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Tlingit Conversation #35
Speakers are Tánk' Smith Katzeek, Jigéi Jackie Williams, Seidayaa Mary Anderson, Ḵeixwnéi Nora Marks Dauenhauer, and Naakil.aan Mark Hans Chester. Recorded August 10, 2010, at 5-mile gazebo on Atlin Lake, Yukon Territory, Canada, by Ljáaḵkʼ Alice Taff.
This material is based on work supported by National Science Foundation grant BCS-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. English translation by Kaxwaan Éesh George Davis with Ljáaḵkʼ Alice Taff. Proofread by X̱ʼaagi Sháawu Keri Eggleston. Also by Shag̱aaw Éesh Devlin Anderstrom.
SYMBOLS: {false start}, (added for clarity), [translator/transcriber's note]. ??? = can’t understand, «Lingít quotation marks» Time-aligned text entry was accomplished using the software, ELAN (Versions 6.0 (2020) and 6.1 (2021)). Nijmegen: Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, The Language Archive. Retrieved from https://archive.mpi.nl/tla/elan
Góok gé?
Go ahead?
Wéit'át, {has} shux'áanáx̱ haa een sh kaneelneek gé?
That (information), would you tell us that first?
Aahá.
Sure.
{Aadé} Aadé iyateeyi yé.
How you are.
Aa.
Yeah.
Daa sá yéi daa.eeneiyí.
What do you do (for a living).
Wé, yala.áx̱ch ax̱ léelk'w áwé dáx̱ áyá.
I heard from my grandparent.
Aaá.
Yes.
Yáa Lingít ḵusteeyí,
This Tlingit way of life,
{yá} yáa ax̱ léelk'w Yax̱góos',
my grandfather Billie Williams,
{yéi yéi} yéi x̱at gusagéink'i,
when I was small,
goosú haa, wáa sá haa, {haa haa}
where our, what our,
Áyá yéi ax̱ léelk'w áwé yéi x̱'ayaḵá,
My grandparent said,
«I tuwáa sigóo yisakoowú yá Tʼaaḵú Ḵwáan aadé has ḵustéeyi yé.
“So you want to know how the People of Taku used to live.
Yá Lingít ḵusteeyí yóo áyá has ayasáakw.
They call it the Tlingit way of life.
Áyá ax̱ ée awlitíw
He taught it to me
tle k'idéin yáx̱.
very well.
Ách áyá ax̱ tuwáa sigóo wé yées ḵáa wé
This is why I want the younger people
has awuskoowú
to know
haa shagóon.
our background.
Tle yá
The
éil' ká Lingít ḵa yá
coastal Tlingit and the
T'aaḵú Ḵwáan
Taku People
woochtín yéi has jidanéiyin.
used to work together.
Áyá yéi áyá ax̱ tuwáa sigóo
So this is how I want
yé {yéi l yé yá l} éil' ḵwáan haa een yéi jineiyí ḵa yáa
the coastal people to work with us and
yá Lingítnáx̱, yá T'aaḵúdáx̱,
in the Tlingit way, those from the Taku,
tle wooshtín yéi jitudaneiyí.
for us to work together.
Áyá Lingít ḵusteeyí litseen.
The Tlingit way of life is strong.
Áyá ách áyá yéi x̱'ayax̱aḵá
So this is why I say
tle k'idéin yáx̱ kawtoo.aag̱ú,
if we try very hard,
tle k'idéin yáx̱ yáa haa yoox̱'atángi yaa gax̱toojáaḵw.
we will be relying on our language.
Tle k'idéin wooshtín yáx̱,
In a good way together,
Lingítnáx̱ aadé yoo has x̱'ala.átgi yáa haa leelk'uhás.
in the Tlingit way, how our grandparents used to talk.
Ách áyá yéi
This is why
yéi ax̱ tuwáa sigóo wooshtín yéi jitudaneiyí
I want us to work together
tle yá yées ḵáax'u hasdu jiyís.
for the benefit of the younger people.
Yáa,
This,
yáa, yáa, x̱át, {wudzí}
this, this, me,
yaa x̱at nadashán.
I'm getting old.
Ách áyá {ax̱ tuwáa sigóo}
This is why {I want}
tlél ax̱ tuwáa ushgú
I don't want
yóode x̱wateeyí.
to set it aside.
Yá yées ḵáax'u hasdu yís áyá ax̱ tuwáa sigóo
For the young people I want
yáa yan x̱wateeyí,
to set it down here,
ḵa yáa éil' ḵáa een.aa,
and for the coastal people and all their relatives,
tle k'idéin katoo.aag̱ú yá
for us to try very hard
aadé wooshtín yéi {yáx̱} du jineiyí.
the way that people work together.
Ách áyá
This is why
ax̱ tuwáa sigóo yee een yoo x̱'ax̱la.átgi.
I want to talk to you guys.
Kei haa gux̱latseen. Gunalchéesh.
We will become strong. Thank you.
Haa ḵusteeyí
Our way of life
yeeysikóo
you know
tle k'idéin yáx̱ Lingít yáx̱ áyá
very well in the Tlingit way,
haa {aadé} ḵusteeyí tle yá {haa ḵu haa},
our way of life,
haa een.aa de yá haa leelk'uhás has woo.aat.
our ancestors have left us.
Yáadu hás haa een,
They're here with us,
tlél ḵwá yá aadé yoo ḵuwtusiteeni yé.
but we can't see them.
Ách áyá yéi x̱'ayax̱aḵá
This is why I'm saying
tle k'idéin yáx̱ yan kax̱too.aag̱ú
letʼs plan it out carefully
woochtín
together
yá haa Lingít ḵusteeyí.
our Tlingit way of life.
Tle yá k'idéin yáx̱ yan kawtoo.aag̱ú, haa kei gux̱latseen.
If we really try, it will strengthen us.
Haa kei gux̱latseen.
It will strengthen us.
Ách áyá
This is why
yá Lingít ḵusteeyí, {like}
the Tlingit way of life,
yá haa leelk'uhás
our grandparents
yéi has téeyi
were that way
has wultseení.
when they became strong.
Yáa Éilʼ Ká Ḵu.oowú is like
The coastal people are like
yá té, yakawduwaḵéikw yóo.
this stone, they carved it like this.
Ax̱ tuwáa sigóo yeeysateení.
I want you folks to see it.
{So} Ách áyá yéi x̱'ayax̱aḵá
This is why I'm saying
{dl} dleit ḵáanáx̱
in English
tlél cold chisel yéi wduwa.oo.
they didn't use a cold chisel.
Yá Lingít ḵusteeyí latseení áyá
The strength of the Tlingit way of life
áa kawdujixít
was drawn there
yá té.
on this rock.
Héidu á Áa Tlein ká.
Itʼs over there in Atlin.
Yá yeedát yá héen
Right now the river
x̱oox' {áyá yak'éi} woodaa, tle yáa
flows around it,
yá té tle héende yéi woonee. Oh, yeah.
the rock went into the water.
Ax̱ tuwáa sigóo {ax̱}
I want
yá dleit ḵáanáx̱,
in English,
yá Lingít yoox̱'atángi
the Tlingit language
tle k'idéin yáx̱
really well
ax̱ tuwáa sigóo
I want
yá haa een.aatín yoo x̱'ax̱la.átgi.
to talk with our relatives.
Yá dleit ḵáanáx̱ {a}
This English
ax̱ yoox̱'atángi tle
my language
ch'a yee een.aa.
with you folksʼ relatives.
Ách áyá Lingítnáx̱ k'idéin yá
This is why through Tlingit, really well,
haa ḵusteeyí k'idéin wooshtín {wu}
our way of life together, really well,
wutuli.aadí haa gux̱latseen, yá yées ḵáax'u jiyís.
if we speak (together), we will be strong for the benefit of the young people.
Ayáx̱ áwé sh keelneek. Aaá, gunalchéesh.
That's right, what you say. Yes, thank you.
Ayáx̱ sh keelneek x̱á.
What you say is right.
Wóoshtin,
Together,
{woosh} wóoshtin áyá a daa yéi jitooneiyí kei gux̱latseen, Yeah.
if we work together on it, it'll be strong,
haa yoox̱'atángi.
our language.
A káx̱ x̱á haat ḵux̱waatín.
This is what I came here for.
Yak'éi, yak'éi x̱á!
Good, very good.
Yee x̱'éináx̱ ḵa.aax̱ít.
So I can hear it from you guys.
Ch'a yeisú atk'átsk'úx̱ x̱at sateeyí á ch'a yéi gugéink' ax̱ ée wdudlitúw.
When I was still a little boy, they taught me a little.
Shkahaadíx̱ x̱at wusitee yéi x̱at gusagéink'i.
I was a crazy person when I was very little.
Hél ḵaa x̱'éit x̱wasa.aax̱.
I didn't listen to anyone.
Áyá yeedát ḵúx̱de yaa yanx̱adláḵ.
Now Iʼm getting it all back.
Hél k'idéin, hél k'idéin yóo x̱'ax̱atánk chʼu.
I still donʼt talk very well.
Chʼa a kayaa x̱wasikóo
I only know the basics ['a kayaa' literally means “not quite the entirety of it” or “something not quite measuring up to the entirety.”
haa ḵusteeyí.
of our way of life.
Hél k'idéin x̱wasakú ḵu.aa.
I really don't know it very well.
Ayáx̱ áwé sh keelneek, wóoshtin.
You said it right, together.
Latseen a tóowu á, wóoshtin.
There's strength in that, unity.
Áyá,
So,
naaléi yáa aadé yáa ḵuntootin yé
it's a long way we are traveling
yee káx̱.
for you.
Yee x̱'éit g̱atusa.aax̱ít.
So we can listen to what you folks have to say.
X̱át ax̱ toowú yéi yatee.
This is how I feel, myself.
{á} Tsu,
Again,
kéi x̱at gux̱latseen tsu
I will be strong again
yee x̱'ax̱a.áx̱ji
as I listen to you
yá aadé sh keelnik yé.
the way you're talking.
Ldakát yé {am}, yéi yatee.
Everywhere is that way.
Wáang̱aneens koodushxeetch át áyá,
Sometimes this is something they would write,
yá á.
this.
Jilḵáat Ḵwáan áyá x̱át.
I'm Chilkat Clan.
Uhuh. Aaá.
Unhuh. Yes.
Tánk' yéi x̱at duwasáakw Lingít x̱'éináx̱.
Tánk' is my Tlingit name.
Aaá.
Yes.
Déix̱ yatee ax̱ saayí.
I have 2 names.
Tléix'.aa ḵu.aa Shaayee Éesh.
The other one is Shaayee Éesh.
Ahá.
Uh-huh.
Tleidahéen {ax̱} anax̱ kéi x̱at yawduwax̱áa yáat
One time they brought me through there
Whitehorse-dé.
to Whitehorse.
Ax̱ kéilk'.
My nephew (brought me).
Tlax̱ Skagway-dáx̱ g̱unéi wtooḵoox̱ú áwé
As we started off from Skagway
x̱atá, x̱át ḵu.aa.
I was sleeping thugh.
Aaá.
Yes.
{hél tlax̱ k'idéin ḵuwtusa} Tle hél k'idéin ḵux̱wsakú.
I didn't really know anyone.
Ch'as wéit'aa áwé x̱wsikóo, Mary.
I only knew that one there, Mary.
Yóot'aa ḵáa, from Whitehorse is John,
That man from Whitehorse is John,
John Adams.
Old timers, long time ago.
Hás áwé.
Itʼs them.
Ch'a oowayáa
It's as if
hás áwé haat has uwa.át.
it was them that came here.
Haa léelk'u hás.
Our grandparents.
Ax̱ toowú yéi yatee, ax̱ toowú {yei} kei gux̱latseen yeedádidáx̱
This is how I feel, I'll be strong from this day on
yee x̱'éit x̱wasa.aax̱í.
as I listen to you guys.
Guḵaxéech!
I will work hard at it!
Yáa adátx'i hasdu ée dultóow yáa
They are teaching the children
Jilḵáat,
from Chilkat,
ḵa dax̱.aa,
and two of them,
k'idéin yaa s anaskwéin.
they are learning it very well.
Aa,
Yes,
hasdu éet {x̱ad} ḵadasheet áyá ax̱ x̱ánt has u.aatch.
they come to me so that I can help them.
K'idéin has al'eix̱ tsú ḵúnáx̱!
They also dance very well!
Yéi áwé.
That's how it is.
Hél tlax̱ x̱wasakú haa, haa shagóon.
I really don't know much of our way of life.
Gúl yáat'aa hás, haa een
Maybe these people, with us
haat has ḵoowatini aa, gúl
that came here, maybe
ch'a yéi gugéink' ax̱ yáanáx̱ has awsikóo. Aa.
they know a little more about it than I do. Yes.
Haa een sh kaneelneek;
Tell us a story;
dleit ḵáa x̱'éináx̱ aadé yeeyaḵaayi yé.
the one you just told us in English.
Lingít x̱'éináx̱ ḵu.aa haa tuwáa sigóo i x̱ʼé x̱wa.aax̱í.
We want to hear you (tell it) in Tlingit.
Yeah.
Yak'éi ák.wé?
Is that OK?
Ch'a aadé yéi x̱at na.oo,{ax̱}
Please forgive
ax̱ Lingít x̱ʼéi, tlél tláx̱ ax̱ éex̱ wudaa Lingít x̱'éináx̱ yóo x̱'ala.átk.
my Tlingit,I'm not used to conversing in Tlingit.
OK.
Yá Lingítnáx̱ áyá,
In Tlingit,
{yá} yáa aadé yéi kei x̱at uwayadi yé.
the way I grew up.
{yá} Yá ax̱ léelk'w, Yax̱góos',
My grandfather, Billie Williams,
tle yéi
tléix', déix̱, nás'k, daax'oon,
1, 2, 3, 4,
keejín
5
tlél x̱wasakú daa sá, {daa yaa} Tleidooshú, tleidooshú. Tleidooshú?
I don't know what, Six, six. Six?
Yéi x̱at, yéi x̱at áwé
The way I
uwawát.
grew up.
Áyá
So
ax̱ léelk'u tle yéi x̱at yawsiḵaa,
my grandfather said to me,
«Yáa {haa} haa ḵusteeyí; T'aaḵú ḵusteeyí ḵa yá Lingít ḵusteeyí ax̱ tuwáa sigóo yisakoowú.
“I want you to know our way of life; the Taku way of life and the Tlingit way of life.
Tle ách áyá tle yéi,
So for that reason,
al'óon nax̱too.aat,» tle yóo {haa}.
letʼs go hunting,” thatʼs what he said.
Yú {aadé} áxʼ yéi haa yateeyi yéidáx̱,
From the place where we were staying there,
tle yóo {há} hán, yá aas k'í, tle áx' yéi hít wutuliyéx̱,
it stood there like this, the base of the tree, we built a house there like this.
{haa haa oon haa} Haa een.aa {house}
Our familyʼs
hídi.
house.
Tle áx' áyá tlax̱ ax̱ ée altéew
That's where he really taught me
yá Lingítnáx̱ ḵa yáa aadé at duwasáagu át.
in Tlingit and what to call things.
Chʼa everything {uh}
Tle áx' áyá yéi x̱at daayaḵá, «Yá, i ée x̱alatéewu át yisikóo,
There he told me, “You know the things I taught you,
yá aadé Lingít ḵustéeyi yé
the way the Tlingit lived
woochtín, tle woochtín x̱áayá, woochtín.
together, just together, very much together.
Áyá tle yéi
So
{y yéi ha} yéi yoo x̱'atángi,
the language,
tle ax̱ tuwáa sigóo
I want
áwé tle yá
this
yá x̱'aannáx̱ áyá,"
through the fire,”
ax̱ léelk'w,
my grandparent,
«yáadu yáa g̱ánch,»
“this tobacco here,
yá x̱ʼaandé yéi adaané.
he put it on the fire.
Tle, tle yéi yá yées ḵáax'w.
That's how it is with the young people.
«Hé, tle héit'aa,» yóo x̱'ayaḵá,
“That, that one,” he says,
«Ax̱ tuwáa sigóo wultseení yá Lingítnáx̱ awuskoowú.»
“I would like to strengthen his knowledge of it in the Tlingit way.”
Tle ách áyá tle
This is why
{yá x̱}, yá x̱at wuwaadí áyá {ax̱} ax̱ léelk'u nanáa,
when I grew up, after my grandfather died,
tle yéi ax̱ tuwáa sigóo, gwál x̱át,
that is what I want, maybe me,
{yóo l-} yá haa een.aa Lingít {áx̱} ayáx̱ koowaadi yá,
our Tlingit relatives that have reached the appropriate age,
ax̱ tuwáa sigóo wooshtín yoo x̱'atula.átgi.
I want for us to converse with each other.
Tle yá ax̱ léelk'w
My grandparent
aadáx̱ {x̱at}
from there,
yá dleit ḵáanáx̱ sgóon yóo duwasáakw. Ayá ax̱ tuwáa sigóo
white man's school it's called. I want
yá yées ḵáax'w Lingít ḵa yá haa dleit ḵáa,
these young people, Tlingit and our white people,
uh, «kéek'» yóo kḵwasáa.
uh, Iʼll call them “little brother.”
Ách áyá haa tuwáa sigóo
This is why we want
wooshtín {kʼi} k'idéin katoo.aag̱ú, tle yáa
to give it a good effort together, then
wáa sá yá haa yoo x̱'atángi gux̱latseen, tle yáa
how strong our language will be, just
haa léelk'u hás yáx̱.
like our grandparents.
Ách áyá
This is why
tle yéi ax̱ tuwáa sigóo
just like this, I like
{yoo} yee een yoo x̱'ax̱la.átgi.
conversing with you folks.
Tle aadé k'idéin haa gux̱latseen yé.
How strong we are going to be.
Yá dleit ḵáa ḵusteeyí
This white man's way of living
tle yá x̱at wuwáadi, yá
when I was grew up,
k'idéin
really well
tle yéi jiné yéi, {x̱a} yóo dleit ḵáanáx̱, tle yéi jiné,
working, working in the white manʼs way,
tle yá dleit ḵáanáx̱ tle k'idéin x̱wasikóo
in the white manʼs way, I really know
wáa sá yá washéen yéi jineiyí ḵa
how the machines work and
ḵa yá {Lingí yá}
and
yá Lingítnáx̱ aadé {has} {ha ha} hasdu ée dultéew yú hítnáx̱ yóo,
in the Tlingit way, the way that they teach them inside the building like this,
x'úx' kaadé, tle tlél ushk'é.
on paper, it's not good.
Wéi
The
{the way a, um} yá Lingítnáx̱ ḵusteeyí, tle yá
in the Tlingit way of living, the
yá Lingít tl'átgi káxʼ áwé wooshtín wultéew,
learning together on Tlingit Land,
áyá kei haa gux̱latseen.
our people will be strong.
Yóo áyá
It's this way
ax̱ leelk'uhás ax̱ ée awultéewu.
my grandparents taught me.
Tle yá T'aaḵú, yá héen,
The Taku, the river,
ax̱ leelk'uhás,
my grandparents,
{tan} yá héen, Naak'ina.áa yóo duwasáakw yá héen.
the river, itʼs called Nakina, this river.
{tl} Tle yá héen, tle ya áa tlein yáx̱ yatee tle
The river, itʼs like a big lake,
tle chʼu tle naadaa.
(but) it's flowing.
Tle yéi x̱at yawsiḵaa,
He said this to me,
«Yá héen, wa.é áwé yéi yatee, yáa héen.»
“This river, that is you, this river.”
{ya} Tle yá áa yáx̱ yatee.
It's like a lake.
Yáat'aa ḵwá yá {dlei yá yá} Séiḵʼu Té Héeni
This one, the Red Stone River, [Séiḵʼu Té Héeni flows into Lʼóox̱ʼu Héen and subsequently into Naakʼina.áa Héeni.]
tle lʼóox̱' yáx̱ áyá yatee.
is silty. [lit. “it is just like silt.”]
Tle, tle yóo woosh{tín} kát wudidáa.
They flowing into each other like so.
Yáat'aa
This one
yéi duwasáakw Lʼóox̱ʼu Héeni.
is called Silt River.
Naakʼina.áa.
Nakina.
Tle yáa woochtín yáx̱ áyá yóo yatee.
Then they are together like this.
{tle wu tle wu} Tle woochtín yáx̱ naadaa
They flow together,
yá héen.
these rivers.
Áyá ax̱ léelkʼw yéi haa daayaḵá,
My grandfather said to us,
«Yá ḵustí, {yá a} yáat haa aan tlein,
“This way of life, this place, our great land,
i een akanéek haa ḵusteeyí,»
is telling you about our way of life,”
yóo x̱at daayaḵá.
he said to me.
«Áyá,
“So,
yá aadé nḵwaagoodi yé,
this place I can go to,
yá Lingít{náx̱}
the Tlingit
Aaní,
Land,
tle x̱wasikóo aadé yoo x̱'ayatangi yé.»
I understand the way that it speaks.”
Tle yáa,
And
yáa haa leelk'uhás áa yéi has ḵusteeyí,
when our grandparents were living there that way,
tle yaa {héen daa áwé tle déi}
the
héen {a daa yéi tle} ax̱'aya.áx̱ch.
water, he can understand what itʼs saying.
{tle} Tle aadé áwé gaaw x̱waa.áx̱.
I heard a drum in its direction.
Tle gaaw tle {has has has a} has at sheeyí haa saayí s a sheeyí,
The drum, their voices are singing our names,
tle yú héendáx̱.
from the water.
Áyá tle yá
So then
yaa x̱at nawádi
when I was growing up
yáa {tsu haa haa aan} haa een.aa hás tín kax̱waneegí, {tlél ul} tlél has awuheen tlé.
when I told this to our relatives, they didnʼt believe it.
Tle ách áyá yá
This is the reason
tle, tle, tle
when
tle tlél k'idéin yáx̱ katoo.aag̱ú woochtín
we aren't trying very well together
ách áyá yéi woonei,
that's the reason it happened,
áyá yá {now} yeedát.
right now.
Wooshtín {kʼi} k'idéin yáx̱ katoo.aag̱ú áyá {ax̱}
If we try hard together,
{ax̱ s} haa gux̱latseen woochtín.
we will become strong together.
Tle yá yées ḵáax'u hasdu jiyís áyá.
This is for the benefit of the young people.
Ách áyá,
This is why
yéi ax̱ tuwáa sigóo yee een kax̱wlaneegí
I want to tell you this
yá dleit ḵáanáx̱ ḵa yá Lingítnáx̱
in the white people's way and the Tlingit way
{so} woochtín {kʼi} k'idéin yáx̱
together and well
tle dleit ḵáa yá
the white people
dleit ḵáa {kéek'} haa kéek'.
the white people, our younger brother.
Woochtín yéi gax̱jitudanéi.
We will work together.
Ax̱ léelk'w yéi x̱'ayaḵá,
My grandfather said,
«Yóo yaa nagút
“He's walking
thatʼs Lingít ḵa yú
thatʼs Tlingit and
k'idéin yáx̱ woochtín yéi jidaneiyí yak'éi
if people work well together, that's good
yá tl'átgi ká.
on this land.
OK?
Ax̱ hunx̱uhás
My older brothers
héende s nadulkélʼch.
would be chased into the water.
Akaawatsúw x̱á wé héen yík.
He put them down into the water.
Yeah.
{yáat kadu} Yáat kadusdáaych.
The water would be up to here.
Yeah.
Has gax̱latseenít á yéi s daadunéiyin.
They did it to them so they would be strong.
Yéi tsú x̱'ayaḵáayin ax̱ éesh.
My father used to say that too.
Uhuh.
Du éesh x̱ándáx̱ kei uwawadi ḵáa
The man who grows up alongside his father
hél daa sá áx̱ gux̱satee.
will be nothing.
Yeah.
Du sáni x̱ándáx̱ kei wuwáadi,
If he grows up alongside his uncle,
Yeah.
kéi gux̱latseen yú.á.
the say heʼll be strong.
Uhuh.
Yéi haa daayaḵáayin.
This this is what they used to tell us.
Ḵút shoowaxeex, ax̱ léelk'u hás
My grandparents had all died off
Yeah.
chʼul ḵooḵasteejí.
before I was born.
Hél has x̱wasakú.
I didn't know them.
Uhuh.
Dáx̱náx̱ ax̱ hunx̱uhás tsú
Two of my older brothers also
has woonáatʼ ch'a yeisú atk'átsk'ux̱ x̱at sateeyí.
died when I was still a young child.
Áyá {hél k'idéin} hél k'idéin x̱wasakú. Ax̱oo.aa
So I really don't know it very well. Some of
yax̱a.ax̱jii nuch yéi yoox̱'atánk.
the words I recognize from hearing them.
Uhuh.
{yéi haa} Haa aaní káx' yéi teeyí,
As itʼs on our land,
Am, S'áḵuyei yéi duwasáakw.
Um, Sʼáḵuyei is his name.
Ḵáa shaa.
Old man.
Yáa áxʼ ḵaa ée at dultuw yé aax̱ yaa ntoo.ádi,
As we were leaving school,
neildéi yaa ntoo.át áyá,
we're walking home,
haa ítx̱ yaa gagútch.
he walks behind us.
Mhm.
Áyá,
So,
{du x̱ánt} du x̱ánt {g̱at g̱aat} tooḵeení á,
when we're sitting with him
{haa ee haa} yéi haa daayaḵá,
he tells us,
«Yaa aa kanax̱lajúx
“Iʼm rolling some
ḵa yaa aa nx̱akwách
and Iʼm packing some (tobacco?) in my cupped hands,
Mhm.
ḵa {aa nx̱a} yaa aa nx̱ayáan,
and Iʼm packing some,
yá ḵ'alayéil i een sh kakḵwalneek.»
Iʼm going to tell you a lie.”
[At.shooḵ] Á áwé!
[Laughter] That's it!
Ách ch'a yéi gugéink' x̱wasikóo du x̱'éidáx̱.
So I know a little bit from him.
Ḵúnáx̱ latseenín yá ḵáa.
He was a very strong man.
Gwál haa sáni yáx̱ áwé kwdayéinin.
Maybe he was like our paternal uncle.
You see, yá Lingít ḵusteeyí,
You see, the Tlingit way of life,
k'e yá x̱áat
like the salmon
yú éil' ká, {yú aadé éil'}
in the ocean,
Áa Tlein {yóo tle yóo}
Big Lake (Atlin)
áyá aadé
so the way
{yá} yá x̱áat
the salmon
yá ḵusteeyi yé
live
yá héennáx̱, tle aadé
through this water, (it goes) there,
yées x̱áat.
a young salmon.
Aaá.
Yes.
Tle yá x̱áat
Then this salmon
{yá yá wuwáadu} yá x̱áat wuwáadi,
when the salmon grows,
uwawát, uwawát.
it has grown up, it has grown up.
And tle awsikóo
And it just knows
goosú áa ḵusteeyí
where the lake is where it was born
tle aadé nax'ákch.
so it swims there.
Uhuh.
Ách áyá yéi
This is why
ax̱ tuwáa sigóo
I want
haa ḵusteeyí k'e woochtín yaa ntudax'ák aadé, Aaá.
our way of life, we're swimming there together, Yes.
haa gux̱latseen x̱á.
we will be strong.
Yéi kg̱watée x̱á, yéi kg̱watée.
It will be so, it will be so.
Yeah.
Ax̱ léelk'w chʼas Lingít x̱'éináx̱ áwé yoo has x̱'ala.átgin
My grandparents only spoke Tlingit
Mmm.
Yes.
chʼu has yakugeiyí.
when there were still many of them.
Áwé x̱áa at lishoog̱ú.
(Some of the) things were funny to me.
«Haa éet yidashí, yánde shayaytí,» yóo haa daayaduḵá.
“Help us, move it to shore,” they say to us.
Tle ch'as Lingít x̱'éináx̱ yóo x̱'atula.átgin.
We only used to talk in Tlingit.
Áwé yáax' haat haa een aawa.át.
So they came here with us.
{tle tle ax̱ tóo} Tle chʼa woosh yaadé yaa ḵuyanaḵéini áwé dleit ḵáa x̱'éináx̱.
Then they started speaking English to each other.
Haa éesh tlél, tlél Lingít x̱'éináx̱ yoo x̱'eitángin.
Our father didnʼt speak Tlingit.
Wé schoolxʼ {du ée wudu}
At school
{hasdu tle hasdu yéi j} has yadujée a x̱ʼáaxʼ.
they were punished for it.
Ách áwé {tle a} tle ax̱'eiwanáḵ.
That's why he just gave it up.
Tle ch'as dleit ḵáa x̱'éináx̱ yoo x̱'ayatánk ch'a yeisú.
He still only speaks English.
Tlél ax̱ daa yaa ḵushoosgé wáa sáwé x̱'ayaḵá.
I don't understand what he's saying.
Mhm.
Tle yáa dáaḵ kaadáx̱
So from the interior,
??? tlél tsu wtusakú wé dleit ḵáa yoox̱'atángi.
we didn't understand English either.
Ch'as Lingít x̱'éináx̱.
Just the Tlingit language.
Tlél tsu wtusakú wé dleit ḵáa yoox̱'atángi.
We didn't know English.
Mhm.
Yes.
Tle áwé ḵaa x̱án yéi x̱at natée hás tsú ch'as Lingít x̱'éináx̱ yoo has x̱'ali.átk.
When I stayed with people, they too only spoke Tlingit.
Wé ax̱ wóo,
My father-in-law,
«Yú diyáade áwé daaḵ gax̱tooḵóox̱,» yóo x̱'ayaḵá.
“We're going to go up to the other side,” he said.
«Áxʼ áwé at g̱ax̱toos.ée.»
“Thatʼs where we're going to cook.”
Wé ax̱ chaan yéi x̱at daayaḵá, {wé}
My mother-in-law said to me,
«Wé atx̱á daakeidíg̱aa ???
“Go get the food box over there
???
??? Wé at kagax̱toos.ée yú diyáa.
We will cook there on the other side.
{aadé} Aadé yagax̱tooḵóox̱,» yóo x̱ʼayaḵá.
Letʼs relocate to over there,” she said.
Tle tláakw aadé x̱wlisháat wé,
So I quickly brought it over there,
wé s'íx' daakeidí.
the dishes container.
Aag̱áa áwé {wé ax̱ ch} ax̱ wóo yéi x̱ʼayaḵá,
And then my father-in-law said,
"Mr. Anderson going to start the motor," he said.
De yéi kei yaawaḵáa.
He said that out loud.
Tle yóo ayawsiḵáa wé ax̱ cháanch,
Then my mother-in-law said to him,
«Kudigéig̱i át áwé,» yóo adaayaḵá.
“That's a mistake,” she told him.
Tlél tlax̱ kʼidéin ax̱ daa yaa ḵushoosgé wáa s teeyích sáwé yéi adaayaḵá.
I didnʼt really understand why she said that to him.
De kei akawlijíxw wé washéen tle
So he started up the motor
x̱ʼéitx̱ ayakaawatée. 50 horse áwé wé washéen.
and he opened it up. It was a 50 horse motor.
Wé {yá ax̱} ch'u tle a x̱ʼakée kei uwaḵúx̱ wé héen.
He got it on step. [lit. “he drove it up on top of the surface of the water.” He was hydroplaning.]
???de yaa ntooḵúx̱. Xákw áwé yéi yatee wé diyáa.
We were headed toward ???. Itʼs a sandbar on the other side.
Tlé wé xakwkáa kei uwaḵúx̱ tle wé
He drove up onto the the sandbar and
wé washéen ḵwá tle woosh yaax̱ tle yóo kawjix̱eeníyáx̱ yatee.
the motor had pretty much fallen apart. [lit. “the motor was like it had come apart.”]
Oh. [At.shooḵ]
Oh. [Laughter]
«Aa, Mr. Andersons ashigóok áwé wé ???
“Ah, Mr. Anderson knows how to ???
yaakw át awusḵoox̱ú,» tle yóo daayaduḵá.
when heʼs driving a boat,” someone said to him.
«Tle wé {héen héen kát} atgutóot awsiḵoox̱.
“He drives it around in the woods.
Hél ch'as héen kát áwé wuḵoox̱ wé yaakw, tle atgutóot tsú wooḵoox̱!» tle yóo adaayaḵá.
The boat doesn't only go on the water, it goes in the woods, too!” she said to him.
Du kaadé ḵuyaawaḵaa.
They bawled him out.
Tlél wáa sá x̱ʼawooḵá.
He didnʼt say anything.
{tle wé héen tle}
Wé xákw káa kei ḵúx̱ch áwé tle a kaadé haa kaawasóos wéi yaakw tʼáak áwé tle.
The boat drives up onto the sandbar and we all fall up past the boat.
Hú tsú tsu aadé wdzigeet.
He fell there too.
Du waḵdáanayi kanax̱ áwé {x̱at lat} x̱at yalatín.
He was looking at me over the top of his glasses.
«Likoodzí gushé, likoodzí gushé,» yóo x̱'ayaḵá. [At.shooḵ]
“Isnʼt it amazing? Isnʼt it amazing?” he said. [Laughter]
Áxʼ tle, «Wéidu át g̱as.ee.
Then, “Sheʼs there, sheʼs cooking something.
Neildé nax̱tooḵoox̱,» yóo has x̱'ayaḵá tle.
Let's go home,” they said.
«Anax̱ yánde kg̱eeḵóox̱ chʼa wa.éich wé ax̱áatin,» yóo daayaduḵá.
“You're going to go ashore there yourself with that oar,” they said to him.
Áwé tle wé áa áwé ax̱áatin.
So (he rowed ashore there) with the oar.
Du eedé áwé kḵwadashée. «Tlíl du éex̱ idasheeyíḵ, chʼa hóoch yan {ag̱a} ag̱asaḵoox̱,» tle yóo (x̱at) yawdudziḵaa.
I was going to help him. “Donʼt help him, let him get it to shore himself,” they said to (me).
«Yei ayandatéen! Tláakw yan ax̱áa!» yóo daayaduḵá.
“Itʼs getting stormy! Row it to shore quick!” they said to him.
Tlél wáa sá yoo wooḵéik wé
He didnʼt say anything
du kaadé ḵuyawuḵaayí.
when people were bawling him out.
Goox' sáwé at awsiḵoox̱ wé yaakw?
Where did they take the boat?
Yáax' x̱áawé wé, Atlin.
Over here in Atlin.
Wé aan wé yóo yateeyi yé áwé, áx̱ daaḵ uwaḵúx̱ tle yú diyáade.
The village there, it went upriver from there and then across to the other side.
Atlin ká?
On Atlin Lake?
Uhuh.
Yes.
X̱át tsú yaakw yíkdáx̱ áyá kéi x̱at uwawát.
I grew up on a boat too.
Mhm.
Yeah.
Ax̱ éesh, ah, 42' seiner áwé du jeewú.
My father had a, uh, 42' seiner.
Mhm.
Yeah.
Ax̱ léelk'w ḵu.aa áwé
My grandmother
{she wa} yéi kwsigéink',
was small,
ax̱ léelk'w.
my grandmother.
Áwé gút shoowú ḵa gút woosh kaadé yéi adaanéi nuch.
She always collected nickels and dimes.
Yankáxʼ oolsínch.
Sheʼd stash them.
Ldakát du ḵusteeyí.
All her life.
Hundred wanáax' gíwé áxʼ woowáat.
She probably lived to be over a hundred.
Áwé déix̱ yaakw awsi.oo
She bought two boats
wé gút shoowú ḵa gút
(with) the nickels and dimes
wanyeedé yéi akadaaneiyí.
that she stashed.
Shukalx̱ach noojéen tsú
She used to troll, too,
ax̱ léelk'w.
my grandmother.
Ḵáa aa ax̱ léelk'w du shát.
My grandfatherʼs his wife.
Wé ḵáa aa ax̱ léelk'w ḵwá yá
My grandfather
haa naax̱ sateeyí áwé.
is our clan.
Lukaax̱.ádix̱ sitee.
Heʼs Lukaax̱.ádi.
Yá Haines-idáx̱.
From Haines.
Mhm.
Yeah.
Yankáx' ax̱ léelk'w, ax̱ éesh du éesh.
My true grandfather, my father's father.
G̱eesán Hít yóo wduwasáa hasdu hídi áx'.
Their house there is called G̱eesán Hít.
Ah,
Uh,
ax̱ x̱ooní yáaxʼ ḵwá de yan ḵu.oo shákdé áwu á ch'a yeisú.
my relatives probably settled here, there (might) still be some there.
Uháan tsú wé ax̱ léelk'w Yax̱góosʼ du shát Laanaatk yóo dusáagun.
Us too, my grandfatherʼs wife was named Laanaatk.
{wé tle} Wé Dzántik'i Héenidáx̱ áwé yéi yatee.
She's from Juneau.
Haaw.
I see.
Á áwé, a, a yíkt áwé át natooḵúx̱ch wé yaakw.
So we used to go around in that boat.
Ax̱ sáni tsú yaakw du jeewú.
My paternal uncle also has a boat.
Kaxʼwéisʼ Éesh yóo duwasáakw.
Kaxʼwéisʼ Éesh is his name.
Ldakát uháan yá atyátx'ix̱ haa sitee wé yaakw yíkdáx̱
All of us as kids on that boat
Mhm.
{kéi} kínde haa woowáat.
we grew up.
Ax̱ éesh áwé {sh-}
My father
shukalx̱aajíx̱ wusitee ḵa asg̱eiwú.
became a troller and a purse seiner.
Hmh.
Ḵa cháatl yéi daané
And putting up halibut
haa atx̱aayí sákw ḵa atx̱'éeshi.
for our food, and dry fish.
Ḵa g̱uwakaan dleeyí xook.
And dried deer meat.
Sometimes áwé yatseeneit.
Sometimes maybe brown bear.
Yatseeneit, {a}
Brown bear,
has oosxúkch ax̱ léelk'w,
my grandparents would dry it,
ḵa ax̱ tláak'w hás, ldakát hás, shayadihéin,
and my maternal aunts, all of them, there's many of them,
hás áwé a daa yéi has jinéi nuch wé atx̱á.
they were always working on food.
Yéi ḵunáax' ḵu.aa áwé tléiḵw [daa daa at gu} daa has gadanáḵch.
This time of year, they would be focused on getting berries.
[At.shooḵ]
[Laughter]
Kanéegwál'.
Berry pudding.
Mhm.
Éits'k'! [At.shooḵ]
Delicious! [Laughter]
Sháax̱ ḵa yéil'.
Grey currants and elderberries.
Neigóon tsú ḵudzitee yeedát.
There's also nagoon berries now.
Mhm.
Ḵa shákw ḵu.a déi {yax̱}
And strawberries now,
de kawdiyaa
the time has already come and gone
aax̱ too.ini yé.
for us to pick them.
Wé Marsh Lake tle yóo {tlʼatk} tlaḵwyádi áa ka.éix̱in.
Raspberries used to grow over at Marsh Lake.
Gootʼa sá? Marsh Lake gé?
Where? Marsh Lake?
Uhuh.
Tle wé yóo, wé dei áx' yóo yateeyi yé,
Where the road is like this there,
ch'u tle yánde dax̱ shayakooltátsch.
we would shake all of the berries off of the branches.
Gee.
Gee.
Áwé aax̱ yéi daaduné.
That's where it was picked from.
«[Yéi {wé á} wé deikʼ aadáx̱ nasní],» yóo ḵux̱'ayaḵá.
“Gather them from that little trail,” somebody said. [Very difficult to hear.]
«Cement áwé áa yéi gax̱du.oo,» tle yéi wdudzinee.
“They're going to put cement there,” and then they did it.
Ch'u tle {u tle yax̱ has} áwéi yax̱ has ayawlijáḵ wé tlaḵwyádi.
They killed off all of the raspberries.
Ooh. They put cement on it and it killed the raspberries.
Wé Yukon River too.
The Yukon River too.
A daaxʼ áwé
Around it
a {x̱ʼáaxʼ} x̱áaxʼ áwéi blueberries áa kanat'eich.
in between it the blueberries would ripen.
Wé
{a yaax̱} a yaax̱x̱ kei too.átch.
We would walk up along it.
Aax̱ too.een.
We pick them from there.
Wé ax̱ káanitín tle yéi woonee yóoxʼ
That was with my in-laws over there
wé eh Whitehorse.
(in) Whitehorse.
Tle aax̱ tle wé kanat'á aax̱ too.een wé ???.
We pick blueberries from [???].
Mhm.
Haa, á áyá a káx̱
Well, for this purpose
yáat haa kawdiyáa,
we came here,
yá Lingít yoox̱'atángi.
the Tlingit language.
Aaa.
Yes.
Haa yátx'u sáani
Our children
tle ch'as dleit ḵáa niyaadé litseen.
their ways lean strongly toward the white man's way.
Ách áhé hasdu latseení tlél hasdu jee yéi utí.
Thatʼs why they donʼt have their strength.
Aaá.
Yes.
Lingít x̱'éináx̱ yoo has... Áwé hasdu een kanax̱tooneegít {yee} Mhm
Tlingit language... So that we can tell them {you folks} Yes.
latseen yee jee yéi kg̱watée yee yoo x̱'atángi yee jee yéi teeyí.
you will have strength if you have your language.
Gwál aag̱áa hasdu tuwáa kéi gux̱sagóo. Mhm.
Maybe then they will like it. Mhm.
Yéi yatee yóoxʼ haa x̱ánxʼ atyátxʼi.
Thatʼs how the children are by us.
Lingítx̱ satí hasdu tuwáa sigóo.
They want to be Tlingit.
Wéit'aa,
That person,
Naakil.áan yóo duwasáakw wé
his name is Nakil.áan, that
X̱wasikóo. ax̱ dachx̱án.
I know him. grandchild of mine.
Ax̱ dachx̱án áwé.
Thatʼs my grandchild.
Há.
Understood.
Áwé
So
ḵoowa.éex'
he invited people to a potlatch
Was it April?
Uh, May.
May yát, May 7th ḵoowa.éex'.
In May, on May 7th he held a potlatch.
Á áwé atyátx'i ligáaw hasdu sé!
The childrenʼs voices were loud! [ḴNMD pronounces ligáaw with high-tone on the stem, as does Harry K. Bremner of Yakutat. For most speakers from Southeast Alaska, ligaaw has a low-tone stem.]
Has at shí.
They sing.
Mhm.
Yes.
Has ashigóok Lingít x̱'éináx̱ at.shí.
They know how to sing in Tlingit.
Ḵa wéit'.aa tsú has ashigóok.
And these people know how too.
Yeah.
Ha yéi áwé ḵúx̱de yaa yandudláḵ, wé atyátx'i .
Thatʼs how they are getting it back, the children. [Or “Thatʼs how they are winning the children back.”]
Ch'a yagéi tsú wé dleit ḵáanáx̱ hasdu ée at dultéewu.
There are a lot of things that theyʼre learning in the white manʼs way, too.
Yak'éi tle déix̱ yeekaanáx̱.
Itʼs good (to do it) both ways.
Itʼs, thereʼs nothing wrong with it.
Déix̱ yeekaadé. Yakʼéi.
Both ways. Good.
Yeah.
Aag̱áa áyá yéi du Lingítx̱ sateeyí
And then their Tlingit identity
dleit ḵáa x̱'éináx̱ akakg̱wanéek yóo áwé haa yatee,
s/he will tell them in English that's how we are,
haa jiyís át áwé.
itʼs for us.
Yáa
This
haa tl'átgi, tlél
land of ours,
Mhm.
Mhm.
fence a daa yéi too.úx̱x' x̱á.
we don't put a fence around it, you know.
Áwé tlél haa toowútin utí yóo dujée nuch.
They think that we donʼt have a care in the world for it.
But, a,
Ch'a aan ḵu.aa áwé
But
a daa toowú tuwa.óo haa aaní.
we have strong feelings about our land.
Mhm.
Yes.
Ldakát yá haa aaní a daa toowú tuwa.óo.
We are devoted to all of our land.
Á áyi á,
So,
yak'éi shákdé katooneegí
I think itʼs good that we tell
haa aaní daaḵw.aa sá haa aaníx̱ sitee.
which parts of our land are our (clansʼ) lands.
Yéi áwé s daayax̱aḵá,
I tell them,
{de de de de sh}
«De {sh du a} shoowaxeex wé haa yoox̱'atángi,» yóo x̱at has daayaḵá.
“Our language is already gone,” theyʼre telling me.
«Ch'as yeewáanch áwé x̱'agax̱yeenáaḵ,» yóo has daayax̱aḵá.
“Only you people will give it up,” I tell them.
Aaá!
Yes!
Tle tlél ch'a aadóo sá {g̱aa}
Nobody
{yéi kg̱w} yéi kg̱watee.
will be that way.
«Ch'a wáa sá kayeey.aag̱ú,» yóo x̱ʼayax̱aḵá,
“If you try in some way,” I say,
«yoo x̱'ayla.átgi aag̱áa áwé chʼa {kei}
“to speak, then
kei gux̱latseen,» yóo has daayax̱aḵá.
it will be strong,” I tell them.
Haa, ayáx̱ áwé.
Well, that's right.
{áwé wé sgóonxʼ áwé} Ách áwé wé sgóon {ha} yoo has átgi
That's why they were going to school,
áx̱ has x̱'akawdligeiḵ.
they were forbidden from speaking it.
Tlél a ḵín has daaduné.
They didnʼt let up on them.
Ách áwé ch'u tleix̱ has ax̱'eiwanáḵ tle.
That is why they just gave it up forever.
Wé
The
Sitkaxʼ gé {yan}?
Was it in Sitka?
Dog Pointxʼ áwé yéi has daayax̱aḵá,
At Dog Point I told them,
«Tle a yáanáx̱ yeekuwáat'i {tlél yee} aag̱áa áwé yéi yee wdudzineeyi yé,
“When itʼs been too long since that has been done to you folks,
tle ch'a goo sá ax̱'ag̱áanóoli a daa yoo tutángi.
Just where ??? thinking about it.
Dei ch'áakw áhé yéi wuteeyí {yóo, yóo} yóo yee tudatée.
Itʼs been a long time ???
Tle yeedát ḵú, this is new life.»
And now though, this new life.”
«Aáa. Yak'éi áwé,» yóo x̱at has daayaḵá.
“Yes. Itʼs real good,” thatʼs what theyʼre telling me.
Áwé Daaljíni, hú woogoot.
Daaljíni, she went.
«Goodéi sáwé woogoot», yóo daayaduḵá, gushé?
“Where did she go,” they say, right?
Aadóo sáwé?
Who is that?
Daaljíni.
Mary Folletti.
Há, ḵóo at latóow.
Indeed, sheʼs teaching.
Tle wé haat góot tlé k'idéin {yee.een} hasdu een yoo al'éix̱.
When she came she danced nicely with them.
Ḵóo at latóow ch'a aan.
Sheʼs teaching anyway.
Mhm.
Mhm.
Ch'a aan áwé tle tsú t'aḵ káanáx̱ áwé sh tóo altóow.
Even so, she is also studying it at the same time.
Mhm.
Yes.
Daaljíni ḵa yá Naakil.aan.
Daaljíni and Naakil.aan here.
Mhm.
Yes.
Ḵa aadóo sáyá tsú?
And who else?
Seig̱óot.
Jessica Chester.
Seig̱óot, i dlaaḵ.
Seig̱óot, your sister.
Aaá.
Yes.
Ḵa
And
Tsú du sée. Du sée, Kunóok.
Her daughter too. Her daughter, Kunóok.
[At shooḵ] She talks?
[Laughter]
Aaá.
Yes.
Aaá. Ḵa
Yes. And
ḵudzitee tsú.
there's someone else too.
Wé Yéilk' ágé tsú, yóo x̱'ayatánk, hú tsú?
Little Raven (Vivian Mork) too, she also speaks too?
Aadóo sá?
Who?
Yéilk'.
Vivian Mork
Wé shaawát, Yéilk' yóo duwasáakw.
That woman, Yéilkʼ is her name.
A, Lance.
Tután, shákdé?
Tután, (Ricky Tagaban) maybe?
Lance is doing good too.
Yéilk'.
Little Raven.
Oh Yéilk'.
Oh Little Raven.
Yeah.
Sheet'káx' yéi yatee.
Sheʼs in Sitka.
And, um, the one from Yakutat. Freddy, Fred White. Heʼs a speaker to begin with. Heʼs learning to write.
Ax̱oo.aa, {gux̱gu}
Among them,
tlél ḵaa tuwáa wushgú ayóo Yéilkʼ yóo dusáagu.
people didn't like that she is called Little Raven.
I wonder who that is.
Vivian.
Oh. Oh.
Yeah, Mork.
Theyʼre in J, I think sheʼs in Juneau now. What I talked about in the beginning was um, I grew up on a boat and uh, my grandma was really old but she did a lot of things. They were in charge of, ah, all the, what people call today, subsistence. That was our life style as a family, on the 2, 2, 3 boats, 4 boats all together. And um, we went from camp to camp. I didnʼt go to school. But um, I dropped out at 6th grade. I couldnʼt hack it. I was a teenager. I couldnʼt stand it. And uh, I had a hard time with English-only teachers. They hit my hand when I was speaking Tlingit. I couldnʼt speak English at all. So, they punished me because that was the only language I knew was Tlingit. Anyway, um, after I dropped out, I got married and then I, I went to, um, jobs, menial jobs from, I didnʼt tell about this in Tlingit, menial jobs, but they were um, working in laundries, working in hotels. Working in restaurants and stuff like that. And then I finally got hired by the school to teach Tlingit. And, a, I think my own friend um, fouled me up. I didnʼt tell anybody that I was a 6th grade drop out. She was the only one that knew. And uh, they held it against me that I was a 6th grade drop out. [Laughter] Oh, itʼs OK but she... They still have, blah blah, blah. So, I left the school. The kids that I taught at that time are doing something with their lives, in Tlingit. They were um, not Tlingit when I got them. But theyʼre doing something with their lives in Tlingit. So thatʼs, that was good. The short time we had was good. And then um, my dad um, took us from camp to camp. I was talking about that. We went to cannery. And then we went to um, we went to trapping camps. And um, dry fish camp. We did the three months. We dried about 400 to 300 salmon. That was enough for all of us for the whole winter. And my grandma never quit saying 300. You canʼt go, you canʼt get less than 300. So theyʼd go after some more. [Laughter] Sheʼs just this little old lady; she really ruled the family! And um, that was my life style. And it was to-taly Tlingit.
Ḵunáx̱ Lingítx̱ áwé haa sitee.
For real, we are Tlingits.
Mhm.
Yes.
My family all spoke Lingít. Every day, every hour. We, they even made us Lingít toys, my uncles. And then we invented our own. We didnʼt have store bought toys.
Did you make a mud pie?
Yeah.
That was, that was...