Spring Camp 1
Tr'eqay, Spring Camp (part 1 of 3). Told by Edna Deacon (ED) at Alta Jerue’s (AJ) house in Anvik, AK, October, 2002. Recorded by Alice Taff and Donna Miller MacAlpine. First 2:30 minutes is in English then Edna starts again in Deg Xinag.
Transcribed and translated by Donna Miller MacAlpine (DMM), Edna Deacon, and Alice Taff (AT).
First 2:30 minutes is in English then Edna starts again in Deg Xinag.
Once the snow start melting then you can't go out there, no more, only when there's crust you can walk on that snow when it's frozen. Then you haul wood. Then you had to carry all the water up and everything. And then, my mom would ah, start preparing for spring like making dip nets and everything. Cause we lived over there on the Innoko River where we dip, dip for fish. She was just knitting dip net away in there while me and my sister we haul wood early in the morning while it's, the crust is frozen out there. Somewhere after lunch it starts melting so we just quit hauling wood. And the next day again we do that. And we walk around the woods picking birch, I mean ah, spruce pitch because that's what we use to ah, paint our boat with so it wouldn't leak. Spruce pitch. (AT) Can you say that all in deg xiq'i, what you said so far? You used to go out to spring camp. (ED) I don't know how to say spring camp. I don't know how to say spring camp. I tell that story to the spirit camp kids but it's all in English only. I don't know how to say spring camp. Only my sister knows.
(AJ) Is it tr'eqay?
Is it spring camp?
(ED) Tr'eqay?
Spring camp?
(AJ) Yes.
(ED) Yeah.
Yeah, that's tr'eqay.
Yeah, that's spring camp.
Istli'dong tr'eqay nontr'ighididił.
When I was small we used to go to spring camp.
1948 and 49 it was.
Getiy gitr'ighitr'ili'an'.
We really struggled.
Soda yił
With my older sister
tritr
wood
ntri'dilighuk vinixiłyiq tux
we had to haul it (with dogs) early in the morning
xithitinh xingo.
while was frozen.
Getiy long tritr {tr'idaghił...}
Lots of wood,
ditr'aghił'an'.
we got it.
Te yił diq'on tr'alyayh ts'in'.
We had to carry up water too.
Xingo singonh giditl'e,
Meanwhile my mother was knitting,
ti'isr ditl'e.
knitting a dipnet.
Nginixi engosin xingith
Far across back there
nontr'ididił tritr oqo
we went for wood
yixi xiyił,
around there then,
didlang,
spruce,
didlang, o, didlang dzax ditr'ił'anh
spruce, oh, spruce pitch we'd get
valgats xonet.
for the boats.
Valgats
Boats
tlux xeyiniłtlux.
they'd paint with it.
Dixo'in long ditr'ił'anh.
That's why we'd get lots of it.
My Dad used to set traps for muskrats. We, ah, go around on the edge of the lake to check them. He didn't have no hip boots but he had water boots that came up all the way up here. And it look like, ah, seal skin. Boots with no hair on it. Because when we got home he, he hung it to dry it outdoors away from the heat. Then when he took it down he'll oil it up but I never know what kind of oil he use.
So he wore that so he can walk in the water and go out where the muskrat tunnel is. He have little ah, like ah, moss piled back out there and he set just like a rat house. He set snare, ah, trap right on the rat, rat house there.
Sito' yił
With my father
viniq'it q'utr'itidał {vin}
we'd walk around the lake
vichingadh qanh oqo tr'ixinił'anh ts'in'. [Edna says 'vichingaddh' but the more usual spelling is 'vichingadh' which we have used here.]
looking for muskrat houses.
Yixi xiłdik
Around there then
xał ni'ilayh.
he set traps.
Getiy long xał q'u'eghayh.
A whole lot of traps he is packing around.
Iłt'e nigi'oyh.
Still he sets more.
Vichingadh q'anh
Muskrat houses
q'idz nigi'oyh.
on top (of them) he sets them.
Xidigał digixal,
Finally his traps,
digidangan xał ixidenek ts'i.
his iron traps are all finished.
Tr'eqay,
Spring camp,
{xits'i...} xits'an tr'idididił.
we are walking back to it.
"Iy axa vendidi diyitots'in'
“Day after tomorrow then
vits'an ntr'itididił,
we'll walk back to them,
ngogh vichingadh,
for muskrats,
nitr'inelodi,
where we set them,
ntr'itodał," singonh iłne.
we'll go walking back,” he tells my mother.
Yixiy yitots'i viyił dist'anh.
Then I go around there with him.
Viye gididltth'e.
Things are in there (in the traps).
"Ndadz axa itidhełgha," vidisne?
“How are you going to kill it?” I ask him.
"Go dadz 'n a," siłne.
“This way,” he tells me.
"Vichingadh,
“Muskrat,
ndadz 'n a tr'idiłgha," yiłne.
this way we kill it,” he tells me.
A, vichingadh
Ah, muskrat
dangan xał ye tr'iyiłtayh.
he takes it out of the trap.
"Dadz 'n a tr'iting'," yiłne.
“This way (at back of neck) we grab it,” he says.
"Ago yitots'i viyił tr'itiniyh," yiłne.
“And we pull it,” he says.
"Gidhałt'onh?" siłne.
“Did you hear it?” he asks me.
Just like,
ah, viye xits'i,
inside,
to giniłtoł q'udixi'ne. Lo che.
inside it sounds like the muscles are breaking. Truly.
"Yuxudz 'n a idhilighayh," xiyiłne.
“That's how you kill it,” he says.
Yitots'i iy, viye vigidighay ye yiłtayh.
Then he put the dead ones in his packsack.
Long gaghił'an'.
He got lots.
Titl'ogh yitots'i {gits'an tr'idi} gits'an ntr'idił ts'in'.
Afterwards, we turned around walking back.
Tr'eqay che xits'an tr'idididł.
We went back to spring camp again.
But maybe the second time (we go out) he'll have to wear it (water boots) because it's starting to be water (thaw). We can go out to the ah, rat house. And it start to be a little water so next time he has to wear it. First time there was no hardly any water 'cause it was frozen when he was chopping the beaver, I mean muskrat house out. So the next day he'll have to wear it. The sun is really melting the snow so the lakes are starting to fill up with water. How we say that, water boots?
(AJ) Tek'o'.
(AJ) Water boots.
(ED) O, tek'o'.
(ED) Oh, water boots.
See, I never use my language.
"Venhdidi ts'i yixi xits'an tr'idididił," ne.
“Tomorrow we're going back there again,” he says.
"Ixiłdik sigitek'o' ye tas'atth," ne.
“Then I'll wear my water boots,” he says.
"Ngi'egh doghidelo.
“Outside they're hanging up.
Ang'o,
Outside,
sigitek'o' xidongelyayh," siłne.
my water boots, bring them in,” he tells me.
Vik'o' tinso ts'i naghitlo
His boots, I went out and took them down
voxo xidonyinigiyo.
to bring them in for him.
"Gon, he'?" vidisne.
“These?” I ask him.
"E," siłne.
“Yes,” he tells me.
"A iy yetas'atth," ne. {ngo'in...ngo}
“I'll wear those,” he says.
"Dangan xał xinontri'tididał," ne sito'.
“The traps, we'll go back to them,” says my father.
"Siyił ditet'el, eh," siłne.
“Are you coming with me?” he asks me.
"E," vidisne.
“Gladly,” I tell him.
Xingo digitek'o' yenit'atth.
Meanwhile, his water boots, he's putting them on.
Deg xiyił diggidiniłnek.
There he stands up in them.
"Gogide, tr'itodił," ne.
“OK, now we'll go,” he says.
Tr'itathdatl yitots'i, dangan xał
We started to go, (to) the traps
ntr'endli'eł.
to check them again.
Yixi {nel} nedho ts'i tr'itaghedał.
In that area we were walking a long way.
Xiyił,
All of a sudden,
"Angthi gide viye gathdo," siłne.
“Way out there something's sitting in it,” he tells me.
"Dangan xał ye gathdon."
“It's sitting in the trap.”
Yughineyo yitots'in'.
He walks to it then.
Nitl'anh yitots'in', niq ndisdhit xingo.
I'm looking at him then, while I'm standing on the shore.
Tex, tex q'u'edoyh digitek'o' yet.
Water, water he walks around in it in his water boots.
"Sidedig," vidisne ine',
“Me too,” I tell him but,
"Ngo, titeliqił," siłne.
“Well, you'll slip in the water,” he tells me.
"An dengidhit," siłne.
“Stand there,” he tells me.
Ingthi yughineyo.
He walks out there to it.
"Ndadz axa tidhełgha?" vidisne.
“How are you going to kill it?” I ask him.
"Dadz 'n at," ne.
“Like this,” he says.
Yoq'utht'o yiłchet.
At the back of the neck he grabbed it. [So it couldn't bit him].
Ts'in',
Like that,
yitchal che iłchet.
he grabbed its tail.
"Dadz 'n a dili'anh," yiłne.
“This is the way to do it,” he says.
"Dadz 'n a tr'idhiłgha," yiłne.
“This is how we kill it,” he says.
Iy yił tadhinekdi,
When he pulls it,
viye xits'i
inside of it,
iłt'o gidiggoth xiq'i.
is torn up like.
Totl'ogh niyaghiłt'anh,
Afterwards he put it down,
"Agide," yiłne.
“There,” he says.
Deg tidhi'on ts'i
After a while,
diggixał ye yighiłt'anh.
he put it in his pack.
Tthiche ntr'itithidatl.
Again we start walking.
Xidigał digidangan xał ixidenek.
Finally he was done with all his traps.
Viye gididltth'e ts'in'.
Every one had something in it.
Vigixał yuxudz ngidoth ts'i didiyoq.
His pack got really heavy.
"Gila,
“OK,
nagitr'eqay che
to our spring camp
xits'an tr'itididił," ne.
we'll go back,” he says.
"Ngo sigighal getiy ithdoth," ne.
“Well my pack got really heavy,” he says.
Vitl'oy ghisoł.
I walked behind him.
Xidigał tr'eqay ntr'ididatl.
Finally we came back to spring camp.
Niyighiłtanh yitots'in'.
He took it (packsack) down (off) then.
Singonh, "Nuxdidatl, he'?" dina iłne.
My mother, “You came back?” she asks us.
"E," varzne yitots'i.
“Yes,” we tell her then.
"Giduxłnol, he'?" dina iłne.
“Are you going to eat?” she asks us.
"E," {vidis} vazrne.
“Yes,” we answer her.
Digitek'o' ye tr'ine'atth.
He stepped out of his water boots.
"Ngi'egh dughidingila iy," siłne.
“Hang them outside,” he tells me.
"Dodo ghilidi,
“Right where it was hanging up,
che dondela iy," siłne.
hang it in the same place,” he tells me.
Yuxudz dhist'anh sivoxo q'u'isineyh.
All I'm doing I'm working for him.
Yitotl'ogh.
After that,
"Gila nginla yił, [Edna later corrected herself, saying "ngina'" is the correct way to say 'your face'.]
“Go ahead and your face,
ggang-giłdax," siłne.
wash it too,” he tells me.
"Yitotl'ogh 'n a gitr'itoxeł," ne.
“After that we'll eat,” he says.
Yuxudz dhist'anh ts'in'.
I'm doing everything.
Ingthegh yitots'i,
Outside then (in the big area outside the tent where they eat)
ah, viq'i galnon ghino tr'idendliyo.
we sat around the table.
Dina oxo digiłqoyh xingo, singonh.
Meanwhile she's serving us (out of the pot), my mother.
Ntux gitr'ighexondi xitl'ogh, {qo...}
After we had eaten,
"Gila gon sitr'itola'," siłne.
“Those there we'll be skinning,” he says to me.
"Sits'e tene," siłne sito'.
“You will help me,” my father says to me.
Ngiyixi ngin yitots'i,
Right on the ground,
ghon ghoyiq,
down right near him,
ngiyixi ngin dhisdo.
near him on the ground I sit.
"Go gila sits'e ingine," siłne.
“Right here help me,” he says to me.
"Viqa' ingtingh soxo," siłne.
“Hold its foot for me,” he says to me.
Yitots'i,
Then,
vichingadh iqa' isting', isting',
the muskrat's foot I'm holding, I'm holding.
Xingo,
Meanwhile,
vichal gho xits'i yiggits'i
from its tail down
diggadhi'oy axa yit'oth,
with a knife he cuts it,
xidigał viqa' ghon'.
finally to its foot.
"Ts'i che dałts'in che," siłne.
“And from the other side,” he says to me.
Ts'i che vichal gho xits'i che ngiyiq
And from the tail all the way down to the foot
yit'oth.
he cuts it.
"Agide," siłne.
“There it is,” he says to me.
"Ago, gil ingting soxo," siłne.
“Right here, hold it for me,” he tells me.
Voxo yisting'.
I'm holding it for him.
Yughitthi'iłch'ił xingo.
He's skinning it meanwhile.
Getiy long ghin tthitr'aghiłch'ił.
Really lots we skinned.
Xidigał, yiggin iłnek,
Finally, the ones he finished,
{songh} singonh,
my mom,
ah, gho 'n niyinisq'onh.
I carried it (dishpan with carcasses) over to her.
A xiye tr'iyitolał ts'in'.
She's going to gut them.
[Continued on SpringCamp2]