Tlingit Conversation #59

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Speaker is Achkwéi Lena Farkas. Recorded July 30, 2008, in Yakutat, Alaska, by Ḵaa Saayi Tláa Amanda Bremner.

Tlingit transcription by Aanakwéi Éesh John Buller and by Shaag̱aw Éesh Devlin Anderstrom. English translation by Achkwéi Lena Farkas with Ḵaa Saayi Tláa Amanda Bremner. Edited by X̱ʼaagi Sháawu Keri Eggleston.

OK. Ach Kwéi yóo x̱at duwasáakw.

I am called Ach Kwéi.

Yaakwdáatdáx̱ áyáa.

I come from Yakutat.

Yéilx̱ x̱at sitee K'inéix̱ Ḵwáan

I am a raven of the Kʼinéix̱ Ḵwáan.

Ax̱ éesh, ḵu.aa, áwéis Teiḵweidéex̱ wusitee Aan Tleindáx̱.

My father, however, he was Teiḵweidí from Ahrnklin River.

Dís Hítdáx̱ áyáa x̱át.

I am from the Moon House.

OK, when you were little you and your family used to travel with the seasons? Can you start with the spring and tell me where you traveled and what kind of animals you would hunt?

OK.

Yóo {yax̱ yaa ḵugahéin}

yax̱ yaa {ḵugana} ḵunahéini áwé

when it is getting toward spring time,

Aséx̱ʼ Táade yóo naakéede áwé ntooḵúx̱ch.

we would head up the bay to Chicago Harbor.

Wéi

Those

g̱áaxʼw,

herring eggs,

g̱áaxʼw yéi ntusaneich áxʼ

we would put up herring eggs there

Aséx̱ʼ Táadáx̱.

from Chicago Harbor.

Atx̱ áwéi tsoo

From there again

X'aa Tlein Jig̱eidé haa klagás'ch.

we would move camp up to X'aa Tlein Jig̱ei. [Seal camp in Disenchantment Bay]

Tsoo áx' áwéi

There again

tsaa l'óon yéi has adaanéi nooch,

they would hunt seal,

ax̱ éesh

my father

ḵa ax̱ éek' hás.

and my brothers.

Tsaa neil has ayawux̱aayée áwé wéi

When they would bring a seal home

áa yéi haa yateeyí wé camp-íxʼ.

to the place where we were staying at camp.

Áwéi

has analxʼíshch

they would skin it

ḵa yáa a dleeyée,

and the meat,

ah, yáa a doogóo kaax̱ has analx'íshch aag̱áa áwéi

uh, they would cut it off of the hide and then

yánde yaa s aksaneich {wéi dáx̱}

they would finish up with

yáa a dleeyée duxaashée. Yax̱ has ayoolxáshch.

getting the meat cut. They would cut it all up.

Aag̱aa áwé wé

And then that

ax̱ tláach áwé wéi tsaa doogóo ḵwá {anatsʼétsʼch} akooltsʼétsʼch chʼa yáa a doogóo kaadáx̱ yáa taay.

mother of mine would flesh the seal hide and get all of the fat off of the hide.

Áa yan wutusaneiyée áwé

When we finished that up there

wé taay áwéi {akax̱} akax̱daxáshch,

she would cut up the fat into little pieces,

tsu ax̱ tláach.

again this is my mother that would do that.

{ḵʼwátl} Láḵdi g̱eix' áwé yéi ana.eich.

She would keep it in a bentwood box. [A bentwood box or a 5 gallon lard can.]

Atx̱ áwéi tsoo wéi, wé dleey

After that, the meat

yóo atxʼaan daakahídeexʼ áwéi

in the smokehouse

yax̱ shayoodustéeych.

it would be hung up.

Aatx̱ áwé tsu

After that

dus.éeych.

it would be cooked.

Chʼa wdus.eeyéedáx̱ áwéi tsu wéi, atxʼaan daakahídeexʼ áwéi yax̱ ashayoostéeych tsoo.

After it had been cooked then, she would hang it up in the smokehouse again.

Yáa ch'a yéi {sʼeiḵ} akoolsʼéḵch áwé áxʼ, wéi atxʼaan daakahídeexʼ.

Then she would just smoke it like anything else in there, inside of that smokehouse.

Yáa taay ḵu áwéi, yáa a taayée {a}

As for the fat, its fat,

káx̱ {aga} aksagánch

she would crisp it up (literally: burn it)

aag̱áa áwé eix̱ áwéi yéi adaanéi nooch,

and then she would make the oil,

tsaa eix̱í.

seal oil. (grease)

Yá tsaa, tsaa dleeyée

The seal, seal meat

kʼidéin áx̱ akawulsʼeig̱ée áwé,

when she had smoked it well,

yáa láḵdi g̱eix' áwé

inside of the bentwood box

eix̱ x̱ooxʼ yéi ana.eich {wé} wé dleey.

she would store the meat with the oil.

Yáa {ay ay} a naasí áwéi tsú

The intestines also

tsu á tsú k'idéin anasneich, ana.us'ch.

then she would clean that well too, she would wash it.

Aatx̱ áwéi tsu yóo áa yax̱ akooyeiḵch wéi

After that she would pull it inside out, the

wéi a naasée.

the intestines.

Tsoo kʼidéin ana.úsʼch.

Then sheʼd wash it out well again.

Á ḵu.aa áwéi tsu akax̱laxáshch

Then she would take that also and cut it up into little pieces

aag̱áa áwéi káx̱ aksagánch

and she would crisp it up (literally: burn it)

atx̱á yís.

for food.

Sitgawsáanx' áwéi toox̱áaych.

We would eat it for lunch.

Ḵaa yáa a tlʼóog̱u,

And the liver,

the kidney, [may have meant to say liver]

á áwé tsú has ax̱sanéx̱ch yáa

they would save that too, the

káx̱ kadusgánch tsoo á tsú.

that too would also be crisped up (literally: they would burn it).

Wáang̱aneins xáanaa atx̱aayéex̱ tulayéx̱ch.

Sometimes we'd make this our evening meal.

Kʼidéin nadu.úsʼch

It would be washed thoroughly

aag̱áa áwé kax̱dulxáshch.

and then they would slice it up.

Chʼa yéi googéinkʼ sakwnéin een ḵaa tuwáa sagoowóo áwéi káx̱ kadusgánch.

They would crisp it with a little bit of flour if they wanted.

Ḵa kóox een dux̱áaych.

And it would be eaten with rice.

Aatx̱ áwéi tsu wéi taay,

From there, back to the fat,

tsu chʼa g̱óotʼaa {láḵtch} láḵdi g̱eix' yéi ana.eich.

she would keep it in another type of bentwood box.

Wéi a doogóo ḵu.aa áwé,

Its hide, however,

{tsaa} tsaa doogóo a káx̱ duyeḵ át áwéi

the thing that you pull the seal hide onto

t'éesh yóo dusáakw nuch.

it is called a drying frame.

Á áwé k'idéin wéi tsaa doogú awu.óos'eedáx̱ áwé wéi

So then, once she had thoroughly cleaned the seal hide,

Fels Naptha Soap yóo dusáagun,

it was called Fels Naptha soap,

a kát áwéi ana.úsʼch.

she would wash the surface of it.

Aag̱áa áwé {wéi} wé tʼéesht ootéeych,

And then she would put it on the drying frame,

yáa tsaa doogóo.

the seal hide.

Wuxoogóodáx̱ áwéi

After it dried

yáa a taayée a kaax̱ dulxasʼ nuch.

the fat would be scraped off of it.

Kʼidéin a kaax̱ wudulxáasʼi áwéi tsu

Once they had scraped it off well, then

chʼa yáa sakwnéin {a} a káa yéi kdullítch

they would sprinkle flour on it

aag̱áa áwéi tsoo duxás' nuch k'idéin.

and then they would scrape it well again.

Tle k'idéin yan wuneiyée áwé,

Once it was really ready,

duchúks'i nuch tsoo chʼa yéi kdulk'wát'ch.

they would massage it to make it soft and then it would be rolled up into a bundle.

Táakwxʼ áwé, {yá} daa sá,

In the winter, anything,

tsu chʼa yáa boots,

like those boots,

sʼélʼx'wán yax̱ yateeyi aa,

the ones that are like rubber boots,

áwéi duḵéis' nuch

they would sew those

ḵa chʼa yéi téel yáx̱,

and just like regular shoes,

keish téelt.

moccasins.

Ḵa tsu kinaa.átx̱ tsú dulyéx̱ch, coat.

And they would also make it into coats.

Ḵaa yáa l.uljínee vest-íx̱ dulyéx̱ yis duḵáaych.

And it would be sewn so that they could use it for vests.

Yáa a yígi ḵu.aa áwéi k'idéin áwé s ana.óos'eedáx̱ áwé dusxúkch.

As for its stomach, once it had been cleaned out very well it would be dried.

Aax̱ áwéi wóoshde duḵéis' nuch. Ch'u yéi áa yéi ndu.eich, wóoshde duḵéis' nuch á tsú.

Then they would stitch it together. Just the same way, they would keep it there and they would sew those together too.

Yáa kinaak.át ḵa tuḵ'atáal yáx̱ áwé duḵáaych yáa daak wustaaní yís.

They would sew them like jackets and pants for when it is precipitating.

They used it for raincoats when they saved enough, uh, uh, the seal stomach to sew together for rain gear.

Aax̱ ḵeiwu.aayée áwé tsu,

From there, when the sun would come up,

daak has uḵoox̱ch,

they would go out on the boat again,

ax̱ éesh ḵa {ax̱} ax̱ éek' hás,

my father and my brothers,

wéi {t'á} t'ág̱aa shukalx̱aach ḵa cháatl.

heʼd go trolling for king salmon and halibut.

They go out hunting after uh, trolling after uh, king salmon and, and halibut.

Uháan ḵu.aa wé haa tláa een natoo.átch sáaxw kahaa ḵa gáal' ḵa laaḵ'ásk. [«sáaxw» from Eyak «sahxw» 'cockle']

Us (girls) though, we would go out digging butter clams and cockles with our mother and (picking) black seaweed.

{wéi laaḵʼ} Neilt wutooḵoox̱óo áwé wé laaḵ'ásk yee.atkag̱áaji káx̱ áwéi ayakoos.háaych ax̱ tláach, wéi laaḵ'ásk áxʼ asxuk nuch.

When we would get home, my mother would spread out the black seaweed on a sheet, she would dry that black seaweed there.

Ḵaa {wéi} wéi gáal' ḵaa sáaxw k'idéin natusaneich.

And we would clean up the clams and cockles well.

{na} Wutoo.óosʼeedáx̱ áwéi

Once we had washed them,

yáa chʼáalʼ {daay} daayée,

that willow bark,

chʼáalʼg̱aa ntoo.átch, aag̱áa áwéi,

we would go out to get willows, and then,

{a a daa} kʼidéin a daatx̱ yáa leaves {has} has awusʼóowoo áwé wé ax̱ éekʼch,

when my brothers had chopped all of the leaves off of them,

aag̱áa áwéi yáa

at that time

{chʼáalʼ} chʼáalʼ ah, ḵáasʼee káx̱ áwé {has has ay ya ya} yatusaháa {x̱} nuch áwé,

we would hang them up on the willow sticks,

wéi sáaxw ḵa gáalʼ.

the cockles and the butter clams.

Yóo atxʼaan daakahídeexʼ áwéi {ya yan tusatéeych yax̱} yax̱ yan tusatéeych áxʼ.

We would put them all in the smokehouse there.

Aag̱áa áwéi tsoo áx̱ akanalsʼéḵch ax̱ tláach.

And then my mother would smoke them.

Wudus.eeyéedáx̱ áwéi,

Once they were cooked,

áx̱ {ya} ashayoodatéeych yáa

she would hang them up there

atxʼaan hídee.

in the smokehouse.

After we cleaned the clams and the cockles, then, a, she steams them open and, and a, then she steams them open and, and, uh, puts it on the alders that we did after all the leaves and stuff are chopped off and, uh, sheʼll put the, weʼll help her put the cockles on that alder sticks to hang in the smokehouse. And we smoked and itʼs dry.

Aag̱áa áwéi tsoo

And then

kʼidéin wuxoogóo áwéi wé gáalʼ ḵa sáaxw,

when the butter clams and cockles had dried well,

wé láḵdi g̱eixʼ tsu yéi aa na.eich eix̱ x̱ooxʼ haa atx̱aayée sákw.

she would keep some of it inside of bentwood boxes with (seal) oil for our food.

She puts it in a, one of those boxes {with} with, in seal oil so theyʼll last.

Aatx̱ áwéi tsoo wéi,

And then after that,

wéi tʼá ḵa cháatl yan s ayawux̱aayée áwé tsoo,

when they would bring in the king salmon and halibut,

ax̱ tláach axásh nuch kʼidéin atyuwaax̱ʼéishi ḵa atx̱ʼéishi.

my mother would carefully cut the belly strips and the regular style of dry fish.

Wé (at) xʼaan daakahídeexʼ

In that smokehouse

áwé áx̱ akanalsʼéḵch tsoo

she would smoke it

wéi x̱áat.

that fish.

Aatx̱ áwéi tsoo wé gáan x̱aanásʼ áa yéi ndusneich

After that, they would set up large drying racks outside

they build a frame outside and put sticks across.

Aag̱áa áwéi

At that time

áx̱ shayootootéeych

we would hang them up there

yáa áx̱ akawdulsʼeig̱ídáx̱ kʼidéin g̱axúkt.

after it had been smoked so that it could dry out all the way.

We hang them up on a, um, frame built outside with sticks across, so that theyʼll dry in the wind and the sun. And then she puts it away again. {sheʼll} The dryfish part, the skin part, sheʼll fold it and, um, just tie a rope around it and the inside dryfish though, sheʼll just pack that away in a box also.

Aax̱ áwéi tsoo,

From there,

yáa sʼeek has awusteenée áwéi yóo shaayadaadé,

when they would see a black bear on the side of the mountain,

tsoo áxʼ sʼeek has awu.óonee áwéi neil has ayoox̱áaych.

and when they would shoot a black bear they would bring it home in the boat.

Yáa {a} a doogú káx̱ áwé á ḵwá xʼóowx̱ dulyéx̱ nuch ḵa chʼa yéi tʼáakáxʼ a káa yéi aḵéech.

This is for the fur, they would make that one into blankets and people would just sit on it on the floor.

Á tsú tsu kʼidéin a daa yéi s jinéi nuch

This one also they would work very hard on

ḵa yáa a doogú kʼidéin nadu.úsʼch.

and the hide would be washed well.

Wáang̱aneins tsú yáa a dleeyí tsú dux̱á.

Sometimes they would eat the meat, too.

Chʼáakw ḵwá dus.ée nuch.

It gets cooked for a long time, though.

Wáang̱aneins chʼa {two weeks déex̱} two weeks natooḵúx̱ch

Sometimes we would go for two weeks

{áxʼ yéi} áxʼ yéi haa teeyée yá Xʼaa Tlein Jig̱ei.

when we were over there at Disenchantment Bay.

Tle chʼa wéi diyáanax̱.á áwéi Kʼwátʼ Xʼáatʼee yóo duwasáakw.

Just right on the other side of (seal camp) they call Egg Island. [Also called Haenke Is.]

Áxʼ áwéi wé kéidladee áxʼ {has has} aag̱áa has naḵúx̱ch. Answer it, I canʼt.

That's where they go for seagull (eggs).

And

Aag̱áa áwéi déex̱ sándee x̱ʼáaknáx̱ wáaneexʼs násʼk sándee x̱ʼáaknáx̱ shákdé áa yéi haa nateech.

At that time we would stay there for maybe two or probably three weeks.

{aax̱} Aax̱ áwéi tsoo yáa Yaakwdáatxʼ ḵux̱ ḵutudateench.

From there we would return here to Yakutat again.

Ḵa tle {ju} May yát áwéi

And then in the month of May

Sʼitáḵde haa klagásʼch.

we would move to Situk.

Sʼitáḵxʼ áwéi yáa commercial fish yóo duwasáakw yáa cannery-dé duhún nuch.

At Situk, what they would call commercial fishing, they would sell to the cannery.

Áxʼ áwéi atoosg̱eiwóo nuch wé ax̱ éekʼ hás ḵa ax̱ tláa,

Thatʼs where we would all setnet, my brothers and my mother,

ax̱ éesh hás asg̱eiwóo nuch.

my fatherʼs people would setnet.

Tle

Then

{w} yáa fishing x̱ʼéit wudutaanée áyáa, ah,

when the fishing was closed, uh,

atoosg̱eiwóo nuch chʼa uháan haa jiyís atx̱ʼéishee sákw.

we would setnet just for ourselves so we could make dry fish (to eat in) furure.

Aag̱áa áwéi tsoo héen tooyáa nuch.

At that time we would pack water.

Du éet tudashéeych haa tláa.

We would always help our mother.

Ḵa yáa

And the

yáa x̱áat tsú du jiyís

the fish, also, for her

kʼidéin too.úsʼgi nuch.

we would wash them off well.

Hóoch ḵu.aa áwéi,

As for her,

wutoo.óosʼeedáx̱ áwéi,

once we had washed them,

yáa a déx̱ʼi áwé a kaax̱ kéi akoolxaashch.

she would cut the backbone out of them.

Aag̱áa áwéi yáa

At that time,

atxʼaan daakahídeedéi áwéi

toward the smokehouse

yax̱ shayootootéeych

we would hang them up

du een.

with her.

Kadúklee yóo dusáakw nuch.

They would call it "fish cleaned and hung to dry".

Chʼa yéi googéinkʼ áwé

Just a little bit of

sʼeiḵ

smoke

akoolsʼéḵch.

she would smoke it.

Aag̱áa áwéi

At that time

atx̱ ḵeing̱a.éinín áwéi tsu,

when another day would dawn again,

du éet tudashéeych tsu {aax̱ yéi}

we would help her again

aadáx̱ yéi daatoonéi nich du jeedé.

we would take it out of there and give it to her.

Aag̱áa áwé wéi x̱áat áwéi aklatsʼétʼ nuch yáa atyuwaax̱ʼéishee a kaadáx̱.

At that time she would slice the dried belly strips off of the fish.

Yéi chʼa ldakát á yan wuneiyée yá

So when all of these things were ready

atxʼaan daakahídee shawuheegée áwéi tsu

when the smokehouse was full then

ah, x̱ʼaan

uh, fire

{a t} a yeexʼ yéi ntusaneich {yá} akoolsʼéḵch kʼidéin.

we make inside of it and she would smoke it thoroughly.

Atx̱ ḵeiwu.aayée áwé

When the sun would come up again the next day

yáa

this

kʼidéin yaa naxúgi achúksʼi nuch

when itʼs drying out all the way she would work it to make it soft

chʼa yéi googéinkʼ chʼa aadé yaa naxúk yáx̱.

just a little bit as it was drying.

Aag̱áa áwéi

At that time

aatx̱ áwéi

from there

chʼa yéi gáanxʼ yú x̱aanásʼ káx̱ shayatusatéeych.

we would usually hang them outside on those drying frames.

Yáa g̱agaan ḵa yáa chʼa yéi googéinkʼ

The sun and a little bit of

yáa ayawdateeyée yáx̱ teeyée,

when it is kind of windy,

aag̱áa áwéi

and then

uxúkch kʼidéin.

it would dry out all the way.

Atx̱ áwéi akoochákch.

After that she would store it.

Haaw, wéi atx̱ʼéishee yan yéi wtusaneiyéedáx̱,

Well, once we had finished putting up dry fish,

aatx̱ ḵeiwu.aayée áwéi {tsu n} tsu ntooḵúx̱ch.

when the sun came up the next day we would take off again in the boat.

Yáa tléiḵw kawutʼaayée,

When the berries had ripened,

neigóong̱aa áwéi natooḵúx̱ch ḵa shákw ḵa kanatʼá.

we would go out in the boat for nagoon and strawberries and blueberries.

Kanéegwálʼ áwé yéi anasneich ax̱ tláach, wé káasdi g̱eixʼ áwé kanéegwálʼ yáx̱ oos.éeych wé tléiḵw.

My mother would make indian pudding, she would cook those berries up like indian pudding inside of a barrel.

Tle ldakát yáa ḵutaan kaanáx̱ áwé atx̱ʼéishi {too}

All summer long that dry fish

tooxʼán nuch ḵa wéi

we would smoke and dry and

ḵukʼéetʼ.

(we would go) berry picking.

A shoowóo yáx̱ áwéi

About half of it

yáa asg̱eiwóo yánde yaa shanahígee áwéi yóo Aan Tleindé áwéi

when setnet fishing was coming to a close then toward Ahrnklin River

a shoowú yéi ntusaneich.

we would do half of (the season).

Aadé ntooḵúx̱ch yáa

We would go by boat to

ax̱ éesh áxʼ g̱aatáa yéi adaanéi nuch yéide.

the place where my father would set his traps.

Aatx̱ áwéi tsu ḵux̱ tudaḵoox̱ch

From there we would return by boat

tsu asg̱eiwóo

to setnet again [lit. ʼwe would return setnettingʼ]

yáa Aan Tleinxʼ.

at the Ahrnklin River.

Aatx̱ áwéi {yis yi}

After that

asg̱eiwóo yan shawuheegée áwéi

when setnet fishing was completed

yá aankáxʼ chʼa yéi yeegoowáatlʼ

here in town for just a short while

yéi haa nateech, wáaneexʼs,

we would stay, sometimes

déex̱ dís x̱ʼáanáx̱.

for two months.

Atx̱ áwéi

From then

tsu haa klagásʼch.

we would move again.

Yáa táakw,

The wintertime,

táakwde yaa ḵunahéini dleit daak wustaanée áwé,

when it was getting to be winter and the snow was falling down,

Sʼitáḵdei ntoo.átch.

we would walk to Situk River.

Atx̱ áwéi tsoo Aan Tleindé ntooḵúx̱ch

From there we would head out again to Ahrnklin River by boat

yóo haa hídi áa yéi yateeyi yéidei.

toward where our house is.

Áxʼ áwé tsu

At that place again

anasg̱eiwóoch haa éesh ḵa haa éekʼ hás wéi,

our father and our brothers would setnet again,

wé x̱ʼáakw áwé {has has} has anasg̱eiwóoch.

they would setnet for those freshwater-marked cohoes.

Tsoo haa tláa ée tudashéeych wé atx̱ʼéishi yéi daané.

Again we would help our mother to make the dry fish.

Chʼu yáa áa yéi haa teeyée,

While we were living up there

a káa ḵutoostée nuch.

we would live off of that.

Aatx̱ áwéi

From there

wéi haa éesh ḵa haa éekʼ hás áwéi

our father and our brothers

kʼidéin yáa gán haa jiyís yéi s awusneiyéedáx̱ áwéi

once they had gathered enough firewood for us

yáa {aan tlein yík} Aan Tlein Sháakde has naḵúx̱ch.

they would take a boat up to the headwaters of the Ahrnklin River (in the mountains behind the forelands).

Wéi, ah,

Those, uh,

jénwoog̱áa.

for mountain goats.

Aag̱áa áwéi jénwoog̱áa áwé wéi

At that time for those mountain goats

wéi shaayadaat {has} has analʼúnch.

they would go hunt around the sides of those mountains.

Has du jeet aa kawdahaayí has ux̱éich áwé.

When they had gotten one [lit. ʼwhen one had appeared in their possessionʼ] they would spend the night.

Has wux̱eiyéedáx̱ áwéi,

When they had stayed the night there,

tsu haat has uḵoox̱ch.

they would boat back (to camp), to us.

Aatx̱ áwéi tsoo wé jénwoo kʼidéin yaa kdulaxʼíshch

From there, the mountain goat would be skinned very carefully

ḵa yax̱ yadustéeych yáa atxʼaan daakahídeexʼ.

and (the meat) would be hung up inside of the smokehouse. [s classifier implies what the object is (in this case, ʼmeatʼ)]

Aag̱áa á tsú a káa ḵtoostéeyin.

At that time, we would live off of that as well. [this kind of vowel-dropping, as here in ḵtoosteeyin instead of ḵutoosteeyin, is rare in Northern Tlingit, like Achkwéiʼs, but more common in southern dialects.]

Chʼa áxʼ toox̱áa nujéen wéi {aa} g̱aatáa {yéi} áa yéi daadune yéixʼ yú Aan Tleinxʼ.

We would just eat that there at the place where they would set traps on the Ahrnklin River.

Áxʼ ḵu.aa wéi

At that place though,

yáa lukshiyáan áwéi has alʼóonin,

they used to hunt (trap) those mink,

ḵa naag̱asʼéi,

and foxes,

ḵa g̱ooch,

and wolves,

ḵa hél Lingít x̱ʼéináx̱ {s} x̱wasakú "marten," yóo duwasáagu át tsú has alʼóon nuch.

and I donʼt know in Tlingit, the thing they call "marten" that too, they would set traps for.

Ḵa kóoshdaa.

And land otter.

Aag̱áa áwé áa yéi haa nateech

At that time we would stay there

tlei wáang̱aneins tléixʼ dís ḵa chʼoo a yáanáx̱.

sometimes for a month or even longer than that.

Chʼoo Christmas kaadéi áwéi

Then leading up to Christmas time

aax̱ {sʼe} Sʼitáḵt tooḵoox̱ch.

we would leave there by boat to Situk.

Sʼitáḵdáx̱ áwéi

From Situk

tsoo yáa Yaakwdáatde ntoo.átch

we would walk back here to Yakutat

yáa Christmas kaadé.

for Christmas.

Yáa Christmas kaadéi,

For Christmas time,

Yaakwdáatt wutoo.aadéedáx̱ áwéi

after we had arrived in Yakutat,

chʼa wáang̱aneins

sometimes

tle yáa táakw déex̱ dís yáx̱ tsu yáaxʼ yéi haa nateech.

for the winter, about two months, we would stay here.

Atx̱ áwéi tsu

From that time

de yax̱ yaa ḵukg̱wahaayée áwéi tsu

when spring was on the way again

February yát áwéi

in the month of February

tsu natoo.átch

we would leave again

haa klagásʼch tsu Sʼitáḵde.

and we would move camp to Situk again.

Aax̱ áwéi yáa saak áwéi {kéi u } kéi yoo.áaych Sʼitáḵxʼ.

From there the hooligan (eulachon) would be running out at Situk.

Saak áwéi {has} dusdík nuch áxʼ

They would dipnet for hooligans there

ḵa tle tsu

and they would also

tsaa tsú has alʼóon nuch yóo Sʼitáḵxʼ,

be hunting seals, too, on the Situk River,

teet tú.

in the breakers.

Aax̱ áwéi

And then

tsu a daa yéi jitoonéi nuch,

we would work on them,

wé saak, kʼidéin natoo.úsʼch.

those hooligan, we would wash them well.

{a} Tsoo wéi ḵáasʼ káx̱ áwé has ashayoostéeych yá saak.

They would hang the hooligan up on sticks.

A tóonáx̱ has ayooltsáḵch.

They would poke (the sticks) through (the hooligan).

Aag̱áa áwé tsu yáa

At that time

atxʼaan daakahídeexʼ áwé tsu {yéi n} yéi ndu.eich.

they would keep them inside of the smokehouse.

Áx̱ ỹakadulsʼéḵch tle wuxoogóo yáx̱,

They would be smoke-cured and when they were pretty dry,

{áw} aag̱áa áwé tsoo kduchák nuch á tsú.

at that time they would be stored (in boxes) as well.

Ah, ḵa wéi tsaa tsú {chʼa} chʼa áxʼ áwéi a káa ḵutoostée nuch wéi,

Uh, and the seal, too, we would live off of it when we lived there,

wéi Sʼitáḵxʼ, yáa saak daa yéi jitooneiyí.

out at Situk, while we were putting up hooligan.

Aax̱ áwéi tsu

From there again

tléixʼ dís {yóo} yáx̱ kawuhaayée áwé tsu ḵux̱ tuda.aatch.

when about a month had gone by, we would return.

Ḵa yáa aashát tsú áa yéi daatoonéiyin, "steelhead," «aashát.»

And we used to put up those steelhead there too, "steelhead," "steelhead."

Tsu áxʼ has asg̱eiwóo nujéen.

And they used to setnet there, too.

Á tsú tsu chʼa yáa atx̱ʼéishee yáx̱ kʼidéin yéi daatoonéiyin,

That one too, we would put it up nicely just like regular dry fish,

ḵaa áx̱ ỹakadulsʼéḵx̱i nuch, á tsú tle chʼa yáa atx̱ʼéishee yáx̱.

and it would be smoke-cured, too, just like regular dry fish.

Á tsú chʼa a káa ḵutoostéeyeen ḵa yáa

We used to live off of that as well and these

Yaakwdáat Ḵwáanch tsú haa éedáx̱ has a.óo nuch, wáang̱aneins chʼa yéi ḵaa jeedé yéi daatoonéi nuch.

people of Yakutat would also buy it from us, sometimes we would just give it out to people.

Aatx̱ áwéi tsu ḵux̱ tuda.aatch Yaakwdáatxʼ.

After that would would return again to Yakutat.

Aatx̱ áwéi tsu,

From there,

yáa school-de ntoo.átch

we would go to school here

chʼa déex̱ dís x̱ʼáanáx̱ shákdéi.

for probably just two months.

Aatx̱ áwéi tle tsu

From there

yax̱ yaa ḵugahéich

spring would be coming [the cycle of the seasons would begin]

tle tsoo naakéede haa klagásʼjeen.

and we would move camp back up the bay again.

Yéi áwé yee een sh kax̱wdlineek.

That's the way the story I told you all goes.

Hmmm. Gunalchéesh.

Hmmm. Thank you.

Yeah, itʼs, itʼs, itʼs really something. Just that going seasonal. We never really stayed in town all that much. But we used to be just excited. It would seem like going to Juneau for us cause we werenʼt exposed to other, other places. When I was a child I didnʼt even know there was another place, you know. I, I always thought this was the whole world; this was it. And, a, we used to just be happy to go to these places. We didnʼt know any better. We were just kids. I didnʼt include a lot of things but we can redo it again if you want.

We can shoot more. Yeah we can go over and translate this and see.

Yeah, because, like, {I never put}, I never said that, uh, like when we went up the bay we were just real young yet, Roy, Nellie, and I. And we were just little kids probably like Gabriel, seven and eight and, and, uh, uh Roy was probably about three years older than us. And, uh, uh it was up to us always. It, it was just, an understanding after they once taught us that we had to get, um driftwood for a fire. And thatʼs the first thing we did. Weʼd jump off the boat and, and uh carry maybe a bag each up to where we were going to stay. And then we would uh, run and get driftwood because if we didnʼt then we knew we wouldnʼt eat right away. And uh,uh then weʼd run. Thereʼd be a little creek that was by {tha} our camp there and weʼd pack water so that our mother could cook whatever she had in mind to cook for dinner. But thatʼs the one thing we always had to do was pack water to wash dishes later. And pack more wood. So we always did that. And {itʼs} I havenʼt told this in detail. But I think that if we never get another chance, at least this will be down. But I can go into detail. I need Nellieʼs help, you know. Um, into detail about those kind of things, you know. What, what we, uh, what we did in everyday life. It takes, I have to have somebody asking me that, you know, to be able to. I could have recorded this a long time ago. I, I just need help. I canʼt do it by myself, you know. But anyway, another one that I forgot which is also in the springtime, is going to Áankaw. And I can do that now. Is the tape still on?

Tsoo {chʼul naakée} chʼu naakéedei gax̱tooḵoox̱óo shukátxʼ áwéi Ḵaagukkʼuyíkde áwé ntooḵúx̱ch

Before we headed up the bay we'd head over to (a place called) "the inner part of the ear" [by Aanḵáawu, Ankau Creek]

yáa táakw laaḵʼásgi

(for) winter black seaweed [Pronounced as two distinct words, evident by tone]

ḵa wéi tsaa.

and harbor seal.

Yáa yax̱ yaa ḵunahéini, wáaneexʼs April or March,

When it was starting to become spring time, maybe in April or March,

March yát áwéi yáa táakw laaḵʼásgi,

in March, the winter black seaweed,

kʼidéin yaa ḵugateech.

the weather starts to get nicer.

Aag̱áa áwéi chʼa yéi tléixʼ xáanaa yáx̱ áwé aadé ntooḵúx̱ch, wéi Ḵaagukkʼuyík.

at that time we would usually take a boat over there for one night, in the Ankau Saltchucks.

Áa haa ux̱éich. Chʼa wéi sʼísaa hít áwéi yáa chʼáalʼ kaadé dug̱íchch. Áwé a tayeexʼ áwé ntoox̱éxʼwjeen.

Thatʼs where we would camp. We would take just a canvas tent and throw it over a willow frame. Thatʼs what we would sleep inside of.

Yáa ḵeix̱ʼéixʼ yan wulaayée áwé,

In the early morning when the tide was all the way out,

yáa laaḵʼásk kaxʼóolʼ aadé ntoo.átch.

we would go over there picking black seaweed.

Haa éesh ḵu.aa áwé wé {daa} daaḵ nadéini áwéi tsaa lʼóon áa g̱anúkch wé té tlein káxʼ.

Our father, though, as the tide was coming in he would sit there on a big rock to hunt seals.

Aa wu.óoneedáx̱ áwéi, yéi naléinee, yáa yan ulhaashch wéi tsaa.

When he shot one, as the tide was going out, that seal would wash up there on the beach.

Aax̱ áwéi {ax̱ ée} ax̱ éekʼ {ḵa} hás ḵa ax̱ éeshch yá áa yéi haa yateeyi yéit has {ayoo} ayoox̱áaych.

After that, my brothers and my father would take it in the boat to the place where we were staying.

Wáang̱aneins chʼa yéi yaa s aksaxátʼch.

Sometimes they would just drag it back to camp.

Aax̱ áwéi tsuyáa Yaakwdáatxʼ ḵux̱ ḵuwtudateenée áwéi tsoo wé tsaa daa yéi has jinéi nuch tsu.

After that when we had returned to Yakutat again, then they would start to work on that seal again.

Aa haa atx̱aayí sákw ḵa chʼa yáa Lingít has du x̱ʼéix̱ aa ntooteech.

That would be our food and we would also give it to other people in town.

Gunalchéesh.

Thank you.

Yeah.

We used to share it with people, you know. The seal that we got from over there would be just for the moment. To, to cook some to take up the bay while weʼre traveling. And, and uh, also the black seaweed. And thatʼs what, my mom always had dryfish. Sheʼd give, it would go on, like weʼd leave Yakutat early in the morning. And go up the bay. Probably sometimes my brothers had to row all the way, you know. There was no outboard motor. And theyʼd just be tired. Sometimes they just got into fights because theyʼd be so tired from rowing and, and Dick will tell Charles, "Itʼs your turn to row." And Charles wouldnʼt want to. Or, you know, theyʼd just argue, just fight like normal kids. And um, weʼd come ashore there. And, and I forgot the name of um, Redfield Bay. In Tlingit I forgot the name of it. [Aatlʼat? Thornton, Haa Leelkw... p 21, #158?] And that map, I donʼt know where I put it. I couldnʼt place it. Um, Sally might know but her memoryʼs so bad right now, you know. I donʼt know whether she could remember it. I used to I, I just forgot it for some reason. Anyway weʼd come ashore there and have a, Iʼm just talking, telling you in English, cause thatʼll help me remember it in Tlingit, too. Weʼd have lunch there and, and of course my dad would build a fire. And, and they had an old coffee, you know, coffee pot and theyʼd {get} have fresh water. And so heʼd make coffee. And my mother would give us pieces of dryfish and maybe some, some uh, black seaweed for our lunch. And, uh, just take a rest there for a while. And, and then weʼd probably have seal meat that we got from Ankau, you know to, to be able to have lunch with that at Redfield Bay. And then from there, weʼd travel on up to, to Chicago Harbor and the other place, Xʼaa Tlein Jig̱ei (Disenchantment Bay). And so, we did, you know. That, thatʼs what we did. But we knew our place. We knew we had to, our stomachs told us we had to pack water and pack wood. But thatʼs the whole seasonal travel and food. Like I say, I didnʼt go into real detail except for the seal. And, and uh, the dryfish. Well I did with the cockles and clams too and the seaweed. I went through it in about almost just about a half hour. And, a, actually thatʼs talking 12 months out of the year. And, a, but itʼs like I say, I didnʼt go into real detail. I mean, the parts where you take, take a rest and have coffee and lunch and all the washing we had to do and all the water we had to pack, you know. And, a

And thatʼs OK, cause for this one itʼs the animals that are really important. And you covered them all.

Yeah, and, also the animals that probably disappeared, uh, yáxwchʼ, they call it I think, the sea otter.

sea otter

Wéi yáxwchʼ áwéi

Those sea otters

yáa Anóoshi ḵa

the Russians and

yáa Ana.óot áwéi

the Aleuts

Kodiak-dáx̱ áwéi yáade {has a}

from Kodiak to here

has alʼóoneen, wé yáxwchʼ.

they used to hunt them, those sea otters.

Á áwé yáat has ashuwlixíx.

So then they over-hunted the sea otter here. [lit. They caused the sea otters to run out.]

Yeisú yáa

So more recently

wáaneexʼs tleiḵáa táakw shákdéi áwéi

maybe, it was probably twenty years ago,

Fish and Game-ch áwé {yáat} tsu yáat has aa yaawax̱áa.

it was Fish and Game that transported some here again.

Yeedát áwéi yagéi.

Today there are plenty of sea otter.

Tle ldakát yáa gáalʼ ḵa sáaxw

Now all of the clams and cockles

ḵa, ḵa néesʼ áwéi yax̱ yaa s ayanasx̱éin.

and, and the sea urchins, theyʼre eating them all up.

Tlél de yáaxʼ ugé, á ḵu.aa.

Now there isn't too much of that around here, as for that stuff.

The sea otters was replanted.

Ḵa wéi xíxchʼ tsú tlél wutusakú de shákdéi

And those frogs, too, we donʼt know (what happened), itʼs been probably

jinkaat táakw ḵa {tláa} déex̱ shákdéi shunaaxéex

twelve years have probably passed now

yáa xíxchʼ tlél yáaxʼ yéi tusatínjee.

that we havenʼt been seeing any frogs here.

Ḵa wéi "swan" yóo duwasáagu aa,

And the ones that are called ʼswans,ʼ [There has been a major decline in migratory birds seen across Alaska. (This in 2008.)]

g̱wáḵlʼ, á tsú,

swans, those too,

tlél déi tlax̱ chʼáagu yáx̱ yáaxʼ haax̱ has koolyeech.

they donʼt really migrate up through here the way that they did a long time ago.

Chʼa déex̱ ḵa násʼk áwé yéi dustínch yáaxʼ yeedát. The swans.

Just two or three you might see here now. The swans.

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