English Translation
9. The Mescaleros' Prophecy
Fred Pelman
When the earth had been made, Killer of Enemies put us down right here in the vicinity of White Mountain.
"That which lies on this mountain will be the land of the Mescalero."[he said].
Then Killer of Enemies put us down right here.
We are still here.
That God who created the earth:
"It is true that right here will be the land of the Mescalero."he said to us.
Then there were only Indians scattered over the country.
From here down to the east an south and north was then Indian country.
Where have they gone?
Now there remains only a handful of Mescalero.
And the white men have filled up that which was the land of the Indians.
Long ago there were no white men.
The people of long ago spoke thus.
At that time they had seen no white men here.
"Only white men with blue eyes will live in this country,"they said.
Now it has become so.
Then:
"When there are only a few of Indians left, then they will become white men,"they said.
It has become just like that.
"Then the end of the world will be at hand,"said the Mescalero old men.
These of the past did not speak incorrectly.
Still poverty-stricken, we live just so.
But then, God has created us that way.
He created us without anything.
We still go on in that way.
In spite of that, [the Indians now] go the way of these white men.
Now Indian men have cut their hair.
They wear only white men's clothing.
Now those who were Indians cannot be distinguished [from] white men.
The Indians of long ago said that we would go the way of the white men.
None of them at that time had seen any white men in this place.
The people spoke thus long ago.
They did not speak incorrectly.