This material is based on work supported by National Science Foundation grants BCS-0651787 and 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.

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Tlingit Conversation #47
Speakers are Kax̱lige Norman James, Dagé Winnie Atlin, Tánk Smith Katzeek, Kaséix̱̱ Selina Everson, Keiyishí Bessie Cooley, and Naakil.aan Mark Hans Chester. Recorded August 14, 2010, in Carcross, YT, Canada, by Naakil.aan Mark Hans Chester.
This material is based on work supported by National Science Foundation grant 0853788 to the University of Alaska Southeast with Ljáaḵkʼ Alice Taff as Principal Investigator, and by National Endowment for the Humanities fellowship 266286-19 to Ljáaḵkʼ Alice Taff. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation or National Endowment for the Humanities.
ḴNJ = Ḵax̱lige Norman James [other spellings: Ḵaakwlagé, Ḵaakligé, Ḵaakligéi]. DWA = Dagé Winnie Atlin. TSK = Tánk, [Tánkʼ] Smith Katzeek. NMHC = Naakil.aan Mark Hans Chester. KSE = Kaséix̱̱ Selina Everson. GBJ = Gusʼdutéen Bessie Jim.
Tlingit transcription by X̱ʼunei Lance Twitchell. English translation by Ḵaakal.aat Florence Sheakley, and by Shakʼsháani Margaret Dutson with Ljáaḵkʼ Alice Taff. Edited by Nakil.aan Mark Hans Chester, then by Yeiltʼoochʼ Tláa Collyne Bunn. We used , using ELAN (Version 6.7, 6.8) [Computer software], (2023, 2024). Nijmegen: Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics. Retrieved from https://archive.mpi.nl/tla/elan
We use SLEXIL to render ELAN XML output as interactive web pages. Pronounced "sluck-HAIL", SLEXIL means daylight in the Lushootseed language, for which it was originally developed. The name may also be understod as an acronym: Software Linking ELAN XML to Illuminated Language.
Góok, x̱'anawóos'!
Go ahead and ask him!
NMHC
Ḵáa x̱’anawóos’!
Ask anyone!
NMHC
OK, now I want, uh...
DWA
Daaḵu.aa...
What, [which]
DWA
Norman, how do you say wood?
DWA
Huh?
ḴNJ
How you say wood, Tlingit?
DWA
Gán. Gán.
Wood. Wood.
ḴNJ, DWA
Daaḵw.aa gán sé [sá] aadéi ilayéix̱ wé
What kind of wood do you use to make
DWA
i x̱áadi, s’eig̱í?
your smoked fish?
DWA
Dúḵ.
Cottonwood.
TSK
Dúḵ, dúḵ láax̱.
Cottonwood, dead (still standing) cottonwood tree.
TSK
Dúḵ láax̱?
Dead (still standing) cottonwood tree.
DWA
Aaá.
Yes.
TSK
Ḵúnáx̱ áwé uwaxúgu aa.
The very dry ones.
TSK
Uháan ḵu.aa,
Us though,
DWA
tsu yóo gán áwé yéi daatoonéi. Aahá.
we make [use of] even that firewood over there.
DWA, TSK
Wéit’aa, wéit,
That one over there, over there,
DWA
Juneau héi aas,
those trees in Juneau,
DWA
Haines heidáx̱.
from Haines.
DWA
Ḵáa jeet {would} he would, ah, áwé
People have, that is,
DWA
jar tóot dus.éeyi aa. Aaá.
they cook some of it (smoked fish) in jars. Yes.
DWA, TSK
Tlax̱ x’éig̱aa aayí i eenx̱ haa tuwáa sigóo.
We really want to know the true things with you.
DWA
Ách áwé {ax̱} ax̱ tuwáa sigóo ax̱ see hás ax̱ jeet.
That is why I want [some] for my daughters.
DWA
Tléix’ ḵóok ax̱ jeeyís. Aaá.
One box for me.
DWA, TSK
Aaá.
Yes.
TSK
G̱óot aa ax̱ séek’ aadé has ḵukg̱watéen.
Another one of my daughters will be coming. [traveling towards here]
DWA
Wuháan ḵu.aa,
Us though,
DWA
daleiýi yéi tuwaśaakw, aa huh, x̱áat.
we call the fish lake trout.
DWA, TSK, DWA
Dleit ḵaa x̱’éináx̱, "trout."
Itʼs "trout" in English.
DWA
Haaw.
Oh.
TSK
Aaá, ḵa x̱áat yádi tsú, yéi,
Yeah, and whitefish too,
DWA
yéi dax̱ kuligéi, hm?
this big, right?
DWA
X̱áat yádi.
Whitefish.
DWA
Aaá. Át tsú,
Yeah. It too,
TSK, DWA
yak’éi {wu} uxoogú.
it's good when it's dried.
DWA
Aaá.
Yes.
TSK
Uháan ḵu.aa g̱aat.
Us however, [we have] sockeye salmon.
TSK
G̱aat. Aaá, sockeye.
Sockeye. Yes, sockeye. [red salmon]
DWA, TSK
Ḵa t’á.
And king salmon.
TSK
T’á. Aaá. King salmon? King salmon.
King salmon. Yes. King salmon.
DWA, TSK, DWA, TSK
Ḵa {lʼ duk,} l’ook.
And silver salmon. [coho]
TSK
G̱aat, in June.
Sockeye in June.
TSK
Tleidahéen yóo eil’ a kaadé haa wuduwa.éex’.
One time we were invited to down to the coast.
DWA
Yáadáx̱.
From here.
DWA
Aaá.
Yes.
TSK
Wé Juneau daak áwé {haa} áa haa uwax̱ée. Aa haa.
We stayed there in Juneau. Yes.
DWA, TSK
Aadáx̱ áwé Juneau tsú {tu} daax’oon, áa haa uwax̱ée.
After that, in Juneau also, we slept [stayed] for four nights.
DWA
Aadáx̱ áwé haa yéi wduwax̱áa, dei yóot’aa.
And after they took us by boat, somewhere else.
DWA
I think Aangoon shákdé yé. Aangoon. Huh? Aangoon.
I think Angoon maybe there. Aangoon. Huh? Aangoon.
DWA, ḴNJ, DWA, ḴNJ
Aangoon.
Angoon.
DWA
Aangoon tsú á, tsú daaxʼoon.
In Angoon also, [we stayed] also four days.
DWA
Aadáx̱ áwé,
After,
DWA
aadáx̱, tsu haa wdudli.aat {yú}
after, again they took us
DWA
yú Juneaudéi tsu daax’oon áa haa oowax̱ée.
to Juneau and again we overnighted for four days there.
DWA
Aadáx̱ áwé, haandé,
And from there to here,
DWA
neildé.
homeward.
DWA
Yak’éi aadé {haa}
It was good, the way
DWA
haa een yéi daa has jeewanéiyi áa yé.
they worked with us there.
DWA
Áwé, éeḵ yaax̱déi {has wuduwa{ah} x̱waag̱út.
And so I arrived along the shoreline.???
DWA
K’isáani has haa een.
Young men were with us.
DWA
Go ahead.
DWA
'Sams' yóo duwaságu aa.
The one called Sam.
DWA
{ma} Áaa.
Yes.
TSK
A ḵá.
On it.
DWA
Aaá. Góok, Norman.
Go ahead, Norman.
DWA
Ch’a daa sá haa een kananeek.
Tell us anything.
DWA
Ax̱ toowú shuwaxéex. [At shooḵ]
My inside ran out. [I have nothing to say.] [Laughter]
ḴNJ
That where when you get home: "I should of tell them that, I should have said this, I should have ask them this." [At shooḵ]
['Laughter']
DWA
X̱at tsú dáx̱ tóotx̱ ḵut shuwaxeex.
Me too, my insides are done.
TSK
Ḵúdáx̱ ḵuyat’áa.
It's way too warm.
NMHC
Daax’oon gaaw x̱á á shax̱wdinúk, yá ts’ootaat.
I woke up at four a.m. this morning, you see.
TSK
X̱át tsu.
Me too.
NMHC
{Goodéi} Goodáx̱ sá {ee} áxʼ ee uwax̱ée?
Where did you spend the night?
ḴNJ
With uh,
TSK
Norma? No.
TSK
Emma.
NMHC
Emma? Emma tin. Emma hídi.
Emma? With Emma. Emma's house.
TSK, NMHC
Marsh Lake.
TSK
Emma neilí. Nice place, huh? Yaa.
Emmaʼs house.
NMHC, DWA, TSK
When, when we went to Atlin we must have ate, we must have ate five times in one day!
TSK
Oh, my goodness!
DWA
Every time I turned around they were giving us food. [At shooḵ]
['Laughter']
TSK
After I sleep I'll think of some more.
TSK
Not too many people in Atlin, huh?
DWA
There were a, there was a few, yeah, they, not, not that many. Not that many attended when we were there. But there, they sure fed us good and treated us real good.
TSK
Those kids you ask for?
ḴNJ
Huh?
TSK
Kids?
ḴNJ
Yeah!
TSK
I think they were out culture camp.
ḴNJ
Oh, uh yeah?
TSK
Yeah they brought, they brought in what, nine, eight or nine, kids that came and danced for us.
TSK
Way down, way down, they walk down to, take them three days to walk there.
ḴNJ
Oh, wow.
TSK
Nakina River.
ḴNJ
Oh.
TSK
Just, just little ways this side Taku River.
ḴNJ
Xóots tsú, aan kát has woo.aat, Haines.
Brown bear too, they're walking around town, in Haines.
TSK
Tle town kát has woo.aat. Huh.
Then walking right around downtown. Huh.
TSK, DWA
Too much garbage. People leave their garbage outside.
TSK
Yeah.
DWA
S’eek ágé?
Black bear?
ḴNJ
Hah?
What?
TSK
S’eek ágé?
Black bear?
ḴNJ
Xóots.
Brown bear.
TSK
Oh, xóots.
Oh, brown bear. [Grizzly]
ḴNJ
Aaá.
Yes.
TSK
Tle town kát has na.átch. Huh!
They are always walking right around town.
TSK, ḴNJ
Aanká yáade has woo.aat. Aaá.
They walked towards here downtown. Yes.
ḴNJ, TSK
{tlél has tél} Tlél sh du toowú áwé tudatí.
They arenʼt concerned about it. [They donʼt care/worry about being downtown.]
TSK
Haa yáaxʼ tsú yéi at nanein yáat. Aaá.
It's happening right here at us also. Yes.
ḴNJ, TSK
Tourists ch’a tlákw ḵuya.óo.
Tourists are always living [visiting] there.
TSK
Lḵóot yéi duwasáakw áyá.
The area is called Chilkoot.
TSK
Héen yík g̱a.átch, shayadihéin nooch,
They always walk in the water, always lots of them,
TSK
yá xóots x̱á.
those brown bears, you see.
TSK
Aaá.
Yes.
ḴNJ
Tle a x̱ánxʼ has .aat, has akshaxeet.
They [tourists] walk very close [beside them], and they take pictures.
TSK
Déi.aa jé! [At shooḵ]
My goodness! [Iʼm scared!] [Laughter]
DWA
They try to be brave.
DWA
No! Stupid.
TSK
['At shooḵ']
['Laughter']
TSK, DWA
That's right. Theyʼre dumb, stupid.
DWA
Yáat ḵu.aa áwé ch’as tóode x̱ʼéidei yéi has adaanéi neech á.
Here however, just for its food they are always doing that.
ḴNJ
Ch’a tlákw áwé
All the time
ḴNJ
aan sh wudlig̱eiḵ. ???
they're swinging themselves with it. [A metaphor?]
ḴNJ
Aan yú chush gux̱lag̱éiḵ. Tíxʼ??? ḵáx̱ has gayḵee.???. [At shooḵ]
They will swing themselves with it. On a rope they ???. [Metaphor???]
ḴNJ
Á áwé ḵu.aa áa akux̱dlix̱éitl’, {tlél a}
However Iʼm scared of it, [bears]
ḴNJ
ách áwé tlél has du x̱ánt wáanáx̱ [yáanáx̱]x̱wagootch.
and so I havenʼt gone closely among them.
ḴNJ
Aaá.
Yes.
TSK
Dei hóoch’ shákdéi ágé,
Now perhaps itʼs done,
TSK
a shkalneegí.
its story.
TSK
Aaá, shákdéi.
Yes, maybe.
ḴNJ
Déi ákwé?
Is that enough? [Done now?]
TSK
Aaá.
Yes.
DWA
Naxáash!
Cut it! [stop the recording]
NMHC
[At shooḵ] Tlél áyú, gooshát? ???
[Laughter] He can't catch it? ???.
TSK
Tlél áyú gooshát? ???.
He can't catch it? ???
TSK
Aaá.
Yes.
NMHC
Uháan tsú. Yeah. X̱át tsú. Me too, mmhm.
Us too. Me too.
DWA, TSK, DWA, ḴNJ
Wéit. I ???
Over there. [inaudible]
DWA, TSK
Wéidáx̱ ḵwa, tlél a yáx̱ utí.
From there however, it isnʼt like that.
DWA
Dé ch’áakw gíwé tlél a yáx̱ utí.
For a long time, I guess [perhaps] it isnʼt like that.
DWA
Aaá.
Yes.
TSK
Ch’a tlákw aadé yaa tooḵoox̱jin, Haines.
We always used to drive to Haines.
DWA
Aaá.
Yes.
TSK
We stay in that campground. We stay there one week one time. They stay in that campground. My grandchildren come with us from way down. Then we go down to that old cannery. Oh, yeah! Cranberry. Cranberry? {Cran, cran} that old cannery? Yeah. Oh, we were lucky there. They were selling that fresh crab there. Holy man!
DWA, TSK, ḴNJ, DWA, TSK, DWA
Feast, that's a feast.
TSK
Yeah! They tell us how to cook it. They fix it up for us, everything, heh? Yeah? We just went back to the camp and we cook and eat.
DWA, TSK, DWA
Now that I told you weʼre done, watch the breeze come up! [At shooḵ]
['Laughter']
TSK, All
Ḵúnáx̱.
Really.
NMHC
Kalig̱éiyi aa yee aaní. Yeah.
Your guys’ land is a beautiful thing.
NMHC, TSK
Ḵúnáx̱ á áwé.
Very much so.
NMHC
Gunalchéesh.
Thank you.
ḴNJ
Saa ágé ḵudzitee wé shaa?
Does that mountain have a name?
NMHC
Wé shaa.
That mountain.
NMHC
Ch’a ldakát yís saa,
Thereʼs a name for all of them,
DWA
yá shaa.
these mountains.
DWA
Shaa has du jee yéi dax̱ yatee, ch’a ldakát. Áaa.
All of the mountains have names.
DWA, NMHC
Yáat’aa, maa sá duwasáakw?
This one, what do they call it?
DWA
{Wéi} Watsíx Shaa.
Caribou Mountain.
ḴNJ
Watsíx Shaa. Oh!
Caribou Mountain. Oh!
DWA, TSK
{Yóo} Yóot’aa, X̱’eis’awáa Shaayí.
That one over there, Ptarmigan Mountain.
DWA
Wéit’aa.
That one.
ḴNJ
Yáat’aa dei.
This one now.
DWA
X̱’eis’awáa Shaa. No that one in the middle,
Ptarmigan Mountain.
ḴNJ, DWA
way over there.
DWA
Oh, that one is, uh...
ḴNJ
{that}That's Ptarmigan Mountain, that one. This one here, Sheep Mountain?
DWA
Tawéi.
Mountain Sheep.
ḴNJ
Tawéi Shaayí. Sheep Head.
Sheep Mountain. Sheep Head.
DWA
Aaá.
Yes.
ḴNJ
Tsálgi Shaayí.
Ground Squirrel Mountain.
ḴNJ
Aaá. Háaw.
Yes. Well.
TSK, NMHC
And that big one,
DWA
Tʼá X̱áat’i T’ooch’.
Black King Salmon.
ḴNJ
And this little one over there, Face Mountain. You look at it, you could see a face laying like this.
DWA
Haaw! Huh.
NMHC, TSK
Huh!
TSK
You see the face.
DWA
And that one way over there. Táach uwajáḵ.
Sleep killed it.
DWA, NMHC
That's where you took picture of that.
ḴNJ
See that one way over there, called Book Mountain. Come on, come on, Iʼll show you where it is.
DWA, ḴNJ
Haaw. You look. Show him that one too, Norman.
DWA
That Book Mountain, it looks like a big book that's open.
DWA
Weʼre just getting names of mountains.
TSK
See way over there?
ḴNJ
Itʼs over there. Hmmm.
ḴNJ, NMHC
Lingít x̱’éináx̱ sá. Go over it a little more to the left.
Say it in Tlingit. Go over a little more to the left.
NMHC
Tsu s’átʼnax̱ gé?
Is it to your left?
NMHC
Wáa sá duwasáakw, wéit’aa?
What do you call that one?
NMHC
Wé shaa.
That mountain.
NMHC
Ḵaa Yán Shaa.
Personʼs ??? Hemlock Mountain.
ḴNJ
Ohhh.
NMHC
Iyatéen gé?
Do you see it?
ḴNJ
Aaá.
Yes.
NMHC
Dleit ḵaa x̱’éináx̱, "Gray Mountain.́"
In English, it is called "Grey Mountain."
ḴNJ
Hmmm.
NMHC
Ḵa yú tliyaa áwé?
And the one way over there?
NMHC
Tawéi Shaa.
Sheep Mountain.
ḴNJ
Ḵa wé... ah...
And that...
NMHC
X̱’eis’awáa Shaa. X̱’eis’awáa Shaa. Mhm. Ptarmigan Mountain.
Ptarmigan Mountain.Ptarmigan Mountain.
ḴNJ, NMHC, ḴNJ
Kind of through those trees, huh?
NMHC
Aas tóonáx̱ áwé, shaa. Aas tóonáx̱.
The mountain (seen) through the trees. Through the trees.
NMHC, ḴNJ
Yáat’aa?
This one?
NMHN
Watsíx Shaa.
Caribou Mountain.
ḴNJ
Ldakát gé?
All?
NMHC
Aaá.
Yes.
ḴNJ
Haaw.
Oh.
NMHC
Watsíx gé? Watsíx Shaa. Yep.
Caribou, is it? Caribou Mountain.
NMHC, ḴNJ
Aaá.
Yes.
NMHC
Wéit’aa.
That one.
ḴNJ
Tsélgi Shaa.
Ground Squirrel Mountain.
ḴNJ
Dleit gé shaa, shaa shakee, shaa shakeewú? Tsélgi Shaa.
Is that snow on top of the mountain? Ground Squirrel Mountain. [Locally, ground squirrels are called ʼgophersʼ.]
NMHC, ḴNJ
Yaa anasḵúx̱.
They are driving.
NMHC
ʼTotem poleʼ, wáa sá eesáakw?
ʼTotem poleʼ, what do you call it?
ḴNJ
Kootéeyaa.
Totem pole.
NMHC
Kootéeyaa.
Totem pole.
ḴNJ
Ḵachʼu...
Or [however]...
NMHC
Yadátx’i, yadátxʼi.
Children, children.
ḴNJ
...néil yee aayí ḵu.aa, gáas'. Yadátx’i.
...the ones inside the house however, house posts. Children.
NMHC, ḴNJ
Yátx'i gé?
Children?
NMHC
Yátx'i du hídi?
Children's house?
NMHC
Yátx'i du hít.
Children's house.
ḴNJ
{ya} Yadátx'i du hídi.
Children's house.
ḴNJ
X'oon sá táakw
How many years
NMHC
yáat yéi iyateeyí.
have you lived here?
NMHC
X̱át ágé?
Me?
ḴNJ
Aaá.
Yes.
NMHC
Hm.
ḴNJ
Yáat, yaadáx̱ gé ḵeedzitee? [ḵuydzitee]
Here, is this where you were born [from]?
NMHC
Áaa. Aaá.
Yes. Yes.
ḴNJ, NMHC
Nas'gadooshú,
Eight,
ḴNJ
nas'gadooshú jinkaat.
Eighty. Aaa.
ḴNJ, NMHC
Tle yées ḵáa áwé, wa.é.
Then you're a young man.
NMHC
Aáa. [At shooḵ]
Yes. [Laughter]
ḴNJ, NMHC
Tléik', ah, no!
No.
NMHC
How you say eight?
ḴNJ
Nas'gadooshú.
Eight.
NMHC
Yeah. Yéi áwé yeeyaḵaa.
That's what you said.
ḴNJ, NMHC
{Eighty} Eighty years old.
ḴNJ
Jé.
Gee.
NMHC
This last July, last month, I was eighty years old.
ḴNJ
Ch’a sá daak wusitán?
Whatʼs falling? [precipitating]
ḴNJ
Séew daak wusitán. [At shooḵ]
It's raining.
KSE
Yéi áwé sh katoolneek.
That's what we're saying.
KSE
Is it muddy?
KSE
Ḵutl' shi...
Mud.
KSE
Ḵutl'. Ḵutl', ḵutl', ḵutlʼkw, ḵutlʼkw, is mud. Ḵutlʼkw.
GBJ, KSE
See! I say it more than once I canʼt say it! Ḵútl'kw.
KSE
Mhmm.
NMHC
If you touch it with your pants youʼre gonna stick on it, see?
ḴNJ
Wáa sá duwasáakw?
What do they call that?
NMHC
Haaw, gushé. Hm.
Well, I donʼt know.
ḴNJ, NMHC
Dleit ḵáa kaayaaní ákyá?
Is this a white man's plant?
NMHC
Huh? Kaayaaní.
Plant.
ḴNJ
Dleit ḵáa aayí ákwé?
Is that a white man's thing?
NMHC
Aaá.
Yes.
ḴNJ
{Dleit aa} Dleit ḵaa ádi gíwé yatee.
Possibly itʼs a white man’s thing.
ḴNJ
We probably didn't have them here awhile, a long time ago, huh?
NMHC
No. {If you} You stick to your pants and everything, that.
ḴNJ