Nikaui
My mother
E auassiut, eshkᵘ kushpipan ashit uikanisha.
When she was young, she still used to go inland with her parents.
Nanatuapameuat aueshisha.
They look for animals.
Ekue kashuht, kushteuat tshetshi uapamikuht.
And then they hide, they are afraid that they [the caribou] will see them.
Ushima uitsheuku pepamutet minashkuat, natamikᵘ anite ui aituteuat.
Her younger sister goes with her when she walks in the woods, they want to go all over the place.
Miam ui tshitutenua utauia, ui kuapitshenua.
Her father was getting ready to leave, he wanted to go get some water.
– Enuet ma peikᵘ mukᵘ miniti Tshishe-Manitu itenitamᵘ.
"If the Creator at least gave me just one," he thinks!
Meshikaht nete tshe uitshiht, Tenesh iamekateu ukauia, ui tshituteu.
When they get to where they are going to set up camp, Tenesh says goodbye to her mother, she wants to leave.
Minekash tshitapameuat, mishta-minunueuat mak ui kushtashinueuat, tanite mishta-mishanua ussishikua ne aueshish.
They [the girls] watch them [the caribou] for a long time, they find them very beautiful and they are afraid of them, because this animal has big eyes.
Uatamuakanit etaniti nenua atikua, nasht uni-tshissitutamᵘ nipinu ka ui natak ekue utshipitak passikannu ne tshishennu, shaputue shekashkupatuau.
When he is told that there are caribou, he completely forgets the water that he wanted to fetch and the old man quickly seizes a gun and enters directly into the forest with it.
Kassinu etashiht natauat, ishkueuat ashit.
Everyone goes hunting, women too.
Ekue tshiueht kanapua, natshi-uitamuat tshekuannu ka uapatahk.
Of course they go back, they will go and say what they saw.
Tshika minuenitaminua kutaka innua uitamuataui.
The other Innu will be happy when they [the girls] tell them.
Tshekᵘ ma eshpish taht, matenitamuat nete pemuteht ekue uapamaht auenua, mishta-shetshishuat.
Suddenly, while they are there, they sense something while walking and they see someone; they are very scared.
Eukuannu umenu nikaui Tenesh utipatshimun nete ka aitiht ueshkat nutshimit.
This story is that of my mother, Tenesh, about what they [the Innu] did in the past in the inland region.
– Nanipauat nete atikuat! Iteu ushima.
"There are caribou standing over there!" She says to her younger sister.
