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Tlingit Conversation #48
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.
Speakers are Ḵeixwnéi Nora Marks Dauenhauer, Ḵaaxʼanshee or La.oos Tláa Ida Calmegane, Kaséix̱ Selina Everson, Lasaayí Emma Shorty, Gusʼdutéen Bessie Jim, Kaltín Susan Jim, and Naakil.aan Mark Hans Chester. Recorded August 14, 2010 at Carcross/Tagish First Nation Administration Building, Carcross, YT, Canada, by Ljáaḵkʼ Alice Taff.
SYMBOLS: Brackets = {false start}. [translator/transcriber's note]. (added for clarity). ??? = canʼt understand. «quotation marks for Tlingit text». [Time-aligned text for this video was accomplished using ELAN ((Versions 6.0 (2020), 6.1 (2021), and 6.3 (2022) [Computer software]. Nijmegen: Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, The Language Archive. Retrieved from https://archive.mpi.nl/tla/elan]
Tlingit transcription by Koolyeiḵ Roby Littlefield with Daasdiyaa Ethel Makinen. English translation by Kaaxwaan Éesh George Davis and Kaséix̱ Selina Everson with Ljáaḵkʼ Alice Taff. Edited by Shag̱aw Éesh Devlin Anderstrom.
Conference dáx̱ wutoo.aadí,
When we left the conference,
yú Robert McKinnon,
that Robert McKinnon,
du x'úx'u áwé x̱waatóow̃.
I read his book.
Áwéi, am,
The um,
haa een esh kawlineek, eh,
the one who told us the story,
yú sésgwaach, {du}
that sasquatch,
máa sé duwasáakw
whatʼs it called
{long a} du tl'eet liyáatʼi aa ét.
the creature that has a long tail?
Aandaat kanahík.
Monkey.
Aa, aandaat kenehík!
Yeah, monkey!
{aan aan}
Aandaat kenehígi, ah hah.
Monkey, uh huh.
Ax̱ dechx̱ánx'i een áwé x̱watláagun wé aandaat kenehígi. [ShÉDA: This is an interior story about "monkey people" that are very violent and agile. It exists to my knowledge in Yukon Territory as well as the Copper River Valley in AK.]
I used to tell my grandchildren the story about the monkeys.
Yóo has x̱'ayaḵá yóo áa, yóo aandaat kenehígi,
They say those monkeys,
shaawát tóot {hes ele} hes ele.étch
they take women
ḵa {i}
and,
ḵa
and,
etyétxʼi sáani tsú.
and little children too.
{chʼa yáakʼudé áwé} Ch'áagudé áwé, ax̱ éesh
Long ago, my father,
a haa náḵ woogoot
left us
ax̱ tláa.
(with) my mother.
Ax̱ éesh áwé ch'e tl'ákw haa een x̱'atáan nijín.
My father always used to talk to us.
Éch x̱áawé, ah,
That's why, ah,
ax̱ l'óot' áwé ḵut gexíxch.
my mind would lose it. [It would leave my tongue.]
Ch'a g̱ég̱aa ét {ḵa} tux̱wditaan yáat,
I think about it in vain,
{máa sé máa sé} máa sé ḵux̱ʼayaḵaayí.
what people said.
Aa, yóo áwé x̱'ayaḵá, {a}
Yes, he said
hes estʼeix̱
they're fishing (with hook and line)
yóo aan.
the land.
Copper River {yóo ḵayóo} s yóo dusáakw.
It's called the Copper River.
Á áwé, am,
That's when, um,
mé shawat.shaan
the old lady
neil {tíl aadé} tíl aadé x̱áat {aḵw} akg̱waxʼáanin.
they don't dry the fish in the house.
Éch x̱áawé, am,
That's why, um,
neil, neil aa,
inside, inside,
áwé du dachx̱ánkʼ du x̱án wududzinook.
they left her grandchild with her.
«Tíl x'wán du náḵ yigoodí i léelkʼu,» yóo daayaduḵá.
“Donʼt leave your grandmother,” they said (to the grandson).
«E tuwáa segóowu du x̱'éix̱ {na} et neeteeyí x̱á,
“If she wants you to feed her see,
chʼe daa sé du jiyís (yéi) yéi nesní ḵwáayáas.
fix anything for her.
Ch'a tlákw {du} du x̱án g̱eenú,» kwshé yéi daayaduḵá.
Sit by her all the time,” they told her.
Á áwé a, a,
And then, uh, uh,
du tuwáa sigóo jáajee,
he wants snowshoes,
alyéix̱i.
to build.
Du tuwáa sigóo jáajee g̱walyéx̱.
He wants to build snowshoes.
And, a, yóo a,
And, uh, over there, uh,
shaa kát áwé.
it was on the mountain top.
Aadé du tuwáa sigóo woogoodí, {s} ch'a
He wanted to go to (the mountain top), so
á áwé woogoot, aadéi woogoot and, uh,
he left, he went there and ah,
Du léelk'w yéi adaayaḵá, «Aadé kḵwagóot yú,» a, a, am,
He was telling grandma, “Iʼm going to go to that,” uh, uh, um,
Máa sé duwasáakw birch tree?
What do you call birch tree?
Shéix̱'w. [Shéix̱ʼw is red alder. At daayí is birch.]
Red alder.
Aa. Á áwé léiḵ'w g̱áa woogoot, Shéix̱ʼw.
Yeah. So he went for, Red alder
shéix̱'w g̱áa woogoot. And uh.
he went after red alder.
Du léelk'u áwés yóo daayaḵá,
He told his grandmother,
«Aadé kḵwagóot.» and, and, his, his uh.
“I'm going there.”
Du léelk'w yéi x̱ʼayaḵá, «Tíl, tíl,
His grandmother said, “Don't, don't,
ch'a yéi {n} chʼa g̱anú yú.á. Yóo {t} haat has wu.aadí aag̱áa tsá {yi}...
Just sit here, they said. When they come back here, then...
Ch'a yáax', yáaxʼ g̱anú.»
Just here, sit here.”
«X̱at, x̱at g̱ilitín yóoxʼ ét x̱waagoodí yú shéx̱ʼw g̱áa.
“You can watch me while I go there for the red alder (branches).
Yei ḵat g̱isatéen yóoxʼ ét x̱waagoot,» yóo x̱'ayaḵá.
You will see me walking around over there,” he said.
Ch'e aan áwé woogoot. Woogoot.
So he went anyway. He went.
Neil hes áat áwé {wé} estʼéig̱u hés,
When they came home, the fishermen,
yóo x̱áat {hes e} hes exʼáani aa,
the ones who were drying fish,
neil hes áat áwé yóo hes edaayaḵá,
when they came inside they asked her,
«Goodé sé woogoot wé i dechx̱ánk'?»
“Where did your grandchild go?”
«Yóo, am,
“Over there, um,
yú kínde áwé woogoot, shéḵ'w g̱áa ḵa yú.á, but ch'a aan ḵwá tíl x̱wasiteen.
up over there he went to get birch (red alder), he said, but I donʼt see him.
Tíl x̱wasiteen {ét} ét woogoodí.»
I donʼt see him walking around.”
Meadows or something, a what?
What?
O, sháchk.
Oh, muskeg.
Sháchgi ká áwé.
In a muskeg.
Wéi, hes du, am,
There, they, um,
hes du aaní sitee, hé x̱áat hes exʼáani yé.
thatʼs their land, where they put up fish.
Á áwé, yóo, am, a
That's it,
shakéede, a,
to the mountain top, uh,
shakée.
mountain top.
Hills?
Gooch.
Hills.
Gooch.
Hills.
Gooch.
Hills.
Gooch {áw}
Hills.
Wéit áwé, e neil daa sitee.
That place, they were around their home.
{á} Á áwé, {am}
That's it, um,
Ch'e ldekét {aadé am}
All of the
k'isáani du x̱ánde
boys, toward him,
ét hes leewag̱ooḵ
they ran around there,
yú gooch, gooch, a,
the hills, the hills,
shakée, ch'e ldekét yéi.
the tops, all over the place.
Á áwé, a,
That's when, uh,
{tíl du} tíl wuduwatʼee.
they didnʼt find him.
Ch'u tle, ch'u tle,
Then, then,
ch'e wuduwaxásʼi yáx̱ yatee.
it looks like they scraped it.
Á áwé {a}
That's,
wéi tléináx̱ aa,
that one person,
tléináx̱ ḵáa,
one man,
wudisháni.aa ḵáa
an old man
ét woogoot. {ét sh}
was walking around.
Yú shaaká éhé ét negútch, aag̱áa tsé,
He always walks on the top of the mountain, and then,
á áwé chʼáagudé neil, áwé chʼu tle,
so after a long time, inside, and then,
{e} et seiwa.ax̱,
he heard a voice,
«He, he, he, he, he,» yá ḵudaaya(ḵá), «he, he, he, he.»
“Ha, ha, ha,” he heard, “Ha, ha, ha.”
Háʼ.
Hunh.
Á áwé ch'u tle, a x̱ánde wudlitlʼóot.
So he went sneaking over.
Daa séyú {yóo yóot e} yú ét?
What is that thing?
Tlax̱ lingít tléinlí ooyaa.ú,
Almost looked like a human,
ḵa du tl'eet tlein ḵudzitee.
and he has a long tail.
Há!
Well!
Aandaat kanahík!
A monkey!
Aa, aandaat kenehík.
Yes, a monkey.
Áwéi {wéi a wé} wé ḵáa,
That, man
wé yedák'w,
that boy,
du shá áwé,
it was his head,
{hes du hes du ch}hes een hes eshkoolyét.
they were playing with it.
{ach ach a} É áwé hes eshóoḵ.
That's what they were laughing at.
hes du jeedáx̱ {wudzi} nesgítji áwé,
When it escapes from them,
hes eshuḵ neech.
they laugh.
K'idéin awlitín {yoo} yóotʼét {yoo du} yú ḵaa,
The man watched it carefully, from far away,
yóo ḵáashaan.
that old man.
Tle yaa ḵune.édi áwé,
When the dusk is coming,
yóo aandaat kenehígi,
that monkey,
yóo shaa tóode {tóode} hes negútch.
he goes back into the mountain.
A ḵoowú chʼe ldekét yéi yatee.
All of their dens are there.
{Aadé} Aadé hes du x̱ánde elʼóon neech.
They would go hunting that way, toward them.
Aag̱áa tsá,
And then,
hes {aa} aawa.éex' ch'e ldekét yóo {am, yóo am} ḵu.oo.
they invited all the people.
Áyá ḵa yéi edaayaḵá,
Then he said to them,
«Yáa a, a dísi {daak} daak uwagúdi, aag̱áa áwéi
“When the moon comes out (on the first of the month), then
yóotʼét, yóo aandaat kenehígi,
those things, those monkeys,
tíl {aadáx̱} du ḵoowú tóodáx̱ hes ne.étch.
wonʼt leave their cave.
Yaa ḵune.édi áwé, ch'u tle
When dusk is coming,
hes du ḵoowú {nee hes} hes ne.étch. {tlax̱...}
they come to their cave.
Yóo, am,
There, um,
ḵʼaan {we too} yéi wtuseneiyí hes du ḵoowú,
if we make a fire in their cave,
aag̱áa tsá, yú, am, smoke? How you say "smoke?"
and then the, um, smoke
S'eiḵ.
Smoke.
Yú ts'eiḵ,
The smoke,
hes du x̱oodé kg̱wagóot.
they'll go to them with it.
Aag̱áa tsé haa tuwáa sigóo
Then we like
gooch tlein,
a big hill,
{yóo am} yóo et ḵoowú,
the den
e g̱eináḵ, ch'e ldekét, oo chʼe ldekét.
out from inside of it, all of them, all of them.
E ḵoowú sheedihéin yú.á e ḵoowú wéitʼaa wéi shaa ká.
There were many dens on that mountain, they say.
And a,{yéi de áwé has wudli} yéi áwé,
Thatʼs what happened,
{hes du hes du ah} hes du jeex' yóo aandaat kenehígi {hes du a a} hes aawa.éen.
they called all of those monkeys.
Ách x̱áawé tlél yéi ét yéi yatee yaax' ye yeedét.
That's why there's none around here anymore.
[At.shooḵ]
[Laughter]
Gunalchéesh!
Thank you.
I een áyá kḵwalaneegí.
I'll tell you about this one.
Yóo át gé ysikóo Tl'anaxéedáḵw?
Do you know about the Tlʼanaxéedáḵw?
No.
Lucky Lady. Aaá. Yeah.
Á áwé,
That's how
maybe we have to turn this off, it's going to be off color!
[At.shooḵ]
[Laughter]
Áwé, áwé, am,
So, so, um,
kadulneegí áwé we [video break] ??? st'íx'ch.
when they tell it they ask questions.
Wáa ḵudunoogú sáwé yei dustínch yú.
Once in a while they see it when they're doing something.
Áwé du een kawduwaneek tle k'idéin.
They explained it to him thoroughly.
«Ha yéi kḵwasgéet,» yú.á, «yei kḵwasateen Tlʼanaxéedáḵw.»
“Well this is what Iʼm going to do,” he said, “Iʼm going to see the Lady of Luck.”
Áwé tleidahéen áwé,
So one time,
al'óon {ḵu ḵukaw} ḵukawdik'éet', ḵáax'w.
everybody went hunting, the men.
Áwé,
Then,
Tlʼanaxéedáḵwx̱ sh g̱adulyeix̱ít has yaawaḵaa du yís.
they said somebody should play the part of Tl'enaxéedaḵw for that man.
Át sawdzi.aax̱. Tl'anax̱éedáḵ'w ḵu.aa béibee áwé du díx̱' káwu á,
He went around making noise. The Lady of Luck has a baby on her back,
tle du {dook} dooktín yatee.
itʼs just right on her skin.
Áwé ax̱'awoo.áaych. You know what that is?
She would croon to shush the baby.
Lullabye, a-a-a-a-á, a-a-a-a-á. Yéi áwé du.ax̱ji nuch.
Thatʼs what it sounds like.
Áwé aseiwa.áx̱.
That's what he heard.
«Ch'as ḵaa naa.ádi náatx̱ kawdujeilí áwé yei gax̱dustéen,» yóo daayaduḵá. [At.shooḵ]
“People will only see it if they have taken all of their clothes off,” the tell him. [Laughter]
Áwé náatx̱ adas'éil' du naa.ádi ch'a áx̱ yaa nagut yé.
So he tore off his clothes as he was walking along.
Chʼa áx̱ yaa ḵunashin yéixʼ áwé náadáx̱ yéi adaané.
He took his clothes off right in the place where he was searching.
Áwé, hàa, has x̱'adaxwéitl áwé déi, {we trick-x̱ dulyex̱ ká}
So, ha, when they got tired of (the ruse), {the man that was being tricked}
trick-x̱ ḵulayex̱ ḵáa,
the man that was tricking somebody,
x̱áaw káa kéi tux̱'awdzitée [At.shooḵ]
he put his rear end up on a log [Laughter]
ḵúnáx̱ aadé haadé kg̱wagut yé kagéi! [At.shooḵ]
meeting right up with the path that he was going to walk to come back! [Laughter]
Kaldaag̱ákw áwé ash latín! [At.shooḵ]
He was looking at him naked! [Laughter]
Du tóoḵ déin at satéen! [At.shooḵ]
There was something right by his butt! [Laughter]
Yéi áwé kaawagei.
Thatʼs all there is to it.
Yeah, Tlʼanaxéedáḵw áwé aag̱áa tuwatee. [At.shooḵ]
Yeah, he wanted to go after the Lady of Luck. [Laughter]
I heard men tell this story. [Laughter]
You know, um, years ago, we never thought of bad stuff. They tell it among ourselves. And now we have to keep it away from women and children. But when I was growing up it was all, everybody could hear it. Oh, I woke you up.
No, itʼs ok.
Yeah, thatʼs a, I, I get kind of stuck sometimes when I was trying to talk. But I guess it was ok?
Itʼs fine! You did a good job.
Gunelchéesh.
Thank you.
Yeah.
Gunelchéesh.
Thank you.
Ḵúnáx̱ yak'éi.
It's very good.
She did the kooshdaaḵáa stories. Two of them.
Land otter man stories. [supernatural]
There was two, wasnʼt there?
Yeah and the way they used to tell us like when we were growing up all the time and, just play around by the house, donʼt go far away and stuff. Donʼt go by yourself anyplace. Because somebody might come to see you and they said this, ah, kooshdaaḵáa. He has the ability to change himself into, [video break] they say that, they said,
We share names though.
Yeah.
We share names.
The Deisheetaan? Was she Deisheetaan?
I think she was Deisheetaan. She was from Angoon.
Yeah, yeah.
And she lived behind our house.
Yeah. Mhm.
So heʼs a clan brother, not the real brother, eh?
Yeah. Heʼs a clan brother but um, how did it work anyway?
Yeah. Clan brothersʼ wives are
káani,
in-law,
Yeah.
Káani yán.
In-laws.
Yeah.
Káani yán, when thereʼs more than {two} one. You were using it.
In-laws,
Yeah, yeah, ax̱ káani.
my in-laws.
I introduced to you,remember, ax̱ káani, in, in Haines? Yeah.
my in-law
Ax̱ Tlingit Oxford Dictionary I told them.
My
[At.shooḵ]
[Laughter]
Ét x̱waax̱óotʼ all the time.
I drag it around all the time.
[At.shooḵ]
[Laughter]
Sheʼs the one that said I spoke Oxford Tlingit.
[At.shooḵ]
[Laughter]
Yeah.
That was after I read, uh, oratory, Lingít oratory.
[At.shooḵ] Well itʼs, [video break]
[Laughter]
If she hadnʼt gotten angry, that thing would have, And, my mother used to imitate how, how it spoke too. Ready?
Góok.
Go ahead.
Ax̱ tuwáa sigóo wé aadé sh kaydlineegi yé wé Kooshdaaḵáa daat.
I like how you told that story but there's another about the Land Otter Man.
Ax̱ tláach haa een kalaneegín,
My mother used to tell us that
haa yanax̱dujeet,
so that we would be instructed,
k'idéin ḵug̱aax̱toosteet, has du x̱'éit g̱atusa.aax̱t,
so that we could live well, so that we would listen to what they had to say,
haa een has sh kalneegín.
they used to tell us stories.
Ax̱ léelk'w áwé
My grand(mother)
ḵuk'éet' du tláa een {ḵa du aat du}
went berry picking with her mother
{du aat hás ḵa du} how do you say her aunt there?
{her paternal aunts and her}
du tláak'w hás.
her maternal aunts.
Ḵuk'éet', «Ch'a yáakʼw yáa yaakw yée g̱anú. Hél tsu goodé sá yoo eegútguḵ. Tliyéixʼ g̱anú.»
They were picking berries, “Sit down in the boat right now. Donʼt even go anywhere at all. Sit still.”
X'oon táakwx̱ sákwshé sitee, ch'a yeisú yées shaatk'átsk'u, yéi kwsigéink'.
I wonder how old that girl was, she was a young girl still, she was about so small.
Wulsaag̱í áwé tle yéi yaawaḵáa,
When she got exhausted, she said,
«Atléi,
“Mom,
wéit kwshé ḵagoot!»
let me go over there!”
«Wóoo!»
“Wooo!” [The aunts acknowledge with this call.]
Like an OK sign. She got ??? jumped out of the boat.
Wé yaakw yíkdáx̱ kei wjik'én tle
She jumped out of the boat and (started)
yaa nashíx.
running.
«Goosú wa.é, Atléi?»
“Where are you, Mom?”
«Wóooo.»
“Woooo.”
{tle} Tle yaa ash shunagút ásíwé
It was actually leading her
{dáḵ} dáaḵde.
up into the woods.
{t'aa} Wáa {ng̱a} yoo kanéi sáwé x'áant uwanúk.
She ran so far she began to get angry.
«Wáanáx̱ sáwé tlax̱ yéi ax̱ náḵ {yaa yina yaa yan yaa yina} yaa nay.át?»
“Why are you all leaving me so far behind?”
«Jáa!
“Shhhhh!
Ch'u tle tlax̱ ??? tláakw.»
(Walk faster).” [whispering]
Du tláax̱ sh wudliyéx̱,
It was imitating her mother,
{yéi xaayí} yéi ash daayaḵá, "walk faster."
saying to her, “walk faster.”
Aag̱áa áwé tsá tle anax̱ yei isgítch.
At that point, she kept falling onto the ground.
Aag̱áa akawdlix̱éetlʼ.
Then she was frightened.
Du tláach du een kaneegín
Her mother told her
ḵóox̱ at sh ilyéx̱x̱.
things can turn themselves into people.
Wé éeḵt ishéex áwé,
When she reached the beach,
tle tsu has du seitóox̱ kaawakísʼ du eeg̱áa.
they were hoarse from yelling for her.
Du eeg̱áa
After her
Has du.ix' nich.
They were calling a lot.
Du eeg̱áa ḵus.éex'.
They were hollering around looking for her.
Ayáx̱ ák.wé x̱waasáa? Gwál yé.
Did I say that right? Maybe.
Tle ax̱ x̱'anáḵ ḵut kei {a saa} agútch wé Lingít yoo x̱'atángi ch'a yee yáx̱ áwé.
Some of the Tlingit words just get away from my mouth, just like you folks.
Tle, tle a kát x̱at seiwax'áḵw aadé gax̱dusaayi yé.
I just forgot what it was going to be called.
Ḵateeyí chʼa ax̱ saayí tle a káx̱ x̱at sexʼaaḵw de yeedát ḵu.aa.
Itʼs really something, I even tend to forget my own name these days.
OK. Thatʼs the, thatʼs the kóosh{daa}.
[At.shooḵ]
[Laughter]
Iʼm G̱aanax̱teidí.
Iʼm G̱aanax̱teidí.
G̱aanax̱teidí?
Yeah.
You guys going to ??? with us?
Yeah, come on!
Should we move?
[At.shooḵ]
[Laughter]
Might as well laugh together.
G̱aanax̱teidí. Thatʼs how we say it, but if you say it.
Yeah.
There's G̱aanax̱teidí and G̱aanax̱.ádi.
Well whatʼs the difference between G̱aanax̱teidí and G̱aanax̱.édi.
Itʼs a, old people, old people
Yeah, their pronunciation was different.
Yeah, thatʼs what it is.
But our sounds are changing.
They might be from different local areas.
Yeah, so different.
G̱aanax̱.ádi itʼs from Taku.
G̱aanax̱.ádi, itʼs from Taku.
G̱aanax̱teidí is from Tlákw.aan.
G̱aanax̱teidí is from Klukwaan.
Oooh.
Smitty (Katzeek).
Then itʼs the same?
Itʼs the same.
Yeah, uh, theyʼre both Raven.
Yeah, thatʼs what I mean, itʼs the same. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Just like Lukaax̱.ádi and then thereʼs Lʼuknax̱.ádi.
Sometimes they mistake them for each other.
Lukaax̱.édi and G̱aanax̱.édi? Yeah.
Lukaax̱.ádi is mine.
Oh, yeah.
And G̱aanax̱.ádi is, uh, somebody in there.
Weʼre surrounded.
Heʼs a,
dʼyou mean Norman?
That might be him. Alice, sheʼs our only Eagle. Heʼs Daḵlʼaweidí.
Wáa sáyú duwasáakw, "Sheʼs our only eagle,"?
How do you say, “Sheʼs our only eagle,”?
Wáa sé iduwasáakw?
What is your name?
Wáa sá iduwasáakw?
What is your name?
Wáa sé...
How...
iduwasáakw? Wáa sá iduwasáakw?
is your name? Whatʼs your name?
Lingít x̱'éináx̱.
Tlingit language.
Lingít x̱'éináx̱.
Tlingit language.
Gusʼatéen.
[name]
Goos'atéen?
[name]
Góos' ayatéen.
They can see the clouds.
Góos' ayatéen.
They can see the clouds.
Góos' ayatéen.
They can see the clouds.
Goosʼ. Goos' ayatéen.
Clouds. They can see the clouds.
Góos' ayatéen.
They can see the clouds.
She said, «Góosʼ.» Góosʼ. Góosʼ ayatéen.
She said, “Cloud.” Cloud. She sees the clouds.
We.é déi máa sé iduwasáakw Lingít x̱ʼéináx̱?
How about you, whatʼs your Tlingit name?
Kaséix̱. Kaseix̱,
[name]
Deisheetaan. Deisheetaan.
Deisheetaan. Deisheetaan. [Clan name]
Shaax̱aatk'í yóo tsú x̱at duwasáakw.
Shaax̱aatk'í is also my name.
Aanshaawátk'i yóo tsú x̱at duwasáakw.
I'm also called Aanshaawátk'i.
Kaséix̱ ḵwá átx̱ x̱alayéix̱.
But Kaséix̱ is the one I use.
Béibeex̱ x̱at sateeyídáx̱ ax̱ jeet wuduwatée.
It was given to me from the time I was a baby.
X̱át tsú my grandma she gave me a name. She had two names. Goosʼetéen and the other one she gave to my younger sister.
Me too
Yendekʼwáat'.
Yendekʼwáat'. [name]
Did I say it right? Yendegáatʼ?
Did I say it right? Yendegáatʼ?
or Yendegáat'?
[name]
Gushé. Sounds like Yaandag̱wát'.
I donʼt know. Sounds like “Sheʼs crawling.”
Yendegáat'.
Yendegáat'. [name]
Daa sá?
What?
Her other, her grandmaʼs name?
Yeah, my grandma, she had two names.
Goos'etéen and
[name]
Yendegáatʼ, or
[name]
Yindegáasʼ?
[name]
Yendagáa, It sounds like Goosʼsatéen.
[name] It sounds like Goosʼsatéen.
Sounds like góosʼ.
Sounds like cloud.
Is she Daḵlʼaweidí?
Yeah.
Thatʼs a {porp}, uh, killer whale name.
Yínde Gáas' is ʼgoing downʼ.
Yínde Gáasʼ is ʼgoing downʼ.
Like a pole. I think thatʼs it?
Mhm.
They go down. Killer whales. Yeah. Whatʼs the first one?
Góots
Goots.atéen
[name]
Góos' Satéen.
The cloud is sitting.
Hmmm. Thatʼs a hard one.
Góosʼ Atéen. It means Looking at the Clouds.
Looking at the Clouds.
Oh, yeah, thatʼs right.
Sheʼs got it.
And my great grandmother, she had two names, too.
Yookunashéen
[name]
and Ḵoowaaḵ Shoonéi.
[name]
Ḵaa Waaḵ Shuné.
[name]
Ḵaa Waaḵ Shuné.
[name]
Ḵaa Waaḵ Shuné.
[name]
Ḵaa Waaḵ Shuné.
[name]
Yeah, she had two names. My grandma had two names and my great grandma. Making people look at you.
She gave one to my second oldest daughter. Are we recording?
Haa een sh kaneelneek i saayí.
Tell us a story (about) your name.
Bug check. ???
Big one. I donʼt know, looked like a spider.
Well, thatʼs my doctor.
[At.shooḵ]
[Laughter]
My doctor too!
I think we can all introduce each other, that way we can, when we introduce each other we tend to start talking.
Góok!
Go ahead!
Dleit ḵáa x̱'éináx̱ sʼé sh idasá.
You should tell us your name in English.
Your white man name or your Indian name.
Youʼre Susan Shinkel, Raven. Tlingit. G̱aanax̱teidí clan.
[Now Susan Jim.]
Yáaxʼ ḵiydzitee.
You were born here.
I aaní ákyá?
Is this your country?
She donʼt understand. You were born here. Yes. Your country.
Haa léelk'u hés, hes du aaní.
Our grandparents', their land.
Mhm, i léelk'u hás aaní.
Your grandparents' land.
My grandmother was uh, my great grandmother was um, Jeannie, Jeannie Jim.
Iʼm not sure how, but I know mom, Mrs. Patsy Henderson, was G̱aanax̱teidí.
And we try to do my geneology and go back a couple hundred years and find my way back to Klukwan.
When Iʼm, a, when Smitty Katzeek, heʼs G̱aanax̱téidi, so he must be my people.
It gets very emotional when you meet someone. Like when she told me sheʼs Deisheetaan and her Lingít name.
Ná.
Here.
I think um, when you guys, when you came here, you opened my heart up to, something new, something that I want to be a part of.
How you say "tears"?
Waḵhéeni. Waḵhéen.
Tears.
Waaḵ héen.
Tears.
Waaḵ héen?
Tears.
Waḵhéen.
Tears.
Héen is water.
Water.
Wulix'áas.
Theyʼre cascading.
[At.shooḵ]
[Laughter]
Itʼs falling like a waterfall.
Waaḵ is eye, heh?
Eye
Waaḵ héeni.
Eye water. (tears)
Ch'a g̱aa yatee.
Just leave it. (Itʼs ok.)
Wulix'áas.
Theyʼre cascading.
Wulix'áas.
Theyʼre cascading.
Are you recording, Alice? We just want to record her in English, interspersed with Tlingit. It made her very emotional.
Wáa sá iduwasáakw Lingít x̱'éináx̱?
What is your name in Tlingit?
Name? Tlingit name? I know what it means, Splashing Waters, but I donʼt know how to say it.
Would you recognize if someone said it?
Héen kach'íshjaa ák.wé?
Is it splashing water?
Weʼve been trying all kinds.
It had a, I remember my grandma saying it and it was like itʼs X̱owthéen or something like that. it had héen in it but it had this x̱x̱x̱ in the front.
Itʼs her mum(ʼs) glottal. Must be must be more glottal down here.
Can you say it?
Iʼm learning to. Just like her, Iʼm learning.
It sounded like, when we were talking before it sounded like that, what you were saying, you and Ida.
Kedult'aji Héen,
Kedultʼaji Héen, or something like that.
How you say that,
Splashing water? Kedult'ach...kedult'ách? No.
Splashing water? Kedult'ach...kedult'ách? No.
Kadult'ácht.
Itʼs splashing.
Kadachʼíshjaa is all I know.
“Splashing” is all I know.
Kadat'ach Héen?
Splash from slapping.
Thatʼs when you hit it, kadat'ách.
Splashing.
Like the beavers, too.
Kadut'ách.
Splashing. [slapping the water]
Itʼs um, when you hit it with your hand, itʼs like swimming.
Youʼre a beaver, sʼigeidí?
When they hit the water with their tail, that means theyʼre warning the other beavers to stay in their...
Kedult'ach Héen. Nobody knows. Old way.
Slap the water.
You see long time ago, when, when those people, like Patsy Henderson, when he found his wife, he went some place else to get his wife.
On my grandmaʼs side, Grandma, Grandma Susie and Jack Shakoon, her brother. He went someplace to get a wife, Jennie Shakoon. And he, he married Jennie Shakoon and had all the family from her. I donʼt know if they were from Burwash or from where but I know the two sisters, Jennie, and um, Pats, Mrs. Patsy Henderson. Edith. Edith? Thatʼs her name, right? I think Edith Henderson. Those two were sisters. Uh, Jennie Shakoon and Mrs. Patsy Henderson.
Did you say Grandma Susie?
My Grandma Susie, yeah.
The one that came to Celebration? 2010?
No, no, no, no, different grandmas. Yeah.
Oh, you mean that young girl. That uh, that Sharon?
Yeah, thatʼs her daughter. Thatʼs my niece. Thatʼs her niece. The one that said Grandma Susie ??? Thatʼs her.
[At.shooḵ]
[Laughter]
I like that part where, I put those two together trying to, trying to get
get to speak some of that simple language, baby talk or whatever you want to call it. But um, I say
Tliyaadé Wets(íx Shaa),
On the other side (is Caribou Mountain),
Iʼm going to try, Iʼm going to try to say, "Over there is Caribou Mountain and I see three goats on there." So this way would this way, would it, would it be said this way?
{we} We(tsíx) Shaa,
Caribou Mountain,
nésʼ jénu x̱wasiteen.
I see three mountain goats.
Is that
that sounds good, yeah.
Yeah, that sounds okay.
Yeah, thatʼs what, what I say to try teach myself that language.
And when I first started out I asked Creator to help me when I first start
cause I know I can hear it. I, I grew up with it around me.
I know it. But when you go to that school itʼs,
[Residential school.]
Yeah, other things happen there.
Itʼs bad when they start teaching in the school culture.
We gotta start with our, our own way of living.
When we talk our way of talking. Not the way somebody else is doing it.
And then I, the first time I say, I asked Creator to help me to speak that language I said,
Haa Aanḵáawu haa éet idashí.
Our Lord, help us.
Lingít x̱'éináx̱ haa yoo x̱ʼaténgi haa jee(dé) akg̱watée.
He will give us our language.
Gunalchéesh. Yak'éi. Eesháan.
Thank you. Yak'éi. Poor thing.
Thatʼs good. Nice.
And then I say,
ax̱ léelk'w,
my grandparents,
ax̱ léelk'w, duwaakú áwé i jeehú.
my grandparents, do you have tobacco?
Ax̱ léelk'w tuwaakú gé i jeewú?
My grandparents, do you have tobacco?
You could say, duwaakú i x̱ʼéix̱ kḵwatée.
I will give you tobacco.
Tuwaakú
Tobacco.
Tuwaakú.
Tobacco.
What is duwaakú?
What is tobacco.
Tuwaakú. Itʼs snuff. Thatʼs snuff. Itʼs just a mispronounciation.
Tobacco.
Snuff...
Tuwaaḵú.
Tobacco.
Tuwaakú.
Tobacco.
And then when I say "boat coming" I say,
Ax̱ léelk'w,
My grandparent,
tliyaadé yaakw yaa naḵúx̱! [At.shooḵ]
a boat is coming. [Laughter]
Yak'éi!
Good!
[At.shooḵ]
[Laughter]
Itʼs like that story about that crow [Raven] when he, he put his eye on a rock, and then, yeah, and then that, that eye fool him and told him,
«Yaakw yaa naḵúx̱!»
“Boat is coming!”
So he went down there and beat up his eye.
[At.shooḵ]
[Laughter]
He beat up his eye because it lied to him.
I aat áwé i een sh kalneek.
Your opposite clan aunt is telling you a story.
[At.shooḵ]
[Laughter]
And then a, then when it, when it really came, he didnʼt believe it and then here it was people took his eye! They say he put blueberries in there so thatʼs how come they got blue eyes.
[At.shooḵ]
[Laughter]
Yeah. They had all kinds of funny stories like that, old people.
And, and, um, I know some of those old, old people too, they, it could be 50, 60 below up here. So those old timers, they get tired of it. They said, "Thatʼs enough of that cold weather. We had enough!" So what they do, they go do ceremony. You wake up next morning, the water dripping off the roof. They say they use that seaweed, they must boil it or something and then they pour it in the snow. And then that warm weather. They ask for that chinook, chinook, um,
Kʼeeljáa.
Storm wind. [ʼsouth windʼ in Interior Tlingit]
I guess thatʼs the one thatʼs south wind. K'eeljáa?
Storm.
K'eeljáa ayawditee. I guess they say, I donʼt know.
The storm is really blowing.
[At.shooḵ] They used to make kids do it.
[Laughter]
«Ḵunanáaḵw,» yóo daayaduḵáa nuch.
“Treat people with medicine,” they would say to them.
«Ḵunanáaḵw.
“Give somebody medicine.
Aadé nagú.
Go over there.
Du yaadé kéi tux̱ʼeestí.»
Show your butt to him. [Moon him.]”
Put your bum out, put your bum out toward it they say. And [At.shooḵ]
[Laughter]
Kʼe yáatʼát g̱asteen!
How about you see this!
[At.shooḵ]
[Laughter]
And, and, and when thereʼs no rain, like this itʼs dry. That time, they tell those boys, "Go up in that tree and pee down from it." [Laughter]
[At.shooḵ]
And it worked. Those things were,
«Daak kalalóox',» yóo has daayaduḵáa neech.
“Pee down onto the ground,” they would tell them.
So heʼd go up there and
he lúxʼ down.
he pees down.
Yeah, they have to have a little boy to do that.
Next day it just (pours).
Do they have to prepare the little boy for something like that?
I donʼt think so, eh? I donʼt think they did. No, they just say that.
And long time ago too they use that, when they have babies fast. They say women, no problems with babies. They do that ceremony too and they say, one hour, and they have babies. They get ready to have baby and one hour, theyʼre through having the baby. Some women, you know how they suffer? They do a ceremony with them for that. When theyʼre little girls, little, young like that.
I wish they had done that to me. Holy. [Laughter]
[At.shooḵ]
How many do you have? Xʼoon sá iya.óo?
How many do you have?
I had five but they were all just like the first one. I went into labor on the 31st of August and my daughter was born in the morning the first of September.
Oh, gee.
A long, long labor.
Mm, and there were no doctors around?
There was a doctor. I was in the hospital.
My mind reverts back to long time ago how the elders put up with such hardship.
I think probably if I was at home it would have been different because the old people know how to help them, you know, when they have babies and stuff because every time,
Lasaayí yóo x̱at duwasáakw. [video break]
Lasaayí I'm called.
Kooḵitaan sháa áyá x̱át.
I am a Pit House woman.
Deisléendáx̱ haat x̱waagút.
I came here from Teslin.
Ax̱, ax̱ léelk'w Laanaatk' yóo dusáagun
My grandmotherʼs name was Laanaatkʼ
ḵa ax̱ léelkʼw,
and my grandfather,
Jim Fox,
Jim Fox,
Ḵaasx'áan yóo dusáagun.
his name was Ḵaasxʼáan.
Juneau-dáx̱ áwé haat has uwa.át.
They came here from Juneau.
Teslin-dé.
To Teslin.
Áa has ḵumdzitee.
They were born there.
Hundred Mile yóo dusáagun,
Hundred Mile it's called,
wé Nelaseen.
the Nisutlin River.
Héen wát, héen,
The mouth of the river, the river,
Hundred Mile yóo dusáagun ḵu.aa x̱at ḵuwusteeyí.
it was called Hundred Mile when I was born.
1933, May. Huh.
1933, May
Tlél ldakát x̱wasakú, x̱át, ax̱ Lingít yoox̱ʼatángi.
I donʼt know all of it, myself, my Tlingit language.
Áwé a,
So
ax̱ tláanáx̱, {x̱at jeedáx̱ wud}
through my mother,
ax̱ tláa jeedáx̱ x̱at has wootee wé gaaw̃ ít.
they took me from my mother after that time.
Yáax' áyá sgóonx' yéi x̱at wootee.
I lived here at the school (residential school).
Ách áwéi tlél k'idéin x̱wasakóowun.
That's why I didnʼt know it very well.
Chʼa jáa, chʼa g̱aa,
Nevertheless,
aatlein ax̱ tuwáa sigóo
I really want
k'idéin yoo x̱'ax̱atángi, Lingít x̱'éináx̱.
to speak Tlingit well.
Ách áwé yú Juneau-dé x̱waagoot last fall, September.
That's why I went to Juneau last fall, September.
Aatlein ax̱ toowú yak'éi, ax̱ éet has wudishée, Nora.
I'm very grateful for helping me, Nora.
K'idéin x̱waatʼee.
I found (my language) well.
I never {make} I never did lose it. I just hid it away in my back of my head because
has x̱at jáag̱un
they used to beat me up
Lingít x̱'éináx̱ yoo x̱'ax̱atángi.
for speaking in Tlingit.
"Speak English," yóo áwé has x̱at daayaḵáa neech.
“Speak English,” they always said.
I understand.
I just locked in my head so bad I just, I couldnʼt speak it. Sometimes I get stuck when I was in Teslin. I couldnʼt speak because I always think, those are my people. And theyʼre always correcting me every time I say something. I donʼt know why it is if itʼs your own relatives. Youʼre afraid to speak it because they like to get after me for not speaking. Itʼs not my fault. Itʼs not my motherʼs fault. Itʼs the government that did that. Not just me only. I hold all that. But itʼs ok. Iʼm better. Iʼm feeling good now. I find who I am. I love myself. And it helped me to love other people. Iʼm not angry anymore. And I feel good. And Iʼm happy to sit here with you. Iʼm happy I can speak my language.
Tléil ḵut x̱wag̱éex'.
I didnʼt lose it.
Ch'a ayáx̱ (???) áwé.
Ḵúnáx̱ has akaawa.aaḵw.
They really tried.
Aangóondáx̱ Deisheetaan ḵáa,
A Deisheetaan man from Angoon,
a daa kei x̱'andatáni,
when he first spoke up about it,
de nas'gadooshú (jinkaat) ḵa daax'oon du táagu.
he was already 84 years old.
Ch'a aan, a daa yoo x̱'atángi tle, tle g̱aax̱ nuch, du waḵhéeni kanadáa nuch
Even so, when he talks about it, he cries, his tears flow
aadé wdudzineiyi yé.
(because) of what they did to him.
Du laká du.úsʼgun ḵa du jín, du jín dult'áchx̱.
They used to wash is mouth out and slap his (wrists).
Yéi áwé x̱at téeyin.
It was that way for me too.
Ḵúnáx̱ ch'a yeisú,
Only very recently,
a daa yoo {tu} has tutángi, haa,
when they were thinking about it,
has du ḵusteeyí, aadé, aadé yéi has daadunéiyi yé wé government-ch.
their way of life, the way that they were treated by the government.
X̱át tsú yéi x̱at wududzinei ts(ú)
They did the same thing to me too,
wé school-de nx̱agóot.
when I went to school.
Tle ax̱ toowú yak'éi áwé school-t x̱agóot.
I was just happy when I got to school.
Shux'wáanáx̱ 8 years old-x̱ gíwé x̱at sitee.
I think I was about eight years old when (I) first (went).
Aag̱áa I was pretty old for going to school.
At that time I was pretty old for going to school.
And all I could speak was Lingít. Me too. Bad, bad, bad, were the teachers. And she spanked my hand so bad I just cried there. And of course, kids you know, make fun of each other. They always made fun of us when we were crying. That was bad. I never forget it. Me too.
Hardest thing I ever did was forgive them.
Gunalchéesh.
Thank you.
Gwál, i aayí ákyá, chx̱ánk'?
Is this yours, grandchild?
Tléik', aadé x̱waataan.
No, I carried it over there.
Do you want tea, Ida?
Herb tea if you have it. Please. Thank you.
X̱át tsú, haa éet yataawaháa.
Me too, weʼre sleepy.
Itʼs cause itʼs three oʼclock.
Oh.
Ách áwé a yáax' gax̱toosgéet, Emma!
So we're going to take revenge, Emma!
K'idéin g̱atusakoo Lingít.
(So) we can really know Tlingit.
At yátx'i éex' tulatóowu ldakát,
If we teach the youngsters,
ch'a aadóo sá wutusiteen,
whoever we see,
chʼa aadóo tuwáxʼ sá sigóo.
whoever wants it.
Yéi áwé yak'éi.
That is good.
Tle yáax' ák.wé eewawát wa.é tsú?
Did you grow up here too?
Aa.
Yes.
Am, yáax' áwé x̱at uwawát.
Um, I grew up here.
Yóo sgóon {you know} wéix' yéi téeyin.
That school used to be over there.
Á áwé ax̱ éesh ḵa ax̱ tláa,
So my father and my mother,
sgóon wutoo.aadí, aag̱áa tsá yáax' yéi has (ya)téeyin.
when we went to school, thatʼs the only time they lived here.
Tlax̱,
Really,
tlax̱ {ax̱ toowú} ax̱ toowú litseen
I felt really strong
neil wutoo.aadí Saturday
when we came home on Saturday
yagiyee.
day.
One oʼclock
{deilí kax̱} neildé netoo.étch.
we would go home.
6:00 ḵu.aa sgóon de tsu yáaxʼ yéi haa yatee.
6:00, we would already be back here at school.
{aa, ax̱}
Ax̱ éesh ch'a tlákw áwé haa een yoo x̱'atengi neech.
My father always spoke to us.
Éch x̱áawé, éch x̱áawé,
Thatʼs why, thatʼs why,
ax̱, um,
my
yoox̱'aténgi
language
ch'a naanáx̱ yatee.
is very nice.
X̱wasikóo ḵu.aa, am,
I know however, um,
yú sgóonx'
at the school
ax̱ éet wududlitúw̃
they taught me
dleit ḵáa x̱'éináx̱.
white man's language.
{Yóo x̱'ayaḵ} Yóo x̱'ayaḵáa neech ax̱ éesh, aa
My dad would always tell me,
«Eewáadi áwé igax̱dusháa.
“When you're old enough, you will be married.
Atyátx'i i jee yéi kg̱watée.
You will have children.
We.é áwé {hes du een}
It is you
{hes du een, am,}
with them, um,
hes du éede kg̱ilatóow̃, we.é.
youʼre the one that will teach it to them.
Ḵa yá dáanaa tsóo,
And this money also,
i x̱úx̱ dáanayi,
your husband's money,
yéi du jeewú,
he will have it,
aag̱áa tsá we.é ḵu.aa wé
and then you will
atx̱á ḵwaawé kg̱eehóon.
buy food with it.
Éch x̱áawé
That's why
igux̱sakóo
you will know
wáa sé, wáa sé yateeyí.»
how, how it is.”
Wáa sé du, du, how you say count?
How do, how do you say count?
Count?
Datóow.
To count.
Aa. Dáanaa edetóow nich.
Yes. He kept counting his money.
«Éch x̱áawé we.é áwé,
“This is (how) it will be you,
wé i yétxʼi sáani yeg̱isewáat,»
you will raise your children,”
yóo áwé haa daayaḵáa nich.
thatʼs what he kept telling us.
Tlax̱ ax̱ toowú yenéekw.
I feel really sad.
«Yóode sgóonde kg̱eegóot,» {yóo x̱at} yóo haa daayaḵá.
“You will go to school,” they tell us.
{ch'e ldekét, chʼe máa sé igax̱
i, i, i, i een, i, i een}
«I saayí tíl eyáx̱ yeteeyín.
“Your name is not like it used to be. [Children were given English names at residential schools.]
Á áwé,
So,
yeg̱isekóo ḵu.aa,
you'll know, however,
wé {goodéx̱ sé} goodáx̱ sá i ḵusteeyí.
where your way of life comes from.
Deisheetaan áwé iyatee,»
You are Deisheetaan,”
yóo haa daayaḵá.
he said to us.
«Tláx̱ {tíl} tíl x'wán e két isex'áaḵw.»
“Be very sure not to forget it.”
Haa,
Well,
ch'e ldekét {haa} haa léelk'u hés haa een esáakw neejín.
he would name all of our grandparents to us.
Éch x̱áawé chʼe g̱ég̱aa,
Thatʼs why, in vain,
ch'e náanáx̱,
calmly,
ax̱ yoox̱ʼaténgi chʼoo ax̱ jee yéi yetee yeedét.
I still have my language to this day.
Ch'a aan ḵu.aa áwé
However, that's why
tlax̱ ḵudzidéin áwé ax̱ toowú néekw neejín.
I always used to feel incredibly sad.
«Savages áwé iyatee.
“You are savages.
Heathens.
Heathens.
{Tíl, a}
Tíl yeg̱isateen,»
You wonʼt see it,”
{yóo áwé x̱at} yóo áwé has haa daayaḵá.
thatʼs what they say to us.
Éch x̱áawé ch'e ldekét yéi áwé ḵu.oo
Thatʼs why, you know,
chʼu tle yéi áwé ét hes ne.étch,
they walk that way (with their heads down),
yá ax̱ een.aa.
my relatives.
Ax̱ éesh ḵu.a {yóo}
My father
yóo haa daayaḵá,
used to tell us,
«Gidahaan!
“Stand up!
Deisheetaan áwé iyatee!
You are Deisheetaan!
{i, i, kínde n kínde} I shá kínde yéi niy.oo!» yóo haa daayaḵá.
Hold your head up high,” he used to tell us.
Éch x̱áawé ax̱ tuwáxʼ ax̱ léelk'w, ax̱ éesh,
That's why I think my grandparent, my father,
{hes du} k'idéin áwé {hes haa} haa éet hes eltóow neejín,
they used to teach us well,
ḵa ax̱ tláa.
and my mother.
Ḵustí daat.
About life.
Aa.
Yes.
Ax̱ tláa
My mother
yéi haa daayaḵáa noojín,
used to say to us,
«Shaawátch {yaa ḵuna—} yaa shunagút ḵustí.
“A woman leads life.
Shaawátch áwé yei ksanéx̱ch wé dáanaa
The woman saves the money
du yátx'u sáanis x̱'eis.»
to feed her children.”
Hél bank-íx̱ has aa uteeyín.
They didnʼt keep their money in the bank.
Séek.
Belt.
Money belt yóo duwasáakw, {kas} kasánxʼ.
Money belt they call it, on their torso.
Gunelchéesh!
Thank you.
Ch'a Lingít x̱'éináx̱ áwé atóow nooch ax̱ tláach wé dáanaa.
My mother used to count the money in Tlingit.
Aaá.
Yes.
Fishermen,
The fishermen,
purse seine season yan yawuxeexí,
when the purse seine season ended,
tle anal.eich wáa sá agux̱sahóon,
she would say how she was going to (spend it),
wáa sá akg̱wahooní haa naa.ádi ḵa haa atx̱aayí.
how she was going to (spend it on) our clothes and our food.
Hél ḵúdáx̱ haa atx̱aayí.
Not too much on food.
A daa yoo has koo.átjeen haa atx̱aayí.
They used to gather our food from the land. [Obtaining and preserving it.]
Tléiḵw, tléiḵw een.
Berries, picking berries.
Atx'aan.
Drying food to preserve it.
Ḵáax'w ḵwáawé hunting.
The men would be hunting.
Nagútjin ax̱ éesh.
My father used to go (hunting).
Tlél tsu x̱'éi ux̱danookch yeedát, tle {ax̱ éesh} ax̱ éesh ḵut x̱wag̱éexʼidáx̱, salt salmon.
Up to now, I havenʼt even had a taste of salt salmon since I lost my father.
Dul.élʼx̱i aa.
The ones that they used to salt.
Ḵa téeyi héenxʼ kadulkelx̱i aa.
And the dried salmon for soaking that they soak in the water.
Dry fish.
Winter-xʼ {ḵútx̱ xu} ḵútx̱ wuxoogú,
When it gets too dry in the winter,
{héenxʼ} héen táaxʼ aklakélx̱in. Ḵúnáx̱ wook'éi.
he used to soak it in the water. It was very good.
Yeedát,
Right now,
{hél} hél yéi at toox̱á yeedát.
we don't eat that way now.
Ḵut kei ntoog̱íxʼ haa atx̱aayí.
We are losing our food.
Tle ch'as old McDonald's.
Just Old McDonald's.
Tlax̱ wáa sá a sháade hán haa dáanayi. [At.shooḵ]
He really stands at the head of our money. [Laughter]
The brown bears too.
Tle xóots tsú.
And KFC.
Ḵa wé KFC.
Tle xóots,
A brown bear,
Juneau Empire x̱á, tle
(in the) Juneau Empire (newspaper)
Red Dog Saloonxʼ éiḵx̱ áwé yaa nagút wé xóots McDonald bag du x̱ʼé.
that brown bear was walking on the beach at the Red Dog Saloon with a McDonaldʼs bag in his mouth.
Yaa anasyíḵ!
He was carrying it along in his mouth!
Newspaper ká!
It was in the newspaper!
Á x̱áawé wé Larry,
That's Larry,
Jackson. Paul Jacksonʼs son. He had a stroke or a heart attack. And all they ate was McDonaldʼs, him and his wife. Gee. I donʼt know if theyʼre back doing it again.
Hél ushk'é.
It's not good.
Yeah, itʼs... They get the bottom leftovers, McDonaldʼs.
Haa atx̱aayí x̱á
Our foods
hél tsu colorxʼ x̱oo yei utí ḵach'oo preservative.
there are no colors or preservatives in there.
Tlél tsu daa sá.
Not a thing.
Ḵa tsu flavor. Tle ch'as á dusxoogún.
Or any flavors. Just the food itself is dried.
Yéi {d—} has at yasáakw dleit ḵáach organic.
The white people call things organic.
Á áwé haa atx̱aayíx̱ sitee. Yéi áwé.
That's our food. Thatʼs it.
Ch'áakw tle, tle yéi ḵukdahéijin aadé—
Long ago they used to live so long that they just shriveled away—
How old they used to get, eating our food without preservatives or coloring or anything. Dried, canned, berries picked. Even from, Iʼm trying to think of that one, we were talking about,
sáxʼ.
[A dessert made from the inner bark (cambium) of a hemlock tree.]
I had it once and I remembered.
I had it once and I remembered.
Hóochʼ. My grandmother used to make it all the time, every spring.
Not anymore.
We used to go and get it. Roots? Is it roots?
Itʼs tree sap, hey? Sáxʼ? Yeah.
Yeah, itʼs tree sap. Jackpine, mostly.
Inner sap with the milk inside. Itʼs got natural sweetness.
They eat it like dessert. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Sometimes dusxúkx'un.
Sometimes they dried them.
Wudusxoogú áwé dux̱áa nuch
When they dried it, they would eat it
atx̱á ítde
after the main course
eex̱tín.
with grease.
I remember Grandma used to dry berries on a big sheet. She had big camp.
"Oh, my goodness the gold old,"
awusteení salmonberries, yéi kakwdigéi.
(she'd say) when she saw salmonberries, theyʼre this big.
How you say now, blue?
the branch of it was big salmon berries.
X̱'éishx'w.
Blue (Blue jay, Stellar Jay)
X̱ʼéishx'w.
Blue.
Yáadu ax̱ kʼoodásʼi a yáx̱ yatee.
Itʼs right here, itʼs like the color of my shirt.
She was so happy.
X̱'éishx'w. Itʼs like money in the bank to her. X̱ʼéishxʼw.
Blue.
X̱'éishx'w
Blue.
Yakitee-yak yóo áwé yoo x̱'ayatánk! (Jays)
Yakitee-yak is how they talk!
[Laughter]
[At.shooḵ]
Kaadé du.ax̱ji nuch du yoox̱'atángi!
You can always hear them talking!
There, McDonaldʼs too they eat there all the time, those big ravens.
[Laughter]
[At.shooḵ]
Yeah, Iʼll bet they donʼt live long.
[Laughter]
[At.shooḵ]
You know, ah,
Yáaxʼ sgóonde yoo x̱agútgi áwé
When I was going to school here,
ch'a tlákw haa éet yaan.uwaháa.
we were always hungry.
Áwé wéix' wé., wéi a, on the shore?
It was there, there, on the shore?
Át wutuwa.aat
We walked around
wé tsáats katusaháa.
to dig bear root/Indian potato. [Ligusticum porteri?]
Tsáats katusaháa.
We dug Indian potato.
Tsáats yóo gé?
Indian potato?
Bear bread.
Á áwé toox̱áayn.
We ate it.
Oh.
Aaá, yak'éi, sik'éi, springtime.
Yes, it's good in springtime.
Yeah, it, my mother says itʼs good.
I never saw any.
X̱alak'ách' wutoos,
Porcupine we would,
We killed porcupine.
Gee. I didnʼt even know that. [Was Ida at the same school with Emma?]
[Laughter]
[At.shooḵ]
Wé Grace, ḵa Kathleen. My sister Mabel. And Sally. When you kill it you bury it and you put it under a stump. And we cover it because we have no time to burn it. And on Saturday we went down there and we burn it (to scrape off the hair) and we roast it.
Grace and Kathleen.
Itʼs like chicken?
Yeah.
Wow.
It was nice and fat.
Yóot'aa tsú, hél, hél haa x̱ʼéix̱ wudaa; yéin.
That other one too, we didnʼt get used to eating it; sea cucumber.
Lawáakxʼ ḵu.oo ḵúnáx̱ has ax̱áa nooch yéin.
In Klawock, the people eat a lot of sea cucumber.
Kake.
Tél x̱wasikóo daa sé yatee.
I don't know what that is.
Yéin héen taak.ádi áwé.
Sea cucumber is an ocean creature.
It was ugly.
Deikée ádee áwé
Far out thing
éil' ká.
on the ocean.
They got some in Sitka. We went to pick some.
Tle áx̱ yawdudzix̱áa Craig tawán, yéin.
They ate them all up near Craig, the sea cucumbers.
Grandma ??? used to talk about a, lóol, lóol.
fireweed, fireweed.
Aaá, kayaaní áwé, á ḵu.aa.
Yes, that one is a plant though.
Oh, yeah.
Some fireweed áwé yei duwasáakw lóol.
Some fireweed is called lóol.
Wé yéin ḵu.aa, sea cucumber áwé.
The yéin, though, is called sea cucumber.
You can turn it inside out and then you scrape the flesh from it.
Thereʼs a thing that runs down to ???
Tlél x̱wasakú.
I don't know.
Japanese restaurant aya.óo Juneauxʼ, jée!
Japanese restuarant buys it, goodness!
Jée, goodáx̱ yéin sáwé tlax̱ yéi, oh, god!
Goodness, I wonder where he got sea cucumber.
Oven tóot as.ée.
It is cooked in the oven.
Wudishán.
Itʼs old.
[At.shooḵ]
[Laughter]
Ax̱ toowáa kwlijée wé yéin.
I think it an ugly thing, the sea cucumber.
[At.shooḵ]
[Laughter]
Theyʼre long and skinny.
[At.shooḵ]
[Laughter]
Some people break the heads off this way. [Gestures as if biting it off.]
[At.shooḵ]
[Laughter]
Yaana.eit yóo dusáagun.
Indian celery it was called.
Yeah, we get those every spring.
Wild rhubarb. Indian celery ák.wé yéi tuwasáakw? Aaá, á áwé yéi duwasáakw.
Is it called indian celery? Yes, that's what it's called.
Yú át tsú ḵudzitee, Lingít tlʼaaḵʼwáchʼi.
Thereʼs that other thing too, wild rhubarb.
Mhm.
Indian rhubarb... ḵa Lingít kóox.
Indian rhubarb... and Indian rice.
Wild rice.
[Fritillaria camschatcensis]
Kóox, hmm.
Wild rice, hmm.
Áwé laaḵ'ásk tsú too.een
We also pick seaweed
yú deikéedáx̱.
from way out.
Ḵa ḵ'áach'.
And sea ribbon.
Um, coho, what you call it?
L'ook.
Coho salmon.
Oh, yeah, l'ook.
Coho salmon.
My grandma used to talk about it, «Oh
l'ook áwé ax̱ tuwáa sigóo,» and I didn't know...
I want coho.
«Tl'úkʼx̱,» I tell her.
“Worm,”
Sockeye tle a káx̱ x̱at sax'aaḵw a saayí.
I forget the Tlingit word for Sockeye.
L'ook
Coho.
Sockeye (salmon)
G̱aat áwé. G̱aat.
It's sockeye.
G̱aat.
Sockeye.
Yéi átx̱ áwé x̱at sitee, g̱aat.
Thatʼs what I am, sockeye. [Sockeye is the primary crest of her clan.]
G̱aat.
Sockeye.
G̱aat.
Sockeye.
Seems like I heard after that what I was wishing for was, Cháatl is halibut.
Halibut
wé sockeye.
that sockeye.
Because up here we get kings, eh?
And dog salmon.