy the following names
Winter                      Tome      Summer                                         Tads
Spring                   Tah-mun      Fall                                     Ye-ah-bun

<!-- page:1116 -->

1116                     IMPROVEMENT ERA
THE TRADITIONS OF THE UTAH INDIANS IN RELATION
        TO THE CREATION OF THE WORLD
     When the gods made the world it was dark all over the face
of the earth; and they said let us have light; and the chief said,
I will make it ; I have no arrow long enough to penetrate through

the darkness.      So he groped about and found some willows
 (Cannab), and broke the longest one he could find, put jt upon his
bow and shot upwards. In a short time a small star appeared.
They watched it and it soon began to grow light came in, the
                                                ;

orifice expanded, the darkness disappeared, and they could see to
divide the water from the land and they made dry ground, and
                                   ;

the rivers, lakes, springs, and the small streams, and they all sang
together.
                                THE FLOOD
     The people of the earth a long time ago became exceedingly
wicked, and the Lord saw it and sent down one of His sons to
find out concerning it.    He returned and said it was true the;

people were bad.    So the Lord sent out a proclamation for all of
the inhabitants of the whole earth to come together, for He wanted
to talk to them.   They met in a large valley and the Lord came
down and stood, one foot on one mountain and the other foot
upon another mountain but the people would not listen to Him.
                            ;

He then called all of His friends to come unto Him. They came
two of every kind of beasts, and a few men, women and children,
and they made a covenant to hearken unto Him.
     The others kept talking and would not hear Him. Then the
Lord was angry He stooped down and pulled up a large tree and
                   ;

whipped every living thing to death except His friends, and then
He told them to go and throw or scatter their young upon all the
face of the land and be His friends.

                         ELIJAH FED BY RAVENS
     A great many moons ago a woman strayed off and got lost
from her lodge. She was a very good woman, and was a friend
to the Lord.  She became very hungry, and cried to the Lord for
food, and He sent ravens to carry her meat for many days.  After
awhile she found her lodge, and there was great rejoicing among
her people when she told them what the ravens had done.

                       THE CRUCIFIXION OF CHRIST
       A great many years ago the Lord (Towats) lived in the Piede
country.   His house is standing at this time. He had a son who
died, and when he died the earth was broken up there were earth-
                                                    ;

quakes and terrible thunderings and lightnings. It was very dark
for three days and nights.   It was so dark the people could feel
the darkness with their fingers and all of this time they were
                                       ;

howling and crying, for they could not make fire burn. They had

<!-- page:1117 -->

INDIAN DIALECT AND HISTORY                          1117

to eat all of their meat raw.    The third day His son came to life
and the darkness disappeared, and there was great rejoicing. The
Lord had a brother, but they were not on friendly terms with each
other.   And he, the brother, had a son who died, and his father
went to the Lord (his brother) to ask Him why it was not dark.
The Lord told him it was because he opposed Him in all things.
The Lord's brother's name was Shinnob. The Lord told him to
go home, cut off his hair, burn up his lodge, kill his horses, howl,
and lacerate his flesh, for the third day his son would stink and
                                                               ;

so it was.  Hence comes their tradition, which is
      That when they die their spirits go to a large canon in the
Sierra Nevada mountains, where there is plenty of game, and they
hate to have their relatives die and go poor to the hunting grounds.
This is the reason why they kill the dead man's horses to go with
him for him to ride. It is customary with them to kill a prisoner
or some poor person to go with them to wait on them.

                     WAH-KER'S HISTORY
    Wah-ker was born about the year 1815, on the Spanish Fork
river, Utah county, Utah Territory, and was one of the shrewdest
of men.    He was a natural man read from nature's books. He
                                  ;

was very fond of liquor; but when in liquor you could not get
him to make a trade.
     Wah-ker means "yellow," or "brass." When about twentyfive years of age he had a curious vision.    He died and his spirit
went to heaven. He saw the Lord sitting upon a throne dressed
in white.   The Lord told him he could not stay he had to return.
                                                 ;

He desired to stay, but the Lord told him that he must return to
earth that there would come to him a race of white people that
      ;

would be his friends, and he must treat them kindly. .The Lord
gave him a new name.          It was Pan-a-karry Quin-ker (Irontwister).   In 1846, or '47 he went to California with a lot of Piede
prisoners.   He frightened the Piedes into giving him their children, which he took to Lower California to trade for horses to
enrich himself, taking many of his tribe with him. The Spaniards
gave him numbers of beef cattle and charged him for them, whereupon he started for home. When out two days he called a halt,
held a council, and sent the old men, women and children on
towards home.      The third day ten men returned to visit the
Spaniards. Each man visited different ranches, and took a large
number of horses. The Spaniards raised a large force and pursued them, and recovered many, but lost six or seven hundred
head of wild horses, for which the Mexicans offered a large reward. The Indians pushed the horses so hard that they lost
several on the desert.
     He remained king of the mountains until about 1852, when
he inaugurated what is called the Wah-ker war, through which

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1118                    IMPROVEMENT ERA
many whites lost their lives; and which cost      I   tali   Territory over
a million of dollars.  Soon after he was taken sick near Fillmore,
in Millard county, and was ill but a short time when he was
stricken with death, being blind for three days.   He would have
the men raise him up, when he would talk to them, telling them
not to fight the whites as he had done.   When he died there was
a terrible howling. The men jumped upon their horses, and killed
seven head of horses, one Piede woman (a prisoner), and one boy,
and carried Wah-ker up into the mountains, put his body into a
cliff of the rocks, walled it up and put a Piede boy in with him
alive.   Three days after, as some Indians were riding by, the boy
called out to them and asked to be let out.      He said Wah-ker
began to stink and he was hungry. They laughed at him and
rode on.
      Wah-ker had three brothers:         Ara-pene, Sam-pitch, and
Tabby. Tabby is at present the head chief of the Utahs proper
and is on the Uintah reservation.
      Ara-pene was a great orator, but a hard-hearted man. At
one time in Manti he got mad at his wife and burned her in a fearful manner with a frying-pan handle that was broken off the pan.
She crawled to the settlement and the white women nursed her
until she recovered.     At another time he came down out of the
mountains with some deerskins and a Piede prisoner, a small boy.
to trade.    The price was too high for the child, whereupon he
took the child in a rage by his heels and dashed his brains out by
thrashing the ground with his head.
      In 1849, when fifty of us were exploring the "Dixie" country,
in the month of December, we met Arapene on his way from the
mountains on the Sevier river, coming down to winter. An old
squaw had a long roll of cedar bark, one end of which was on
fire so as to light a fire quickly.  We all camped together. Arapene had but one daughter, about nine years old, and she was very
sick with the measles.     She died that night and the Indians held
                                              ;

a council whether to kill one of us or a Piede prisoner, a boy about
six years old, to send with the daughter.        In the morning two
young men came out of Arapene's lodge, loading their rifles and
driving the Piede before them.      I shall never forget how pitiful
he looked, for he knew what his fate was. He asked to take off
his moccasins and was refused.       It was very cold.    They drove
him about four rods from the camp, when both fired and the poor
little fellow rolled down from off the little knoll on which he stood.

He was buried along with the girl.
                            THE UTES
Have no marriage ceremony.       They buy and sell their women and
daughters. They have many wives and the women do the hard
work, dressing all their skins. When the hunter returns from a

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INDIAN DIALECT AND HISTORY                    1119

hunt,   ifhe brings in any game the woman unloads it and unsaddles the horse.   The hunter does nothing more until the meat is
gone, when the woman brings up the horse, saddles him, and he
goes on the hunt. The men are intensely fond of gambling, horseracing and shooting at the target. The women love to gamble
with sticks for beads and paints, etc. and are also fond of playing
                                          ;

ball in the summer time.   They are very affectionate to their children.
      The Utes have no religious ceremonies, but are great for
doctoring.   A  "medicine-man" is looked upon as one that can
handle the thunder balls and stand in the fire with his bare feet.
Their medicine is principally singing and sucking.
     I never saw an Indian with a bald head, and they have but very
few decayed teeth. They pluck out their beards and eyebrows.
They are very much afraid of witches and crazy people, and believe in making medicine on paper to kill people.

                         THE SHOSHONES
And the Camanches were once all of one nation. A long time
ago one of their head chiefs came into the north country to visit
the Up-sa-ro-kies and Bannaks.      He liked the country and returned home and told his people what he had seen. Quite a number wanted to go with him to the north country. Accordingly all
that desired to go gathered together, and upon starting those that
opposed them told them, "snake off! snake off!" Shoshone means
snake in English and that is how they came by their name.
                    ;

They used to have a marriage ceremony, but since civilization
came among them they have put it aside.
     Wash-a-kee is the name of their head chief. He is a noblelooking man is and always has been a friend to the whites. The
             ;

way he obtained his name was thus        The first buffalo he ever
                                              :

killed he skinned the pate, took the hair off, puckered it up, and
tied it around a stick with a hole in it, so that he could blow it
up like a bladder. He put some stones in it, and when it became
perfectly dry it would rattle, and when the Sioux came to war
with them, he would ride in among them and scare their horses
so they called him Wash-a-kee, "the Rattler." There is no resemblance between the dialects of the Utes and Snakes, except in
the words "sun," "water." "fire," and "rain."

                            KEY WORDS
    For the benefit of miners and others we give them the key
words of the Utah and Shoshone dialects
                              UTAH    :

    An-na-nek?      What do you call this, that, or it?
                        shoshone:
    Hog-gunny nan-niack ick? What do you call that or it?
