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Tlingit Conversation #23
Speakers are Latseenk'i Tláa Irene Lampe and Yaxduláx̱ktʼ Lillian Austin. Recorded on July 9, 2010, by Ḵaagwáask Ishmael Hope and Naakil.aan Mark Hans Chester at the home of Latseenk'i Tláa Irene Lampe in Juneau, Alaska.
This material is based on work supported by National Science Foundation grant 0853788 to the University of Alaska Southeast with Ljáaḵkʼ Alice Taff as Principal Investigator, and by National Endowment for the Humanities fellowship 266286-19 to Ljáaḵkʼ Alice Taff. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation or National Endowment for the Humanities.
Tlingit transcription by Koolyeik Roberta Littlefield with G̱ooch Tláa Annie Johnson and by Ḵaagwáask Ishmael Hope. English translation by Shakʼsháani Margaret Dutson and Kaséix̱Selina Everson, and by Koolyeik Roberta Littlefield with G̱ooch Tláa Annie Johnson. Edited by X̱ʼunei Lance Twitchell.
SYMBOLS: Brackets = {false start}, (added for clarity), [translator/transcriberʼs note]. ??? = canʼt understand. « quotation marks for Tlingit text (so as not to be confused with Tlingit ʼ)» [Time-aligned text for this video was accomplished using ELAN ((Versions 6.0 (2020), 6.1 (2021), and 6.3 (2022) [Computer software]. Nijmegen: Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, The Language Archive. Retrieved from https://archive.mpi.nl/tla/elan]
Daa sáwé kawtudzineek?
What is it that we told?
Chʼa daasá.
Whatever.
Yá xʼúx', aa, a káx̱ kg̱ishaxéet.
Uh, you will write on this paper. [sign]
Yaa i aan kwéiyi ḵa ya dleit ḵaa xʼúxʼu áyá 'taxes'-g̱aa.
Write your name on this for taxes.
Yee eedé gax̱tudashée akashxeedí, chʼa haa een kananeek xʼwán!
If you want us to help you all with it, just tell us, ok?
Aadéi yéi x̱ʼatuwawoosʼí. Yakʼéi ákwé?
This is what we are asking. Is that good?
Aaa.
Yes.
Kashxeet á.
Writing, indeed.
Aaá.
Yes.
[At shooḵ]
[Laughter]
Yáadu.
Here it is.
Ax̱ saayí?
My name?
Aaá.
Yes.
A kát jeestán!
Sign your name on it!
Oh, Iʼm spinning. Iʼm spinning warp.
She weaves. For blankets.
Yeah, Chilkat weaving.
I hear youʼre teaching. Through, uh, FaceBook, theyʼre talking about it.
Oh, yeah.
Jerry Williams, or Janice Jackson.
Get the word out for your class.
Kashxeet.
Writing.
Aaa. Yáa, i saayí.
Yes. Here, your name.
I can actually, no. Sign here.
Káx̱ kashaxít yaax'!
Write on it here!
You could help with that, Clarissa. You could fill it out.
So what is your guyʼs, uh, intentions here?
This is, um, the National Science Foundation. Lillian, I think youʼve done this before, right?
Yeah.
Basically we just want to get conversational Tlingit down. And so, one of the problems previously was people talking at the same time.
Daa sáwé kax̱shxeet?
What is it that I am writing?
one at a time.
Itʼs talking about the project.
Oh, tlél sign {x̱w}.
Oh, I didnʼt sign.
Aaá, ayáx̱ áwé. x̱wasiyeiḵ.
Yes, thatʼs right. my signature.
Chʼa i eedé kḵwatóow.
Iʼll just read it to you.
Yakʼéi ákwé? Yeah. OK.
Is that good?
The goal of this project is to preserve the way people talk everyday Tlingit. We’ll video-record you and your chosen friends in conversation. We’ll also record any other language material you suggest. We’ll make CDs of your recording. You will get a copy.
The recordings will be used for language learning by future generations and for study by linguists.
You will be paid, working in conversation pairs so that recordings will document people conversing about common daily activities in a variety of settings such as fishing, camping, home repair, card playing, beach combing, anywhere the language is in use and people are willing.
You speakers will say whatever you want to say. It will take a little while before we all can carry on naturally while the camera is on. We’ll record for as long as everyone feels comfortable. After each recording session, we will set up a time to listen to the Tlingit recordings so that speakers can give English translations.
All speakers are invited to participate in the project.
I jeeyís áyá.
This is for you.
Ijigax̱duḵéi, ách áwé wé xʼúx'.
You are going to get paid, thatʼs why (you sign) the paper.
Chʼas sign-x̱ x̱waliyéx̱.
I just used my signature.
Yéi á.
Thatʼs it.
Daa sáwé {kax̱} kax̱toolneek?
What will we talk about?
Uh, anything you like.
Whatever you guys want to talk about.
Aa. Kei áa nawát, Xoonaax'.
Growing up there, in Hoonah.
Um, can I, growing up in Hoonah is what she said.
Oh, growing up in Hoonah.
Thatʼd be great!
Yeah.
Can I just, can I just show you what weʼre doing here, what Iʼm doing?
Someone offered to teach me but I was, I didnʼt listen.
Yeah. Itʼs a lot of work when you first learn. But once you get the hang of it, when it clicks, itʼs just like, oh, ok.
Like anything.
I think I might try and set it up so I can just sit on the couch and get everything.
Yeisú yéi jeené.
Youʼre still working.
Aaá.
Yes.
What, what was that, Irene?
She asked me if Iʼm working.
Oh, do you want to say that again in Lingít?
Yeisú yéi jeené.
Youʼre still working.
Aaá. Chʼa yéisú yéi jix̱ané.
Yes, I am still working.
Yóo shaa shakéex'.
On top of that mountain.
What, ah, yagiyee, choose?
What day to you choose (to work).
Gwátgeen sá yéi jix̱ané gé?
When will I work?
Yeah.
Mom, are you able to hear ok? Can you hear ok? Do we have to talk loud?
Some.
Some. Ok. She doesnʼt have her hearing aid.
Yeah, Rick was just saying,
My hearing aid
Ok.
needs repair.
Yeah, it kind of went down
Ok. Just tell us if you need us to be louder. But other than that, yeah. If you want to scoot in a little closer Lillian, thatʼs great.
Xunaa kéi nawádi ákwshé kaḵwalanéek?
Maybe Iʼll talk about growing up in Hoonah?
Yeah.
I saayí sá gé kakg̱eenéek?
Are you going to tell your name?
Lingít x̱ʼéináx̱ ḵa dleit ḵáa x̱ʼéináx̱.
In Tlingit and English.
Latseenkʼi Tláa yóo x̱at duwasáakw.
I am called Latseenkʼi Tláa.
Chʼa yeisú hél yan nanéich.
Itʼs not ready yet.
Tléil wáa sá utí, yáatʼaa yaa kanajúx. Du aayí yaa kanajúx.
Itʼs ok, it is running. His is running.
Sáskʼeen yáx̱,
Itʼs like Sáskʼeen,
ax̱ saayí Lingít x̱ʼéináx̱.
my Tlingit name.
Nax̱ʼsée Tláa ḵa X̱aaysneech, besides Latseenkʼi Tláa.
Nax̱ʼsée Tláa ḵa X̱aaysneech, besides Latseenkʼi Tláa.
Áwé, ah, Yéil x̱at {doo} duwasáakw.
So, uh, I am called a Raven.
Yéil tribe áwé x̱át, ḵa Ḵʼéiḵʼw Sháa.
I am Raven moiety and Sea Pigeon [kittiwake] woman [Tʼaḵdeintaan clan].
Ah, Filip(ino), ah, Ḵʼéiḵʼw Sháa áyá x̱át.
Uh, Filipino, uh, I am a Kittiwake Woman.
Ḵa ax̱ éesh,
And my father,
Filipino yéi ḵuwdzitee.
was born a Filipino.
Ḵa my mother, Raven, Ḵʼéiḵʼw Sháa áwé,
And my mother was Raven, a Kittiwake Woman,
yóo yatee.
she was.
Áwé, du, picture.
it is there, [pointing to picture] her picture.
I tláa yahaayí ákwé?
Is that your momʼs picture?
Yeah, áwé.
Yeah, thatʼs it.
Ḵa ḵuwdzitee.
And she was born.
Ḵa John K. Smith, Xunaax',
And John K. Smith, in Hoonah,
adopted
my éesh.
my father.
Ax̱ éesh.
My father.
I éesh gíwé adopt-x̱ has awliyéx̱?
Did they adopt your father?
Yeah,
Yeah,
many years ago,
áwé,
it was,
ḵuwdzitee.
he was born.
Tlél Lingít yáx̱ ákwé ḵuwdzitee kwshé i éesh?
So your father was not born like a Lingít, maybe?
Yeah.
Yeah.
X̱áat ashátx' een,
He used to catch salmon,
Smokehouse in Excursion (Inlet).
Ḵúnáx̱ áwé haa jigéinkʼch áwé x̱áat.
Our hands were really small for those salmon. [we caught so many]
Yeah.
Yes.
Yeedát ḵu.aa aa jee diyéshḵ ḵá.
Now, though, it is scarce for some.
Ḵúnáx̱, ḵúnáx̱,
Really, really,
{sháat} x̱áat,
salmon,
ajáḵx̱ín.
he used to kill them.
At x̱ʼéeshi, at x̱ʼéeshi tsú yéi adaanéiyin kwshé, i éesh x̱á?
Dry fish, dry fish he used to work on that too maybe, your dad?
Yeah, we come year round smokehouse, áwé.
thus.
Ḵúnáx̱ ḵuwdzitee, Lingít x̱ʼéináx̱ ḵuwdzitee.
It was really there, the Tlingit language was there.
Ax̱ tláa, ax' asteen.
My mother was there.
All day
ḵúnáx̱ {ḵu} kawdzitee [ḵuwdzitee].
It was used a lot. [Tlingit language]
Dax̱náx̱ áx̱ Lingít x̱ʼéináx̱ ḵuwdzitee.
Two of them, the Tlingit language existed there.
Wa.é!
You! (Your turn)
Áwé i x̱ʼéit x̱waasa.aax̱ch; chʼa yéi x̱ʼanatán!
Iʼm listening; go ahead and talk!
Uháan ḵu.aa, x̱áawé,
For us though, really,
g̱áaxʼwg̱aa aax̱ áwé kéi haa uwataa, áwé at x̱ʼéeshi yéi daatoonéi noojín.
after going for herring eggs, we were laid down up there, and then we always used to work on dry fish.
{ḵa} Ḵa ḵookʼéet' {haa} ax̱ tláa ḵa ax̱ éesh hás ḵukʼéetʼ nooch.
And my mother and father always picked berries.
Ldakat yéidei yan has akoolg̱áaych táakw niyís.
(They went) everywhere they always put up things in preparation for winter use.
Aníta, ax̱ kéekʼ ḵa,
Anita, my younger sister and,
has tsú áa yéi s nateijín.
they also used to sleep there.
Tle aadáx̱ áwé s, wé cannerych aax̱ áwé haa lunagúḵch,
Then after that, we used to always run from the cannery,
school-dei x̱á.
to go to school.
Yisikóo gé?
Do you know (about that)?
School-t yóo too.átgin awé g̱áaxʼw aayeedáx̱.
We used to go to school after the herring egg things.
Aaa.
Yes.
Héʼ! Excursion, March from school,
At Excursion, (in March we left school),
Yéi x̱wasikóo yeedát
I know now
déi.
now.
Áwé chʼu tle x̱áawé wtusikóo x̱á yeedát,
Yes, just then we know, see, now,
Yeah.
chʼa yóok haa een ḵundutínch áwé át xʼaan.
right away people are always watching people with us at fish camp.
Chʼu l school x̱ʼéit has x̱éinji áwé haa yandax̱eich.
School wasnʼt even closed when we were brought there by boat.
October ḵúx̱de,
Go back In October,
schooldáx̱ [she meant schooldéi] into school.
into school.
Yéi ḵu.aa,
Though,
at x̱wasikóo yeedát.
I know something now.
Wa.é!
You!
Daa sá kakḵwlaanéek gíwé,
What might I talk about,
atx̱á yéi adaanéi ákwshé?
working on food?
Aadé daatoonéi nooch áwé x̱á.
The way we always worked on food, you see.
At x̱ʼéeshix̱ aadéi daadunéi yá,
The way dry fish was worked on,
ḵunáx̱ áwé yan has akoolgáaych áwé, ax̱ tláa.
my mom and them really put up a lot.
Kʼínk' áwé tsú.
Fermented salmon heads, also.
Aaa.
Yes.
Kaháakw, tsú. Kaháakw.
Fish eggs, too. Fish eggs.
Ḵunáx̱ áwé kʼéiyin aadé s adaanéi nooch yé x̱á.
It used to be really good how they did it.
Haa. Ax̱ éesh,
Well. My father,
dusikóo [or: awsikóo]
he knew
aadéi adaayeiné [or: aadé adaanéiyi yé].
how to do it.
X̱át tsú dáanaa wutusakóowun kwshéi? Hél dáanaa haa jeex' yéi tee x̱á.
Me too, perhaps we didnʼt know money? We didnʼt really have any at that time.
One dime, ten cents.
Sakwnéin x̱áawé ten cents yéi too.oowún.
Really, we used to buy bread with ten cents.
they used to give me.
My grandpa, yá PAF
[PAF store in Excursion Inlet.]
I used to, {x̱a x̱a x̱a} x̱ax̱oo x̱
buy it [maybe meant x̲waa.oo]
yá from the store. I used to get two big bars. They were big before. One Miracle Bar and one Big Hunk.
Gút gíwé gé x̱ʼawlitseen?
Did it maybe cost a dime?
Yeah, they used make big.
Yeedát á ḵu.aa, hél daa sá.
But today, nothing.
Shkʼei!
Let me think!
Ldakát át yéi daatoonéi tsú, TV l wutusakú x̱á.
We worked on everything, too, we didnʼt know TV, you see.
Hél TV ḵustí.
There was no TV.
Chʼás ash katoolyádinch áwé x̱á.
We just used to play all the time.
Xunaax̱ tsú tée.
It was also in Hoonah.
Táay {ax̱ ax̱} áx̱ yéi {k} kootáaych [She might mean kantoohéich].
Gardens [We planted in them].
My Lx̱éis', my mother, so she could tell.
[Her motherʼs Tlingit name]
My mother. So she could tell who I am.
{x̱aa} x̱at táay.
me in the garden ???
X̱at wusikóo.
She knew me.
and I,
x̱at núcht nú.
???
They come over, so I had to leave and go with
ax̱ tláa.
my mother.
Yéi daat tsú kwshé yee x̱án gé wootee, Sháax̱u, ḵa Xéetlʼi?
What about this, too, did Sháax̱u and Xéetlʼi stay by you?
{dee, deeya}
Dziyaak x̱á ḵu.aa?
Was it earlier?
X̱át a x̱át, x̱át
I uh, I, I
Ax̱ tláa, du een x̱át.
My mother, with her, me. (I was with my mother.)
Wa.é gé?
And you?
Uháan x̱á tsú, ḵunáx̱ yéi adaatoonéi noojín x̱á, g̱áaxʼwg̱aayíxʼ ???
Us, too, we alway really worked on it, see, putting up food ???,
anax̱ áwé ??? yá atx̱á.
through that ??? the food.
Chʼa xáanaa, school kaadé áwé Xunaadé áwé haa nalgásʼch, gunáade,
In the evening, when school came to Hoonah, we moved there and it was different,
ḵa, Glacier Baydé, haa yandux̱éich wáanganeens.
and to Glacier Bay, we were paddled there sometimes.
Néka Bay tsú, ldakát át áwé yan has akulgáaych, yá ax̱ tláa.
Necker Bay too, they were always putting up everything for food, my mother and them.
Shaax̱ ḵa
Gray currents and
Shaax̱. Shag̱éix̱kʼi sháa.
Gray currents. Beautiful women.
Neigóon tsú, chʼa yéi áwé at has naḵúx̱ch, ax̱ éesh, ax̱áa een.
Nagoon berries also, that is how they boated around, my father, with a paddle.
{hel hel machii hél} Hél "machíne" has du jeex̱ áwé, ax̱áa een {át na} át has naḵúx̱ch, ???.
They didnʼt have a machine (boat motor), with paddles they always boated around, ???
Ḵúnáx̱ eggs, seagull eggs,
Lots of eggs, seagull eggs eggs,
the more we get it
chʼa ax̱ tláa, táakw
just my mother, winter
???
??? we fill up a
big barrel and salt so it will last long.
Táakw niyís x̱áawé,
For winter use, really,
Shaax̱ kanéegwál' yéi has anasneich.
they always made grey current pudding.
Ḵa eix̱ x̱oo a dleeyí tsú s oosxookji nooch.
And they dried meat to store with grease.
Ách x̱áawé ḵu.a ḵutudzitee yeedát.
Thatʼs really why weʼre alive today.
Hél haa éet yaan oohaa.
We were never hungry.
Ldakát át áyá yan has akoolgáaych.
They put up everything.
Táay tsú wé Xunaa, át áwé táakw.
Gardens also, in Hoonah, there, yearly.
Wé táay aksahéix̱ noojún.
They used to always plant in the gardens.
Kawduwasáy áwé.
She is hot.
Deiwjee ḵúnáx̱
Deiwjee really
Lingít ḵustí (ḵusteeyí), kawsikóo (awsikóo).
knows the Tlingit way of life.
{my} Ax̱ tláa, Lx̱éis', teaches him.
My mother teaches him. [May have meant “taught him.”]
Aadóo, daaḵw.aa sá yéi duwasáakw?
Who, which one is called that?
My Éesh!
My father!
Oh.
Aa, ayá áwé, John Willis Peters gave the name to my x̱úx̱,
Uh, it was he, John Willis Peters that gave the name to my husband.
Wooshdeiyí Éesh.
Wooshdeiyí Éesh.
Oh, yeah?
Yeah.
Chʼu tle {du} du saayí Wooshdeiyí Éesh.
Just then his name was Wooshdeiyí Éesh.
Oh, i x̱án.aa gé duwasáa?
Oh, is that what your husband was named?
Yóo x̱ʼatánk á wéi answer me.
He answered me when I spoke (in Tlingit).
He uh, used to, uh, used to, uh, used to Wooshdeiyi Éesh.
He used to Wooshdeiyi Éesh.
We got used to it. Thatʼs good.
A áwé gé yeewhaan áwé át agawugaaní x̱á Xúna?
Were you all in Hoonah during the fire?
No.
{ek} Excursion kwshé yéi wooti?
Were you at Excursion?
Yeah. Everything
Ooháan ḵu.aa x̱á áayéi haa ootí wé aan.
We were there in town.
Everything blazed up.
Kag̱át áyá haa uti.
We werenʼt touched by it.
Tsu shkʼeiyí. (L ushkʼeiyí)
It was not good.
{yagéi} Yagéi kwshé s wé has du.ádee kaawagaan?
Were lots of their things burned?
Yeah. Ḵaa Sháayi Hítx'?
Yes. Manʼs Head House? [Clan house]
Ḵúnáx̱ wutuwachák.
We packed a lot.
Ooháan room {ku} kaawagaan.
Our room was burned.
Wutuwaxát' toosaneix̱í, aadóo át alkaa toojili.áat ax̱ʼéi kanalgánchi.
We pulled things from the mouth of the fire to save them, as it was burning.
Excursion.
Excursion kwshé iyati?
Were you at Excursion?
We could, itʼs really, smoke.
Héenákʼw g̱aa woogoot.
He went to get some water.
Wa.é!
You!
Héen g̱aa x̱ʼéis woogoot yá.
He went to bring water here for you.
Lingít x̱ʼéináx̱ sá "cool off"?
(How do you say) the Lingit word for “Cool off” ?
Waa sáwé?
What is that?
Waa sás iyasáa "cool off" Lingít x̱ʼéináx̱?
How would you say “Cool off” in Lingít?
Daaasá {kak kak}
About what
kakg̱eenéek?
Skool gé has kanalneek.
Tell about school.
Xúnax' x̱áwé skoolt yóo too.at kwshé?
Did you walk to school in Hoonah?
Punished x̱adudliyéx̱ every day.
They punished me every day.
Chʼas ax̱á jishagóok Lingít x̱ʼéináx̱ yóo x̱ʼátánk, ḵa tsú dleit ḵáa jishagóok x̱ʼéináx̱.
They only knew Lingit words, didnʼt also know English.
Ḵúnáx̱ punished x̱adudliyéx̱, every day.
I was given punishment every day.
One hour after school hours.
Chʼa tlákw, every two days, every other day, every day.
All the time,
Lingít x̱ʼéináx̱ yóo x̱ʼeitángi gwá punish wududliyéx̱?
Were you punished for speaking Lingít?
Yeah, I get, spoon out. Cod liver oil. I hate cod liver oil.
Ax̱ x̱ʼéit du tsáḵ.
They stuck it in my mouth.
{hel} Hél ax̱ toowáa ushgú.
I donʼt like it.
Has ax̱áayí haa x̱ʼéix̱ sati noojín.
Thatʼs all they gave us.
Has náaḵw has awuliyex̱ x̱á haa.
They made it a medicine.
Yeah.
Ax̱ tláa.
My mother.
Daa sáwé tsú?
What more?
The end.
The End.
Hóoch'.
Thatʼs all.
Yeah, weʼre done.
I think so.
Youʼre saying, youʼre saying youʼre done now? Youʼre done for now, Irene? Is that what youʼre saying?
Yeah.
Oh, ok.
Déi ákwé?
Is that it?
All right. Cool.
That was pretty good!
Waasá duwasáakw, "Next time"?
How can you say
Do you want to set a time now? Gwál yéi.
Maybe.
A saayí gé ḵudzitee, "Next time"? Next time. Iʼll just work three days next week. Oh ok. Monday afternoon or after, any time after um, after one I think. After two.
Is there a way to say
Cool!
That would be really good. So when are the days that you're working?
Work Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, 3 days.
Ok.
Déix̱ gaaw gé?
At 2:00?
Monday káx', gwál yé?
On Monday, ok?
Weʼre going up for a meeting, 12 O 'clock. Probably two, two or three would
Násʼk gaaw shákwdé?
Maybe 3:00?
Tsu yáat ágé?
Here again?
Would 3 o'clock um, on Monday be good for you?
Aaa.
Yes
Oh, yeah. Rick will check the calendar. We will just check in a little bit later, then.
Monday káx'.
On Monday.