Lots of people love to to go powwows, and this is a great occasion to try and use some of your Arapaho, or at least know the words for lots of the dances and activities.

 

Heebe3betooot = Powwow ('big dance')

Heneebe3betoootiini' = There is a powwow going on ('there is a big dance going on')

Heetn-eebe3betoootiini' bih'iyoo'ohk = There's gonna be a powwow tonight

Nih-'eebe3betoootiini' tihbih'iyoo' = There was a powwow last night

 

Nohceinohwoot = Jingle dance

Noohceinohwoo-noo = I'm jingle dancing

Noohceinohwoo-t She's jingle dancing

Kooheet-nohceinohwoo = Are you going to jingle dance?

 

Woxu'unohwoot = Grass dance

Wooxu'unohwoo-noo = I'm grass dancing

Wooxu'unohwoo-t = He's grass dancing

Kooheet-woxu'unohwoo = Are you going to grass dance?

 

Ceneenohwoot = Chicken dance

Ceeneenohwoo-noo = I'm chicken-dancing

Ceeneenohwoo-t = He's chicken-dancing

Kooheet-ceneenohwoo = Are you going to do the chicken dance?

 

Hooxeihiinohwoot = Men's traditional dance ('wolf dance')

Honooxeihiinohwoo-noo = I'm dancing traditional

Honooxeihiinohwoo-t = He's dancing traditional

 

Kooheetn-ooxeihiinohwoo = Are you going to do the fancy dance?

Cih'oosouwohwoot = Women's fancy dance ('shawl dance')

Ciih'oosouwohwoo-noo = I'm dancing fancy dance

Ciih'oowouwohwoo-t = She's dancing fancy dance

Kooheet-cih'oosouwohwoo = Are you going to dance the fancy dance?

 

 

    Niscihininouhuunohwoot = Women's traditional dance ('buckskin clothing dance') or niiscihininouhu3i' ('they are wearing buckskin')
    Niiscihininouhu-noo = I'm dancing women's traditional ('I'm wearing buckskin')
    Niiscihininouhu-t = She's dancing women's traditional
Niscihininouhu-usei-no' = Traditional women dancers

 

Looking at all the words above, you can see that -ohwoo- means 'to dance,' and -ohwoot means 'a kind of dance.' The beginning of the word describes what kind of dance you're doing.

 

Hoo'eiyeinohwoot = Blanket Dance ('gather things dance')

    Honoo'eiyeinohwootiini' = They are doing a blanket dance

    Heetn-oo'eiyeinohwootiini' = They're going to do a blanket dance

 

Cebiihetiinohwoot = Contest Dance

    Ceebiihetiinohwootiini' = There is a contest dance going on

    Kooheet-cebiihetiinohwoo = Are you going to do the contest dance?

 

Heet-betoooheih-t = Honoring Dance ('he/she will have a dance done for him/her')

Heet-betoooheihi-3i' = They will be honored/have an honor dance done for them

    Nih-betoooheihi-noo I was honored/had an honor dance done for me

 

Ceebciiyei'ihcehi-t = He/she has overstepped

    Nih-cebciiyei'ihcehi-noo = I overstepped

    Ciibeh-cebciiyei'ihcehi = Don't overstep!

    Nih-too-cebciiyei'ihcehi-noo = I almost overstepped

    Nih-too-cebciiyei'ihcehi-t He/she almost overstepped

 

Noooxuneihii = Announcer

Noooxuneihii-ho' = Announcers

    Nonoooxunee-t = He is announcing

    Nonoooxunee-noo = I am announcing

    Henee'eehek heet-noooxunee-t = Who is going to announce?

    Neneenit heet-noooxunee-t = He's the one who is going to announce

    Niico'on-noooxunee-t = He always announces

 

Koo'einoo' = Arena('the circle')

Cebiihetiineecee = Arena director ('contest chief')

    Heesooku'oo-3i' = Audience (this is a verb meaning 'they are watching on')

    Wonoo3ee-3i' heesooku'oo-3i' = There are a lot of people in the audience

    Hoow-woo3ee-no' heesooku'oo-3i' = There are not a lot of people in the audience

 

Bii3hiino'oowu' = Concession stand ('food house')

    Nih-yihoo-t bii3hiino'oowu-u' = He/she went over to the concession stand

    Tootou bii3hiino'oowu' = Where is the concession stand?

    Nono'otou3ei'i-3i' bii3hiino'oowu-u' = They charge a lot at the concession stand

    Nih-no'otouton-i3i' bii3hiino'oowu-u' = They charged me a lot at the concession stand

 

 

Konoo'ouute' = It's dusty

    Konoo'ouu3koohu-3i' nuhu' beteihiiho' = The dancers are kicking up dust

    Konoo'ouu3koohu-t = He/she is kicking up dust

 

Heet-tei'ookoonetii-3i' = They are going to water down the arena

    Nih-tei'ookoonetii-3i' = They watered down the arena

    Hii-beexu-tei'ookoonetii-no' = They should water down the arena

 

Noonoyei3i' neeneitenoot = Judge(this is a verb meaning 'he/she picks the winners' or 'he/she judges'; it comes from the verbs

    Hoyei- = 'to win' and hiten- = 'to pick/choose/select someone')

 

    Hee3ou'usine-noo = My number (attached to clothes) (this is a verb, meaning 'what number I am')

    Ho-tou3ou'usine = What is your number?

    15, nee'ee3ou'usine-noo = 15, that's my number

    Tou3ou'usi = What's his/her number?

    20, nee'ee3ou'usi-' = 20, that's his/her number

 

Konohbetooot = Intertribal ('dance for everyone/all') or bisbetooot ('all dance')

Nookuhohwoot = Rabbit dance

Kouutoseinohwoot = Round dance ('take off their blankets dance')

Siisiiyeinohwoot = Snake dance

Bee3einohwoot = Owl dance

Benee3einohwoo-noo = I am owl dancing