Tlingit Conversation #29

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Speakers are Achkwéi Lena Farkas and Naakil.aan Mark Hans Chester. Recorded July 20, 2010, at the home of Achkwéi Lena Farkas in Yakutat, Alaska, by Ljáaḵkʼ Alice Taff.

ALF = Achkwéi Lena Farkas. NMHC = Naakil.aan Mark Hans Chester. (ḴHS = Helen Sarabia, editor) (SÉDA = Shag̱aaw Éesh Devlin Anderstrom, editor)

Tlingit transcription by Naakil.aan Mark Hans Chester. English translation by Kaaxwaan Éesh George Davis and Ḵaaḵal.aat Florence Sheakley with Ljáaḵkʼ Alice Taff. Edited by Ḵaachkoo.aaḵw Helen Sarabia with X̱’aagi Sháawu Keri Eggleston, also by Shag̱aaw Éesh Devlin Anderstrom.

Gwál wé yées

Maybe the new

NMHC

yées saayí

new name

NMHC

yées, wáa sá yakḵwaḵáa?

new, what am I trying to say?

NMHC

Dleit ḵáa x̱'éináx̱.

In English.

NMHC

Ax̱ saayí gé?

My name?

ALF

Aaá.

Yes.

NMHC

Lena Farkas yóo áwé x̱at duwasáakw dleit ḵáa x̱'éináx̱.

I am called Lena Farkas in English.

ALF

Lingít x̱'éináx̱ ḵu.aa áwé Achkwéi.

Achkwéi in Tlingit.

ALF

Yaakwdáatdáx̱.

From Yakutat.

ALF

Ch'oo ch'áagudáx̱ áyú wtusikóo haa yóox̱'atángi x̱á {tlé} tlél tlax̱ yáa ixkée aa, hás yáx̱. Yóo x̱'atula.átgi, chʼa ax̱oo.aa áwéi yaa Lingítdax̱ x̱'éináx̱ yáa ixkéedáx̱ a yáx̱ yóo x̱'atuli.átk; ax̱oo.aa ḵwás tlél a yáx̱ utí x̱á.

Weʼve known for a long time that our language isnʼt exactly the same as the southern people. When we are speaking, only some of it is like the Tlingit from the south; some of it isnʼt the same, you know.

ALF

Mmm. Gunalchéesh áwé {ax̱ ax̱ éen x̱'ay} ax̱ een yoo x̱'ayli.átk.

I thank you for talking with me.

NMHC

Aaa.

Yes.

ALF

Ch'a yéi gugéink' áwé

Only Just a little bit

NMHC

ax̱ ée has awlitúw.

they have taught me.

NMHC

Ch'a aadé yéi x̱at na.oo tlél ix̱'ax̱wa.aax̱í.

Just excuse me if I do not understand you.

NMHC

Aa.

Yes.

ALF

Aa.

Yes.

ALF

['At shooḵ']

['Laughter']

NMHC, ALF

Oh, let me see.

ALF

Ch'oo ch'áagoodáx̱ x̱áayáa ch'u yóo

From the olden days, you see, when those

ALF

Europeans haat has wuḵoox̱ú has du yaagú een áwé,

Europeans arrived here with their boat,

ALF

yáa Lingít,

the Tlingit people,

ALF

daa sá has awusteenée áwé shux'áanáx̱

whatever they saw for the first time

ALF

ch'a hásch áwéi a saayée has du jeedé {ya} yaa has anatéen x̱á.

they would bring them the name of the thing themselves.

ALF

Yóo gax̱toosáakw yáat'át, «sáayda,» yóo gax̱toosáakw.

We will call this thing that, weʼll call this "sáayda."

ALF

Ḵaa

And

ALF

yá,

this,

ALF

yéi x̱aan kadunik nuch

they always told me that

ALF

Russian x̱'éináx̱ cháayoo ḵaa shaax̱aláḵ.

tea and sugar are Russian words.

ALF

Cháayoo is tea and shaax̱aláḵ is sugar.

ALF

Oh,

NMHC

So, when you say

ALF

wé shaax̱aláḵ ḵa shóogaa

that sugar and sugar

ALF

ax̱ jeet yéi sané.

give it to me.

ALF

And so, they take it for granted, we are going to have tea and sugar. And that's one thing that we've known for a long time.

ALF

Ixkéedáx̱ ḵu.aa yáat'aa, yáa

From down south however, this

NMHC

gúx'aa áyá. Cháashgaa ḵu.aa yáat gé?

this is a "cup". However, here it's "cup", right?

NMHC

Aa.

Yes.

ALF

Ha tlél x̱wasakú {ax̱} ax̱ káani Marie Austin yáaxʼ haat ḵutéen,

Well I didnʼt know that when my sister-in-law Marie Austin came here,

ALF

wé cháashgaa yóo toosáagu, ch'a ḵúnáx̱ atshooḵ, tléil oo.aax̱jéen x̱á!

when we would call it cháashgaa, she would just laugh hard, she had never heard that before, you know!

ALF

Aaá.

Yes.

NMHC

Cháashgaa.

Cup.

ALF

Yeah, it's called cháashgaa in Yakutat.

ALF

Wé cháashgaa ax̱ jeet tán.

Hand me that (empty) cup.

ALF

Ax̱oo.aa tlél Lingít ḵoostí yaa dleit ḵáa saayí. [ḴHS would say: Ax̱oo.aa hél Lingít saa a jee yeisú.]

Some things don't have Tlingit names yet.

NMHC

Tlél Lingít yoox̱'atánk.

No Tlingit word.

NMHC

Yáa,

This,

NMHC

wáa sá?

what's this?

NMHC

A x̱át tsú, áwé

Oh, I did that too,

ALF

yáa shoowaxeexi táakw,

this last year,

ALF

ḵaa ée tulatóow yáa

when we taught people

ALF

k'e yáa TV ḵa radio,

like TV and radio,

ALF

Mmm.

NMHC

ḵa refrigerator, a tóox' at dult'ix'x̱i át.

and "refrigerator" the thing you freeze items in.

ALF

Aa.

Yes.

NMHC

A, {yi}yóo áwéi has du een kax̱anéek.

Uh, thatʼs what I was telling them.

ALF

Ch'a Lorrie-ch tsú dei, Nellie,

Lorrie and Nellie, too,

ALF

they couldn't figure out how we gonna call it. And that's when I began to think that people a long time ago had to give names to certain things, and uh, and the TV was, uh,

ALF

shóo a tóo yaa yagaxixji át. [ḴHS would say: shóow a tóo kayei yaa yagaxíxji át.]

"what's-happening-in-the-show-thing"

ALF

Haaw!

NMHC

A movie you watch on TV, and radio,

ALF

{a tóonáx̱ yóo x̱'adudli.át}

ALF

Xées' a tóonáx̱ yóo x̱'adudli.átgi ḵóok.

Electric wires in a box that people are talking in.

ALF

A box that has uh, wires in it and you could hear people talking.

ALF

Aaá.

Yes.

NMHC

Ḵaa yáa káayag̱ajeit tsú,

And this (type of) chair, too,

ALF

{a káa yax̱ sh du} a káa yax̱ sh dustaa aa káayaḵajeit tlein.

the big chair that a person lays themself down on (a recliner).

ALF

Káayag̱ijeet tlein.

A big chair.

ALF

A big chair that you can lay down and rest on. And so we went through some things. And gave names to some of the things around that, that uh, doesn't have a Tlingit name. So we've been going through that here.

ALF

Bicycle gé iyasáa?

Have you named bicycle?

NMHC

{A kát yaa k sh kaduljux}

ALF

{a, i, ya} A kát yaa sh kakduljúxji (át).

Thing that a person rolls themselves around on.

ALF

ShÉDA: Knowing the YTT TLACʼs word for bicycle, I took the liberty of inserting the whole word here.

Ixkéedáx̱ ḵu.aa aan ách,

And in the south however,

NMHC

Aan sh kadul

ALF

tsex̱i át?

NMHC

{aan at sh aan át}

NMHC

kadultseix̱i át

NMHC

{aan át } a kát yaa {nshka yaa} sh kakdultsex̱ji át.

thing that a person kicks (pedaling) themselves along on.

ALF

Dóo, yéi x̱á!

That's it!

NMHC

Aa.

ALF

Ḵa yaa,

And this,

NMHC

wáa sá duwasáakw wé

what do you name the

NMHC

mirror ḵu.aas?

mirror?

NMHC

A tóode sh yadultinji át.

Thing into which a person looks at their own face.

ALF

Haaw. Tóonáx̱ ḵaa teen, ixkée aayí.

Oh. Mirror is what we say in the south.

NMHC

Tóonáx̱ ḵaa teen.

Mirror.

NMHC

Tóonáx̱ ḵaduteen.

The thing we see ourselves through.

ALF

You can see yourself.

ALF

Tóonáx̱ ḵadateen.

The thing that you see.

ALF

Wáa sás iyasáa yáat?

What do you call it here?

NMHC

Ah,

Uh,

ALF

['At shooḵ']

['Laughter']

NMHC

De a kát x̱at seiwa.x'áḵw. Aaá, x̱át tsú.

I completely forgot. Yes, me too.

ALF, NMHC

X̱át tsú.

Me too.

NMHC

Ḵúnáx̱ áwé yagéi haa,

It's really a lot,

NMHC

Lingít x̱'éináx̱

in Tlingit language

NMHC

dleit ḵáa x̱'éidáx̱ áwé,

from English

NMHC

Uhuh.

ALF

yées át áyá, haa ḵusteeyí.

things new to our culture.

NMHC

Uhuh.

ALF

Yeah.

ALF

Áyáa chʼu tle ch'a yáa yaa x̱at nawádi áwé tsú yaa

So, while I was growing up here, too, the

ALF

yáa {kei} kanat'eich át ḵa yáa

berries that ripen and the

ALF

kayaanée kéi kanas.éini x̱á,

when the leaves and everything is sprouting,

ALF

a, ldakát yéide áwé haa ée dultóow

they teach us everything

ALF

ḵa tsú yá náakwx̱ sateeyí aa tsú x̱á.

and all the ones that are medicines, too, you know.

ALF

{óowun}

{used to}

ALF

Wé

The

ALF

ax̱ éek'

my brother

ALF

Robert, Robert Henry.

ALF

Yóo wáax kaax̱ áwéi daak wudzigít x̱á. Tle té tlein káa yan wudzigít. Áwé du,

He fell off of that dock, you know. He fell right on a big rock. So his,

ALF

yá du keey áwé

his knee

ALF

ah, tle infected-x̱ wusitee.

uh, got infected.

ALF

Aa.

Yeah.

ALF

Áwé tle ḵéet' áa yéi woonei x̱á infection.

The whole area was filled with pus on the infection.

ALF

Ah, áwé Japanese doctor yáax' yéi yatee x̱á.

Uh, there was a Japanese doctor here, you know.

ALF

Wé, ah,

This, uh,

ALF

cannery-x' áwé yéi jinéiyin. Aag̱áa yées áwé haat ḵoowatín áwé, doctor-x̱ ḵwáawé sitee.

he used to work in the cannery. At that time, he had just recently arrived, but he was a doctor.

ALF

Wé doctor-ch g̱astéen áwé tle yéi ash yawsiḵaa,

When the doctor saw it, he told him,

ALF

«Tlél aadé

"I cannot

ALF

g̱aaḵwasineix̱i yé; tle yáax' áwé aax̱ guḵalaxáash.» Ha.é!

save it; I will have to amputate it here." Too much!

ALF, NMHC

Áwé ax̱ tláach hél du tuwáa wushgú.

Well, my mother didnʼt like that.

ALF

Ax̱ éesh áwés yéi ayawsiḵaa,«Nax̱too.aat déi.»

She told my dad, "Let's just go now."

ALF

Neilt has uwa.át.

They went back home.

ALF

«Neildé nax̱too.aat.»

"Let's go home."

ALF

And, I dont re... Náakwg̱aa gé has woo.aat?

Did they go for medicine?

ALF, NMHC

Huh? Náakw gé, náakw g̱áa ágé has woo.aat? Aa.

Medicine, right, did they go after the medicine? Yes.

NMHC, ALF

Wé

This

ALF

yaana.eit x̱aadí.

wild celery root.

ALF

«Ax̱ jiyís nagú {wé} wé yaana.eit x̱aadíg̱aa.»

"Help me and go after this wild celery root."

ALF

Áwé {a} woogoot neildé yéi aa wsinei.

So he left {and} he brought some home.

ALF

Tlei yáa héen áx̱ g̱aadaa yéidáx̱ áwé x̱á k'éi nuch {yáx̱ yaa} yax̱ yaa ḵunahéini.

Itʼs good from places where the rivers and creeks are flowing as summer is approaching.

ALF

Aag̱áa áwé yéi daadunéi nuch náakw sákw x̱á.

Thatʼs when people gather it for medicine, you see.

ALF

Á áwéi kʼidéin aawa.óosʼ.

So she washed it thoroughly.

ALF

Aag̱áa áwé tsáa awshi.útl x̱á.

Then finally, she boiled it, you know.

ALF

Tle ch'a wéi,

And this,

ALF

Jig̱wéinaa gé?

Is it a towel?

NMHC

Jig̱wéinaa ágé?

A towel?

NMHC

Jig̱wéinaa áwéi aawakaa a káax' {aadéi} áxʼ yáa du x̱'oos káa yéi akg̱wa.oo yé.

She measured a hand towel in accordance with the place on his foot where she was going to put it.

ALF

Wé pulp yóo duwasáagu aa {yáa} yáa yaana.eit x̱aadí,

The part of the wild celery root that they call the pulp,

ALF

a daax̱ kadusʼéilʼ aa,

you peel it off,

ALF

á áwé aax̱ aawas'élʼ.

so she tore it off.

ALF

Aag̱áa áwé wéi

And then the

ALF

jig̱wéinaa, yóo {yóo a kát adus} dleey a kát {a} dus.ee át áwé daak aawatán.

hand towel, she brought out a pan meat is cooked on.

ALF

Yáa jig̱wéinaa áwéis {a káx'

The hand towel,

ALF

a káx'}

ALF

a káx̱ akaawayaa,

she spread it out on (the pan),

ALF

wé

that

ALF

dleey a káx̱ dus.ee, cookies tsú a kát dus.ee át.

they cook meat on it and also cookies.

ALF

Wé sdoox tóode áwés awsi.een.

She put it in the stove (with the pulp inside of it).

ALF

Tle kʼidéin aatlein yú wutʼaayídáx̱ áwé a tóodáx̱ kéi awsi.ín.

So when it was really good and hot, she took it out of (the stove).

ALF

Ch'a yéi gugéink' áwés x̱á

Just a little bit

ALF

{yee a si.áatʼ}

ALF

yaa nas.át'.

it's cooling off.

ALF

Tle kʼidéin wé ayáx̱ wus.áat'ee áwé,

When it was cooled well and just right,

ALF

yáa

that

ALF

vaseline gíwé x̱á tle ldakát yáa du

maybe vaseline, all over

ALF

du x̱'oos

on his leg

ALF

ḵa yáa du keey ldakát a daa yéi, a daa yéi akaawaháa.

and his knee, she smeared and rubbed it in there.

ALF

Ḵúnáx̱ litseen wé yaana.eit x̱aadí.

It's really strong the roots from the wild celery.

ALF

Infections yís ḵwás ḵúnáx̱ yak'éi.

It's really good for infections.

ALF

{yá} Tle yéi a daa yóo akawuhaa éedáx̱ áwéi,

After she rubbed it all over,

ALF

tle tsoo ch'a g̱óot.aa uwaxugu aa, ah, yag̱wéinaa áwéi tsoo a káx̱ akaawayeiḵ.

she spread another face towel that was dry over the top of it.

ALF

Aatx̱ áwéi, yáa {yá} awlit'ayi aa k'idéin wut'aayée áwé yáa

From there, the ones that she had heated up, when they were heated up good,

ALF

yáa yaana.eit x̱aadí,

the wild celery roots,

ALF

tsoo {a káx'} a káx' yéi aawa.oo, aag̱áa áwéi akaawadúxʼ.

she put that on there as well and then she tied it.

ALF

Wáaneexʼs yá a kát shákdéwéi akawlisʼúxʼ x̱á, hél x̱wasakú.

Maybe she might have stuck it on there (with something sticky) you know, I donʼt know.

ALF

Aag̱áa áwé you have to put, uh, tape it on.

And then

ALF

{tle} Tle yáa tléix' xáanaa yáx̱ áwé, 24 hours áwé a káxʼ yéi aya.óo.

So for that one night, 24 hours, she kept it on there.

ALF

Tle tsoo wé

Then again that

ALF

jig̱wéinaa {uwasxóo ah uwas}

hand towel,

ALF

awult'aayí a kaax̱ yéi anasneich tle awult'aayée áwéi tsoo a káx̱ akag̱ayéḵch.

when she had warmed it up, she'd take it off and then when she warmed it up she'd put it on again.

ALF

Dax̱dahéen yéi awusneiyéedáx̱ áwé,

After she did this two times,

ALF

aawaxaash yá du keey.

she cut his knee.

ALF

Aag̱áa áwé

And then

ALF

ch'a yóo áwé aax̱ alg̱éikw wé, wé, ah,

she was wiping it off his knee, the, the, uh,

ALF

Ḵéetʼ. Ḵéetʼ? Yeah, ḵéetʼ.

Pus. Pus? Yeah, pus.

ALF

Infection. Itʼs yellow. You know, when you get an infection.

ALF

Á áwéi tle yáa du x̱'oos tsú yee.át ká áwé yáa shákdé yan oostáaych, aag̱áa áwé aax̱,

Then, his leg too, she would probably lay him down on the bed, then,

ALF

{he} She kept squeezing his leg and getting that infection out and,

ALF

á áwéi

so then

ALF

wé ḵáas' áwé ax̱ éeshch du jiyís yéi wsinei.

my dad prepared a stick for her.

ALF

My father fixed {a skin} a stick for, for her, and uh, he put, uh, probably used a rag, a towel, or, or a sheet rag, and she put it around it almost like a drum. You know the stick you use for drum?

ALF

Á áwé

And then

ALF

wé Fels Naptha {sáakw}

Fels Naptha

ALF

Fels Naptha soap, ch'áakw

Fels Naptha soap long, ago

ALF

chʼoo yéi x̱at gusagínkʼi yéi du.úx̱xʼun.

when I was still small, they used to use it.

ALF

It was like, uh, the soap was like,

ALF

like what we have for infections.

ALF

The soap, what is it now? They, itʼs at the store.

ALF

I always used it when the kids were growing up.

ALF

Anyway, um, this Fels Naptha soap was strong. They always had it in

ALF

in the bags for, I later noticed, you know, like Tide and stuff?

ALF

But we had that Fels Naptha soap, and what she did was she soaked it and kinda rubbed off; she used that stick,

ALF

and sheʼd just put a lot of that naphtha soap on, on it.

ALF

She took it and she just washed it out inside. Oh man, he mu(st)

ALF

She had to have put a big lance on it somewhere to be able to, to just wash the inside with that Fels Naptha soap.

ALF

Likoodzée x̱á.

Thatʼs amazing you know.

NMHC

She did it twice.

ALF

He died when he was 69. He could run. He never had,

ALF

He never even had, um, a, arthritis in it.

ALF

And that Japanese man was so shocked when,

ALF

when he found out that she saved his leg.

ALF

So thatʼs one of the medicines I know.

ALF

Like, if I was in a place where somebody got hurt and you couldnʼt get anything else,

ALF

Iʼd use one of those soaps that have disinfectant in it.

ALF

But thatʼs the one she really explained to me how to use it, my mother.

ALF

But it is good for infections.

ALF

{tlel x̱waa, tlél} Tlél x̱wasakoowú

I didnʼt know

NMHC

wé yaana.eit x̱aadí áwé náakw.

that it is medicine, the wild celery roots.

ALF

Aa, náakw. Ch'as atx̱á áwé x̱wasikóo.

I only know that it's food.

ALF, NMHC

Ha.é!

Goodness!

NMHC

Gunalchéesh áwé ax̱ een sh kaydlineegí.

Thank you for telling me.

NMHC

Aa.

Yes.

ALF

Yaa kanajúx gé?

Is it going?

NMHC

Aaá.

Yes.

ALF

Aaá. Wáa sá at woonei i éek'

Yes. What happened to your brother(ʼs)

NMHC

Wé, um,

NMHC

du chooní?

his wound?

NMHC

Yisikóo gé?

Do you know?

NMHC

Wooneix̱ x̱á k'idéin.

It healed real well.

ALF

Aa, yú té káa áwé wdzigeet, yóo wáax kaax̱dáx̱.

Yes. He fell off of the dock onto the rocks.

ALF

From the dock, the cannery dock, he fell

ALF

he fell on a big rock and he never told mom until it was really infected.

ALF

So that, thatʼs how,

ALF

how uh, my mother got it well, using that Fels Naptha soap.

ALF

She had to do it a couple times to really, thatʼs my mother though. She really believed in Clorox too.

ALF

So she did it a couple times, but she saved his leg, you know.

ALF

And anything my mother said was, was the law, was the thing.

ALF

['At shooḵ']

['Laughter']

Ah, dear. She was just a tiny little lady like my sister Nellie. Just small.

ALF

Wáa sá duwasáakw?

What (was) her name?

ALF

Her, her word was law in my house.

ALF

Um, Emma. Emma Harry.

ALF

Emma Situk Harry.

ALF

Their father owned that Situk River.

ALF

We got some land on there.

ALF

Lingít x̱ʼéináx̱ ḵu.aa.

How about in Tlingit.

NMHC

S'itáḵ.

ALF

ShÉDA: from Eyak.

I tláa ḵu.aa,

Your mother though,

NMHC

du saayí?

her name?

NMHC

{du} Ax̱ tláa du saayí áwé Neechdéi Lag̱é yóo duwasáakw

My motherʼs name was Neechdé Lag̱é

ALF

ḵa

and

ALF

Neechdéi Lag̱é and Ḵéilkʼi Tláa.

ALF

Oh.

NMHC

Yóo áwé duwasáakw.

Thatʼs what they call her.

ALF

Ax̱ éesh ḵu.aa áwéi Ḵachgé.

My father, though, is Ḵachgé.

ALF

Teiḵweidée.

['clan']

ALF

Dís Hítdáx̱.

From the Moon house.

ALF

Ax̱ tláa ḵu.aa áwés, ah,

My mother though, uh,

ALF

No, Gaaw Hítdáx̱ áwé ax̱ éesh.

No, my father was from Drum House.

ALF

Ax̱ tláa ḵu.aa áwés Dís Hítdáx̱. Uháan Dís Hít.

My mother is from the Moon House. We are Moon House.

ALF

Aaá, yóo Aantleinnáx̱ áwé ḵuwdzitee, ax̱, ax̱ éesh.

He was born of the Arhnklin River area,my, my father.

ALF

Ax̱ tláa ḵwá S'itáḵxʼ ḵuwdzitee.

My mother was born in the Situk River area.

ALF

Ch'as á áwé k'idéin x̱wasikóo wé náakwx̱ sateeyí ḵa wé devil's club.

That's the only thing I really know that is medicine, and also the devils club.

ALF

Wáa sáyá duwasáakw? De a kát x̱at seix'aaḵwch.

Whatʼs it called? I always forget it now.

ALF

S'áxt'.

Devil's Club.

NMHC

S'áxt'.

Devil's Club.

ALF

Á tsú.

It also.

ALF

Gwál aas k'óox̱'u tsú gé?

Maybe tree pitch also?

NMHC

Huh? Aas k'óox̱'u tsú ágé?

Tree pitch also?

ALF, NMHC

Oh yeah.

ALF

Daa sá yéi adaané wéit'át?

What does that stuff do?

NMHC

{I don't tlél tlax̱} Hél x̱aan kawduneek á ḵwá.

They didn't tell me that one.

ALF

X̱wasikóo ḵwá yéi du.úx̱x'u x̱á.

But I know that they use it.

ALF

Tsu chʼa yéi haa, wáaneexʼs chʼa yáa

If we just get an ordinary, maybe just

ALF

ah, ḵaa jín wuduḵ'éik'u, or

uh, if somebodyʼs hand is cut, or,

ALF

If they had a cut on their hand or something, on their feet, maybe thatʼs what they used it for.

ALF

Stitches yáx̱ yatee.

It's like stitches.

ALF, NMHC

Huh? Stitches yáx̱ yatee.

It's like stitches.

ALF, NMHC

I think so. Iʼm not real sure now, you know. Somebody else might really know it.

ALF

Támmmm.

["when you can't remember"]

NMHC

Ummmmm.

ALF

Aaá.

Yes.

ALF

Aa means yes too.

ALF

Aa.

Yes.

NMHC

You gotta be careful what you agree on.

ALF

Aa.

Yes.

NMHC

Ahh, dear. Am.

ALF

Wé, dleit ḵáa {x̱'éi-} x̱'éidáx̱ áwé haa yoo x̱'atángi ax̱oo.aa káaxwei.

Some of the words we have from white man's language is 'coffee'.

NMHC

Káaxwei, ḵa, wáa sá,

Coffee and what (am I going to call it)

NMHC

coined words,

NMHC

dleit ḵáa x̱'éináx̱,

in English,

NMHC

has du x̱'éidáx̱ áwé káaxwei.

coffee is from their language.

NMHC

Oh, aa.

Oh, yeah.

ALF, NMHC

Aaá.

Yes.

NMHC

Yeah, káaxwee.

Coffee.

ALF

Ḵach'oo, am,

Or, um,

NMHC

wáa sá duwasáakw, Chinook?

what do they call it, Chinook?

NMCH

Chinook x̱'éidáx̱ áwé «sitgawsáan».

"Noon" is from the Chinook language.

NMHC

Ḵa yagéi áwé wé has du x̱'éidáx̱.

And there are many from their language.

NMHC

Mhm.

ALF

Yéi x̱áawé.

That's right.

ALF

Wáa sá duwasáakw 'moved,'

How do you say, 'moved,'

NMHC

Lingít x̱'éináx̱?

in Tlingit?

NMHC

Has wudlitsóow.

They moved.

ALF

Has wudlitsóow aadé.

They moved there.

ALF

Á áwéi yú Akiak-de.

And to Akiak.

ALF

Á áwéi tle ch'a hóoch áwé awshigóok wé Eskimo x̱'éináx̱ yoox̱'atánk.

So she just learned how to speak the Eskimo langauge herself.

ALF

Hél du tuwáa ushgú du yat'éixʼ yóo x̱'adutángi yóo áwé haa een sh kalneek.

She didn't want people talking behind her back, that's what she told us.

ALF

Potlatch name is Yaax̱oodaḵéit, my great grandfatherʼs name.

His potlatch name is Yaax̱oodaḵéit, my great grandfatherʼs name.

ALF

And, we took him dancing, and, I have my two little grandsons, uh, Gabriel is nine and Gavin's six.

ALF

And, weʼve been, they've been in the St. Elias Dancers for four years now.

ALF

{has du waa gé} Has du tuwáa gé sigóo al'eix̱?

Did they like to dance?

NMHC

They love it! And little Stryder went! We took him down there, he just started dancing!

ALF

He just loved that «Sanadóo, sanadóo»

['name of a song']

ALF

Aaá! He right away, he liked it.

Yes!

NMHC, ALF

Kei dahánch gé?

Does he stand up?

NMHC

He, he just picked that dancing right up, right now!

ALF

He, he's just a smart little kid, he, he uh, he makes it fun.

ALF

If he did it once, he's going to do again, and he's just happy about it, anything he does!

ALF

And he doesn't forget, either.

ALF

He got some, some nice um, experience with his mother and father, and just the way of living!

ALF

Wáa sá woowáatk'?

How old is he?

NMHC

He's um, heʼs going to be five in, in June.

ALF

Five? He's going to be six, in June.

ALF

Likoodzí x̱áawé, wé ax̱ kéilk' tsú.

My niece is really amazing too.

NMHC

Dleit ḵáa x̱'éináx̱ du een yoo x̱'ax̱la.atk nooch.

I always speak English with her.

NMHC

Ch'a yéi gugéink' Lingít x̱'éináx̱.

And then a little bit of Tlingit.

NMHC

Awuskóo ḵu.aa aadé yéi yax̱waḵaayí yé, Lingít x̱'éináx̱. [ḴHS would say: ooskóowch...]

She knows, though, what I say in Tlingit.

NMHC

Ax̱, ax̱ x̱'éit,

My, to me,

NMHC

ax̱ x̱'éit aawa.aax̱í ch'a aadé woogoot a dáa yéi dunéi nooch. [ḴHS would say: Ax̱ x̱'éix̱ sa.aax̱ wáa sá yax̱wsaḵaayí tle yéi anasneich.]

she listens to what I say and then she does it.

NMHC

Ayáx̱ áwé!

That's right!

NMHC

Támm yéi á woonei ax̱oo.aa. [ḴHS would say: A x̱oo tlél awuskú.]

Some of it just becomes ʼtumm.ʼ (She doesnʼt understand it.)

NMHC

Aag̱áa áwé

And then

NMHC

I show her, wáa sá duwasáakw, "I show her"?

how do you say

NMHC

Áa shukeejeis'.

You show her.

ALF

Ash ashukeejeis'?

You show her.

NMHC

Áa shukwx̱ajeis'.

I show her.

ALF

Áa shukx̱wajeis'.

I show her.

NMHC

Ḵúnáx̱ yák'éi.

Sheʼs very good.

NMHC

Ch'as keijín, keijín yáx̱ du kataagúx̱ sitee. [ḴHS would say: du katáagux̱ sitee.]

Sheʼs only five, five years old.

NMHC

Likoodzí x̱áawé.

It's amazing.

NMHC

Yéi áwé kei neewáat shákdé?

Maybe that's how you grew up.

NMHC

I was 5 years old when I started interpreting for my mom and dad. Thatʼs why I could switch real easy. Yeah. They couldnʼt speak English or read or write. Everything was in Tlingit in the house. Until I went to school I realized I could talk English and I used to interpret for them when They used have the Army. They had 2000 Army here, GIs out the airport here when they were building the Airport. And, and they had about 200 Navy guys across there. And they would let them come to town on the weekend, on a pass. My sister and I were always together; sheʼs only a year older than me and weʼd walk, be walking down the street, going to visit one of our friends and weʼd have to get out of the way, get on the side of the road because the {nor} roads were just narrow yet. Just like trails.

Tlél gé kootlaa?

Was it not that wide?

NMHC

Aaa.

Yes.

ALF

Á áwé

And then

ALF

has du x̱'anaadáx̱ áwé yatoo.aatch x̱á.

we would get out of their way, you know.

ALF

Tlél linukdzi át gé yee.oo?

You didn't buy any sweets?

NMHC

Wé ax̱ shátx̱, Daasdiyaa, ḵa

My older sister, Nellie Lord, and

ALF

ax̱ éek',

my brother,

ALF

Yag̱uwá,

Roy Henry,

ALF

about 3 years gíwé haa shukát ḵuwdzitee,

he was about 3 years older than we are,

ALF

ax̱ éek'.

my brother.

ALF

Á áwéi hú tsú asg̱eiwú.

And he also seined.

ALF

Yeah, aankát áwé nx̱agútch x̱át ḵwá ax̱ tláa,

Yeah, I would walk around in town but my mother,

ALF

Ḵeix̱'éix' áwé ch'a yóokʼ {shoo} shoox̱danookch. Wé sdoox tóot oox̱a.aakch.

I would wake right up at dawn. I would start a fire in the wood stove.

ALF

Héen coffee yís áwé héen ah, gán káa yan ux̱sa.eench.

Water, I'd put the water uh, on the fire for coffee.

ALF

Bacon

ALF

eggs, ḵa

eggs, and

ALF

grapefruit du tuwáa sigóo ax̱ tláa.

my mother liked grapefruit.

ALF

Wé cannery-x' áwé yéi jinéi nuch x̱á x̱áat has, has axash nuch.

She always worked in the cannery you know, they, they would cut fish.

ALF

Cannery-de gé?

To the cannery?

NMHC

Aa, yú cannery-xʼ.

Yes, at the cannery.

ALF

Aag̱áa áwé

And then

ALF

ah, has wu.aadídáx̱ áwé tsoo gán áa yéi nx̱a.eich yú sdoox x̱án

uh, after they left, I would put more wood by the stove

ALF

ḵa héen tsú x̱ayáa.

and Iʼd pack water, too.

ALF

Aax̱ áwéi

After that

ALF

wé, ah, héen a káa yan x̱usa.eench wé s'íx' tsú kanx̱a.ús'ch.

Iʼd put water on (the stove) and Iʼd wash the dishes, too.

ALF

Á áwé nax̱ashxíxch yá tléiḵw een x̱á.

And then I would run and pick berries.

ALF

Wé fish akawuls'óogu áwé,

When she fried the fish,

ALF

kóox een toox̱áaych.

we'd eat it with rice.

ALF

Aag̱áa áwé

And then

ALF

tléiḵw.

berries.

ALF

When she went to work in the morning at 8 o'clock, after I got everything done, I'd add more water on for tea at lunch time. I'd take a bucket, and those buckets were big, they weren't small like the small ones they have now, but it was about that big. And I used to go around and pick a bucket of salmon berries for her. I would bring it home at 11. And um, then I'd put, build the fire up again and get hot water ready for tea and put the rice on and, and sheʼd bring a fish home for, to fry the fish so we would have it for lunch. She'd go back to work, and sometimes there was a lot of fish. Sometimes she worked till midnight.

ALF

Likoodzí x̱á!

That's amazing!

NMHC

uhuh. Aatlein x̱áat áyóo {a daa} a káa yéi s jinéi nuch.

They say they used to work on a lot of fish.

ALF

Á áwé, wáang̱aneins tle taat sitgawsáanidé yéi has jinéi nuch.

Sometimes they'd work til midnight.

ALF

And anyway, she'd be so tired. Oooh I used to feel so bad for her. I'd get that, uh, different kinds of back-rub and I'd just rub her down and, and put her to bed practically.

ALF

Wáa sá duwasáakw

How do they call

NMHC

massage?

NMHC

Uh wé {aan ká aan ká} aan ḵukduchux náakw.

Medicine that people are massaged with.

ALF

Ooooh.

NMHC

Á áwéi,

And then,

ALF

yáat ḵúnáx̱ ulsáḵch x̱á yáa du jín ḵa yáa du x̱'oos; wé all day yan uháanch x̱á.

she would be worn out here, you know, her arms and her legs; she would be standing all day, you know.

ALF

Mhm.

NMHC

And then get up at 7 again, build the fire and start all over again. There was so much fish that they work all week long; it wasn't just two or three days then, you know.

ALF

Tle all week áwé has, has

All week they, they

ALF

x̱áat clean-x̱ has alyex̱ nuch.

they would clean the fish,

ALF

And so, I spent a whole summer that way. And in the afternoon after she went to, back to work in the cannery, I used to run down the village; there was a lake there. And I taught myself how to swim. There was nobody around; I'd go down there and just all summer long I taught myself how to swim. [Recording break] Like, I'll sit you on my lap and I'm going to, uh,

ALF

Iyakḵwajée

I'm going to discipline you.

ALF

means, I'm gonna tell you like

ALF

«Tlél, tlél chʼa aadóo sá {yáx̱ d} duyáx̱ dushxeex ḵa tlél aadóo sá xʼáan tóonáx̱ yadugwálx̱.»

"You donʼt just run up to anybody and you donʼt just hit them in the face in anger (with your words.)"

ALF

I'm saying, I'm going to sit you on my lap. Now I'm doing it in English again! Anyway, I'm going to sit you on my lap and I'm going to spank you and I'm going to tell you, "You don't, uh, just go run up to somebody and start talking. And you're not going to hit somebody when your mad at them." That's what they call

ALF

yadujee.

discipline.

ALF

Yadujee.

Discipline.

NMHC

Mmm.

ALF

Okay.

NMHC

And then there's another one.

ALF

Ha yóo g̱iyéis' hítt x̱á áa áx' yadujee.

He's sitting in jail because they're disciplining him there.

ALF

He's sitting in jail because they are punishing him.

ALF

Goonáx̱ sá?

From where?

NMHC

It's two words that you can use, for just, you know, either for punishing them, but you got punished because you, I spanked you, and sat you on my lap.

ALF

Aa.

ALF

I was wondering

NMHC

a saayí gé ḵudzitee, yáa

Is there a name for

NMHC

am, atx̱á jikshagóon?

um, eating utensils?

NMHC

Atx̱á jikshagóon gé?

Eating utensils?

ALF

Gwál yáa

Maybe that

NMHC

wáa sá duwasáakw,

what is the name,

NMHC

Aan shakdulwusʼk.

ALF

Yéi x̱áawé!

That's right!

NMHC

Yeah.

ALF

Náakw aan shak-

ALF

Atx̱á aan shakdulwusʼx̱i (át).

(Thing) that you stir your food with.

ALF

Aa, aag̱áa áwé,

Yes, and then,

NMHC

ḵa

and

ALF

yá

this

ALF

yá hotcakes aan yóo áa yax̱ dutan (át).

the (thing) you turn hotcakes over with.

ALF

yóo áa yax̱ du

ALF

Ah, shucks! [At shooḵ]

['Laughter']

ALF

Yóo áa yax̱ yateeyi át.

Thing that flips it over.

NMHC

Aa, yóo áa yax̱ dutee át.

Yes, thing that flips it over.

ALF

dutee át, aaá.

flip thing, yes.

NMHC

Haaw!

Oh.

NMHC

['At shooḵ']

['Laughter']

NMHC

Oh, let me see.

ALF

Wáa sás i, wáa sá iya,

How did you,

NMHC

Wáa sá yeeyaḵaa dziyáak, wé

What did you say a while ago, the

NMHC

Lingít x̱'éináx̱ yóo x̱'ali.átk

speaking Tlingit

NMHC

Am,

Um,

NMHC

I shantú áwé,

your mind,

NMHC

wáa sá duwasáakw, tired?

how do you say 'tired'?

NMHC

Ahah.

Uhuh.

ALF

Ch'as,

Only,

NMHC

tlél ultseen aadé yéi, [ḴHS - tlél ulcheen aadé yei,]

it's not strong, the way,

NMHC

No, thatʼs not right.

NMHC

Wáa sá yakḵwaḵáa?

What am I going to say?

NMHC

['At shooḵ']

['Laughter']

NMHC, ALF

Oh, when your mind is tired,

ALF

Aa.

NMHC

Lingít x̱'éináx̱ yóo {x̱'akg} x̱'akg̱eela.áat. [ḴHS would say: ...yóo x̱'akg̱eetáan]

You're going to speak Tlingit.

NMHC

Let me see.

ALF

Lingít tundatáani.

Tlingit worldview.

NMHC

Yaa ndaxwétl

It's getting tired

ALF

yáa ax̱ shantú.

my mind.

ALF

Yá Lingít yóo x̱'atánk,

This Tlingit speaking,

ALF

tlél ax̱ éex̱ wudaa de yáa tlákw yóo x̱'ax̱atángi Lingít x̱'éináx̱.

I'm not used to talking in Tlingit all the time.

ALF

Can I explain that?

ALF

Gwál, {dziya} dziyáagin.

Maybe later.

ALF

I feel like I haven't gotten straight to you what I just said.

ALF

Tléil du daat áwé yáa yeedát.

It's not about her now.

NMHC

Oh.

ALF

Ch'as,

Just,

NMHC

Yeah, yaa ndaxwétl x̱áayá yáa ax̱ shantú x̱á.

Yeah, my mind is getting tired.

ALF

Mmm.

NMHC

Á áwé, ách áwé, tlél,tlél tlax̱ ch'a yóok' ax̱ tóox' yéi naneich, wáa sá yakḵwaḵaayí x̱á.

So, thatʼs why whatever Iʼm going to say hasnʼt been coming to me immediately, you see.

ALF

Hél ax̱ shaantóox' {yéi} áx̱ koodayaa daasá, wáa sá yakḵwaḵaayée.

Whatever Iʼm going to say isnʼt just there in my mind.

ALF

ShÉDA: notice the long vowel in the syllable koo.

Ch'u shóogu áwé ax̱ een wé, [ḴHS - X̱át tsú yéi x̱at yatee.]

It's the same, [ḴHS - It's the same for me.]

NMHC

isax̱wa.aax̱í,

when I hear you,

NMHC

ch'a a daa yóo tux̱aatánk daa sáwé dleit ḵáa x̱'éináx̱.

I think about what it is in English.

NMHC

['At shooḵ']

['Laughter']

NMHC, ALF

Aa.

Yes.

ALF

Támmmm!

Oops.

NMHC

['At shooḵ']

['Laughter']

NMHC , ALF

Yaa ndaxwétl

Itʼs getting tired

NMHC

gé yéi yeeyaḵaa? Aaá, yaa ndawétl.

is that what you said? Yes, getting tired.

NMHC, ALF

Yaa ndaxwétl.

Itʼs getting tired.

NMHC

Mmm.

ALF

Aa, ḵachʼu x̱ʼax̱wdixwétl. [SÉDA would say, «X̱at x̱ʼawdixwétl»]

Yes, or my mouth is tired.

NMHC

ShÉDA: this verb is S intrans., so «x̱at x̱ʼawdixwétl» is the normal form.

['At shooḵ']

['Laughter']

NMHC, ALF

X̱'aydixwétl gé?

Is your mouth tired?

NMHC

Aa, x̱at wudixwétl.

Yes, I'm tired.

ALF

Yeah, yáat'aa x̱á,

Yeah, this one, you know,

ALF

aan ḵaa kaduchux náakw áyá.

this is the medicine that they rub people with.

ALF

Oh! Aaá.

Oh! Yes.

NMHC

Aan ḵaa ka,

ALF

Yáatʼaa ḵu.ayáas,

As for this one here,

ALF

kadunutʼxʼi náakw áyáa.

these are pills. (Round medicine that is swallowed).

ALF

Kadunutʼxʼ

Round medicine that is swallowed.

NMHC

Medicine you swallow.

ALF

Aaá.

Yes.

NMHC

Ḵa yáat'aa tsú,

And this one too.

ALF

Ḵaa sháan néegoo áyá,

This is (for) headaches,

ALF

Náagoo, ḵaa sháan náagoo áwé.

Medicine, headache medicine.

ALF

Kʼe tsu at g̱atudanaa kwshé?

How about we drink some more now, huh?

ALF

Ch'a nanóot'!

Just swallow it!

NMHC

['At shooḵ']

['Laughter']

Kindatóog̱un nanóot'!

Drink it upside down. [Kindatóog̱un - ʼbottoms upʼ, is a drinking toast. Maybe why Achkwéi begins talking about alchohol.]

NMHC

Yáa Russians ḵa yóo Europeans haat has wuḵoox̱óodáx̱ áyáa,

After the Russians and Europeans came here,

ALF

x̱á ldakát át a saayí yéi ḵunastéen x̱á chʼáakw.

you know, everything was getting a name, a long time ago.

ALF

Ḵaa yáa miners wé gold wudut'eiyí yóo naakéex' x̱á.

And when the miners found gold up north.

ALF

Á áwé,

So,

ALF

hásch áwéi yáa Lingít ée has awlitúw wé náaw,

they were the ones that taught the people the alcohol,

ALF

géewaa yéi daané x̱á.

how to make beer, you know.

ALF

L yeewuyáatʼee áwé tle chʼa yáa

It didn't take long before

ALF

tle ch'a yáa Lingít tsú wé {gée} géewaa yéi has adaané.

the Tlingits were making alcohol too.

ALF

Ch'a a daa yóo tux̱atangi nuch.

I just think about it.

ALF

Chʼoo shukát x̱á tlél tsu aadóo sá at udaná x̱á.

Nobody drank at all before, you know.

ALF

Dleit ḵáa x̱'éináx̱ kagax̱duldáal'

They will type it in English

ALF

dziyáagin áwé.

later.

NMHC

Yá, yáa at.shí áwé,

That song,

NMHC

at.shí {ka} kei kawduwashée

they sang a song

NMHC

yá náaw daat.

about alcohol.

NMHC

Yisikóo gé yáa at.shí?

Do you know that song?

NMHC

Ḵaawus.aa {x̱'ash} x̱'ayaḵá,

[name of Dry Bay Chief George] says,

NMHC

«Ch'a ldakát,»

"It's everything,"

NMHC

Yisikóo gé yú at.shí?

Do you know that song?

NMHC

Tlél k'idéin áwé x̱washagóok ách áwé ix̱'anḵawóos'i!

I don't know it well, that's why I wanted to ask you!

NMHC

«Yaw a ei yaw a ei a ei ee yaw a hei,»

['vocables']

NMHC

Támmmmm!

Um.

NMHC

«A kát shoowaxixi náaw yáx̱ iyatee.»

"Youʼre like the last drink of whiskey."

ALF

That's as much as I know. "To me youʼre like..."

ALF

Some Tips

Symobls used in the transcription

Software Used

Usage notes from Alice Taff