Tlingit Conversation #41

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Speakers are Kaséix̱ Selina Everson, Wooshtudeidu.oo Florence Smarch, Tʼaaḵú Tláa Pearl Keenan, Chukatéen Jane Smarch, Keiyishí Bessie Cooley, and Lasaayí Emma Shorty. Recorded August 13, 2010, at the Teslin Tlingit Heritage Centre, Teslin, YT, Canada, by Ljáaḵkʼ Alice Taff.

Tlingit transcription by Keet Yaanyaayi Paul Marks II. English translation by Kaxwaan Éesh George Davis, Ḵaaḵal.aat Florence Sheakley, Kaséix̱ Selina Everson with Ljáaḵkʼ Alice Taff. Edited by Shaag̱aw Éesh Devlin Anderstrom and by X̱ʼaagi Sháawu Keri Eggleston.

I think we should talk about yú chʼáakw yéeyi áyú ḵut wugoodí Lingít, máa sá daadunéiyin.

I think we should talk about those people in olden times that went into seclusion, what they used to do to them. [lit. ʼhumans that have gotten lost,ʼ maybe a local idiom.]

What kind of training these young people used to take. I think {itʼs} thatʼs really important.

Á áwé ḵut wutuwag̱éexʼ.

That is what we have lost.

Aa, yakʼéi.

Yeah, thatʼs good.

Áyú chʼáakw, shaawát ḵut wugoodí,

So long ago, when a woman went into seclusion,

aag̱áa áwé tóot udutéeỹch, Lingít.

then she would be taken in, (by) people.

Du léelkʼu, du tláa ḵa du aat hés.

Her grandmother, her mother and her paternal aunts.

Héix̱waa á yéi has adaanéi neech with them.

They would always make magic with them.

Itʼs just like you, uh,

áyá dleit ḵáa university {woogoo} nagútch.

a white person would go to a university.

Dleit ḵáa.

White people.

Há uháan tsú yéi áwé haa yatee.

Well us too, that is how we are.

Tle yéi áwé yatee, tle

Thatʼs how it is,

it is just like that university áwé, they take training.

Tle ldekét ét

Everything

they take training for.

Áyú shaawát ḵut wugoodí,

So when a woman went into seclusion,

chʼáakw yéeyi,

in olden times,

sʼáaxw áwé has du jees duḵéisʼin.

a hat used to be sewn for them.

Haam, du aatch

Well, her paternal aunt is the one who

du jiyís daḵéisʼin wé du sʼáaxu.

used to sew that hat of hers for her.

Á áwé tle du sháat udutéeỹch, {tlél d} tlél du yá dusteench

So then it would be put on her head, her face wouldnʼt be seen

wé du sʼáaxwnáx̱.

through that hat of hers.

Wé g̱agaan tsú tlél {d-} du yát [uxwéins???]

The sun also never went on her face.

Um,

6 months yáanáx̱ áwé,

for over 6 months,

she taking training.

Tle ldekét ét in.

In absolutely everything.

Áyú even has du shax̱aawú.

Even their hair.

Uháan, yá Daḵká Lingítx̱ haa sateeyí,

Us, we who are the Interior Tlingit,

{haa} tlákw yéeyi haa Lingít,

in olden times, our people,

has du shax̱aawú kʼe tʼoochʼ yáx̱ nateejín. Haam.

their hair used to be just good and black. Well.

They used to be in their 80s, 90s, and their hair used to be just black.

Héix̱waa {káa-} káaxʼ áwé yéi téeyin.

That was dependent on their magic.

Héix̱waa, duhéix̱waan áyú ḵut woogoot shaawát.

Magic, they used to do magic on the woman that went into seclusion.

Áyá has du yáa tsú

Then on their faces also

áyá ax̱ x̱oonxʼí, Lingít. Has du yát eelg̱ín.

these relatives of mine, Tlingits. Look at their faces.

You donʼt see no wrinkles.

Héix̱waadáx̱ {yéi du.ú-} áwé yéi yatee, héix̱waa.

It is from magic, magic.

Ḵushtuyáx̱ chʼa daa sá

Regardless of whatever

what you wanna do in your life, you take training for it at that period of time. Boys is the same way. Boys, their uncle,

{has d-} hes du káak,

their maternal uncle,

used to train them. Tlél hes du éesh.

Not their father.

Hes du káak used to do it.

Their maternal uncle used to do it.

The reason, because they belong to the same clan. Thatʼs why. Haam, when that second world war broke out, in the world, our boys, LOTS of our boys across Canada went. Haam. {They got} They didnʼt want to give it to us, the reputation but, we had the best boys for snipers and having nerves. There was nobody that could really beat them across, across all of Canada. We made a reputation for ourselves but it wasnʼt til about ten years later, after the war, that this all come out; how come they were like that. As soon as they seen that our men were like that, haam, they used them, they picked them right up and they used them for snipers. They were hardest place to go out, they went to The Chaps and everything. It all come back to that adolescent training. And I know this one part where this boy, the men... We donʼt have any men now that remember all of that. It is all gone; the men are gone. But I can remember different stories were told about this young boy. He was, he was a(n) orphan.

Aag̱áa áwé dei,

And then,

{du} du séni, no du káak

his paternal uncle, no his maternal uncle

took him in, and he was raising that little boy.

Á áwé, one of that training is when thereʼs ice on the water and itʼs cold, snow on the ground, the uncle would take them and take them down to the river or the lake,

So then,

aag̱áa áwé theyʼd wade out,

and then theyʼd wade out,

wade out into the river. They walk out right up there with their hands folded like that. And if theyʼre walking too fast, he hollers at them to slow down. And they walk right out til theyʼre up right here to their neck. And then they turn around. And we believe, inland Tlingit, we believe in the sun, in the universe, the roundness. We always turn when we pray, we turn with the sun. [this is the same for Yakutat people]

Yéi áwé yatee, tle hú-

That is how it is, then he-

that boy comes back out. And if {it} the icing is too cold and his jaws are going, his uncle will holler at him,

«Tsʼa geeỹdatáxʼ!»

"Just bite it up!"

Wonʼt let him, his jaws hit. Take your time and come out. After they come out on the shore and aag̱áa áwé he hits them. They turn around again with the sun, aag̱áa áwé {they} he hits them, all up and down to get {the sore} the blood circulating, again. But he uses balsam brush, itʼs not sharp, itʼs soft balsam. And it gets some of the medicine off onto them. Um, never make a noise and

chʼa yeisú [láal???] yéi yaa naneení áwé,

when ??? is still happening,

thatʼs when they would do it. Not to show off, to show off to everybody, then they used to come back and take them back and theyʼd go back to bed. Haam. A lot of our training was very much like the white people do like you know, you plant things in a personʼs mind. Tlingit people, thatʼs the way it was then. With women it was right down to having a baby. Shooting. Sewing. You did everything and you did it well. And patience. You have to have patience. And they learnt ʼem that way by them. When you get the jack pine out there. They used to the pieces of the jack pine brush. And they used to say, "Take it one at a time and pile it up there, neat." Haam, somebody would come say, "Hey, look at this! Somebodyʼs coming!"

«G̱anu! Lí!»

"Sit down! Wait!"

Youʼre not even supposed to raise your head to look. Haam.There was lots of training for our people and it was most important.

Áyú daḵéisʼ,

So, sewing,

cooking, and it all boils down to your future life what youʼre doing in that period of time. Itʼs so important. Because the way you act in that six weeks, thatʼs the way the rest of your life youʼre going to be. If you want to run uptown, you want to watch tv, you want to do, youʼre going to do it for the rest of your life. We know a lots of women that, that weʼve proven it, that they never sit down. And to this day theyʼre old and theyʼre still running downtown. They got to be in the streets. Theyʼre not home with their children. Our old people, thatʼs the way they used to say. Thatʼs why the Tlingit people had it above everybody else because they, they really believed in that kind of stuff. We sat there, I tell you, with them wrinkles on your face, before we know when a woman is going to {p} a young girl is going to turn into a woman, people go out and they look on her

ḵaa shuká.

a persons future.

And they get that éechʼ, wé té,

And they get that heavy stone, that stone,

áwé has du jeex̱ tee neech.

they would always give it to them.

Áwé té, has du yá.

The rock, (rubbing it on) their face,

«Tle ax̱ yá, yá té yáx̱ gug̱atée.

"Then my face, it will be like this stone. (smooth)

Tle ayáx̱ gug̱atée ax̱ yá.»

Then it will be like it, my face."

"Iʼll never ever have any wrinkles." Thatʼs what they say. Haam. When they eat, itʼs just like when youʼre reborn and reliving again. You gotta watch what you eat. You put it on that rock and you put it away for the first time you eat it. Then it piles up here, you take it away and you put it under a big tree. Everything you put it like that and you put it back and you put it in the back part of your head. I think itʼs the most iportant thing in a personʼt life. I know when I was going through that training, I was made to feel that I was, I was, it was really important. It changed my life when I was going through that training period. And the boys, the men were the same way, the boys were. Itʼs just as I said before; our boys were, when they were 18 years old they were men! Not because they were big as their father or nothing, no. They knew exactly, from their unclesʼ training. And that one too. They used, they used to take the sinew from a, from a sheep or a goat and tie it on them, young boysʼ legs. The uncles would do that. And them boys, they could really travel and do different things.

Ha yéi koogeiyí,

When he was that big,

thatʼs what Iʼm going to talk, to let you know. Itʼs proven with us up here in the Yukon, with a, when young girls, when Tlingit women are going to have a baby, it used to be the doctors in Whitehorse, they would go off and woman would come in, the nurse would phone up the doctor and ask, "I think you better come. This certain sure woman is going to have a baby." And that doctor would say, "Well, where is she from?" And if she said Teslin, well, "Yes, Iʼll be right there," because our women were never 5, 7, 8 hours. Two or three hours, thatʼs all. And after they had the first baby, maybe one hour and they had the baby. And itʼs all planted. When theyʼre adolescent itʼs planted in their mind. Shooting is the same way. Have a crow person holding that gun in their hands, and a knife for youʼre first going to cut anything, you never pick it up and do it. You have to have a crow holding your hand.

Aag̱áa áwé

And then

never nothing bad happens. And I believe, and youʼre doing that say to 12 and 13 year-olds and youʼre putting their future in amongst them and itʼs, I think it really works, it used to work with our people. Give somebody else a chance to talk.

Gunalchéesh.

Thank you.

Chʼa a daa yoo x̱ʼakḵwatáan

I am just going to talk about

ixkée aa, Navajo tsú.

the southern ones, Navajo too.

Has du éenáx̱ yawduwadlaaḵ WWII, has du yoo x̱ʼala.átgi.

It was through them that it was won, WWII, their communication.

Hél aadé wé Japanese-ch figure it out-x̱ {has ool-} hél has aa wulyeix̱.

The Japanese couldnʼt figure any of it out.

Ách áwé tle keijín jinkaat táakw shunaxéex tsá,

That is why that only after fifty years had passed,

dikée yóo wdudzinee.

it was brought up.

Has du éenáx̱ áwé {ḵuya ḵuyaw}

It was through them

{has ḵuya} ḵuyawtuwadlaaḵ.

that we defeated the (other) people.

Navajo.

Code Talkers.

Ḵa wé Dr. Alice Taff tsú, gunalchéesh.

And that Dr. Alice Taff, too, thank you.

Haa x̱ʼakshaxeet.

Sheʼs recording our words.

{tlél wud} Hél {kud-yoo} kudushxeedín haa history.

They never used to write our history.

Handed down-x̱ wusitee

It was handed down

ḵaa shukoojeisʼí,

(by) instructors,

aadé haa ḵusteeyí téeyi yé.

how our way of life was.

Yeedát ḵwá shákdé,

But now, probably,

tlax̱ kʼidéin aax̱ kei has akg̱watée, haa yátxʼi.

they will really pick it up well, our children.

Yéi haa tundatáani yatee.

That is how our thoughts are.

Yeedát tsá has haa x̱ʼakg̱wa.áax̱.

Now they will finally comprehend our words.

Has yee x̱ʼakg̱wa.áax̱.

They will understand you all.

Yá {du yee} haa x̱ooní sháa.

These relatives of ours, women.

Gunalchéesh yóo x̱at tuwatee

I feel thankful

yee x̱wsakoowú, aadóox̱ sá yee sateeyí.

to know you all, who it is that you all are.

Gunalchéesh yáaxʼ yéi haa wuteeyí.

Thank you for us being here.

Aat, i tuwáa gé sigóo tsu yoo x̱ʼeeyataaní?

Paternal aunty, would you like to speak again?

Mhm.

I donʼt know what I want to talk about.

Gunalchéesh yee daayax̱aḵá haa x̱oot yeeỹ aadí.

Thank you I am saying to you all, that you have come among us.

Yú shkalneek tlax̱ xʼéig̱aa ax̱ tóog̱aa yatee.

Those stories, I really truly enjoy them.

A káa ʼéi jigax̱toonéi [she pronounces «yéi» as «ʼéi»]

We are going to work on it,

haa yoo x̱'atángi.

our language.

Tle ldakát haa ỹétxʼi áwé chʼas dleit ḵáanáx̱ has amsikóo.

All of our children only know the white man's language.

{kei} Ḵut kei naxíx haa yoo x̱ʼatángi.

Our language is getting lost.

Chʼa g̱aa has du een yoo x̱ʼax̱la.átgi neech, «Tlél x̱wasakú haa yoo x̱ʼatángi,» yóo has x̱at daayaḵá.

I just try to speak to them, "I donʼt know our language," they say to me.

Kʼe wéitʼaa ax̱ shátx̱,

Take that one, my older sister,

ldakát haa yoo x̱ʼatángi amsikóo.

she knows all of our language.

ʼCause

haa een sh kadulneegín.

stories were told to us.

Tlágu ḵáayi x̱án áyá

Next to the older people

has du x̱án áyáa g̱atooḵéejin.

we always used to sit by them.

Haa een has sh kalneegín.

They used to tell us stories.

«Máa sá haa kg̱watée?

"How are we going to be?

Máa sá yee kg̱watée?

How are you folks going to be?

Áyá ax̱ yáx̱ {yaa nda yee-}

Like me

yaa ndashán aa,

the ones that are getting old,

i toowúch gí

do you think

{haa yee} [tlʼaa???] deiyí {g} áx̱ yaa gax̱yee.áat,

you will walk along [a level ???] path,

chʼa máa sá haa wuneeyí, haa ítde.

if anything should happen to us, following us.

Ách áyá yee een x̱ʼatuli.étk.»

This is why we talk to you all."

Yóo s haa daayaḵáa neejín.

Thatʼs what they used to say to us.

Has du x̱án áyá g̱atooḵéejin.

We used to sit by them.

Ax̱ toowú yakʼéi

I am happy

yáat x̱a.aayí yee x̱ʼéix̱ x̱asa.aax̱í.

that I'm sitting here listening to you folks speak.

Yáat aan eetí ʼéi téeyin. [«ʼéi» instead of «yei». ]

There used to be the remains of a village here.

Woosh x̱oot natuda.átjin

We used to walk among each other

shkalneek tín.

with stories.

Tlagóo ḵáawu,

The people of long ago,

chʼa daa sá yéi daatooneiyí, {has du} [«yéi» rather than «ʼéi»]

whatever we were doing,

has du x̱ʼéix̱ tusa.aax̱ín.

we used to listen to them.

Yeedádiḵáawu tlél a yáx̱ utí.

The people of today are not like that.

Tlél haa x̱ʼéix̱ has us.aax̱.

They don't listen to us.

Kax̱waa.aaḵw

I tried

has du een yéi jix̱aneiyí.

to work with them.

Ḵa yú has at dana aa.

And the ones that drink.

Kʼidéin has du een x̱ʼax̱la.átgi neech.

I always speak well (kindly) with them.

«Yóo áyá ikg̱wanée, ḵa yóo.

"This is what is going to happen to you, and that.

Ḵúx̱de áwé naysané déi,

You all put it away now,

wé atdaná.

the drinking.

Kʼidéin ḵustí yáa yan {yaa yee} gax̱yisaxeexít.

So that you can continue to live a good life.

Máa sá s téeyin, yee éesh hás.»

The way your fatherʼs people used to be. "

Atgutú áwé át natoo.átjin. Áwé áxʼ áyá haa msiwát, atgutú.

We always used to walk around in the woods. We were all raised there, in the woods.

Át nax̱too.ádín yéeyi.

We used to walk around there.

Gunalchéesh {yee x̱ánde-yee} haa x̱ánt yeeỹ.aadí.

Thank you all for coming by us.

Gunalchéesh.

Thank you.

I tuwáa gí sigóo tsu aa yoo x̱ʼeeyataaní?

Would you like to say something also?

X̱át ágí?

Me?

Daaḵw.aa sá.

Whoever.

Góok. Go ahead.

Go ahead. Go ahead.

I'm eating.

Iʼll go after you.

Áyú wéitet yóo duwaságu át,

So that thing that they call menstrual seclusion,

a tóonáx̱ yax̱wagoodín x̱áach.

I went through it myself.

Ldakát á,

All of it,

a tóonáx̱ x̱at yawsigút, ax̱ tláa.

she put me through it, my mother.

Tle pretty near fourteen

Then pretty near fourteen

(á)yá x̱át aag̱áa. {áwé yéi x̱at}

I am at that time.

Ax̱ léelkʼu yéeyi, Laanaatk,

My late grandmother, Laanaatk,

Hóoch áwé tsú

It was she also

a tóonáx̱ x̱at yamligút.

that helped me go through it.

{á yeedadi sh}

Áyá yeedát, yéi at wuneeyí,

Now, when that happens,

tlax̱ tlél áwé a yáx̱ daadunei.

they really just donʼt do it right.

Ax̱ tláach áwé,

My mother,

wé room, a yeedé x̱at wusigoot.

a room, she had me go in there.

Pretty near twelve days kaanáx̱ {aa áa} áa yéi x̱at wootee.

For pretty near twelve days I was there.

Yú ax̱ sʼáaxw(u) tsú ax̱ jeeyís aawaḵáa.

She sewed my hat for me, too.

Yéi kakoogéi.

It is this big.

Chʼa na.aaní áyóo,

It should not be done,

g̱agaan x̱wasateení.

me seeing the sun.

Chʼas wé {tlʼá} tlʼátk áwé {yaa kakagéich}

Just the ground

yaa [kakḵwakʼeich ???].

???

áyú gánde ax̱ tuwateeyi yé.

when I needed to go to the bathroom.

Chʼa na.aaní ax̱ éekʼ x̱ʼéit x̱ʼax̱wataaní.

It was not right for me to speak to my brother.

Ḵa yú tsʼootaat áwé x̱at shanúkjin,

And in the morning (they) would wake me,

ax̱ tláa ḵa ax̱ éesh.

my mother and my father.

Ax̱ kaadé akaník neech chʼa daa sá tsʼootaat.

She would tell me whatever in the morning.

Ax̱ tláach áwé du x̱ʼayáx̱ yéi daax̱anéi neech.

I would do whatever my mother told me to do.

Aag̱áa tsáa,

Only then,

daḵéisʼ ax̱ jeet amlig̱át ax̱ tláa.

she brought me sewing things, my mother.

Tlei

Then

mukluks yóo duwaságu át,

those things that are called mukluks,

á áwé x̱waaḵaa.

that is what I sewed.

Yóotʼát,

That thing,

goat,

goat fur, {tei}

little ones, yéi dax̱kudigéi.

little ones, they are all this big.

Has shukaawajáa ax̱ tláa ḵa ax̱ léelkʼw tsú.

They instructed, my mother and my grandmother too.

Tle wóosh {dax̱ wé} dax̱kax̱wliḵáa.

So I sewed them all together.

Ax̱ tláa du éekʼ,

My mother's brother,

máa sás ax̱ ée kaawaháa, Bessie?

how is he related to me, Bessie?

Bessie! Hm? Ax̱ tláa du éekʼ,

Bessie! Hm? My mother's brother,

máa sás ax̱ ée kaawaháa?

how is he related to me?

- káak.

- maternal uncle.

Ax̱ káak yéeyi.

My late uncle.

Yas'íxʼi yóo duwasáakw.

He is called Yas'íxʼi.

Hóoch áwé ax̱ jiyís {aaw} aawahoon.

He's the one that sold them for me.

Yóo {keen}

That

Canol Road yóo duwasáagu yé.

the place thatʼs called Canol Road.

Áxʼ áwé

That's where

ax̱ jiyís amlihoon.

he went and sold it for me.

Aag̱áa áwé fifteen dollars {yaa} káx̱

And then for fifteen dollars

x̱waawóosʼ.

I asked him.

Hóoch ḵu.aa áwé s must be twenty dollars a yát aawatée.

But him, it mustʼve been twenty dollars that he put on it (charged for it).

Wé keijín dáanaa ḵu.aa ḵaltóode yéi amsinee.

That five dollars, though, he put into (his) pocket.

Yéi áwé daayaḵáa neech ax̱ tláa, ax̱ léelkʼu yéeyi,

She always used to say to my mother, my grandmother that is now gone,

chʼa ldakát á ax̱ daḵéis'i,

all of it, my sewing,

ḵa yóo {kuḵax̱} kuḵax̱aa át,

and the things I am going to eat,

tlél táakw kaanáx̱ áwé.

not for one year. [She canʼt sew or eat the things she would normally eat, such as fresh fish and meat, for one year.]

Wé dleeỹ, a tóode yéi adaanéi neech ax̱ tláa ax̱ jiyís.

The meat, she used to put in there, my mother, for me.

{chaa chʼa}

long time {át wut} át wuteeyí,

when it had been in there a long time,

wuxoogú, aag̱áa áwé,

when it had dried, and then,

ax̱ léelkʼu yéeyi ax̱ x̱ʼéix̱ anateejín.

my late grandmother used to feed it to me. [No fresh meat or fish for the girl going through puberty training.]

Haaw, yá yeedát,

Well, now,

I prove it,

áyú tlél yéi daadunei.

they don't do it.

Haaw, tléináx̱,

Well, one person,

ax̱ x̱úx̱ ḵa tléináx̱ ḵáa,

my husband and one man,

áyóo

it was

tʼéexʼ tóonáx̱

through the ice

yéi jiné, um,

he worked, um,

net yéi has amsinee.

they were using a net.

Á áwé, héʼ, tlax̱ máa sá

So then, my! how very (much)

x̱áat has {amsi}

salmon they

That net tín yéi, um,

With that net, um,

???

['probably: they are this big']

Á áwé neil has amli.át.

Then they brought them into the house.

Déix̱ -ataan wé ḵáa

Two [video cuts out] -carried, that man.

neildé uh,

into the house, uh,

about six oʼclock gíwé,

maybe it was about 6:00,

{yéi s} «Ax̱ séekʼ áwé ḵut woogoot,» yóo x̱at daayaḵá.

"My little daughter has gone into seclusion," he says to me.

«Ha gwátk sáwé yéi woonee?» yóo daayax̱aḵá.

"Oh, when did that happen?" I say.

Just last week.

Tle Sunday, Sunday áwé, aag̱áa yá a x̱oodé has woo.aat has du g̱eiwú.

It was Sunday, it was Sunday, thatʼs when they went among them, their nets.

«Tlax̱ máa sá du éet uwaháa wé x̱áat,» yóo x̱at daayaḵá.

"She is really hungry for fish," he says to me.

«I toowúch ágé tléil du x̱ʼéide aa kayeetáaxʼ?»

"Wouldnʼt you like to chew some for her?"

«Ó!» yóo x̱at tuwatee, tlél ayáx̱ áwé yéi daadunei.

"Oh!" I think, they are not doing it the right way.

Chʼa g̱ég̱aa yéi daayax̱aḵá,

I tell them in vain,

«One year kaanáx̱,

"For one year,

tlél aa kg̱wax̱aa fresh fish,» yóo daayax̱aḵá.

she shouldnʼt eat any fresh fish," I say to them.

«But tlax̱ máa sá du éet uwaháa,» yóo x̱at daayaḵá.

"But she is so very hungry for it," he says to me.

Ách áwé

That is why

yeisú yéi x̱at tuwatee, chʼa x̱át,

I am still feeling this way, myself,

«Ó,

"Oh,

never mind now.

Du tuwáa usgóo [contraction of «du tuwáa wsigóo»?]

She wants

awusteení.

to see it.

Go ahead,» {yóo} yóo x̱at tuwatee.

Go ahead," I think to myself.

Áwé tle ayáx̱ áwé

So then just like that

wé té káa yoo wdudli.át, aag̱áa tsá du x̱ʼéide kax̱atáaxʼ.

it was rubbed on that rock, and only at that time I chewed it for her to eat.

Yéi áwé x̱at daanéiyin ax̱ léelkʼu yéeyi, Jim Fox.

That's what he used to do to me, my late grandparent, Jim Fox.

Á áwé

And then

tsu a kaadé has woo.aat

they went for it again

wé has du g̱eiwú.

(with) their net.

Daaxʼoonínáx̱ a kaadé has woo.aat. Tlél tsu tléixʼ has awusg̱eiwú, nothing!

Four of them went for it. They didnʼt even catch one, nothing!

Aadé litseeni yé,

Thatʼs how powerful it is,

áwé ḵut wugoodi shuxʼáa shaawát.

when a girl first goes into menarche seclusion.

Ách áwé yee een kax̱waaneek.

That is why I have told it to all of you.

Áyóo, ax̱ shátx̱i yéeyi ḵu.aa áwé s,

Well, my late older sister, though,

yóo sgóonde uyéx̱.

she is gone at school.

Dawson Creek, Dawson City, áxʼ áwé sgóonde yoo yagútk.

Dawson Creek, Dawson City, that is where she is going to school.

Aag̱áa áwé ḵut woogoot, hú.

At that time is when she went into menarche seclusion.

Tlél a tóonáx̱ yawugoot.

She didn't go all the way through it.

Áwé aadé daadune yé yéeyi long time ago.

The way that they used to do it a long time ago.

Chʼas ax̱ x̱ánde nagútch ax̱ shát. [usually «shátx̱»]

She would always just come by me, my older sister.

Ax̱ jeeyís yan alxaashín.

She would cut them up for me. [I would cut them up for her ???]

Téel.

Moccasins.

Tlél ooshgóok.

She didn't know how to do it.

Tlél kʼidéin ooshgóok.

She didn't know how to do it very well.

Ách áwé yéi yax̱wsiḵaa tléidahéen,

That is why I said to her one time,

«Wa.éich yéi kg̱isanée yá yeedát,» yóo daayax̱aḵá.

"You're the one who's going to make it this time," I say to her.

«Chʼa tlákw áwé ax̱ x̱ánde gag̱eegóot

"You will always be coming to me

áwé tlél [recording gap] -saneeyí.»

if you donʼt do one yourself."

Tle shukx̱waajáa.

So I showed her how.

Aax̱ áwé tlél tsu ax̱ x̱ánt wugoot.

From then on, she never came to me again.

Á {ḵi} áyá ax̱ yáanáx̱ du táagu yateeyi yé,

Even as much older than me as she is,

chʼas x̱át ax̱ x̱ánx̱ goot.

it was just me, she would come by me.

It should have been the other way.

X̱át, du x̱ánde kḵwagóot.

Me, Iʼm going to go by her.

Yéi áwé a tóonáx̱ yax̱waagút chʼa x̱áach.

That is the way that I went through it, myself.

Tlax̱ tlél daa sá ax̱ jee uldzée. {chʼa l x̱át yaa x̱a}

Nothing is really difficult for me.

Yaa ndasháni, chʼas á áwé

Getting old, thatʼs the only thing

yaa x̱at yanadláḵ.

thatʼs getting the best of me.

Ḵa yá ax̱ keeỹ tlél ayáx̱ dax̱.utí.

And these knees of mine, they are both not right.

A x̱oo aa people, they say,

Some people, they say,

"Oh, sheʼs bragging about herself." But itʼs true, honest,

a tóonáx̱ yax̱waagudi yé.

what I went through.

Ách áwé yee een kax̱anéek,

That is why I am telling you all,

ḵa chʼa héide tsú at x̱atin neech.

and I see things from a distance.

«A tóonáx̱ yawugoodi óosh gí,

"If only they had gone through it, right,

tlél yéi gug̱atéeyin,» yóo.

they wouldn't be like that," thatʼs how (I think).

Haaw, yá yeedát tsú,

Well, now, too,

áwéi, kʼisáani,

so, the young boys,

some of them nine years old

áwé yéi has nanée.

when that happens to them.

Aag̱áa tsá wé tléiḵw, haa atx̱aayí,

Only at that time, the berries, our food,

chʼa daa sá, áx̱ tlákwde aa mduwasháat.

whatever it is, they just snatch some up.

Tléiḵw, yéi kaduník neech,

Berries, this is how it would be told,

wé ??? áwé yéi yatee.

that ??? is how/where it is.

Ách áwé tlél áa kawu.aa. {yóo}

That is why it didnʼt grow there.

I believe it.

A long time ago

g̱uneitkanaayích áwé i jín yei kg̱walasháat.

members of the opposite clan are going to grab your hand.

Aag̱áa tsá daaxʼoonínáx̱ áwé aax̱ yéi gag̱isanée

And then four people, you are going to pick them (berries?) up from there

g̱uneitkanaayí tin.

with members of the opposite clan.

Tlél yéi at daaduné yá yeedát.

People donʼt do things that way anymore.

Ax̱ toowúch ách áwé

I think that is why

tle yóo yaa at nanéen.

things are happening that way. [hand signs for ʼcrazyʼ]

Góok. Chʼa aa sá.

Go ahead. Whoever.

Wait. Let me just put this a little closer. And is this going to interfere with the image?

Ok? Yaa kanajúx.

It is rolling.

X̱át ḵu.aa, tlél áyá a tóonáx̱ yax̱wagoodí,

As for myself, I didn't go through it,

wé ḵut wugoot.

the menarche seclusion.

Wé sgóonxʼ áwé yéi x̱at yateeyín.

I was at that school. [Compulsory boarding school for First Nations children.]

Chʼa g̱aa kax̱a.aaḵw.

Although I did try.

Wé ax̱ aat, Winnie yóo dusáagun,

My paternal aunt, she was called Winnie,

ḵa ax̱ shátx̱ Sally,

and my older sister Sally,

chʼa g̱aa {ka} katoo.aaḵw yéi.

we tried in vain thus.

Wé {ax̱ s} ax̱ ah, kéekʼ, Jen,

My uh, younger sister, Jen,

ah, du tláa tle du éet wudishée.

uh, her mother helped her.

Tle aatlein ax̱ toowú yanéekw tlél a tóot yax̱wagoodí.

I am so very sorry that I didn't go through it.

{chʼa} Á ḵu.aa chʼa g̱aa koox̱a.aaḵw.

Although I tried.

Tle ldakát,

Every,

every day we tried.

A daat áwé xʼáant has wunoogún

They would be angry about it

wé supervisor.

the supervisor.

Ah, ách áwé tléil a tóo yax̱wagoot.

Uh, thatʼs why I didnʼt go through it.

Tle gushé

Well maybe

wé ax̱ séekʼ hás

my daughters

ah, tlél x̱wasakú máa sá has kuḵasneeỹí.

uh, I didnʼt know what I was going to do with them.

{chʼa ax̱, ah}

my mother-in-law áwé ax̱ éet wudishée

my mother-in-law helped me

ax̱ séekʼ hás du een.

with my daughters.

{a} Ách áwéis ah,

That's why uh,

tle {ax̱} ax̱ dachx̱ánxʼi sáani

my little granchildren

hás tsú, tlél a tóot has wu.aat.

them as well, they didnʼt go through it either.

???

Gunalchéesh ax̱ x̱ʼéit yeeỹsa.aax̱í.

Thank you all for listening to me.

Aaá, gunalchéesh.

Yes, thank you.

Yakʼéi gí?

Is it good?

Mmm, yakʼéi.

Yes, it's good.

Gunalchéesh.

Thank you.

Haa, x̱át tsú, ax̱ tuwáa sigóo,

Well, me too, I would like,

wé Alice, gunalchéesh yóo idaayax̱aḵaaỹí.

Alice, to say thank you to you.

Yeah, tlax̱ aakʼé satú áyá i jee yéi yatee yá project káa yéi jeeneiyí

Yeah, itʼs a very good idea that you have that you are working on this project

ḵa keeỹshaxeedí.

and that you are writing it.

Á áwé haa sé duwa.áx̱ch ḵa haa ya[haayí?] yéi yatee.

So our voices are being heard and our [images?] [video glitch] are there.

Tlax̱ um, aak'é, kʼidéin áwé yéi daaduné, {wé}

Itʼs really good, they are really doing it well,

wéitʼát

that thing

yú Whitehorse {k}

in Whitehorse.

yit has ahéin ḵa

they claim it and

a káa yéi has jiné tsú, wé

they're working on it too, that

um, radio ḵa

um, radio and

television

company. Á áwé

company. So

has du jiyís yéi jix̱waanei

I worked for them

keejín táakw kanax̱ gíwé.

for maybe five years.

Yéi áwé

That is the way

yéi has adaané.

they are working on it.

Um, wé Lingít

Um, the Tlingit

has du een yóo x̱ʼax̱la.átgi neejín.

I used to speak with them.

Um, interviews yóo duwasáakw.

Um, theyʼre called interviews.

Á áwé ldakát um

That is why all of

kamdujixít.

it is written.

Ítdáx̱ áwé wé cassette tape kaadé yéi mdudzinee.

Afterward, it was put onto that cassette tape.

Wé tape ax̱ jeedé ách amdudziwóo.

They sent the tape to me.

Át x̱wasi.áx̱.

I listened to it.

Adax̱ áwé kax̱ladáalʼ wé yóo x̱ʼatánk.

Then I was typing the words.

Yan x̱wasaneeyí áwé,

When I finished it,

wé kax̱wshixidi xʼúxʼ,

the papers that I wrote,

has du jeedé ách ax̱wsawéinch.

I would send them to them.

Tle

Then

wé «Chiron» yóo duwasaagu washéen,

the machine named the "Chiron,"

aan áwé yéi has jinéi neech.

thatʼs what they would work with.

Chʼu tle wé sʼélʼ kaadé dutee neech, dleit ḵáa x̱ʼéináx̱ a káa kdudáalʼ.

And then they would put it onto the ???, they type on it in English.

Am, wé Lingít yóo x̱ʼatánk

Um, the Tlingit language

duwa.áx̱ch ḵa wé

is heard (or is playing) and that

yóo x̱ʼayatángi Lingít tsú, um,

person that is speaking too, um,

has du yahaayí

their image,

um, wé sʼélʼ kaadé duwatéen.

you can see them on the ???. [«sʼélʼ» ʼrubberʼ maybe ʼscreenʼ ?]

Um, a tayee áwé Dleit Ḵáa x̱ʼéináx̱

Underneath it in English

máa sá yaa yanaḵéin

what he is saying

á tsú a káa yéi yatee.

thatʼs on there too.

«Subtitling» yóo duwasáakw.

"Subtitling" it's called.

Á áwé {ax̱}

So then

ax̱ x̱úx̱ yéi yax̱wsiḵaa nisdaat, haa náḵ yeeỹ.aadí,

I said to my husband last night, when you folks left,

{a} «Gu.aal shé tsú has du {y} waḵshiyeet {kei m} kei yamtula.aadí wéitʼát,» yóo daayax̱aḵá.

"I hope we can present that thing so that they can see it," I say to him.

«Aa,» yóo ayamsiḵaa.

"Yes," he said (to me.)

Ách áwé chʼu tle

That's why

tsu yéi yax̱wsiḵaa,

I also said to him,

«Haat has wu.aadí seig̱ánin, máanxʼás

"If they come here tomorrow, maybe

has du waḵshiyee kei gax̱tula.áat.»

weʼll bring it out for them to see."

Um, ách áwé

That's why

ax̱ tuwáa sigóo yéi yee daayax̱aḵaayí

I would like to say to you folks

yee tuwáa sagoowú aa ỹsateení

that if you would like to see one of

wé i jeedé amli.adi át,

those things that he gave you,

káx̱ haat yeeỹ.aadí,

that you have come here for,

x̱ʼakḵwawóosʼ, wé washéen tóode {aan} aa ng̱atee máanxʼás aa nax̱la.aat.

I will ask him, maybe let him put one of them into the machine, let him get one of them.

Gúk. Time.

Go ahead. Time.

Dleit ḵáa x̱ʼéináx̱ déis.

English next.

Alice, uh, {tlél}

Alice,

(not) gonna go in Tlingit. I know you donʼt understand me, so Iʼll say, um, thanks, Alice, itʼs a good idea that you have had to do this, um, working on your project and recording it all. That way you have our voices. You have our, um, images. And, um, I also said that, a, some years ago I worked for our Native owned and operated radio and television company. They did a project much the same. Um, I would do the interviewing and I would speak to, or I would interview a speaker. And they would record the whole thing. And ah, then theyʼd take it back to Whitehorse and somebody would record the, the uh, show on a cassette tape. And the cassette tape was sent to me. Iʼd listen to it and transcribe it all and then Iʼd print it off and send the printed project back to, made out to the television company. And then theyʼd work on it on the machine called, uh, Chiron. And um, that puts the, the um, whole interview on, on tape. What would happen there is if they would, if I did the interview, then um, it was another speaker that worked with me. Weʼd go in to Whitehorse and weʼd watch the show. And weʼd see the, the um, translations going across the bottom of the film. And say theyʼd stop at «yéi kuna» at this time. Thatʼs where the image would change. And as soon as they said «yéi kuna», weʼd say, "Now." And they cut it off. So then, um then, the um, subtitling would stop at Now. And then the, the rest of the program would go on, and um. So then, the Tlingit is still audible but for those that donʼt understand, the subtitling is in there. Took quite a while but I think, [Recording ends here.]

Some Tips

Symobls used in the transcription

Software Used

Usage notes from Alice Taff