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Tlingit Conversation #32
Speakers are Woochjix̱oo Éesh George Ramos and Naakil.aan Mark Hans Chester. Recorded July 21, 2010, in Yakutat, Alaska, by Ljáaḵkʼ Alice Taff. THIS RECORDING IS A CONTINUATION OF TLINGIT CONVERSATION #31.
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 Shaag̱aw Éesh Devlin Anderstrom. English translation by Shakʼsháani Margaret Dutson with Ljáaḵkʼ Alice Taff and by X̱’aagi Sháawu Keri Eggleston. Edited by X̱’aagi Sháawu Keri Eggleston with Saḵaayí Anita Lafferty and by Shaag̱aw Éesh Devlin Anderstrom.
SYMBOLS: {false start}. (added for clarity). [translator/transcriber's note]. ??? = can’t understand. «Lingít quotation marks». 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
Hél aadé hít yeexʼ yéi ng̱waateeyi yé.
It canʼt be inside the house.
Gáande.
Outside.
Mm.
{áa yéi} Áxʼ yéi nateech.
Itʼs always there (outside).
A x̱oo aa {tlél tle} tle násʼk,
Some of them even three,
uh,
week?
Ah, «Sándi x̱ʼáak,» shákdé?
Uh, maybe, “between Sundays.” [Suggesting a way to say ʼweekʼ.]
Gaasch.
Yáa tléixʼ week áwé «tléixʼ yéi jiné.»
This one week is ʼone workʼ.
Mm.
Yóo áyá s asáakw nuch yá {xw}
This is what they always call it, this
«shuxʼwaa aa yéi jiné,» Monday.
ʼfirst workʼ (is what they call) Monday.
Hóochʼ tle tle ḵwa yu.á. Haaw.
But then itʼs just all done, they say. (At the end of the week.) Well,
Hél x̱wa.aax̱ín.
I hadnʼt heard that.
Ahah.
Uhuh.
Gunalchéesh á. {yéi} tléixʼ
Thank you very much. One
tléixʼ yéi jiné, déex̱,
One work (= day), two,
násʼk, daaxʼoon, keijín.
three, four, five.
Aaá.
Yes.
Yéi áyá.
This is the way.
Gwál yá yées aayí áyá «tléixʼ yagiyee.»
Maybe the new one is “day one” (Monday).
Déex̱ yagiyee.
Day two (Tuesday).
Násʼk yagiyee, daaxʼoon yagiyee.
Day 3, day 4.
Keijín yagiyee.
Day 5.
Sándi x̱ʼáak aag̱áa áwés Sándi.
The week and then itʼs Sunday.
Mmhm.
Á ḵu.aa áyás yáa,
But this is the,
yáaxʼ ḵu.aa yá
here though this
«yéi jiné» yéi s aawasáa.
“work” is how they called it. (week)
Mmm.
Á áyá,
Itʼs like this,
aag̱áa áyá,
at that time,
wé,
the,
wé yées shaawát
a young lady, [entering puberty]
hél aadé yú kínde ??? yé.
she can't look up.
Hél du yá yéi dustínx̱, yéi áyá.
Nobody sees her face, just like this.
???
???
Adáx̱ áyá [In Gulf Coast speech, «aadáx̱» can be shortened to «adáx̱», but only in reference to a sequence of events, time or thought sequence.]
And then (from there)
tlax̱
really
aanyádix̱ sateeyí ḵu.aas du x̱ʼóon
if she is a noble person though, her screen
yóo duwasáakw wé "screen."
thatʼs how they call that screen.
Oh.
X̱ʼóon. [x̱éen ? ʼscreenʼ ?]
Screen.
Mmm.
A t'éixʼ áyú yéi nateech.
She stays behind it.
Áxʼ tsús, at,
In there, too, there,
atx̱á du jeet yéi daaduné.
she is given food.
Aaá.
Yes.
Hél x̱ʼaan gookx̱ daak wugoot.
She doesnʼt go out by the fire.
Aa, yéi áyá x̱at daayaḵáayin, X̱ahákwsh,
Yes, this is what he used to say to me, X̱ahákwsh,
ax̱ káak.
my maternal uncle.
Yú x̱ʼaant uwagúdi aa ḵu.aa áyús,
The one that came by the fire, though,
yá {x̱aat} x̱aat,
the roots [a veil made of roots for modesty]
has du yá
their face
hél aadé g̱aag̱isiteeni yé.
you cannot see their face.
Mmm.
«Aa, g̱án, g̱án, g̱án! Át akaawagán yú dikée!»
“Woah, look, look, look! It's on fire up there!”
Mmm.
{Yóo yínde ang̱al I mean} kíndei ang̱alg̱einí.
So she would look up.
Mmm. Aaá.
Yes. Yes.
Á áyá,
It's like this
shákdé,
probably,
ḵa yáa,
and this,
sweathouse. Sweat house tsu haa x̱óo yéi teeyí.
sweathouse. There were sweathouses among us.
Aadé a yís {yánde ḵun}
This is how for it
yánde ikg̱waneiyi yé.
youʼre going to get ready.
A yeedé kg̱eegoodí, sweathouse.
When youʼre going to go into the sweathouse.
X̱aay ákwé?
Is it x̱aay? (sweathouse)
Aaá.
Yes.
A saayí gé?
Its name?
Wáa sá? X̱aay.
What? Sweathouse.
Sweat house shákdé wé.
Itʼs a “sweathouse” probably.
«X̱áay»?
[Repeating the word, but with a high tone]
Yéi gé?
Is that it?
«X̱áay» ḵu.aa yaa jinda.ádi ḵu.oo áyú.
A «x̱áay», though, is a group of people going to go fight.
Ḵúnáx̱ yaa jindu.ádi yaakw g̱eit.
Itʼs really when people are going to fight inside of a canoe.
«X̱áay {yaa yana} yaa yanagwéin.»
“The war parties (in canoes) are on the move.”
Mmm.
Yóo áyú x̱wsikóo.
This is the way that I know it.
Mhm.
Chʼa g̱óot yéide shákdé duwasáakw, chʼa g̱óot yéi.
There is probably another way it is called, a different way.
Adawóotl wuduteeyí,
When people are going to have a fight,
ḵulagaawx̱ wusteeyí,
when it becomes a war,
chʼa g̱óot aa naa x̱ándei yaa {na} yanagwéini yú yaakw
when the war canoes are approaching a different clan,
x̱áay yaa jinasḵúx̱.
the war canoe is traveling to go fight.
Yáa am, Tʼaaw Chán, hóoch áwé
Itʼs um, Walter Soboleff, heʼs the one that
haa een sh kawdlineek
told us this story
yá «x̱aay».
this “sweathouse.”
Waaḵ yáx̱ yatee yú
It's like the eyes, that
"window" ákwé?
“window,” is that it?
Ách áyá «x̱aay waag̱í» yéi s aawasáa windows.
Thatʼs why they called windows “sweat house eyes.”
Mmhm.
Yeah. Uháan ḵu.aa yáa «x̱áay» yóo áyá ax̱ een kadulnikjeen.
Us, though, this the way the “war party” was always told to me. [«x̱áay» (war party as per WÉGR) vs. «x̱aay» (beaver or muskrat lodge/sweatlodge)]
Ḵulagaawdé
To the battle
wooch een
together
adawóotl wuduteeyí,
when a battle was going to be fought,
ḵúnáx̱.
for real.
Á {áy} áwé
Thatʼs what it is
yá s a kát x̱at seiwaxʼáḵw wé
and I forgot about that,
tléixʼaa.
other one.
Yá, yá yées ḵáaxʼw a kaadé áyú has dashóoch.
They train the young men in the cold water in preparation for it.
Ahá.
Xʼéig̱aa ḵáax̱ inax̱sateeyí hél daaḵw yéi sá ???
If youʼre going to become a warrior ???
ikagux̱laxéet.
he (your uncle) is going to hit you with a stick.
Yóo áyá x̱a.áx̱ch nuch. Haaw!
Thatʼs the way I always heard about that. Well!
Uhuh.
Hél daa sá.
Nothing.
Tsu wáa sá yaa inaneiní,
Whatever is hapenning to you,
hél kéi kakg̱idag̱aax̱.
youʼre not going to cry out.
Yóo áwé tsú.
Itʼs that way, too.
Hél shayeedé kéi kakg̱idag̱aax̱.
Youʼre not going to cry out in anticipation (of the pain).
Yóo áyú.
Thatʼs the way.
Hél toowú latseeni ḵáa áyú
A weak-minded person,
shayeedé kéi kdag̱áx̱ch.
cries out in anticipation (of the pain).
Á áyá {ax̱ t at} ax̱ tuwáa sigóo
This is what I want
wooch tʼaḵkát x̱wateeyí, dleit ḵáa aayí tsú,
when I put it all side by side, the white peopleʼs way, too,
{yéi h} yéi s x̱ʼali.átk.
this is how they talk.
Yeah.
A coward dies many deaths.
Ayáx̱ áwé.
That's right.
Aaá.
Yes.
Uhuh.
Haa shantóodáx̱ s aawatáw shákdé.
They probably stole it from our minds.
Aaá.
Yes.
Aa, á tsú {tsu} chʼa wáa sá wuneiyí áyá tle
Yes, that too, whatever is happening (to someone) then,
«Áa, x̱at gug̱anáa! X̱at gug̱anáa!»
“Ah, Iʼm going to die! Iʼm going to die!”
Toowú litseeni ḵáa ḵu.aa áyú s hél yéi ustóow nuch.
A strong-minded person though never thinks this way.
{tlél} Aaá.
{not} Yes.
Yáa,
This,
á áyá ḵúnáx̱ yéi teeyí
this is it, really how it is,
woosh yáa ayudané tsús ḵut wooxeex.
respect for one another has been lost.
Mmm.
Hóochʼ.
Itʼs all gone.
Dleit ḵáa yáx̱ áyá ḵutudzitee.
We are living like white people.
Chʼas x̱át áyá.
Itʼs just me (that matters).
Uhuh.
Chʼa x̱át ax̱ daat áwé
Itʼs just me, about me (it only concerns me),
tlél has du daat.
itʼs not about them (doesnʼt concern them).
Mhmh.
Ayáx̱ áyá.
That's right.
Yáa, ḵateeyí yá,
This, itʼs really something, this
wé x̱áay
that war canoe
yaa jindulḵúx̱u
as itʼs being paddled along (to a fight)
chʼa g̱óot aa naa yaadé
toward another clan
adawóotl gax̱duteeyí
when they are going to wage war
yá yaakw tlénxʼ
these big boats
ixkéedáx̱ haat jeewaháa.
were brought up from the south.
???
???
Gooxʼ sá yéi kg̱eenoogú [high-toned pre-verbs («yéi» in this utterance) are a feature of Gulf Coast speech.]
Where you will sit
yéi áyá
this is the way
i shátch gux̱sakóo
your wife is going to know
goodáx̱ sá iyax̱áayi yú yaakw tlénxʼ.
where you paddled those big boats from. (from which seat)
Aa.
Yes.
Chʼa wáa sá iwuneiyí,
Whatever happens to you,
á áyú yéi ayanasḵéijeen.
this is what they would say.
«Du ax̱áayi du eetéen [the «n» on «eetéen» is either an interesting use of the -n suffix or an incidental noise]
“His paddle in his place
yéi gax̱tootsáaḵ.»
we are going to push it down.” [So his paddle stands in his place.]
Mmm.
Wudujaag̱í
When he was killed
du ax̱áayi áyú anax̱- yéi.
his paddle up through, like this.
Aag̱áa áyú s yú yaakw, [Recording break]
And then that canoe,
has agux̱sakóo.
they will know.
Aadóo sá dutóow nuch
They always count who it is,
wé ax̱áa.
by the paddle.
{yéi} Ách áyá,
This is why
wé haa lʼeix̱í,
that dance of ours,
{yá yá yá} yá ax̱áa kínde dulshátch du eetée.
a paddle is help up in his place.
Wow.
L x̱wasaḵóowun. Aa.
I didn't know. Yes.
Ḵúnáx̱ shayadihéin
There are very many
aadé ḵutoostee yé
the way we live,
aadé ḵutoosteeyin yé
the way we used to live,
átxʼ, hél átx̱ tulayeix̱ yeedát.
things, that we donʼt use now.
Yá,
These,
yá adátxʼi áyá,
these children,
wé s du een yéi jix̱anéiyeen
I used to work with them
wé lʼeix̱ has du ée x̱walatoowú.
when I was teaching them to dance.
{yá} Yéi s daayax̱aḵá,
I say to them,
«Aa, yee káak hás
“Yes, your maternal uncles
ḵa yee léelkʼu hás
and your grandparents
ḵútx̱ shoowaxeex.
they are all gone.
Yéi áyá s x̱ʼax̱a.áx̱ji nuch wé
This is how I used to hear them
x̱ʼaan gookxʼ {yéi s}
around the campfire
yéi s g̱aḵéech ḵa {has} has sh kalnik nuch.
they (used to) always sit and tell stories.
{chʼa wáa} Chʼa wáa at wuneiyí sáyá,
Whatever happens,
sh ulkʼátlʼch,
he always kept quiet,
aadóo sá sh kalneegí,
whoever is telling the story,
ḵúx̱de gashátch
used to hold it back
du shkalneegí.
his story.
Aag̱áa áyú yéi s x̱ʼax̱a.áx̱ji noojéen,
And then I always used to hear them say,
«Aa, a kát x̱at seiwaxʼáḵw yáatʼaa,
“I don't remember this one,
Mmm.
yáa shkalneek.
this story.
Aaá, yeedát sʼé,
Yes, if only now
héináx̱ éiḵ yei uwagút,
he came down here to the coast [from the forest, the hereafter]
tsu tléixʼdahéen ax̱ een akanax̱laneegéet.»
so he could tell me the story one more time.”
Yéi áyá s yanaḵéich.
This is what theyʼd say.
«Ax̱ daadé áyá yaa ḵushunaxíx.
“All my relatives are dying off.
Ldakát x̱wasikóowu ḵu.oo ax̱
All the people that I know,
daadé yaa shuḵunaxíx.» [maybe meant to say yaa ḵushunaxíx]
they're all gone.”
Yéi áyá tsú.
This is it also.
Á áyá hél yéi x̱wa.áx̱ji noojéen yeedát
Now I don't hear anything like that
yóo x̱ʼatool.átgi.
when we are talking.
Ḵa ax̱ tóot ḵu a yís uxíxch.
And it always stayed in my mind.
Aa, ax̱ daadé {yaa} ḵaa shoowaxeex.
Yes, all of my people are gone.
Ax̱ léelkʼu hás, hóochʼ.
All of my grandparents, gone.
Ax̱ káak, hóochʼ. [maybe góok]
My uncle(s), all gone.
{hél áyáa s,}
Yú aadé x̱waa.aax̱ yé, «Haa ḵusteeyí áyú yáa {na na} nadáakw káwu áyá.
How I heard it, “Our life is prepared on the table.
Aadéi koogeiyi yé.
How much of it there is.
A yaax̱t áyáas tooḵéen yáa {ya}nadáakw.» [Maybe he calls 'table' «nadáakw» «yanadáakw»?]
We are sitting at the table.”
A wán áyá tulashát.
We're hanging onto the edge.
Yéi áyá.
That is it.
Ḵúnáx̱.
Truly.
Ayáx̱ áwé.
That's right.
Aakʼé yóo x̱ʼatánk áyú.
Good talking that is.
Ḵúnáx̱.
Truly.
Aa.
Yes.
A wán áyá. Ḵúnáx̱ áwé.
This is the edge of it. It really is.
Dei hóochʼ áyá.
There's no more now.
Chʼas yáa
Just this
ḵu.éexʼ yoo x̱ʼatánk yáx̱ áwé.
itʼs like memorial party speeches.
Uhuh.
Yú has du tuwunáagu yís shákdé.
For healing their spirits maybe.
Á áyáas tsú {s}
This is also
has du een kax̱anik noojéen.
I used to tell them.
Aa. Yáa ḵu.éexʼ
Yes. The potlatch
{ḵaan dag̱eik}
ḵaan dageixʼ yéexʼ yóo x̱ʼatánk [He says «yoo» as «yóo», common in Yakutat speakers and rare elsewhere.]
speaking in public
chʼa g̱óot yéide duwax.áx̱ch.
sounds different.
Ḵúnáx̱.
Really.
Á áyá at kookeidí tóonáx̱ áyá,
It's through parables,
wooch een yóo s x̱al.átgi nooch haa shukaḵáawu.
our ancestors used to talk to each other.
{hás} Wé wootsaag̱áa,
That staff,
alshát aa,
the one thatʼs holding it,
násʼgidahéen áyú tʼáa ká.
(he pounds it) three times on the floor.
Aag̱áa áyú,
And then,
yóo x̱ʼatángit.
so he could speak.
Chʼa g̱óot ḵáa du tuwáa sigóo
If somebody else wants
ḵaan dageiyéexʼ
in public
uh, x̱ʼawdataaní,
uh, to speak,
yáa wootsaag̱áa alshát ḵáa x̱ánt áyá áyú kg̱wagóot.
he'll go by the man holding the staff.
Ax̱ʼakg̱wawóosʼ.
He'll ask him.
Ah, du een áyá s akakg̱wanéek
Uh, he will tell him (the staff holder)
daaḵw yéi sá {a daat yoo x̱ʼakg̱w}
in what manner
yóode x̱ʼagux̱dataaní.
heʼs going to speak out.
Yá ḵáa,
This man,
«Tléikʼ,
“No,
{hél} hél du jeedé kḵwataan.
I will not give him the staff.
Hél x̱ʼagux̱dataan.»
Heʼs not going to speak.”
Yéi áyú kduník noojéen.
This is the way they used to tell it.
Tʼáa yáx̱ áyú yoo s ḵéech,
They used to sit against the wall,
shaawát, sháa,
woman, women
tʼáa yá.
by the wall.
Ḵu.éexʼ yee,
At a potlatch,
hél has yoo x̱ʼeidatánk.
they don't speak.
Has du tuwáa sagoowú daaḵw yéi sá kawduneegí,
When they want any kind of thing to be told,
has du yéet shátch x̱ándei a yís gug̱agóot.
theyʼre going to go by their sonʼs wife for it.
Aan áyú kagux̱laneek.
Sheʼs going to tell it to her.
Adáx̱ áyá tsu hú ḵu.aa sh wudliyáḵw.
And then she represents herself.
Wootsaag̱áa tin ḵaa x̱ándei kg̱wagóot.
She'll go by the man with the staff.
Chʼáakw áyú, ḵúnáx̱ chʼáagu aayí ḵustí áwé.
That was long ago, this is the life of very long ago.
{hél} Hél yéi at koodayéin yeedát.
This is not the way things happen now.
Aaá,
Yes,
chʼa woosh x̱oodé.
just mixed together.
Yeah.
Has x̱eeya.áx̱ch gé yáa,
Do you hear them, this,
«Oodzikáyi ḵaa áwé
“The lazy man
táakw kaanáx̱ gug̱aléxw?» [gug̱aláaxw ?]
he will starve during the winter?”
{ḵa chʼ} A kát x̱at seiwaxʼáḵw wáa sás yakḵwaḵáa.
And, I forgot what I was going to say.
Oodzikáyi ḵaa áwé táakw kaanáx̱
The lazy man all winter
Háʼé!
Darn!
Áyá,
That,
Yisikóo gé?
Do you know it?
Ha.é gwál hél tlax̱ kʼidéin áwé.
Oh jee, maybe not so well.
Gug̱aléxw.
He will starve.
Oh.
Yá ḵáa áwé,
This man,
oodzikáyi ḵáa.
the lazy man.
Huh?
Áwé gug̱aléxw.
He will starve.
Mhm.
Yá i een kax̱waaneek yá aadé yaa shukagaxíxji yé.
I told you how it is when they come right after the other.
Yáa haa atx̱aayí woosh kaadé yaa kandujel yé.
The place(s) where food is being gathered.
Ḵutaanxʼ áyú át ḵooháaych daaḵw.aa sá.
In the summertime there is a season for whichever one.
Á áyá,
This is it,
yéi kwdayéin chʼáakw,
how it used to happen a long time ago,
Aaa.
Yes.
déex̱ yeekaadé áyú,
There are two different kinds (ways)
goox̱x̱ igux̱satée.
you will become a slave.
Déex̱ yeekaadé goox̱x̱ igux̱satée.
Two ways you can become a slave.
Táakw kaanáx̱ i x̱ʼéix̱ at wuduteeyí,
If somebody feeds you all winter
táakw kaanáx̱.
all winter.
I daséigu yáaxʼ áyáa.
It will be in place of your life.
{yéi ḵugax̱yee} Yéi ḵugax̱yee.éexʼ.
You will invite people.
Gag̱isagéiy {i}
You will pay
aadóo sá i x̱'éix̱ at wuteeyí.
whoever fed you.
Aag̱áa hél i yaadé kagux̱saxaat.
Then you won't be stigmatized with it.
Yéi áwé i yáanáx̱ yéi akg̱wachʼéix̱ʼw i yáa áyá.
They will point at you, at your face.
«Táakw kaanáx̱ áwé du x̱ʼéix̱ at x̱waatée.
“I fed him all winter;
Hél ulé ax̱ goox̱ú yáx̱ áyá,» yéi yakḵwasaḵáa.
he's almost like my slave,” I will say.
Yaakw takaadáx̱ iwdusneix̱í tsú
Also, when you are saved from the bottom of a boat
i kát ??? áwé.
on you ???
???
Á tsú hél ḵuyi.éexʼi,
Here, too, if you donʼt host a potlatch,
aaá, i yáanáx̱ yéi akg̱wachʼéix̱ʼw.
yes, they will point at you.
Yeedát ḵu.aa aadé yaa naxíx yé haa ḵusteeyí,
Now though what is happening to our way of life
yaa naléxw yáx̱.
like it's starving.
Mhm.
A wán {a} toolshát ḵu.aas.
We're hanging onto the edge though.
Ḵúnáx̱.
Really.
Aaá.
Yes.
Ḵúnáx̱.
Really.
X̱áach áyá, aag̱áa yáa,
I'm the one, when
adátxʼi éexʼ at dultóowu yé,
the children were being taught,
a x̱oo aa, has du kagéit x̱wagoodí,
when I would run into some of them (people),
«Haaw, daaḵw yéi sáyá daa.eené?»
“Well, what are you up to?”
«Adátxʼi éexʼ áyá at x̱alatóow.» yóo áyú.
“I'm teaching children,” I would say.
«Daaḵw yéi sá s du ée ilatóow?»
“What are you teaching them?”
«Has du lʼeix̱í ḵa has,
“Their dances and their,
has du léelkʼu lʼeix̱í
their grandparentsʼ dances
ḵa, shéexʼ.»
and songs.”
Á áyá yéi tunax̱datánch, aa.
And this is what I think, yes,
Yakʼéi áwé.
It's good.
Yakʼéi has du éexʼ ilatoowú.
Itʼs good that youʼre teaching it to them.
Aaá.
Yes.
Chʼa a kanáak ḵu.aa áwés
But itʼs just above it (the surface)
keelahaa.
you have dug into.
A kanáa.
The top (surface) of it.
A tayee ḵu
Underneath that, though,
ḵúnáx̱ {shoowa}
it is very
shaawahík.
full.
Aaá.
Yes.
Haa ḵusteeyí.
Our way of life.
Ayáx̱ áwé.
That's right.
Ayáx̱ áwé.
That's right.
A kanáak áwé kei kahá.
Just the surface (you have) dug.
Yéi googéinkʼ!
A tiny bit!
Hóochʼ ákyá?
Is this it?
Aaá-há.
Yes.
Uhuh.
Aatlein gunalchéesh
I thank you very much
ax̱ een sh kaydlineegí yáa
for telling me that story
has du jeeyís áyá yá atyátxʼi sákw.
for the children that are yet to be born.
Mhm.
Haa dachx̱ánxʼiyán has du jeeyís áyá.
Our grandchildren, this is for them.
Yáa
These
i yoo x̱ʼatángi.
your words.
á áwé {has}
That is what
has (a)gux̱sakoowú.
they will know.
Yá {chʼáakw aayí}
This
chʼáagu aayí.
the one of long ago.
Mhm.
{Yáa} Ḵúnáx̱ yagéi
Itʼs very big
yáa
this
aadé
the way
wooch een yóo x̱ʼagax̱tool.at yé.
we're going to be talking to one another.
Sh yáa ayudané teen.
With self-respect.
Á áyá
This is it
yeedát.
now.
Tlákw áyú yéi x̱at daayaḵáa noojéen ax̱ káak,
My uncle was always saying to me,
«Hél chʼa g̱óot ḵáa daayeeḵaayíḵ.
“Donʼt talk about another person.
Hél chʼa g̱óot ḵáa gag̱eexwei.
You shouldnʼt joke about another person.
Chʼa wa.é shákdéiwé sh eedaxwei.
Youʼre probably only joking at yourself.
I léelkʼw shákdé
Your grandparent is probably
a tóode aawasháa
married into them,
wé daayiḵá ku.oo.»
the people you're talking about.”
Ách áyá sh daayidaḵá.
Thatʼs why youʼre talking about yourself.
I léelkʼw shákdé.
(Theyʼre) probably your grandparent.
Aaá. Uhuh!
Yes. Yes!
Gunalchéesh.
Thank you.
Aaá.
Yes.
Chʼa gooxʼ sá.
Wherever. [Implies “Wherever we meet again.” Equivalent to “Until next time.”]