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Tlingit Conversation #45
Speakers are Dagé Winnie Atlin and Gusʼdutéen Bessie Jim, then at 15:53, Tank (also spelled Tánkʼ) Smith Katzeek and Ḵaakligé (also spelled Ḵaakligéi) Norman James. Recorded by Nakil.aan Mark Hans Chester August 14, 2010, at Carcross/Tagish First Nation Administration Building. Carcross, YT, Canada.
Tlingit transcription by X̱ʼaagi Sháawu Keri Eggleston. English translation by Shaksháani Margaret Dutson with Ljáaḵkʼ Alice Taff. Edited by Yeilt'ooch' Tláa Collyne Bunn.
Á áyá yaa kanajúx.
It's beginning to record.
Haa, góok.
Well, go ahead.
Daa sáwé i tuwáa sigóo?
What do you want?
Máa sé (sá) iduwasáakw?
What is your name?
X̱át gé?
Me?
Náagu.
Medicine.
Náagu, you wanna talk about náagu?
Medicine, you wanna talk about medicine?
Náakw.
Medicine.
Not naagú.
Not naagú.
Náa.
Medicine.
Náakw.
Medicine.
Náakw.
Medicine.
Lingít náakw.
Tlingit medicine.
Lingít náakw gí?
Tlingit medicine?
Daat ḵunáagu sáwé i tuwáa sigóo {i yi} yisikoowú? Áaa.
What kind of medicine do you want to know about? Yes.
X̱át, x̱at sakóo...
Me, me... [looking for the right words]
sakóo or...
[looking for the right words]
amsi... Ḵusa.áatʼ néegu.
Chest cold medicine.
Lkʼó̱ox̱ʼeit héeni áwé duná.
They drink balsam bark water (tea).
Lkʼó̱ox̱ʼeit.
Balsam bark.
What is that sko̱ox̱ʼeit?
What is that sko̱ox̱ʼeit?
Balsam tree bark.
[Winnie is referring to sub-alpine balsam fir, Abies lasiocarpa.]
Balsam tree bark.
You peel it, and then you boil, you donʼt boil it. You just put it in the water, put it in the pot, put it in the pot and {put} put that, and you just bring it to a boil, and then you put a tight lid on it. And you shut it off. Donʼt boil it. You just bring it to a boil. Just when it start[s], you set it off. And you put a cover on it really tight. And donʼt open that until itʼs cold enough to drink. Thatʼs for your cold, not only for cold, itʼs good for everything in your body. Oh, okay. I been using that as far as I could remember. My mom, and lot of people use it. And you can also use the pitch. Balsam pitch. That one you go and you take a can {you} and you sharpen up a stick or you take table knife. You pick them off the tree and you put it in that can. And when you bring it home you take all the bark and {little} all the dirt off of it. No dirt or nothing in it. And you put on the stove in a warm, just low heat. And itʼs going to melt. Itʼs going to melt and itʼs going to look just like butter. You stir it up with that wooden stick. And then if you got a sore some place in your arm, your ,wherever you get sore. Itʼs good for boil. You put that. And then you get piece of skin [hide] how big you, where youʼre going to put it. And you heat it up just warm enough to start spreading. It gets just soft when you heat it up. Just really soft. You use, always use the same stick.
[When Winnie talks about using the sharp stick, pieces of pitch from the tree can be scraped into your can. You can also poke holes in the balsam tree bark blisters so some of the pitch runs out into your can.]
Mhm.
Agreement.
You take so much off and you put it on this piece of skin. And you spread it around all over. And you let it cool off. Just warm enough so it wonʼt hurt you, it wonʼt burn you. And you put it on. And you can leave it on there for one or two days. And you take it off. That boil will be all gone. And you, people use it for a lot of other sores. You remember quite a while ago thereʼs, during the war, there was lot of sores going around, eh? My mom was really busy with that. That, in that, balsam pitch. {We} we call balsam pitch ointment.
Mhm
Lingít x̱ʼéináx̱ wáa dus-
Tlingit language, how -
wáa sá duwasáakw Lingít x̱ʼéináx̱,
In Tlingit what do you they call it,
wé balsam náagu?
that balsam medicine?
Náagu, náakw. Lkʼó̱ox̱ʼeit náakw.
Medicine. Medicine. Balsam medicine.
Skó̱ox̱ʼeit náakw.
Balsam medicine.
Lkʼó̱ox̱ʼeit.
Balsam
Skó̱ox̱ʼeit.
[trying to say the word for balsam]
Not "sko̱...", "lkʼó̱...".
Balsam.
Lkʼó̱ox̱ʼeit. Skó̱ox̱ʼeit
Balsam.
You keep using that "s".
L-s-kʼó̱ox̱ʼeit. [At shooḵ]
Balsam. [Laughter]
Daa igushki...??? [At shooḵ]
What you... ??? [Laughter]
I gushkaadé yan satí {wé} wéitʼaa.
Put that one on your lap.
Yáatʼaa i gushká yan satí.
Put this on your lap.
Yan satí, gunalchéesh.
Put it, thank you.
Aag̱áa áwé yáa,
Then this,
aadé yeeyaḵaa yá dleit ḵaa x̱ʼéináx̱,
what you said in English,
{chʼa, aa} chʼu shóogu áwé Lingít x̱ʼéináx̱ ḵu.aa.
say the same thing, however, in Tlingit.
Yáa aadé yéi,
The way,
aadé yéi daadunéi yé
the way they make it,
wé náakw. Lingít x̱ʼéináx.
the medicine. Tlingit Language. [Say it in the Tlingit language.]
Yéi ákwé? Áaa.
Is that right? Yes.
Gunalchéesh.
Thank you.
Haa yoo x̱ʼatángi Lingít x̱ʼéináx̱.
Our language, Tlingit.
{Itʼs yei} Lingít x̱ʼeináx̱ áwé yoo x̱ʼax̱aatánk.
Iʼm speaking Tlingit.
That medicine, that medicine. Tell me you know how you used to tell me to make it.
Mmm.
Yes.
What to use,
Lingít x̱ʼéináx̱,
in the Tlingit language,
i tuwáa sigóo.
you want.
Dzískʼu doogú.
Moose hide.
Dzískʼu doogú kaadé yéi daadunéi.
They put it on moose hide.
Tsá máa sá koogéi yá yanéegu yé, á yáx̱.
Then, as big as the affected area, like that.
Aag̱áa tsá wé náakw, aaá,
And then the medicine, yes,
satʼá.
warm it up.
Tlél ḵu.aa
But not
ḵúdáx̱ wutʼáayi. Áaa.
too hot. Yes.
Tsá yéng̱aa. [yáng̱aa]
Just enough.
Tle máa sá {tlíl-} tlíl aadé ikakg̱wagaani yé.
Then how- no way will it burn you.
Aag̱áa tsá wé,
And then,
lítaa een tsá wé,
then with a knife,
lítaa een a káa yéi kg̱isanéi wéitʼaa doogú ká. Mmm.
youʼll spread it on that hide with a knife. [Agreement]
A káa tsá aadé kg̱eetée wé yanéegu yé.
Thatʼs how youʼll put it on the affected area.
Sometime {um} wáayteeyi déix̱ yagiyee, yéi áwé tléixʼ yagee
Sometimes, sometimes two days, one day
káa tsá tsu aadáx̱ gag̱eetée.
on, then again youʼll take it off.
Tsu kg̱isatʼáa.
You'll warm it up again.
Tlax̱ kʼidéin wutʼaayí tsu aadé kg̱eetée. Áaa.
When you get it nice and warm, youʼll put it back on again.
Kei kg̱wanéix̱ wéit.
It will get well there.
Máa sá duwasáakw wéit?
What do you call it, there?
Xʼees yéi dusáagun.
Boil they used to call it. [an infection, swelling]
Wéidáx̱ áwé boil mmhm yéi kg̱eetée aa.
After that youʼll put it back on the boil.
Ḵa weitʼaa
And that thing,
yá sometimes áwé káa, {g̱a} tsá xʼoon s, chʼa goo sé káa g̱aa...
sometimes on it, only then how many, just on where for it...
aah, máa sá duwasáakw?
ah, how do they call it?
Chʼa goo sá yanéekw
Wherever it hurts
a káxʼ yéi du.úx̱xʼ.
they put it on it.
Haaw. De hóochʼ áwé wé
Well. Now that's all
lkʼó̱ox̱ʼeit aayí.
about that balsam.
Aaá.
Yes.
Yakʼéi. Ḵa daaḵw.aa sá? Ahuh. Ahuh.
That's good. And what else? [Agreement]
Tlél ḵushusgé i tuwáa sigóo.
He doesnʼt know what you want.
I donʼt know {what} what he wants to talk about. Anything. You can talk about your other medicines, your sewing. Itʼs got to be for an hour? An hour?
For as long as you would like to.
Mhm.
What if I canʼt shut up?
Thatʼs good. Thatʼs good. [At shooḵ]
[Laughter]
Dáanaa tlein i jeedé jigax̱duḵéi. [At shooḵ]
Theyʼll pay you big money. [Laughter]
Iʼll just stay here all night then.
[At shooḵ]
[Laughter]
Yakʼéi x̱áawé. [At shooḵ]
That's real good. [Laughter]
Ha, góok.
Go ahead.
Auntie, you ever hear about that story they talk about? That, uh, how that killer whale came to be.
Tlél haa shagóoni áwé wé killerwhale. Oh, okay.
The killer whale isnʼt our ancestor. [our history]
Weitʼaa du shagóoni áwé, ḵa wa.é.
That one, it's his ancestor, and you.
Uhuh. OK.
Cause I heard a story long time ago. Auntie Miss Nyman tell me about. Where {that} that boy, that family, his family. He went out hunting in this ocean. And somehow his brothers they were jealous of him, they say. And they said {he} he pass away out there. But he never. They say, she say, he live on a island. He go, he live on a island. And he come back. He sneak back sometime, to check on those people. And his brothers took over everything of his. And they said, he live on that island, they said, out of that driftwood or cedar, whatever. They say he carve, carved that whale. And he put that whale in the water, and that whale come to life, they say, he started swim around. And she said the first time that whale, he kill people. He kill those, his brothers off, after what they did to him. {He got} he went and got his brothers. That killer whale, they say, killed that brothers. And then he tell that killer whale, "From here," he say, "from here on in, youʼre not going to kill another human being, ever again." And that was part of that story about how that killer whale come to be. Thatʼs what Auntie Miss Nyman. You know her, Mrs. Nyman, from Atlin? Yeah. She tell me that. But I canʼt remember parts of it. But she said about that killer whale. And then I think about it. Not too long ago they say that killer whale kill somebody {in} in Vancouver, training. One of those people training.
Done something wrong probably.
And he kill that person. And thatʼs not too long ago. And Auntie Miss Nyman say that legend say that killer whaleʼs not supposed to kill another human being, after what he did. So I donʼt know. Thatʼs the story but...
Lingít x̱ʼéináx̱.
Tlingit language.
You want to talk? Or ...
{Iʼm} Iʼm not going to talk about whale because...
Yeah, well talk about whatever you want.
I might say something else and then uh,
Could she talk about her sewing, Gook. tell story du daḵéisʼi daat yú tell me story, tell me story in Lingít, everything, like that?
Go ahead. About her sewing.
Ask me, "How did you learn to sew?"
How did you learn to do your sewing, Auntie, long time {a}, like you know, when you started, when you were a young girl?
It took a long time.
Lingít x̱ʼéináx̱.
Tlingit language.
Áaa.
Yes.
Tsu yéi x̱at kwsagéinkʼi wé ax̱ tláa ax̱ ée astéewun [altéewun]
When I was little, my mother used to teach me
wéitʼaa, téel duḵéisʼi. Áaa.
that thing, moccasin sewing. Yes.
Shuxʼáanáx,̱ yéi koogéi, téel. Áaa.
At first, this size, slippers. Yes.
Kaaxwáa...
Eventually...
yaa nalgéin, yaa nalgéin kaaxwáa tle yéi koogéi.
bigger and bigger, eventually then to this size.
Uh-huh.
Chʼa goo sá tlél a yáx̱ x̱waaḵáayí,
Wherever I didn't sew it right,
ḵaashaxáshaa aan, yáat, tés. Áaa.
with scissors, here, thread. [could also be sinew] Yes.
Anaxáshch chʼa ldakát.
Sheʼd always cut it all up.
Áaa.
Yes.
Tsé tsu, «Góok,
And just only then, “Go ahead,
tsu,
again,
kuna.aaḵw!» yéi x̱at daayaḵá.
try it,” sheʼd tell me.
{Some t} some times awultsʼen. ???
Sometimes she left me alone.???
Tlél ax̱ tuwáa ushgú. X̱ag̱áax̱, x̱ag̱áax̱ neech. Áaa.
I didn't want to. I would always cry and cry. Yes.
«Góok, wa.é déi, góok. Try, and sew.
“Go ahead, you now, go ahead. Try and sew.
Kuna.aaḵw!
Try it!
Góok.
Go ahead.
Kuna.aaḵw dé!
Try it again now!
Yeisú.»
Right now.”
Sometimes, keijín times,
Sometimes, five times,
anaxáshch. Aaa.
she would cut it. Yes.
Kaaxwáa yaa nagéin, yaa nagéin, kei nakʼéin, kei nakʼéin. «Góok yeeyadlaaḵ.»
Eventually, it's getting bigger and bigger, and getting better and better. “Go ahead. You did it.”
«Yeeyadlaaḵ.»
“You did it.”
Aag̱áa ax̱ toowú kʼéi neech {ax̱-} «Chʼa daa sá,
Then I would feel great. “Whatever, [she wanted to sew],
góok, chʼa daa sá {a- ts-}
go ahead, whatever
góok, dáanaa gwéil tsú ḵá!
go ahead, sew a money bag! [a purse]
Góok, dáanaa gwéil ax̱ jeeyís.»
Go ahead, a purse for me.”
Wé xʼúxʼ ayanaxáshch.
She would cut it out of paper.
Aag̱áa áwé, chʼa x̱át,
And then, just me,
chʼa x̱át tléináx̱.
just only by myself.
«Góok, yéi áwé kg̱isanée ḵa yéi, góok.
“Go ahead, youʼll do it that way, and that [way], go ahead.
Kuna.aaḵw.»
Try it.”
Tlél sgóonde x̱waagoot.
I didn't go to school.
Ax̱ éesh tlél ayáx̱ téeyin.
My dad wasn't right. [Something used to be wrong with him.]
Chʼáakw,
Long ago,
polio yéi dusáagun, néekw.
polio they used to call it, the sickness.
Áwé chʼa yées ḵáax̱ siteeyí polio du jee yéi wootee.
While he was still young he got polio.
Gushé máa x̱at kuligéi sá x̱wasakóowun aag̱áa
I wonder how big I was when I knew
hospital-dáx̱ haat ḵuwatín ax̱ éesh.
my dad came back here from the hospital.
Tlél át woogoot.
He couldn't walk.
Chʼa ldakát yéide Lingít náagu has du jee yéi téeyin, Lingít,
They used to have all kinds of Tlingit medicine, the Tlingit,
chʼáakw. Ah huh.
long ago. [Agreement]
Wé lkʼó̱ox̱ʼeit héeni ḵa wé sʼáxtʼ héeni gushé daat.
That balsam tea, that and devilʼs club tea, I wonder about it.
Á áwé,
So,
ax̱ tláa woosh kaanáx̱ has wudi.aat chʼa ldakát Lingít,
my mother and her family got together with all the Tlingit,
náakw een. Áaa.
with medicine. Yes.
Aadáx̱, gúshé máa sá
From that, I wonder how
xʼoon táakw sá kwshéwé yeisú
many years it was perhaps until
du latseení du jeedé yaa nagút {du-} du x̱ʼoos x̱oo. Hmm.
his strength began coming back to his legs.
Kaaxwáa át woogoot.
And see, he started walking.
Yisikóowun ax̱ éesh. Áaa.
You knew my dad. Yes.
Wootsaag̱áa een át nagútch. Áaa, áaa.
He used to always walk with a cane. Yes. Yes.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Ách áwé tlél sgóonde x̱waagoot, ax̱ éesh
That's why I didn't go to school, my dad
tlél ayáx̱ téeyin, {ax̱-} ax̱ kéekʼ ḵustéeyin.
he wasnʼt right (well), and I used to have my little sister.
Yáa Carcross yéi haa yatee. Mhm.
We were living in Carcross. Mhm.
Ax̱ tláa chʼa tlákw yéi jiné, áaa,
My mother worked a lot, yes,
wéit ax̱ éesh tlél ayáx̱ uteeyí.
because my dad was unable.
Ḵa ax̱ éekʼ tsú, oh,
And my brother too, oh,
White Pass yéi jiné du jeet aawatée.
White Pass gave him a job.
Tsu yeisú
Still yet
atkʼiyátskʼux̱ wusitee chʼa aan áwé, áaa,
he was a child, however,
wé {ax̱ tláa-} ax̱ éesh tlél ayáx̱ uteeyí. Ah hah.
it was because my dad was disabled. [Agreemeent]
Ách áwé chʼa tlákw x̱adaḵéisʼin.
That's why I always sewed.
Yá yeedát ḵu.aa tlax̱ kʼidéin x̱adaḵéisʼ, ax̱ shagóonix̱ wusitee. Aa hah.
Now however, I sew very well, it was my living. Yes.
Chʼa daa sá x̱waahooní,
Whatever I sold,
yá téel dax̱ x̱waahooní, ax̱ tláa yéí daayax̱aḵá neech, «Gunalchéesh ax̱ tláa,» ḵa «kʼidéin x̱at yisiwát.» Mm.
whenever I sold the slippers, I would always say to my mother, “Thank you mother,” and “you really raised me right.”
{Tlél a x̱at} tlél a kát x̱at seiwuxʼaaḵw. Áaa.
And I didn't forget it. Yes.
Chʼa daa sá
Whatever
yáa {ax̱-} ax̱ éexʼ {a x̱a s} at stéewu aa, [at latóowu aa]
the things she teaches me,
aan ḵustí, yéi daax̱anéi yeedát.
I make a living out of it now.
Yáatʼaa ax̱ x̱ánaa tsú tlél a yáx̱ utí de, déix̱ táakw yaa shunaxíx du neil yéi téeyi. Mhm.
And my husband is also not doing too well now, going on the better of two years heʼs been at home. [Two years have passed, heʼs been at home.]
Yakʼéi gé?
Is it good?
Haa, góok.
Well, go ahead.
Na hóochʼ dé?
Is that all?
Hóochʼ ákwé? Mhm. Áaa.
Is that all?
Chʼáakw yan x̱at uwanéi.
I've been ready long ago.
[At shooḵ]
[Laughter]
Chʼa yéi gugéinkʼ ax̱ een sh kaneelneek
Tell me a little bit
chʼáakw aadé téeyi yé
about how things were long ago
yisikoowú.
that you know.
X̱aan sh kakg̱eelneek aag̱áa áwé
You'll tell me and then
ax̱ aayí,
mine,
yáax̱ át ḵux̱waatín yé,
here, where I traveled,
yee een kakḵwanéek.
I'm going to tell you.
Yéi áwé has du tuwáa sigóo ldakát át Lingít x̱ʼéináx̱ yú.á.
They want everything in Tlingit, they say.
Lingít x̱ʼéináx̱.
In Tlingit language.
Aaá. Ah, yú chʼáagudáx̱
Yes. From long ago
yéi x̱at gusagéinkʼi dáx̱,
from when I was little,
áxʼ yéi x̱at yateeyin yáat.
I used to live here.
Áxʼ áwé x̱at uwawát yáat.
I grew up here.
X̱at wududziwát
I was raised
ax̱ léelkʼu hés, [hás]
by my grandparents,
ax̱ aat hés. [hás]
by my [paternal] aunts.
Hés áwé
It was they
Lingít yoo x̱ʼwatángi [x̱ʼatángi] ax̱ ée s awlitóowun.
who taught me the Tlingit language.
A x̱oo aa, ḵu.a áwé, ḵut kei naxíx, {chʼas chʼas } chʼas áwé át x̱alayéix̱.
Some of it, however, is getting lost, just only I use Tlingit.
Aaá.
Yeah.
Ach áwé ḵut kei naxíx, yéi áwé.
Thatʼs why we're losing some of it. [Thatʼs why itʼs getting lost.]
A daa yaa tux̱waatee.
I think about it. [I care about it.]
Yá haa shuxʼwaadé
The ones before us
yaa na.át aa, haa dachx̱ánkʼi hés
the ones going along, our grandchildren,
has du ya.áak kʼidéin át yateeyi, yóo tliyaa.
thereʼs a good place for them, over yonder.
Aaá.
Yes.
Gwál násʼk jinkaat táakw shákdé
Maybe thirty years, perhaps
daaxʼoon jinkaat táakw,
forty years,
tlél yanóokw, [yanéekw]
there was no sickness,
has du ya.áak át téeni.
when thereʼs room for them.
Aaá.
Yes.
Á áwé
And that's when
aax̱ aandéi sax̱waahéi.
from there I want some to go to the land.
Á tín áwé,
Itʼs with that,
«Haa éet yidashí,» yéi s daayaduḵá,
“Help us,” people tell them,
{yéi s daa-} yéi has x̱ʼagax̱duwóosʼ.
people ask them.
Yá daaḵkaḵwáan áwé x̱at sitee, x̱át.
I am of the interior Tlingit people, me.
Áaa.
Yes.
Ḵa yú éilʼ kaadáx̱ tsú, ḵwáan.
And of the coastal Tlingit people too.
Haa x̱ooní,
Our family,
een kík.aa x̱ooní yéi s sitee.
they are our close family.
Uhuh.
Uhuh.
Ax̱ léelkʼu {yéi ax̱ ee-} ax̱ een yéi kaneegín,
My grandpa used to tell me,
«Yee een aaxʼw yéi yatee yóo tliyaa, éilʼ yaax̱.»
“Your kinsmen [family] live over yonder there, alongside the ocean.”
Ah huh.
[agreement]
Uháan ḵu.aa áwé daaḵká áwé haa uwawát.
We however grew up in the interior.
Át shákdé
Maybe that's why
yoosh [woosh] yáa ayatoowanéi,
we respect each other,
yóo éilʼká ḵwáan ḵa yáa daaḵkaḵwáan.
the coastal people and interior people. [yonder coastal people and these interior people]
Mmhmm.
[agreement]
Chʼa tlákw áwé haa x̱ooní chʼa daaḵw,aa sé,
Always, our family, whichever one,
haa x̱ooní yéi yatee.
are our family.
Uhuh.
[agreement]
Lingítx̱ siteeyí haa x̱ooní yéi yatee.
Tlingit people are our family.
X̱a, góok. Wa.é.
Go ahead. Your turn.
{uhu} Uháan tsú yéi haa yatee.
We are that way too.
Aaa.
Yes.
Tléixʼ haa yatee, Lingítx̱ haa sateeyí.
We are one, we are Tlingit people.
Áaa.
Yes.
Yeewháan wóosh tin.
You folks and us together.
Wóosh tin yéi jitooneiyí
When we work together
kei gux̱latseen haa yoo x̱ʼatángi.
our language will be strong.
Aaa.
Yes.
Áyá káx̱ áyá haat ḵux̱waatín, x̱át.
This is what I came here for, me.
Aaa.
Yes.
Aadé yee toowú {i} yateeyi yé
The way you guys feel
haa een kakg̱eenéek,
you'll tell us,
aag̱áa neilxʼ dultíni
and then people watch it at home
yáatʼát kaadé.
on this thing (recording).
Gax̱duskóo
People will know
wáa sá i toowú teeyí,
the way you feel,
aag̱áa woosh eedé gax̱tudashée.
and then we will help each other.
{Yéi-} yéi áwé
That's the way
yóo, daaḵkaadé yaa s na.ádi ax̱ léelkʼu hás,
over there, my grandparents, when theyʼre going to the interior [to B.C. and the Yukon in Canada],
yéi s x̱ʼayaḵáayin,
they used to say,
«Áx̱ yaa gax̱yi.áat aa
“The ones who will be walking along [the trail] there,
áx̱ yaa gax̱yi.áat yé áa yánde yaa ntusanein. Aag̱áa áwé át yee woowáadi, yeewháan tsú áx̱ yaa gax̱yi.áat.»
the places youʼll be going along [the way to the interior], we're preparing it. And so when you get old enough, you too will be walking that trail.”
Hél ḵwa yéi wutí,
That isn't the way it was though,
át wooḵoox̱ú át kát.
they drove to it [in a vehicle].
Áwé, haax̱ tooḵoox̱.
And so, we drive here.
Hél ḵaa x̱ʼoos kát áwé, yoo uwa.átk de. [At shooḵ]
Nobody goes by foot anymore. [Laughter]
[At shooḵ] A yáaláx̱ [yáanáx̱] áa, áaa,
[Laughter] Too much there, yes,
{ḵu} ḵuyachʼáalʼxʼ.
itʼs overgrown there. [Too many willows. ]
Áyá
And so
x̱át tsú, ax̱ tuwáa sigóo i x̱ʼéidáx̱ x̱wa.aax̱í, wáa sá téeyin chʼáakw
me too, I want to hear from you, what things were like long ago
kei inawádi.
when you were growing up.
X̱át tsú,
Me too,
uháan tsú, haa,
us too, our,
haa jín dux̱íchx̱in
they used to hit our hands
yáa {ḵá-} ḵaa ée dultóowu yé.
where they were teaching us.
Lingít x̱ʼéináx̱ x̱ʼaydataaní,
If you spoke Tlingit,
i jín dultʼáchx̱in.
they used to slap your hand.
Ḵa úsʼaa tín i laká
And with soap inside your mouth
du.úsʼgin.
they used to wash it out.
Yáa {haat daa} haa daanéiyin yé,
This is what they used to do to us at that place.
yáa, áxʼ,
this, there,
school-xʼ áyá.
at school.
Hél yéi at utí yeedát.
It's not that way now.
Yáa yées kei nawát aa,
These youngsters who are growing up,
adátxʼi,
children,
has du ée dultóow Lingít x̱ʼéináx̱ yoo x̱ʼatánk.
they're teaching them the Tlingit language.
Woosh yáa awudané has du ée tulatóowu.
We're teaching them respect for each other.
Ḵa yáa woowáadi aa ḵu.oo,
And these elders,
«Has du yaa ayag̱anéi yáa.»
“Respect them.”
Yéi áyá {has du- has-} has du een katoonéek.
This is what we tell them.
«Chʼa wa.é {sháa-} sh yáa ayudayéini [awudanéiyi], áwé.
“You, a respectable [self-respecting] person.
Kei x̱ʼagux̱latseen.»
It's going to be valuable.”
Ách áwé has du een katoonéek.
That's what we tell them.
{aam} Hás tsú.
They too.
Mmm. Yeeháan, yoox̱ʼeela.átgi,
[Agreement] You folks, when you talk,
chʼa g̱óot yéide du.aax̱jin at {has du} has du gúk yík.
it sounds different to them in their ears.
Ách áwé, wóosh teen yoo x̱ʼatuli.átk.
That's why we're talking to each other.
Aag̱áa gax̱duskóo chʼu shóogu
Then theyʼll know itʼs the same
Lingít, wooch yáx̱ yoo x̱ʼayatánk.
Tlingit, all the same [Tlingit] they are speaking.
Tlél a g̱óotʼaa utí.
Itʼs not a different one.
Ldakát ḵáa yéí x̱ʼayaḵáa nooch ḵut kei naxíx.
Everyone always says it's being lost.
X̱át ḵu.aa, yéi x̱ʼayax̱aḵá
As for me, I say
hél aadé ḵut gug̱aaxeexi yé.
thereʼs no way it will be lost.
Ḵushtuyáx̱, chʼáakw,
No matter, long ago,
hél yoo x̱ʼadutángináx̱ kei kg̱waxéex.
only through people not speaking it will it be lost.
{Chʼa} Chʼa aadóo sá x̱ʼéide
Whoever
gag̱ee.áax̱
you will listen to,
Lingít yoo x̱ʼatángi.
[in the] Tlingit language.
Áyá,
So,
ách áwé ḵúnáx̱ has du ée dultóow.
that's why theyʼre really being taught.
Yáatʼaa,
This one,
{yei kal aa} wéitʼát yaa kanaljúx,
thatʼs running that thing, [referring to Naakil.aan doing the video recording]
a yís
for that,
sgóont uwagút, Lingít x̱ʼéináx̱,
he went to school, Tlingit language,
ax̱sakóowut.
so he would know it.
Áa yeedát ḵaa ée at latóow. Áaa.
Now heʼs teaching people there. Yes.
Adátxʼi ée at latóow.
Heʼs teaching the children.
Hél yéi x̱wají
I didnʼt think
ax̱ daat.
it was about me.
Hél ax̱ daat át áwé {yéi ax̱-} yéi ax̱ toowú yatee.
It was none of my business, I thought.
Aag̱áa áwé tsá ax̱ jeet has x̱ʼawditán.
Then I got a call. [They called me on the phone.]
«Haa een gé kg̱eeḵóox̱?»
“Will you go with us?”
A daa yoo tux̱aatánk.
I thought about it.
Hóochʼ aayí ax̱ jeet has x̱ʼawdataaní áyá,
When I got the last call,
«Góok» yéi yax̱waaḵaa.
I said, “Go ahead.”
Áaa. Ax̱ tuwáa sigóo x̱a.aax̱í,
I wanted to hear,
á x̱áach ix̱ʼax̱wa.aax̱í yé,
myself, I [wanted to] hear you here,
yeewháan {yoo-} i yoo x̱ʼatángi.
you guys, your language.
Ḵa wáa sá duwasáakw yá áa yéi yateeyí yé Lingít x̱ʼéináx̱?
And what do they call this place in Tlingit?
Ḵa yá áa ká?
And on this lake?
Á áwé, ax̱ tuwáa sigóo x̱wasakoowú.
That is what I wanted to know.
Ax̱ éesh {haa-} haa een kanéegín
My dad used to tell us
gooxʼ sá yaa s na.ádi
wherever they were walking
wé áa x̱ʼayaax̱
along the lake shore
{aat-} wáa sá dusáagun.
what they used to call it.
Kát x̱at seiwaxʼáḵw
I forgot
{hél- la- la-} ldakát.
all of them.
Áyá
That's
a káx̱ x̱á haat ḵux̱waatín,
what I came here for, you see,
woosh jin yéi jinax̱tudaneiyít.
so that we can work together.
Yáaxʼ,
Here,
yáaxʼ yéi haa yatee yéi áwé.
right here we live.
Lingít x̱ʼéináx̱
In Tlingit
Naataasahéen.
[place name for Carcross]
Naataasahéen.
[place name for Carcross]
Yéi áwé s ayasáagun.
That's what they used to call it.
Aahá.
Yes.
Chʼa tlákw áwé
Always
a daa yoo s x̱ʼali.átgin,
they used to talk about it,
has du shagóon daat ét [át].
their cultural history.
Aaá.
Yes.
Ḵa has du yátxʼi een tsú, has du dachx̱ánxʼi een has at kanéegin chʼa tlákw.
And with their children too, with their grandchildren, they always used to tell about it.
Aaá.
Yes.
Yéi x̱at gusagéinkʼi
When I was little,
yóo chʼáagu ḵáawu dax̱ siteeyí aayí s x̱ʼax̱waa.áx̱jin.
I used to hear these two elders.
Chʼu gootʼa sé neil,
Everywhere at home,
chʼu gootʼa sé yoo x̱ʼéináx̱ has woo.aadí,
everywhere they were in the language, walking,
chʼu tlei at shooḵ kʼidéin at naneech yáaxʼ. [at shooḵ]
suddenly laughter would really break out here.
Aaá. Hé!
Yes. [Laughs]
Chʼa tlákw áwé yéi s x̱aatéenin.
That's the way I always used to see them.
Aahá.
Yes.
Tlákw has... tlél daa sá chʼa tlákw áwé has sagóo.
They always... for no reason, they were always happy.
Sagóowu ét [át].
Joy.
Aaá.
Yes.
Hás, sagóo,
Them, joy,
de has du toowú,
already inside them, [they felt joy]
has du toowú téenin chʼa tlákw.
they always used to be happy.
Aaá.
Yes.
Tlél xʼáan has a.óowun.
They didnʼt used to have anger.
Tléikʼ, x̱á.
Nope, for sure.
{Áyá s} Á xʼáan shákdé has a.óowun, tlél át has alyeix̱.
Well maybe they had anger, but they didnʼt use it.
Aaá.
Yes.
Tlél ushkʼé ách áwé,
Itʼs bad, thatʼs why,
tlél át has alyeix̱.
they donʼt use it.
Yéi áwé,
That's the way,
yéi áwé {haa-} ax̱ een akanéegin ax̱ léelkʼw.
that's the way my grandpa used to tell it to me.
Aahá.
Yes.
Gwál ldakát uháan yéi haa téeyin x̱á.
Maybe all of us used to be that way.
Tléikʼ.
No.
Lishoog̱u át tin.
With laughter.
Ḵu.éexʼ yéi wdusnéiyi, yéi {a daa} daadunéi yeedát
When they have a ḵu.éexʼ [a memorial ceremony, a potlatch] now, they work on it
ḵúnáx̱ wóoshtin.
all together.
Yeah.
Yeedát ḵwa áwé,
Now though,
gushé toodáx̱ sá hás dei???
I donʼt know where theyʼre coming from now.
Daaḵw.aa náakw sáyá has du tóot uwaxeex yeedát? {Aa}
What kind of medicine is going to help now? [What kind of medicine is on their minds now?]
Chʼa tlákw yoosh has ḵoolx'án neech.
Theyʼre always making each other angry.
Aaá.
Yes.
Chʼáagu ḵáawu tlél yéi has yatéeyin.
The older people weren't that way.
Aaá.
Yes.
Chʼa tlákw áwé at shooḵ tóot has ḵéenin.
They always used to sit in laughter.
Ax̱ léelkʼu yéi x̱at daayaḵáayin,
My grandfather used to tell me,
«Tlél keelaxʼáni,
“Donʼt be angry with them,
{chʼa- chʼu-} chʼa aadéi sá, aadóo sá,
wherever, whoever,
ḵukeelixʼaaní,»
when youʼre angry with someone,”
yéi x̱at daayaḵá ax̱ léelkʼw.
this is what my grandpa told me.
«Wáanáx̱ sáyá
“How is it
i éede gux̱dashée?
going to help you?
{Déix̱ táakw yáanáx̱ de- de- } Déix̱ táakw de shuwaxeex
Two years have gone by now
{aw-} aax̱ keelixʼáni yé.
since youʼve been angry at them.
Hú a éede gux̱dashéen.
Itʼs going to help him.
Haaw yeedát ḵu.aa, wáa sá,
But right now, how,
x̱ʼagag̱eewóosʼ
you should ask
i eet gux̱dasheeyi sákw.
it will help you.
Ách áwé tlél ushkʼé ḵukawdulxʼaaní.»
That's why it's not good to be angry with people.”
Aaá.
Yes.
Yéi áwé has x̱at daayaḵáayin,
That's what they used to tell me,
haa léelkʼu hás ḵa ax̱ léelkʼw.
our grandparents and my grandfather.
Hindag̱áat yéi dusáagun.
Hindag̱áat was his name.
Yáadu át. Shuxʼ dé.
Thatʼs it. The end.
Haaw. Kát x̱at seixʼáaḵwch wáa sá yakḵwaḵaayí. [At shooḵ]
Well. I keep forgetting what I'm going to say.
{Ah, x̱át-} Ah, x̱át tsú yéi x̱at woonee.
That happens to me too.
Aaá.
Yes.
Yáa áa yaax̱ yaa tooḵóox̱ji ḵúnáx̱ shaklig̱éi yee aaní.
When we drive along the lake shore, your country is really beautiful.
Haa toowáxʼ yéi shaklig̱éi. Áaa.
Itʼs beautiful to us. [We feel itʼs beautiful.] Yes.
{Haa léelkʼu éet-} Haa léelkʼu hás eetínáx̱ haa wootee.
We are without our grandparents. [We need our grandparents.]
Yéi ax̱ tuwatee nuch.
That's how I always feel.
{Hél-} Hél aa tsú ḵoostí,
There arenʼt any left [living],
een yaa x̱ʼagax̱yila.aat ḵáa.
people for you to converse with [in Tlingit].
Ách áwé katoo.aaḵw.
That's why we try.
{Yánde yaa s natoo-} yánde yaa s anasnéin yáa
They're making these
haa yátxʼi ḵa haa dachx̱ánxʼi sáani jeeyís yáa
for our children and our grandchildren
shkalneek.
these stories.
Aag̱áa áwé,
Then,
át has awulg̱einí has agux̱sakóo.
when they see it, they will know it.
Has akakg̱wa.aaḵw,
They will try it,
Lingít x̱ʼéináx̱ yoo x̱ʼatánk.
speaking the Tlingit language.
Tatgé tliyaakádin
The day before yesterday,
Teslin, or, not Teslin, ah,
Áatlein.
Atlin.
Atlin,
át wutuwaḵúx̱.
we drove there.
Haa x̱ʼéix̱ at wuduwatee.
They fed us.
Atyátxʼi áyá haa waḵshiyeexʼ daak uwa.át has at shí
The children appeared, came out singing for us
Lingít x̱ʼéináx̱.
in Tlingit.
Áwé yátʼaa hás tsú,
And this, they too,
yú adátxʼi yán has at kaawashee áyá áa daak has uwa.át hás tsú.
those kids came out and sang too.
Lingít x̱ʼéináx̱ «Goosú wa.é?» yéi shukdulx̱ux̱sʼ.
In Tlingit they sang, “Where are you?” calling forth a response. [This type of happy song is composed for the opposite clan or side, often requiring a response.]
X̱ʼashí,
That song,
yéi kwsigéinkʼi shaatkʼátskʼu,
a small girl,
Yeah.
yan at wudusheeyí á,
when they got through singing there,
{áa- áa- gáan-} gáant woogoot
she went outside
{atshí wé} atshí tsu. [At shooḵ]
singing still. [Laughter]
Áyá {haa-} yéi áwé haa tóog̱aa nateech.
That's how we like it.
Wáang̱aneens áwé,
Sometimes,
tléixʼdahéen has aawa.aax̱í tle
they just heard it once
has du gúk yax̱ kawlixáat a yáx̱ nateech.
and itʼs like it sticks to their ears.
Áyá,
So,
ḵunáx̱ haa toowú sigóo {aadé}
it made us very happy, how
aadé at shí yé yá shaatkʼátskʼu.
the way the little girl sang.
Á chʼa ayáx̱ áwé,
Thatʼs just it,
ix̱ʼax̱waa.áx̱ch, ax̱ x̱ooní.
I heard you, my friend.
Tlax̱ kʼidéin ax̱ toowú yakʼéi
I feel really good
aadé x̱ʼax̱waa.áx̱ji yé.
about what Iʼm hearing.
Haandé i jín.
Give me your hand.
Gunalchéesh. Gunalchéesh.
Thank you. Thank you.
Wa.é tsú, gunalchéesh.
You too, thank you.
Naxaash.
Cut it. [Turn it off.]
[At shooḵ] Áwé hee!
[Laughter] [Smitty makes a sawing motion with his hands.]
Wa.éich i aayí naxaash.
You cut it, itʼs yours.
[At shooḵ] Are you off the air? Yaa.
[Laughter]
Yeah.
What else?
That young lady was really surprising. Just a little kid. Just heard the song once and she was singing it after that.
Yeah. Yeah. [At shooḵ]
You guys, i tuwáa gé sigóo tsu yoo x̱ʼagax̱tula.aat? Yáatʼaa,
You guys, do you want that we still talk more? This thing,
tlél ushkʼé yáa
itʼs not good, this
{x̱ʼee-} x̱ʼeigwátl. Ha.é.
voice, voice rolling. Darn! [the recorder]
Gwál yakʼéi áyá.
Maybe thatʼs good.
Going down.
Ha.é!
Darn it!
It donʼt want to stay there.
Kaawalʼéexʼ.
It broke.
[inaudible] [At shooḵ]
[inaudible] [Laughter]
Whatʼs that?
Can you hear him alright {when} when itʼs that way?
Iʼve had to adjust the volume a lot but hopefully that.
Ḵúnáx̱ áwé yakʼéi i sé. [At shooḵ]
Your voice is really good. [Laughter]
Yeah.
Sounds good.
Gwál ldakát yeewháan gé yee tuwáa sigóo woosh x̱oodé yoo...
Maybe all of you, do you want to among yourselves...
Yeah, trade off once in a while. Give me time to think what else I can talk about.
Or if you guys would like to, I could set this one microphone up and the four of you could talk.
Atskanée!
Yikes!
What do you think?
Yeah.
Héeng̱aa nax̱too.aat.
Let's get some water.
New break. {At shooḵ]
[Laughter]
Gunalchéesh áwé.
Thank you so much.
You got it?
Okay now?
Do you need me to move anything off the table?
Yeah, my phone. Water?
[inaudible] dei.
[inaudible] now.
Gunalchéesh. Oh, that looks good. Okay.
Thanks.
Yakʼéi áwé.
Thatʼs good.
Let me know when youʼre ready. You guys want to relax for another minute?
Let me catch my breath.
Eelsáa.
Rest.
Góok. {Ha wáa} How do you say, "Iʼll rest?"
Go ahead.
Kukḵwalsáa.
I'm going to rest.
Kukḵwalsáa.
I'm going to rest.
I want to rest.
For a couple days anyway.
[At shooḵ]
[Laughter]
Wait til you get home. Yeah. [At shooḵ]
My wife will put me to work when I get there.
"Vacationʼs over," sheʼs going to tell me.
[At shooḵ]
[Laughter]
So howʼs your wife?
Doing all right.
Good.
Taking care of the smokehouse while Iʼm gone.
Oh, boy.
Gwál haa gug̱waláaxw a ítdáx̱. [At shooḵ]
Maybe weʼll be starving afterwards. [Laughter]
[At shooḵ] Wonʼt even give me any.
[Laughter]
Weʼre going to be, hungry, weʼve been fed so well.
Yeah. That one day we ate three times, two hours apart.
[At shooḵ]
[Laughter]
Had breakfast and then lunch and then supper all at, two hours apart.
Ooh, no.
And today I got done eating, Iʼm sleepy now.
Aaá.
Yes.
Yeah. That was good, good lunch.
I donʼt know. I donʼt know what you folks want to talk about.
I donʼt know. Tell us about yourself.
I just told you. My vacationʼs over.
[At shooḵ]
[At shooḵ]
Yeah. {Itʼs hard} Itʼs hard to think.
Yeah. Aw. Sometimes they tell us two, three days ahead and then you can figure it out, {what} what itʼs all about, eh.
Yeah. But then it donʼt work.
Oh, yeah it does. [At shooḵ]
[Laughter]
Yeah, when you come theyʼre going to, then I forget what Iʼm supposed to say.
Yeah. {At shooḵ]
[Laughter]
Or, either that or they leave town.
People talking way down the other end of the table there, and when it come time for me to say something, I forgot what I was going to say.
Or what you were going to ask. Itʼs a...
Itʼs my first time in your country.
Oh, yeah? Oh, really? Yeah.
Never been here.
Well, youʼre welcome here anyway.
{I hear} I hear lot about it but I never make it to come here.
Yeah.
How far you ever been?
I live in Haines. Just no time. Iʼm helping out with the Lingít language.
Oh yeah.
Yeah.
Thatʼs where I want to go.
Yeah.
I want to go there for about two weeks, to sit and listen.
Yeah.
I was in Skagway, um, this spring, and I was listening {on the}on the radio.
Mhm.
From Angoon? No, {itʼs} ah, Klukwan.
Tlákw Aan.
Klukwan. [Tank gives the Lingít pronunciation.]
Where theyʼre, where they were teaching. Boy, thatʼs really good. Thatʼs really good. I really enjoyed it. I listened to it for two hours.
Ho, ho.
Yeah, on the radio. And uh, itʼs different than the way they teach up here.
Yeah.
I can see, thatʼs my, thatʼs my first cousin that was on that.
[Winnie gestures towards the recorder.]
G̱uneiwtí?
[Marsha Hotch]
Yeah.
Yeah.
I know, ah, when I first starts, when I know her, when she left here she couldnʼt even understand Tlingit. And now the way she talk and everything. And I can tell by the teachers out there. They got the really right teachers to teach Tlingit. I taught in school here two years. My kids were doing pretty good but I have to quit.
Oh, wow.
I had to adopt a little girl, six months old.
Oh, wow.
I never did go back. But his mother taught there for sixteen years?
[Winnie gestures towards Norman.]
Yeah. Yeah.
Thatʼs a long time.
Mhm.
Yeah. She always tells us that. G̱uneiwtí always tells us about it.
People tell, people got different ways of teaching.
Aaá.
Yeah.
{That} Thatʼs thatʼs something I, I picked up on in Haines. She teaches one way and the other lady thatʼs teaching teaches just a little bit different.
Yeah.
This oneʼs, if this oneʼs doing something right, then, this oneʼs wrong, for some reason or another. Cause, some of the people listen to this one and say, "Yeah sheʼs doing it right." And then check the other one and say, "This oneʼs a little bit off." Or itʼs vice a versa. Yeah? Mhm. But they work together.
Balance x̱oo ágé? [At shooḵ]
Balance among [them], is it? [Laughter]
Yeah. [At shooḵ]
Wóoshtin yéi s jidanéi nooch.
They always work together.
Thereʼs, thereʼs lots of words, too. Lots of things you could name, eh?
Yeah.
Itʼs got, you can say it two different ways, eh?
Yup.
Itʼs always like that.
Yeah.
I think Tlingit is the only one.
The only one I donʼt like is that flying penguin.
[At shooḵ]
[At shooḵ]
Yeah.
Yaanahóo naa.ét??? saayí áwé a jeeyís. Oh-oh. [At shooḵ]
Itʼs wading in clothes??? that is its name. Oh-oh. [Laughter]
Háa áwé, igax̱toosáa shákdé! [At shooḵ]
Well, maybe that's what we will call you! [Laughter]
Héen taak. Ix̱kée Ḵwaan gé hé? Héen taak.
Under the water. “Down South People” is it? Under the water.
Heʼs flying in the water. Heʼs flying in the water.
Thatʼs what he travel in, water.
Aaá.
Geez I see him just come out of the water. He jump way up on the rock there, way up there.
[At shooḵ]
[Laughter]
I donʼt know what chase him out of the water.
The colder the better too, ah?
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
They like to sit on ice.
So you, like you guys were just saying, tell me about yourself and how you were just talking with each other in English.
That, could we say, could you say that in Lingít with each other?
Now I forgot all the way I say it now.
I forgot what you said, too.
[At shooḵ]
[Laughter]
Thatʼs what, thatʼs why he wants us to repeat it, so he can hear it.
[At shooḵ]
[Laughter]
He donʼt want to make no mistakes.
Dáx̱náx̱ yatee yá sháa
There's these two women,
haa aaní káxʼ, Tlákw Aan,
in our town, Klukwan,
atyátxʼi, ḵa
and some children, and
aadóo sá du tuwáa sigóo awuskóowu yáa Lingít yoo x̱ʼatángi.
whoever, who want to know the Tlingit language.
Wooch kaanáx̱ kei s da.átch.
They always get together.
Aag̱áa has du ée dultóow nooch.
Then they teach them.
G̱uneiwtí yéi duwasáakw tléixʼ yateeyi aa.
G̱uneiwtí is the name of one of them.
Kát x̱at seiwaxʼáḵw tléixʼ aa ḵu.aa.
I forgot the name of the first one though.
Ḵoowujeil yéi duwasáakw yá tléixʼ aa,
Ḵoowujeil is the name of the first one,
ḵaa éexʼ latóowu
teaching
yáa school-xʼ.
at this school.
Yá adátxʼi,
These children,
áx̱ has .aat,
when they go there,
áyá {has- has-} yáa adátxʼi {ée-} éexʼ has {ax̱-} altóow
they teach the children
yáa Lingít yoo x̱ʼatángi.
the Tlingit language.
Yaa s ayaanadláḵ yá adátxʼi, has alʼeix̱ tsú.
They're beginning to succeed, these children, and they dance too.
{has- yaa s- a} Yei s anashgóok yáa atshí,
They're learning the songs,
Lingít x̱'éináx̱ x̱ʼasheeyí.
Tlingit songs.
Wáa sákwshé haa yatee, uháan?
I wonder how it is with us?
X̱át, yéi x̱at yatee {hél-} hél oox̱alʼeix̱.
As for me, I donʼt dance.
Chʼáakw, yées ḵáax̱ x̱at sateeyí ḵu.aa
When I was a young man though
{ax̱a-} ax̱alʼeix̱ín. Yeedát ḵu.aa, hóochʼ.
I used to dance. Now though, no more.
Hospital-dé x̱at jiwuhaa.
I was sent to the hospital.
Gwál tléixʼ dís dei.
Maybe one month now.
Neilxʼ ḵux̱ateení áyá, ax̱ x̱ʼoos hóochʼ.
When I came home, my legs were done.
Hél aadé chʼáakw yan x̱wahaan yé.
I can't stand [keep standing] for very long.
Yáa adátxʼi has du ée dultóowu ax̱ toowú kʼéi nuch.
When they teach the children, it always makes me happy.
G̱aaḵasateenín
Whenever I saw them,
haa yaaxʼ has ayooné.
they respect us.
Yáa hoon daakahídi wutoo.aadí yé,
Whenever we go to the store,
has x̱at wusteení áa,
whenever they see me there,
ax̱ yaa jiyís ḵoonook nuch, Lingít x̱ʼéináx̱ has x̱at x̱ʼawóosʼ nuch,
they always greet me, and always ask me in Tlingit,
«Wáa sá s iyatee?»
“How are you?”
X̱át, has du een kax̱anéek wáa sá x̱at teeyí.
Me, I tell them how I am.
«I yei kg̱wanéix̱,» yéi {haa- s daax̱-}
“You will get well,”
has daayaḵá.
they say.
Has daayaḵá, «I yei kg̱wanéix̱.»
They say to me, “You will get well.”
Áyá,
So,
tléidahéen-
one time-