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Tlingit Conversation #31
Speakers are Wooshjix̱oo Éesh George Ramos and Naakil.aan Mark Hans Chester. Recorded July 21, 2010, in Yakutat, Alaska, by Ljáaḵkʼ Alice Taff.
Tlingit transcription by X̱’aagi Sháawu Keri Eggleston. English translation by Sháksháani Margaret Dutson with Ljáaḵkʼ Alice Taff and by X̱’aagi Sháawu Keri Eggleston. Edited by X̱’aagi Sháawu Keri Eggleston with Saḵaayí Anita Lafferty, also by Shag̱aaw Éesh Devlin Anderstrom.
Góok.
Go ahead.
I can clip that, I can clip it on you.
Yeah, I think you better.
I ḵaltóode.
Into your pocket.
That bottom one.
Oh, the bottom one.
Yeah, this one.
Yéi á.
That's the way.
Gunalchéesh {haa een}
Thank you
{ha} haa een {sh} sh kakg̱eelneek.
for the stories you will be telling us.
Aaá.
Yes.
Ax̱ tuwáa sigóo Chʼa aadé, chʼa aadé yéi x̱at nay.oo {ax̱}
I want, Excuse me, excuse me
ax̱ yoo x̱ʼatángi
my language
chʼa yeisú ax̱ ée has altóow.
they are still teaching me.
Chʼa yeisú kei nx̱awáat a een.
I'm still growing into it.
Aahá.
Yeah.
Wooshjix̱oo Éesh yóo x̱at duwasáakw.
Wooshjix̱oo Éesh is my name.
Haa, L'uknax̱.ádi áyáa x̱át.
Well, I am Lʼuknax̱.ádi.
Mmm.
Xíxchʼi Hít yeedáx̱.
From the Frog House.
Á áyáa shux'wáanáx̱,
That is the first thing,
aag̱áa áyá s has altínni has agux̱sakóo aadóox̱ sá x̱at sateeyí áwé.
so that whenever they watch it, they are going to know who I am.
Aawé.
Thatʼs it.
A áwé. Yéi áyá
Thatʼs the way. This is how
i ée kḵwalatóow.
Iʼm going to teach you.
Gunalchéesh x̱á.
Thank you.
[At.shooḵ]
[Laughter]
Aaá. Nás'k yatee ax̱ saayée.
Yes. I have three names.
Ax̱ káak hídi yeedáx̱ áyá x̱at uwawát.
I grew up inside of my maternal uncleʼs house.
Ḵaajáaḵw, Jack Ellis.
Ḵaajáaḵw, Jack Ellis.
Ḵúnáx̱
Really
awsikóo
he knows
haa ḵusteeyée.
our way of life.
Aadé yóo shukawsixixi yé Lʼuknax̱.ádi aayée.
The way that the belongings of the Lʼuknax̱.ádi originated. [Songs, crests, stories, etc.]
Du x̱'éidéx̱ áyáa a x̱oo.aa.
Some of them are directly from his words.
Hél ḵwaayá ch'áakw átx̱ x̱walayeix̱ Lingít yóo x̱ʼatángee.
But I havenʼt used the Tlingit language in a long time.
A x̱oo.aa x̱áach tsú ch'a yeisú a daa yaa yanx̱as.éin.
Some of it I am still studying myself.
A daa yaa yanax̱a.éin.
Iʼm studying it.
Aahá.
Yes.
Yáa
So
ch'áagoodáx̱ áyóo ax̱ káak yéi x̱at yawsiḵaa.
from long ago my maternal uncle said to me,
«Sheet'kaadé áyóo {aa w} haa wduwa.éex',»
“We were invited to a potlatch in Sitka,”
yóo x̱at yawsiḵaa.
is what he said to me.
Nineteen four.
1904.
Mmm.
Yáa Alaska governor áyóo yéi yaawaḵaa,
This Alaska governor said,
«Hóoch' áyá.
“Thatʼs enough.
Hél potlatch yéi gax̱yeesanei.
You arenʼt going to have potlatches.
Hél tsú
No more
ḵu.éex'
potlatches
ḵaa l'eix̱.
and dances.
Hél yéi gax̱yeesanei.
You will not do these things.
Hél yéi ḵugax̱yeenook,» yóo áyóo.
You will not do this from now on,” thatʼs what he said.
Á áyáa
So then
Kaagwaantaanch áyóo
the Kaagwaantaan
du x̱ánde s aawa.aat yóo governor-dé.
some of them went to him, to the governer.
«Hóoch'i aayí tléix'
“A final one
haa tuwáa sigóo.
is what we want.
Hél gé wáa sá utí?» «Aaá,» yóo áwé s yaawaḵaa.
Is that all right?” “Yes,” they said.
Aa, ách áyáa
So, this is why
tle ldakát wé Kaagwaantaan, Ḵóok Hít,
the entire clan of Kaagwaantaan, Box House,
G̱ooch Hít,
Wolf House,
á áyáa has aawa.éex' Yaakwdáatdáx̱ áyáa.
so then they invited them from Yakutat.
Aa. L'uknax̱.ádi yóot aadé wduwa.éex'.
So. The Lʼuknax̱.ádi were invited to go down there. [WÉGR regularly pronounces the relative suffix as a long vowel, as do many other Gulf Coast speakers]
Mmm´.
Yes.
Aa. Ách áyáa,
Yeah. So this is why,
áx' adul'eix̱ée,
when they were dancing there,
yáadéx̱ ḵoowatin ḵu.oo áyóo,
the people that had traveled from here,
L'uknax̱.ádi,
the Lʼuknax̱.ádi,
ldakát yáa hítx'.
(from) all of the houses here.
Dax̱atwooshú hítx' áyóo
There were seven houses
haa aanikáx' yéi téeyin.
used to be on our land.
Yáa
So
ch'a g̱óot yéidáx̱ aa ḵu.áyáas tsoo ch'a g̱óot aa naa áyóo dax̱ wuduwa.éex', Yéil naa.
others from different places, other clans of the Raven moiety were also all invited.
Mhm.
Áx' áyáa wooch kaanáx̱ wuduwa.aat.
Thatʼs where they all gathered together.
Yáa
These
naa káani
Masters of Ceremonies [clan in-laws]
yóo dusáakw nuch át,
is what they call them,
hél k'idéin
not very well
yeedát hél k'idéin wuduskú ḵúnáx̱.
right now people donʼt know that much about it.
Naa káani áyóo
MCs are [or, ʼClan in-laws areʼ]
aadóo sá
whoever
yee x̱oodé aa wushaayée,
has married among your people,
hú áyóo yóo naa
he is the one that that clan,
a káanix̱ nasteech.
he becomes their in-law.
Aaá.
Yes.
Ḵaa
And
{ḵaa yát}
ḵaa yádi, du shát tsú s,
a person's child, his wife too,
ḵaa yitshát yóo {dis} duwasáakw.
their daughter-in-law is what they call it.
Hú áyóo ḵúnáx̱
She is the one that is
dikéex' g̱adulshátch.
really held high.
Áyóo ḵuwdu.éex'i áyóo
So when the people are having a potlach
hú áyáa, yáa naa káani
this is the one who is the MC
ḵaa ḵaa yitshát.
and a personʼs daughter-in-law.
Adulʼeix̱ée áyóo
When they dance,
hú áyoo shux'wáanáx̱
she is the first one
neil jidutaanch
that is led inside
yóo al'eix̱í. Ách áwé
(by) those dancers. That is why
ḵux̱dakʼóolʼeen yú ḵáa neilt ajeiwatán,
the man brought her into the house (by dancing) backwards, [ShÉDA: «ajeiwatán» rather than «ajeewatán»]
ḵaa yitshát áyóo.
thatʼs a personʼs daughter-in-law.
???
ḵaa yáa ḵáa
and this person
naa káani tsús,
is also a naa káani,
du cháan.
his mother-in-law.
Du jeedé yéi at daadunéi nuch ḵúnáx̱.
They would give her many gifts.
Yéi áyáa
That is how
á tsús tsoo
that also
ḵut wooxeex.
got lost.
Yáa ḵuwdu.éex'i aadé,
When the people were invited (to Sitka),
ax̱ léelk'w áyóo Ku.oo yóo duwasáakw,
my grandfather was called Ku.oo,
{Kaagwaantaan}
Teiḵweidée. Aaá Teiḵweidí aa áwé.
Teiḵweidí (clan). Yes, Teiḵweidí it is.
Ḵaa ax̱ káak ??? aawalʼeix̱.
And my maternal uncle also danced.
Jinkaat ḵaa daax'oon
Fourteen
du katáagu.
is his age.
Ooh.
Haw!
Huh!
Aahá.
Yes.
Yées ḵáa áwé. Ha.é.
He's a young man. Oh my.
Aahá, ḵúnáx̱.
Yes, very.
{a yi d} A yís du ée wdudlitúw.
He was taught for that (occasion).
Áyáa Sheetʼkát ḵeeyateení wé
So if you go to Sitka, that
totem pole,
totem pole,
kéet,
killer whale,
wé a hídi yáa
in front of the clanʼs house
wé {kawduji} has kawdujixít.
their pictures were taken.
Yáanax̱.át áhé hán wé gaaw teen.
He was standing on one side with his drum.
Ḵaa
And
naa káani
the MC
ax̱ léelk'w, Ku.oo áwé.
it was my grandfather, Ku.oo.
Yáanax̱.át ḵu.aa áwé s
Here on the other side though
atk'átsk'u du jín yóo alshát yóo áyá.
is a little child holding his hands like this.
Ax̱ káak áwé.
That is my maternal uncle.
Ḵaajáaḵw.
Ḵaajáaḵw. (Jack Ellis)
Aaá.
Yes.
Yéi áyóos
This is how
yan kawdiyáa, haa yóox̱'atángee áyóo.
that it happened, that was our language.
Haa ḵusteeyée áyóo.
That was our culture.
Yáa
This
haa l'eix̱ée
our dance
Nineteen four áyá yéi yan at kawdiyáa.
This all went down in 1904.
Hóoch'.
No more.
Á ítdáx̱ áyá haat tsoo haa x̱oot uwa.át.
After that they came back here among us.
Yáa Lingít sháade háni,
The leader of the people,
Washington D.C. yóo gé duwasáakw? Aahá.
Washington, D. C., is that how heʼs called? Yes.
Hás ḵu.áyóo á yéi s yaawaḵaa,
They are the ones that said,
«Yee x̱'éináx̱ yóo x̱'ayila.átgee áyáa hél haa tuwáa ushgú.
“We donʼt want you all to speak your language.
Haa school-de áyáa gax̱yee.áat.»
So you are all going to go to school.”
Ách áyáas
This seems to be the reason
wooch x̱ʼáadáx̱ wudik'oots.
it was broken apart. [they broke apart from one another]
Haa. Aadé
Well. The way
haa kéilk'
our nephews
ḵaa káakx̱ sitee. Ḵaa kéilk'
are somebodyʼs uncles. A personʼs nephew
du ée at dultóowu
when they are teaching him
ch'áagu yáx̱
in the old way
ḵaa káak x̱ánde áwé kanduḵéich.
they would send him to his uncle.
Mhm.
{y yáa} Yáa a ítdáx̱ ḵu.áyáas tle hóoch'.
After that however, itʼs all gone.
Ḵa yáa
And this
Sheldon Jackson
Sheldon Jackson
yóo duwasáagu aa, hás tsú {s} yéi {ḵu} has ḵuyawsiḵaa,
the one they called that, also said that to the people,
«Hél {yee x̱ʼ} Lingít x̱'éináx̱ yóo x̱'agax̱yeela.aat.»
“You will not speak the Tlingit language.”
Ḵa yáa a x̱oo.aa yáa church.
And some of the churches here.
Aaa.
Yes.
Catholic church,
Catholic church,
Pius X Mission yóo shákdé duwasáakw.
Pius X Mission maybe is what they called it.
Aaá.
Yes.
Skagway aag̱áa.
Skagway at that time.
Ḵaa yáa kuhaantée
And these orphans [ShÉDA: final -tée might be lengthened -tí]
du náḵ ḵuwunaawú at yátxʼi,
the children who have been left behind by the death of their parents,
kuhaantée yóo áyú. Hás tsú
orphans is what theyʼre called. They also
wé
the
yéi yateeyi atyátx'i áa dultin yé, {j} Juneau aayí, hás tsú
place where these kind of children are cared for, the one in Juneau, they also (said),
«Hél Lingít x̱'éináx̱ yóo x̱'akg̱eetaan.»
“You will not speak the Tlingit language.”
Mhm.
Ách áyá ḵut wooxeex.
That is why it got lost. [ShÉDA: verb stem is very hard to hear]
Yéi shákdéi gag̱eesáa «wudiyeiḵ,»
You could probably say, “It has sunk under the water,”
yóo yóox̱'atánk.
the language.
Mhm.
Ách áyáas {hél} ḵaa káak kéi awuswáadin.
This is why a personʼs uncle used to raise them.
Ch'áakw áyóo
Long ago
i léelk'u hásch áyóo ishakakg̱wajeis' neilx'.
your grandparents are going to teach you at home.
A tóox̱ kéi ikg̱wawáat
You are going to grow up in
Lingít x̱'éináx̱ yóox̱'atánk.
the Tlingit language.
I káak x̱ánde ikawduḵaayée, aa,
When they send you to your maternal uncle, about,
dax̱atwooshú táakw yéi i katáagu,
when you are seven years old,
Mhm.
{x̱án} i káak x̱ánde.
to your maternal uncle.
Hóoch ḵu.áyáas toowóo latseen áyáa i ée gux̱latóow.
He is the one that is going to teach you inner strength.
A x̱oo.aa áyóo x'ig̱aaḵáax̱ gux̱satée.
Some of them are going to become warriors.
«Hél daaḵw yéi sá anax̱ yéi ikg̱wax̱eech,» yóo x̱at daayaduḵáa nijéen.
“Thereʼs no way that heʼs going to throw you down on the ground,” they would say to me.
«Hél daaḵw yéi sá.
“There is no way.
Toowóo latseen i tóox' yéi teeyí,
If you have inner strength inside of you,
a yáxʼ yánde kg̱eeháan.»
you are going to stand up to it.”
Aaa.
Yes.
Yisikóo x̱áawé shákdé
I believe you know that
Dukt'ootl' áyóo tukadulnik nuch.
They always tell the story of Duktʼootlʼ.
Aaá.
Yes.
Shux'wáa aa áyóo
That is the first one (when)
at.k'átsk'u
a small boy
ḵaa káak x̱áni,
is with his uncle,
du een kadulneek {tu} «Duktʼootlʼ».
that they tell him (the story), “Strong Man”.
At.kaháas'ee yéi tsú duwasáakw.
They would also call him (the character Duktʼootlʼ) Worthless.
Mmmm.
Aaá. Hél daatx̱ sá ushtí.
Yes. He was absolutely nothing. [ShÉDA: or ʼworthless,ʼ this form with sh- class. is a pejorative]
Aaá.
Yes.
Á áyóo
So
du saayí Dukt'ootl', x̱'aan gookx' áyóo
his name is Black-Skin, by the fire is where
nateich.
he would sleep.
Aag̱áa áwé ḵaa káak ḵeix̱'éix',
At that time, a personʼs uncle at dawn (would say),
«Hó! Sheedaḵí! Hínde nee.á!»
“Hey! You all wake up! Go to the water!”
Tláakw ḵaa lugúḵxʼ wéit, héende.
They would run quickly to that place, toward the water.
Mhm.
Á áyóo,
So then,
át kandultséx̱ch, du kaanáx̱ yaa ḵulugagúḵch.
they would kick him around, they would just run over the top of him.
{hél ḵu.áyóos}
{ku} at kookeidée yáx̱ tsús kudayéin yáa sh kalneek.
this story is also meant to be like a parable.
Yáa
These
hínde woo.aadi aa yeesḵáax'w,
young men who went to the water,
aas t'ánee áyóo anax̱ naashóo yóo, á áyóo
a tree branch was sticking out like this, so
akoo.aaḵw {has} adax̱ has awul'éex'ee.
they try to break it off.
A káx' has dashooch.
That's what they're strength training by bathing in the cold water for.
A x̱oo.aach yéi kanéek aas áyóo kínde has akatéx̱ʼ nuch.
Some of them tell it that they would twist trees up (out of the ground).
They say,
Ax̱ káakch áyá ax̱ een kanéek, «Aaá,
My uncle tells me, “Yes,
yú héende s wu.aadée áwé,
when they go to the water,
a x̱oo.aa yéi kudal nuch.»
some of them would shiver like this.”
Áwé ???
So ???
íshde yaa klaháshch.
he floats toward the deep pool.
Mmm.
Aaá, adax̱ yan dux̱óot'ch.
Yes, and then they would pull him ashore.
Yánde.
To shore.
Yáa tléix'aa ḵú áyáas,
The other one though,
de héenx' yéi yateeyi aa,
the one that is still in the water,
wé ḵaa káak áwé,
the uncle then,
haaw áyá,
this is a hemlock bough,
áxʼ éiḵ yei gútch has du t'áakx'.
he goes down to the waterʼs edge behind them.
Du x̱ánix̱ yaa lugúḵxʼu áwé,
As they're running past him,
yóo áyá dux̱ísht yáat, yáa.
he whips them at this place here like this.
[At.shooḵ]
[Laughter]
Yóo
Those
ḵúnáx̱ litseeni aa ḵú áwé ḵulagawjishagóon áwéi
the really strong ones, though, the implements of war (weapons and armor),
a tóox' áwé.
he (lives) inside of them. [ShÉDA: he is always wearing his weapons and armor]
Mhm.
A yís áyú {du du}
For this
du ée at dultóow.
they teach him.
Wé shadak'wátʼ, {wéi} ḵaa wé. {x̱áa}
The helmet, and that.
Mhm.
Á áyáa
So
hél ḵwá a yís yéi has awuskú.
they did't know what it was for, however.
Yáa Dukt'ootl' áyóo
This Dukt'ootl' [in the story]
ch'a hú áwé
it would be just him,
dashooch
he trains in the water
tléináx̱.
by himself.
Tayeedé awu.aadée áwé aadé
When everybody went to bed
shoodanookch.
he would get up.
Hínxʼ g̱anúkch.
He would sit in the water.
Wáa yeekuyáat'ee sáyóo,
After a while,
hóoch tsús áx' daaḵ usheexch, wéit.
he too would run up out of the water to that place (where the tree branch is).
Yéi áyá kdunéek.
This is how they tell it.
Wáanánéisáyoo,
At some point, [Unusual tone use here. Maybe a story-telling technique.]
adax̱ aawal'éex'
he broke off
wé sheey t'áni.
the secondary branch of that branch.
Á áyáa
So
a x̱oo.aach tsú yéi kanéek;
some of them also tell it this way;
hínde yóo aawatsaaḵ.
he dipped the end of it in the water a few times.
Tsoo áxʼ ḵux̱ aawa ???
Then (put) it back in place there.
Ách áyóo
That is why
ḵeix̱'é,
at dawn,
a ítde ḵeix̱'é áyóo,
the next break of dawn after that,
aadé héende ldakát wu.aadí wé ḵáa,
when all of the men had gone toward there into the water,
{wáanee}
Aag̱áa áwé shux'áa daaḵ wujixixi aa, ḵúnáx̱ litseeni aa, adax̱ kéi aawalʼíxʼ.
And then the first one that ran up out of the water, a very strong one, he broke it off.
Aag̱áa áyá yéi yawduwaḵaa,
And then they said,
«Aa!
“Well!
Taan x'áatʼeedé áyáa!»
Off to Sea Lion Island!”
Taan.
Sea lion.
Woosh tʼaḵkát duwatéen.
You can see them right next to each other.
Á áyáa
This is where
a x̱oo.aa ḵu.ooch áyóo
some people
hél yéi {koo} has akoolneek.
they don't tell it this way.
Ch'a hú áyóo sh wudishúch.
He trained himself.
Hél du káakch áyóo wushooch.
His uncle didnʼt train him.
Á áyáa at kookeidée yóo duwasáakw.
This is what they call a parable.
Ldakát Yéil aadé yéi yan jeiwaneiyi yé,
All of the things that Raven had accomplished,
yáa sh kalneek, du daat shkalneek.
the story, the story about him.
Hél unalé á ldakát á at kookeidéex̱ sateeyí.
Almost the entire thing is a parable.
Parable.
Ayáx̱ áwé.
That's right.
{aḵ}Aadé yéi ḵikg̱eestee yé.
The way that you are going to live.
Aadé at shukg̱watee yé.
The way that things will be expected to be. [Or, what the expectations will be.]
Yóo áyoo. Ách áyáa
That is the way. This is why
á áyáa ḵúnáx̱ átx̱ satéeyeen
they used to be very important,
yáa sh kalneek.
these stories.
Hmhmh.
Aadé yóo kawdzigidi yé tle yáa aas tʼéidáx̱ ḵuwusteeyí
Everything he did from the time that he was born since he pulled up the tree
tle yan yéi jiwuneiyéede.
to the time that his work was complete.
Át yisa.aax̱ée,
When you listen to it,
yéi áyú kdunik nujeen,
this is the way that it was told,
daaxʼoon yigiyee x̱'áanáx̱ áyóo yaa kakdulníkch
they would tell it for four days
Mmm.
yéi sh kalneegí.
when they told this story.
Nás'gináx̱
Three people
áyóo s g̱aḵéech,
would sit,
yáa at.wuskú s'aatx'í.
those who were learnéd.
Wooch x̱'éidáx̱ áyóo yaa s akagalníkch.
The would all tell it together.
Mmm.
Aa. Aag̱áa hél aadé tsoo a x̱oonéede aa gax̱duteeyí ḵwá chʼa yá a kaadé ḵaa sakg̱waxʼaaḵw.
Yeah. So then there would be no way that (any of) it would be forgotten, even when they were going to add one to it.
Ách áyáas násʼk nateech yá
That's why there would always be three of them
yaa kandulnígi.
when they are telling it.
Yáa Yéil Aadé Yóo Kawdzigidi Yé.
The Way That Raven Went About and Did Things. [The title of the Raven Story Cycle.]
[At.shooḵ]
[Laughter]
Aahá. Tlákw at x̱á.
Yes. He is always eating.
Á áyáa
So
hél ulé tle tleix̱ ḵut wutoog̱éexʼi haa yoox̱ʼatángi.
we almost lost our language forever.
Ḵúnáx̱ áyóos ayáx̱ wootee aag̱áa wooch kaanáx̱ wuduw a.aadi yéixʼ shux'áa.
It was really the right way the first time when the people gathered together.
Uháan Yaakwdáat ḵu.aa áyóo,
Those of us (that are from) Yakutat,
Yaanyáan Éesh, Olaf Abraham,
Yaanyáan Éesh, Olaf Abraham,
ḵaa
and
Dlaasx̱éi, Harry Bremner,
Dlaasx̱éi, Harry Bremner,
Charlie White ,Wáangaa Éesh,
Charlie White , Wáangaa Éesh,
Nick Milton,
Nick Milton,
ḵaa yáa woosh kaanáx̱ áyóo has wudi.aat, aag̱áa áyá yéi has yaawaḵaa,
and the (others), they got together here at a meeting and then they said,
"Enough!
That's enough!
Déi áyáa!
That's enough!
Yáa haa dachx̱án hás
These grandchildren of ours
hél has du ḵusteeyí has agux̱sakóo.
are not going to know their culture.
Ch'a wáa kuyáatl' sá yáax' yéi haa teeyí,
For as short of a time as we are here (on this Earth),
has du éex' gax̱tulatóow.
we are going to teach it to them.
Haa
Our
{at} x̱'asheeyée,
songs,
haa l'eix̱í,
our dances,
ḵaa daaḵw aa sáyáa Lingít ḵusteeyí.
and whatever else there is of Tlingit culture.
The culture yóo shákdé yéi iyasáakw. Aaá. Unhuh.
The culture maybe that's what you call it.
"Enough!"
“Enough!”
yóo áyóo yaawaḵaa Yaanyáan Éesh.
that is what Yaanyáan Éesh said.
Ách áyáa nineteen fifty-five
That is why in 1955
ḵoowax̱oox̱. Wooch kaadé ḵoowax̱oox̱
he summoned the people. He summoned the people together
has du ée at g̱alatóowoot.
so that he could teach them.
Yáa ax̱ káakch ax̱ een yóo x̱'ala.átgi áyóo,
When my uncle would be talking with me,
aag̱áa áyóo
at that time
yéi x̱at yanasḵéich,
he would say to me,
«Nalkweit'.»
“Learn it.”
«Nalkweit'.»
“Learn it.”
Hél {d} tlax̱ k'idéin x̱wusakú {wáa} daaḵwéit (s)áyóo «nalkweitʼ.»
I didn't really know what kind of a thing that was, “learn it.”
Á áyáa,
So then,
ch'áaáakw a ítde áyóo a daa yawx̱aa.aa,
a looong time after that I realized what it was,
«Nalkweit'.
“Learn it.
A daa yóo tután,»
Think about it,”
yóo áyóo.
thatʼs what (he said.)
«A daa yanees.á,»
“Examine it,”
yóo. Dleit ḵáa x̱'éináx̱ shákdéiwé
thatʼs what (he said.) In English probably
yéi nḵwaasáa
I can call it
"analyze"
"examine".
Aaá.
Yes.
Aag̱áa áyáas a ít ???
And then after that ???
i shantóode kachák.
store it in your head.
[At.shooḵ]
[Laughter]
Ḵúnáx̱ x̱'ayat'éex'i aa ḵwá yéi yanaḵéich yáa,
The really strict ones, though, they would always say this here,
«I gúkde áyáa kḵwatsóow
“I'm going to stuff it into your ear
aag̱áa áyáas adax̱ guḵal'éex'.
and then Iʼm going to break it off.
Aag̱áa hél tsoo adax̱ ḵúx̱de daak gug̱axeex.» Háaw.
So then it wonʼt fall back out.” Well.
Aadé. Aadé i een sh kadulnik yé,
The way. The way they tell you stories,
daaḵw yéi sá i een kadulneegí,
just how they are telling it to you,
á áyáa nalkweit'.
learn it that way.
Ḵaa aadé ishakdujeis' yé
And the way they are instructing you
Mmm.
Yes.
á tsú nalkweit'.
this too, learn it.
K'idéin kachák i shantóode.
Store it in your brain well.
Aaa.
Yes.
Wáa sá yaa at naneinée i daaxʼ,
Whatever is going on around you,
á tsú
that too
k'idéin a daa yóo tután.
really think about it.
Haa.
Well.
A daa yanees.á.
Examine it.
Aag̱áa kachák i shantóode.
And then store it in your mind.
Ḵaa yáa haa aantḵeení,
And the people of our land,
wáa sá yaa at naneiní,
whatever is happening,
Aaá.
Yes.
á áyáa,
this is it,
á áyá ḵúnáx̱ i ée gax̱dultóow,
this is what they are really going to teach you,
i káak x̱ándéx̱ iwuwáadee,
if you grew up with your uncle,
Mhm.
aadé a daat át daax' yóo tukg̱eetan yé.
the way that you are going to be thinking about the circumstances of it.
Aaá.
Yes.
Aahá.
Yes.
Yéi áyóo. Ách áyóo
Thatʼs how it was. That is why
tlákw ax̱ yáa daak uxeexch, x̱át tsú.
it always comes back to me, me too.
Nalkweit'.
Learn it.
Mhm. Ḵúnáx̱ áwé,
Mhm. Really,
ḵúnáx̱ áwé yeedát ḵu.aa dleit ḵáach yéi s aawasáa «science» shákdéwé.
thatʼs really what it is, thatʼs probably what the white people call “science” now.
Mhm.
A daa yóo tután.
Think about it.
Mmm. Aaá.
Yes.
A daa yanees.á.
Analyze it.
Mmm.
Á áyáa,
So then,
tsoo tle ldakát át áyú a daaxʼ yóo x̱ʼatangi nujéen ax̱ káak.
my maternal uncle used to talk about everything.
Aadé x̱at shakajeis' nujeen yé.
The way that he instructed me.
A x̱oo.aa,
Some of it,
a x̱oo.aa ḵwá áwéis hél átx̱ x̱wulayeix̱,
some of it, though, I didnʼt use it.
Hél k'idéin.
Not well.
«Goox̱x̱ igux̱layéix̱
“It's going to make you a slave
daaḵw yéi sá at géide kawuhaayée,»
any kind of wrong-doing,”
yóo x̱at daayaḵáa nuch, «Goox̱x̱ igux̱layéix̱.»
he would tell me, “It's going to make you a slave.”
Ách áyás kéi x̱at nawádi yéi x̱at daayaḵáa nujéen,
This is why when I was growing up he used to say to me,
«Aaá,
“Yes,
at.daná
drinking
Mmmm.
goox̱x̱ ḵulayex̱ nich.
makes a slave out of people.
Wé ksiyéiyi chookán
The crazy grass
ḵaa daa yaa ḵusag̱atji aa ḵu.áwés hél,
the one that makes people dizzy and disoriented, but
hél a daat át wutusakú.
we don't know anything about that.
[At.shooḵ]
[Laughter]
Yeedát ḵu.áyáas,
Right now however,
ḵúnáx̱ goox̱x̱ ḵulayéx̱x̱.
it really makes a slave out of people.
Mmm.
Aaa.
Yáa
This
át x̱at jiwuhaayí áyá yáa ḵúnáx̱ x̱at wulix̱éitl.
I am very lucky that I have been delivered.
Yáa
This
Juneau-dé áyáa,
to Juneau
daax'oon táakw ax̱ katáagu.
when I was four years old.
Aag̱áa aadé yawtuwa
That is when we (went there)
ax̱ tláa teen.
with my mother.
Á áyáa
So then
áx' schoolt yóo x̱waagút, schoolt x̱waagút shúx'aanax̱.
I went to school there, I went to school for the first time. [«Shúxʼaanax̱» is common in Yakutat, while «shuxʼáanáx̱» is common in Southeast.]
Adax̱ áyáa,
From there,
dax̱atwooshú táakwx̱ x̱at wusteeyée, hél unalé dax̱atwooshú táakw,
when I was seven years old, almost seven years old,
aag̱áa áyáa yéi x̱at yawsiḵaa,
that is when (my mother) said to me,
«I káak x̱ánde ḵikg̱eetéen Yaakwdáatde ḵúx̱de.»
“You are going back to Yakutat to your maternal uncle.”
Á áyóo adax̱ kéi x̱wjixíx yées gánti yaakw haat wuḵoox̱ú.
So then I ran off up (the mountain) when the next steamship arrived.
Mmm.
X̱alatín yú dikéedáx̱,
I saw it (the steamship) from up there,
yú dzeit yú dikéede wooshoowú goldmine-dé.
those stairs that extended up to the goldmine.
Mm.
A tʼaḵkát áyóo x̱a.áa yagiyee tlein, x̱alatín.
I sat by it all day, watching it.
Adax̱ daak wuḵoox̱óo áyóo neildé wx̱aagoot.
When the boat took off out to sea I went home.
Mmm.
Hóoch'.
(I was) done for.
Ax̱ gúkch át x̱at sháat, you see.
She grabbed me by my ear, you see.
[At shooḵ]
[Laughter]
«Wáanáx̱ sáyú?
“Why?
Yaakwdáatde x̱áawé ḵikg̱eeteenéen.»
You were going to go to Yakutat.”
«Hél ax̱ tuwáa ushgú i náḵ ḵuwx̱ateení,» yóo yax̱wsiḵaa ax̱ tláa.
I told my mother, “I didn't want to leave you.”
Mmm.
{aadé}
«Aadé ḵikg̱eetéen Yaakwdáat.»
“You are going to go to Yakutat.”
Á áyáa ḵúnáx̱ x̱at wulix̱éitl
I was actually very fortunate
yáa ax̱ káak x̱ánt ḵuwx̱ateení.
that I came here to live with my maternal uncle.
Ḵúnáx̱ atwuskú.
Real knowledge.
Aan tleinx' áyóo asg̱eiwú nujéen.
He used to fish at Ahrnklin River.
Aa, du léelk'w áyóo Daaḵnaḵéen yóo duwasáakw.
Ah, his grandfather's name was Daaḵnaḵéen.
Yánde g̱eiwú tin áyóo adusg̱eiwú nujéen. Yaakw tlein áyú aadé yaa s aksaḵúx̱ch.
They would fish with a beach seine net in a big boat. They would cruise a big canoe over there.
Du léelk'w ḵu.áwés a géekdáx̱ yan yoostáanch.
His grandfather though, from the stern, would steer (with a paddle).
Sh ka(l)nik nuch.
He would tell stories and history.
Ldakát át yee een aklanik nuch.
He'd tell you all kinds of stories.
Yéi áyáas tsús x̱at yan kawdiháa x̱át tsú.
This was the experience that I had, too.
Sʼitáḵxʼ atool'eix̱í.
When we danced at Situk.
Aag̱áa ḵu.aa áwéis ch'a g̱eiwóo teen áyóo atoosg̱eiwóo.
At that time we were only fishing with setnets.
Yax̱ax̱áa nuch.
I would be rowing the boat.
Naaliyéi aadé wé Sʼitáḵdáx̱ Divide tle yóonax̱.aadé wé tliyáanáx̱ tsús tsoo ḵúx̱de Sʼitáḵde.
Thatʼs a long way to there from Situk, to the far side of the Divide and then back around the other side of it and back to Situk. [The Divide is a channel that goes around an island between the Situk and Ahrnklin Rivers.]
Aaá, ch'a yéi áwés
Yes, that is how
a géexʼ áwéi yan yoostàanch ax̱ káak ax̱ een sh kalnik nuch.
my maternal uncle would steer from the stern and he would tell me stories.
Daaḵw yéi sá áx̱ yaa kaganík.
He would just start telling all kinds of stories.
Á áyáa
So then
yáax' schoolt x̱waagút
I went to school here
Juneaudáx̱ haat ḵuwx̱ateení.
when I traveled here from Juneau.
Ḵúnáx̱
Really
x̱at wulix̱éitl,
I was lucky,
ax̱ káak,
my maternal uncle,
du x̱áni yéi x̱at wuteeyí.
when I lived with him.
Yáa school ḵu.aa áyóo ḵaa jín áyóo yóo kandutánch
At school, though, they would bend peopleʼs fingers (backward)
Lingít x̱'éináx̱ x̱'eedataaní.
if you spoke Tlingit.
Ruler teen áwé.
(They would hit your hand) with a ruler.
Ḵúnáx̱ ḵwáaḵt yisgeedée ḵwá áwés
But if you really did something wrong
gán gag̱eex̱óot'
you would haul wood
yú furnace tlèin.
(to) the big furnace.
Á áyáa
So
a x̱oo.aa
some people
tlákw has du jín dux̱eechch shúx'aa.
would always be getting their hands hit at first.
«Hél haa tuwáa ushgú déex̱ yeekaadé yóo x̱'eetángee;
“We don't want you to be speaking two different languages;
dleit ḵáa x̱'éináx̱ ḵaa Lingít x̱'éináx̱.»
English and Indian language.”
Yóo áyóo haa daayaduḵáa neech.
That's what they would say to us.
Aa. A ítde áyáa,
Yeah. After that,
Yisikóo
You know
{dleit} Lingít ḵusteeyée áyóo
{white} the Tlingit way of living
a gaawóo áyóo ḵudzitee.
there is a time for it.
Daaḵw yéi sá yéi kg̱isaneiyée.
Whatever you are going to do with it.
Yéi áyóo yéi s jinéi nujéen haa léelk'u hás.
This is how our grandparents always worked.
March,
March dísi áyáa, ha yéi áyóo, adax̱ áyáa
in the month of March, well, you see, from there
aashát
steelhead trout
yóo duwasáakw.
is the name of it.
Ee.aax̱jéen gé?
Did you ever hear that one?
Aashát g̱unéi yoo.áaych íxde.
Steelhead trout start swimming downstream.
A ítde áyáas
Afterwards
saak kéi yoo.áaych.
the hooligan start showing up.
Éitsk.ʼ
Yum.
A ítde.aa dís ḵu.aa áyáas cháatl.
The next month however is halibut.
Mmm.
Cháatl dusxuk nuch.
They would dry halibut.
Uwaxúk gé?
Is it dried?
Aaá.
Yes.
Uxuk nuch gé?
Is it always dried?
Dusxuk nuch.
They always dry it.
Dusxuk nuch, aaá.
They always dry it, yeah.
Yáa
So
a ítde.aa áyáas
the next one is
tsaa.
seal.
Oh.
Yaakwdáat lisaayée
Yakutat is renowned for
tsaa l'óon.
seal hunting.
Á áyáa yéi daatoonéi nuch ax̱ káak.
So this is what my uncle and I always did.
Tlei
Then
May,
in May,
Memorial Daydáx̱,
from Memorial Day,
naakéede yaa ktooḵúx̱ch.
we'd go upriver by boat.
Áx' áyáa kéi x̱at uwawát wé K'wát' X'áatʼi daa.
This is where I grew up, around Egg Island.
May
t'éex' tóot ooltsaaḵ(ch)
he would pole (the boat) in the ice
tsaa l'óon.
seal hunting.
A ítxʼ áyáas kooháaych
After that this happens
ldakát wé x̱áat kéi gahínch.
all of the salmon start running upriver.
Tlax̱ hóoch'i aayée áyáas xóots l'óon.
The very last one is brown bear hunting.
Xóots.
Brown bear.
Yéi áyá áx̱ ḵoox̱
They go along in a boat
???
???
ḵutaan káx'
in the summer
al'óon,
hunting,
x̱áat.sg̱eiwú,
setnetting for salmon,
yan yéi.
(along) the beach.
Daa sáwé xóos?
What is xóos?
Brown bear.
Oh, xóo, aaá.
Oh, brown b, yes.
Xóots.
Brown bear.
Xóots, aaá.
Brown bear, yeah.
Á áyáa
That is
yá táakwx̱
the wintertime
kuwuhaayée ḵwá áyáas
when it comes around
November ítdáx̱,
after November,
hóoch',
itʼs all gone,
hél daa sá ḵoostée nooch.
there would be nothing around (to put up for food).
Ách ayáas
That is why
daaḵw yéi sá yéi daaduneiyí,
whatever (else) they would do,
kadach'áak'w,
carving,
Mmm.
Daaḵw yéi sá gax̱dulyeix̱ée,
However they were going to make it,
a x̱oo.aa yaakw du{dáx̱}dáx̱ch.
some of them would make canoes with adzes.
Mhm.
and youʼd, jishagóon.
and youʼd, tools.
Yéi áyáa ḵutoostéeyin.
This is how we used to live.
Yáa ḵáach kéi naswat aa ḵáa ḵwá yéi áyóo shakdujeis'éen,
A person that is being raised by a man would be instructed this way,
«Aa. I dachx̱án hás áyóo has du ée at gag̱ilatóow.
“So. You will teach all of your grandchildren.
Tlákw has du een yóo x̱'akg̱ila.áat.
You will always be talking with them.
At kookeidée áyóo sdu ée kg̱ilatóow.
You will be teach them the parables.
Tlé ldakát aa ḵudzitee, sh kalneek, at kookeidée.
There is one (story) everything, stories, parables.
Aaá. Aadé yéi {ḵugax̱} ḵikg̱eestee yé.
Yes. The way that you are going to live.
aadé yee {shakagux̱ shakagux̱ ??? shukagux̱laxee yé}
the way they are going to teach ???
i ḵusteeyí.
your life.
Mhm.
Aadé ishukagux̱satee yé.
The way your life is going to go.
Hóoch' ḵut x̱waag̱éex'.
Itʼs gone, I lost it. [the word he wants]
[At shooḵ]
[Laughter]
Tlél kʼidéin x̱washagóok yáa aadé yeeyaḵaayi yé, chʼa yéi googéinkʼ,
I donʼt really know what you said, just a little bit
{tlél} X̱wasikóo ḵu.aa tlél kʼidéin x̱wasikóo.
I know but I donʼt know it very well.
Yáa, át shukawsixeexi yé.
That is how it originaged.
Yeah.
Mmm. Mhm.
Á áyáa at kookeidée tóonáx̱ gag̱isakóo.
Through parables you will learn.
Mhm.
Aaá.
Yes.
Á áyáa
So
ḵúnáx̱
really
tláakw
little stories [or ʼquicklyʼ]
ḵaa een kadulnik nooch.
they would tell.
Aaá. Ch'a x'óon dís ítde sáyáas
Ah. After so many months,
yáa táakw
in winter
hél daaḵw yéi sá yéi daagax̱dusneiyí,
while nobody is going to put up any kind of food,
tléix' yéix' yéi ḵunateech wé hít tlénx'i yee.
the people would all live in one place in those big houses.
Mhm.
Yáa ḵutaan ḵwá áwéis wé héen yaax̱dé.
In the summer though they go to the riverside.
Wé, wé,
That is, that is,
Haaw. Letʼs see, chʼa g̱óot.aa kát x̱at seiwax'áḵw.
Well. Letʼs see, I forgot the other one.
Sʼitáḵ gé?
The Situk?
Trap. Oh, oh.
X̱einátʼ. X̱einátʼ, {yóo s ayasa} yeah, haaw.
Fishtrap. Fishtrap, {thatʼs what they} yeah, well.
Fishtrap.
Aaá, aa. Awuldáas'i, chʼa g̱óot.aa aayí shákdé?
Yes, yeah. When he would snare, thatʼs probably a different one for that?
Yáa
These
yées ḵáax'w gíyáa has du ée dultóow nuch.
young men would be taught (these things).
Yeah.
Mhm.
Toowóo latseen téen.
With inner strength.
Mmm.
Yáa
These
shaax'wsáanee, ḵú.áyóos,
young girls, however,
ax̱ káak yéi x̱at yanasḵéijin yóo,
my uncle used to say it to me just like this,
«Haa ḵusteeyée áyóo ḵut kéi kg̱waxéex
“Our way of life will be lost
ḵaa
and
haa yoox̱'atángi.
our language.
Mhm.
Ḵut kéi kg̱waxéex.
Itʼs going to run out.
Tlákw yéi x̱at daayaḵáa noojéen,
He always used to tell me,
«Ách áyáa hél k'idéin i ée kḵwalatóow Lingít ḵusteeyí,» yóo áyóo.
“This is why I am not going to teach you everything about the Tlingit way of life,” thatʼs what he would say.
«Ḵut kéi kg̱waxéex.
“Itʼs going to run out.
Tlél k'idéin i ée kḵwalatóow.»
I am not going to teach it all to you.”
«Daaḵw aa sáyáas hél ax̱ ée agux̱latóow?» yóo áyóo tunax̱datánch.
“Which things is he not going to teach me?” thatʼs what I would be thinking.
Mhm.
Tlákw a daa yóo tux̱atángi nich.
I am always thinking about that.
Wáanáx̱ sáyóo?
Why?
Hmh.
Ch'a ayáx̱ áyóos,
It was just as he said it would be,
hél unalé ḵut wutoog̱éex'i haa ḵusteeyí ḵaa haa yoo x̱ʼatángi.
we have almost lost our way of life and our language.
Mhm.
Nineteen fifty-five áyáa
It was 1955
áwéi Yaanyáan Éesh
that Yaanyáan Éesh (Olaf Abraham)
yéi yaawaḵaa, "Enough!
said, “Enough!
«Has du ée gax̱tulatóow.»
“Weʼre going to teach them.”
Mhm.
Aahá.
Yes.
Nineteen fifty-two áyáas ax̱ káak ax̱ náḵ woonaa.
It was in 1952 that my maternal uncle left me behind with his death.
Mmm.
Aa. Ch'oo a daa yóo tux̱aatánk.
Yeah. I still think about it.
Mhm.
Á áyáa
So
yeedát
now
x̱at x̱'awduwóos'ee,
when I am asked,
«Wáa sáyóo ḵudunuk nuch
“What would the people do
yées ḵáa ḵáax̱ gux̱sateeyí?»
when a young man is going to become a man?”
At gutóode woogoot áyá at gug̱axaashí.
He went into the woods when he was going to cut an animal. [A right of passage for man.]
«At wooxaash,» yóo áyú.
“He has cut an animal,” thatʼs what they would say.
Daaḵwéit sá
Whatever kind of
du kaadé yánde tukg̱watan át áyóo
animal that is going to choose him
du x̱ánt ugootch
would come to him
Mmm.
at gutóox'.
in the woods.
Nás'k yagiyee x'áanáx̱ áyóo ix̱'akg̱wax̱éi.
You are going to fast for three days.
Hmm.
{nás'gi}
Aaá, ayáx̱ áyóo héende kg̱eegóot.
Yes, then according to the tradition, you will go into the water.
Sh daa kg̱ida.óos' wé héen, héen á
Youʼre going to wash yourself in the water, [This conversation is continued on Tlingit Conversation 32.]