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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Symobls used in the transcription

  • {false start}
  • (added for clarity)
  • [translator/transcriber's note]
  • ??? = can’t understand
  • «Lingít quotation marks»

Software Used

Time-aligned text for this video was accomplished using ELAN, Versions 6.0 (2020), 6.1 (2021), and 6.3 (2022) Nijmegen: Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, The Language Archive. 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.

SLEXIL is documented here, maintained on github, can be run interactively on the web, and is actively supported by Paul Shannon who welcomes your feedback.

To compare your pronunciation to that of the Tlingit elders, click on the microphone icon located at the right top of the main page. This opens the "RECORD YOURSELF" window in which you can record your own pronunciation of any line of interest.

Begin by clicking on the number of a line of an elder speaking. It may help to do this repeatedly, LISTENING more than reading, absorbing the sounds of their speech. (In English, we donʼt talk the same way a printed word is spelled. The same is true for Tlingít.)

When you're ready to record yourself, click RECORD in the "RECORD YOURSELF" window, then STOP, then PLAY. You can keep recording yourself with the same line and hear your pronunciation improving!

Usage notes from Alice Taff
Using a Macbook Air M4, Sequoia 15.5, the record-self works fine:
  1. with Firefox 140.0.2
  2. with Safari 18.5
  3. with Chrome 138.0.7204.158
Video Size
Tlingit Conversation #5

With earphones like this.
Speakers are Neish Archie Cavanaugh, Sr. and Kaaxwaan Éesh George Davis. Recorded January 31, 2008 at George Davis’s house in Juneau, Alaska, by Ljáaḵkʼ Alice Taff and Daaljíni Mary Foletti. This recording is continued on #6.
Tlingit transcription by Seig̱óot Jessica Chester, Naakil.aan Hans Chester, and Kaaxwaan Éesh George Davis. English translation by Kaaxwaan Éesh George Davis with Ljáaḵkʼ Alice Taff. Edited by X̱ʼaagi Sháawu Keri Eggleston with Ḵaachku.aak’w Helen Sarabia and by Shaag̱aw Éesh Devlin Anderstrom.
ax̱ shantóode kdlixwásʼ yá.
theyʼre connected to the inside of my head.
that afternoon we were having a doctorʼs exam,
wáa sáwé, {ax̱ shantóon tóodáx̱} ax̱ shantóodáx̱ daak ateech wé doctor. [at.shooḵ]
what the heck, the doctor kept taking them out. [laughter]
Ách áwé wé earphone
Thatʼs why the earphone
I took a cab áwé.
Ha, ax̱ shant(ú){óot wu} áa wdix̱ísʼ.
Well, the inside of my head is just gristle.
Yeedát ḵwá Lingít x̱'éináx̱ áwé yoo x̱'agax̱tula.áat.
We will now talk in our Tlingit language.
This is all sugar free candy.
Is that right?
Yeah. All of it.
Yei áwé.
Thatʼs it.
Those are good.
Há.
Oh.
Pecan delight.
Yeah. Há.
Yeah. Wow.
Atyátx'ix̱ haa sateeyídáx̱ áwé startx̱ haa gux̱satée
Weʼre going to start from when we were children
Lingít x̱'éináx̱.
in Tlingit.
Yeah.
A daa yoo x̱'agax̱tula.áat.
We will now talk about it.
Chuch x̱'éináx̱.
In (our) own language.
{I yát ḵwá haa kát} De haa kát {???} áwé x̱'adutéen wé camera.
The camera is on us now.
{hél} Hél x̱wasakú.
I don't know.
{goo} Goodáx̱ sáwé g̱unéi kakg̱ilaneek i aayí?
Which point are you going to start telling yours from?
School-de x̱at jiyitaaní g̱unéi kakḵwalaneek.
I'm going to start from the very first day you took me to school.
Aaá.
Okay.
You were about 5 years-x̱ isateeyí gé?
You were about—When you were 5 years?
Yeah. Yeah.
X̱át ḵwá 6 years,
I was 6 years,
I was 1 year ahead of you.
Chʼa yeisú a kát x̱at sayatee.
I still remember it.
Shóogunáx̱
The first time
school-de yaa ijinx̱atáni,
when I was taking you to school,
Mhm.
i éeshch áwé yéi x̱at yawsiḵaa,
your dad told me,
«Schóol-de jinataan,» yóo yaawaḵaa i éesh.
"Take him by the hand to school," your dad told me.
Aag̱áa áwé yaa ijinx̱atán.
At that time I was taking you by hand.
Yeah.
Yaa kanax̱dag̱áx̱.
Iʼm going along crying.
Yóot'aa áwé,
That person,
aadóo sáwé i schóolteacheríx̱ sitee aag̱áa?
who was your schoolteacher at that time?
Hmh?
Aadóo sá i schóolteacheríx̱ sitee aag̱áa?
Who was your schoolteacher at that time?
Miss White, or
No, Mrs. White.
Kʼí ‹Kuyáatʼ› yóo toosáagun.
We used to call her ʼLong Rump.ʼ
Aaá. Mr. Blickenstaff ḵwás principal-x̱ sitee.
Yes. Mr. Blickenstaff was the principal.
Principal was Mr. Blickenstaff.
Yeah.
Mhm.
Á áwé. Ch'as á áwé a kát x̱at sayatee .
Thatʼs it. Thatʼs the only thing I remember.
De start-x̱ ák.wé s awulyéx̱?
Did they start it already?
Yeah.
Ooh.
De yaa kanajíxw x̱á.
Itʼs rolling already, see.
Yeah.
Schóol, school x̱at jeetáan áwé,
When you took me to school,
Teacher Mrs. White,
{x̱ʼax̱wa} du éet x̱'ax̱waatán
when I spoke to her
Lingít x̱'éináx̱,
in Tlingit language,
and she came over, grabbed my hand and whipped it with a ruler.
I didn't know what she was doing this. These are times that they whipped the wrists, teachers. I came and uh, you took me to school. Once, uh, when I was in school, Mrs. White was our teacher and uh,
haa jín aawax̱ísht.
she whipped our hands.
Just black and blue, my wrists. I couldn't understand English, all I could talk was my own language. I was 5 years old. School, there's some signals that you used to make. You have to signal to out in the bathroom. Those, uh, bathrooms are outside, and uh, I told the teacher in Tlingit, I wanted to go to bathroom. They couldn't understand what I was talking about and I was talking in Tlingit. The next morning, same thing. I talked to the teacher in my own language.
Lingít x̱'éináx̱
In Tlingit.
x̱'ax̱awóos' nich.
I kept asking her.
Finally, finally, this wrist whipping was getting to the end. My mother didn't find out until uh 2, 3 months later.
{when I} Neildé x̱wagoodí,
When I went home,
Ax̱ éeshch wusiteen.
My father saw it. (I was hiding it from my dad.)
I'm black and blue,
and my dad,
??? gáant jiwdigút.
??? stormed outside to fight.
He went to the school. My dad said he forgot that lady was a lady. He grabbed her and slammed her to the chair. My dad did.
Yan atux̱ʼawsigúḵ.
He slammed her down on her butt.
And, uh, my dad said, he showed my, my hand, itʼs black and blue. He told the teacher, "This wrist whipping is going to stop. Itʼs going to stop." And, uh, they said my dad went as far as 6th grade, my dad. He was a logger. 13 years he was a bull buck (one who runs a felling and bucking crew).
Aas alg̱ícht.
He fells trees.
And uh, he told the teacher that, "You teach my son how to talk English.
Du ée latíw, Lingít yóo x̱'atángi.
Teach him to talk Tlingit language. [Maybe he meant to say "English language"]
Du ée latíw.
Teach him.
Teach my son how to talk English. I'll do the punishment." He told her, he told our teacher, "I'll do the punishment. You teach my son how to talk English." I came home, but there wa, was a celebration over there in Kake, that put a stop to the wrist whipping right there. It stopped. And it seemed like it stopped all over Southeastern Alaska at that time. They put a stop to it.
Ax̱ jín aawax̱ísht.
She whipped my hand.
We.
That, thatʼs a, that was a little part of us growing up. And then uh, on Saturdays...
Lingít yoo x̱'atángi.
Tlingit language.
Gwál, gwál tsu haa een kananeek, Lingít x̱'éináx̱ sá.
Maybe tell us again, in Tlingit.
Daa sá?
What is that?
Wéi ldakát át.
Everything.
Wé kaylineegi át,
What you just talked about,
Lingít x̱'éináx̱ tsu kanalneek.
tell it again in Tlingit.
OK.
Schóol-t x̱at jeetáan áwé,
When you first took me to school,
yáa teacher,
this teacher,
ax̱ wríst-i aawax̱ísht.
she whipped my wrist.
Tlél x̱wasakú.
I didnʼt know.
Hél dleit ḵáa x̱'eix̱a.áx̱ch.
I didnʼt understand English.
Lingít x̱'éináx̱ áwé yoo x̱'ax̱aatánk.
I talked in Tlingit.
Hél dleit ḵáa x̱'eix̱a.áx̱ch.
I didn't understand the white man's language.
Dei x'oon week shunaxéex sáwé,
After so many weeks went by,
I think a month went by.
{gwál déix̱ d} Gwál déix̱ dís shuwuxeexí gíwé,
Maybe after about two months went by,
ax̱ éeshch wusiteen {ax̱} ax̱ jín.
my father saw my hand.
Blue yáx̱ sitee.
It was all colored blue.
Kawdiyés' ldakát yáa, yáa ax̱ jín.
My entire wrist was bruised.
12-inch ruler een áwé ax̱íshdi nuch.
She used a 12-inch ruler for the whipping.
He whips, ax̱ísht. Áwéi,
He (she) whips. So,
dei x'oon, dei x'oon, x'oon, xʼoon yéi anasnéi sáwé,
how many, after how many, how many, after she had done that so many times,
neil x̱waagút.
I came home.
Ax̱ tláach wulisín.
My mother hid it.
Neil ḵagúdín áwé tle,
Whenever I would come home then,
ax̱ tláach oolsínch.
my mother would hide it.
Awsikóo ax̱ éesh wáa sá kg̱wasgeedí.
She knew what my father would do.
Áwéi, ax̱ éeshch wusiteen ax̱ jín.
Then my father saw my hand.
{tle yóo} Tle yóo k'wát' yáx̱ kaaxát, ax̱ wríst-i.
My wrist is just round from the bruises.
Black and blue kawdiyés'.
It was bruised black and blue.
Áwé aadé jiwdigoot; wé schóol-de jiwdigoot,
So he stormed over there; he stormed over to the school,
ax̱ éesh.
my father.
Wé teacherʼs káag̱ijeit káa yán yei atúx̱ʼawsigúḵ ax̱ éesch.
My father slammed the teacherʼs butt down onto her chair.
And then he went into the next room. His name was Mr. Blickenstaff, the principal.
Áwé, a yeedé nagóot áwé ax̱ éeshch woosháat.
And then, after he went in, my father grabbed him (the principal).
My dad was a, was a sure just a pretty good-sized man. And he went in.
Wé principal aawasháat.
He grabbed the principal.
Yóo káx' ??? yán yei, yán yei atúx̱'awsigúḵ.
He slammed his butt on the chair.
Yéi adaayaḵá,
He said to him,
"This thing here is going to stop today, this wrist, wrist whipping."
Yéi adaayaḵá,
He told him,
«Hóoch' áwé.
"That's it.
Yáax' áwé yánde shukg̱watáan,
This is going to end here,
yáa ḵaa jín yix̱íshdi.
this whipping the hands.
L yéi, l yéi unatéeni ḵu.a,
If it doesn't end this way though,
haadé kḵwagóot tsu seig̱ánx'.
I'll come back again tomorrow.
Yee x̱ánde kḵwagóot
I will pay you a visit
l yéi unatéeni.
if it doesn't stop.
{ax̱ jín}
Ax̱ yéet x̱wasateení du jikóol yix̱íshdi,
If I see my son after you have whipped his wrists,
haadé kḵwagóot.
I'll come back.
Eetiyáanáx̱ yán yei yee túx̱ʼakḵwasagóoḵ.»
I'll slam your butt on that chair harder than before."
That's how the, that's how it ended right, right there. But uh, but that whipping stopped. And they thought it was just Kake, but there was hardly any communication them days, but we had mail boats that go through travelling, and uh, they find uh, other schools. They, they were doing the same thing. But what my dad did just exploded all through Southeastern Alaska. And that's uh, my experience of going to uh, uh, first grade or kindergarten. I don't know,
Yeah, kindergarten.
Yeah.
Ah, you know, at that time you and I were so poor; we could never afford hair oil.
Héentin áwé shaktoosyéikw nujín.
We used to comb our hair with water.
Schóoldei yaa gax̱too.át áwé, tle haa shax̱aawú ult'íx'ch.
Whenever we were walking to school, our hair would just freeze.
Our hair would be frozen before we get to school. Thatʼs how poor we were. We could never afford hair oil.
Ḵ'anashgidéix̱ áwé haa sitee x̱áawé, k'idéin.
We were so poor.
Uh, hél a yaḵugóogu too.oo
We didnʼt have enough money for it,
hair oil wutoo.oowú.
to buy hair oil.
Yáax' áwé a káa daak tux̱wditán.
Thinking about it, I just recalled this.
Ah, principal, Mr. Black, as we were getting up into the upper grades,
hít shantú, wé manual training áx' yéi daatoonéi nuch yé,
in the attic, where we had our manual training,
Valentine's Day Party áwé.
it was the Valentineʼs Day Party.
We were all sitting on the floor.
Haa teacherí áwé, chocolate haa x̱'eis awliyéx̱.
Our teacher made chocolate for us.
Héhé.
Pilot bread and peanut butter; that was our, that was our Valentine's Day. Thatʼs all we could have.
Áwé, ákwshé yéi ḵuyanaḵéich k'idéin á ḵ'anashgidéix̱ ḵusitee aag̱áa.
So, I guess they would say people were really poor at that time.
Yeah.
I think uh, uh, Depression. We were at the tail end of the Depression. I was born 1928. And during the Depression was on,
Tléil, tléil daa sá Ḵéex̱'.
Nothing, there was nothing in Kake.
Hél daa sá á.
There's nothing there.
{You can't} Tlél aadé store-de ng̱eeyagoodi yé.
You couldnʼt go to the store.
{hél hél} Tlél yáax' yéi yateeyi át yáx̱ yateeyi át too.óo.
We didnʼt buy things like the things here.
Á áwé keenéek.
That's what you're talking about.
A káa daak tux̱wditán.
I just thought of it.
Poor-x̱ haa sateeyí
When we were so poor.
I tláach gíwé stóre-de ikaawaḵaa?
Did your mother send you to the store?
Yú át, wáa sá duwasáakw?
That stuff, what's it called?
Sandwich spread.
"Bread spread," yóo áwé iyasáakw.
"Bread spread," you call it.
Aaá.
Yes.
Aaá. They'd bring out bed spread and everything.
Ray Bellʼs.
Bread spread.
It was Raymond Bell. He didn't know what I was talking about. I went to the store for some kind of uh, sandwich, sandwich spread. And I called it uh, bread spread. And he was bringing all kinds of uh, cheese and stuff. I told him that's not the one, I want bread spread. He said, "That's all I got!" [laughter] Yeah.
«Hóoch' áwé,» yú.á. [at.shooḵ]
He said, "Thatʼs all there is." [laughter]
{yóo s} s Yóo átg̱aa áwé x̱at kawduwaḵaa,
They sent me after that stuff,
ús'aa.
soap.
Áwé, store-t x̱agóot áwé,
Then, when I got to the store,
yéi yax̱wsiḵaa wé storekeeper,
I told the storekeeper,
"I want ús'aa."
"I want soap."
Áwé x̱at yalatín.
She was just looking at me.
Hél awuskú daa sáwé.
She didn't know what it was.
Wé storekeeper,
The storekeeper,
dleit shaawát áwé.
she was a white woman.
Yeah I said, "I want ús'aa."
Yeah, I said, "I want soap."
No. She couldn't understand what I was talking about. Finally, Benson
neil uwagút.
came walking in.
I had to ask Benson. Benson, "What's this you want here?"
«Daa sáwé i tuwáa sigóo?»
"What do you want?"
«Ús'aa.»
"Soap."
"He wants uh, face soap."
The way Benson always talk about,
"I want ús'aa!" [at.shooḵ]
['laughter']
Well there was a, I didnʼt know until later on, we talked, started learning how to talk English. But there was another time, let me, let me tell a story. Uh, this story, I was fishing.
Kéin Séet,
Cape Bendel,
á áwé
so,
át wututltsúw, camp wutuliyéx̱.
we moved there, we set up camp.
Ḵaaláax̱ gé ysikóo? Aaá.
Do you know Billy Johnson? Yes.
Billy Johnson. Yeah, Ḵaaláax̱,
ḵa Kunaháatyi.
and (??? Jacobs).
Adam James, aa, Topsy Dugaqua,
Adam James, uh, and Topsy Dugaqua,
Mhm.
and uh, Frank Shorty.
It was just me among them. Among the old people, and they started a story. And this happened.
Ax̱ naax̱ sateeyí yéi yaawaḵáa,
One from my clan said,
Ḵaaláax̱
Billy Johnson
Lawáakdáx̱,
from Klawock,
ax̱ naax̱ sateeyí áwé.
he is my clan.
Áwé,
So,
g̱unéi akawliník.
he started to tell it.
«Yóo át áwé, sea lion, taan áwé.
"That creature, thatʼs a sea lion.
Ḵaa tugéit wudzigít yú.á.
They say he offended the people.
Yáa
This
yáa {has} hasdu naax̱ sateeyí áwé ḵut aa wdzigeet.
one of their clan members got lost.
Áwé,
So,
sh tóo áwé at gax̱dultéew
someone was going to learn
Lingít yáx̱.
like a Tlingit.
Dukt'ootl' yóo áwé duwasáakw, du saayí.
His name, his name was Blackskin.
They say, "He is going to be the main actor, Dukt'ootl'."
Áwé g̱unéi yaawaxíx.
So it began.
Héeni áwé yei aḵéijin, táakw áwé.
They used to sit in the water in the wintertime.
Héen yíx', héenxʼ ag̱aḵéech.
They would sit in the water.
There's many of them.
Has shayadihéin.
There's many of them.
Áwé awsiteen Dukt'ootl'.
And so Blackskin.
Sh tóo at dultéewu, tlél daa sá du een kawduneek.
When somebody was training, nobody told him anything.
Áwé {xʼoon} aax̱ daaḵ gagút áwé, héendáx̱ daaḵ gagúdín áwé,
So, whenever he would go back up from there, whenever he would go back up from the water,
spruce limb áwé, yéi kwliyáat',
a spruce limb, itʼs about this long,
héendáx̱ daaḵ gagúdín áwé,
after he comes out of the water,
yóo sh daadax̱íshdi nuch yú.á.
he whips his body with the branch like this.
Spruce limb, áa dutix' yé, aanáx̱ aanáx̱. ???
The spruce limbs where they tied it, this side and this side.
Du daa ax̱ísht nuch, wé spruce limb.
He would whip his body with that spruce limb.
Yáat oosg̱éex'ch.
Heʼd throw it here.
{yáa yá x̱' aan} Yá x̱'aan gook áwé hít tlen yee,
Right by the fire in the big house,
áwé áa nateich yáa x̱'aangook.
thatʼs where he would sleep, right by the fire.
Shax̱duḵéen áwé, 5, 6 in the morning,
When everybody gets up, 5, 6 in the morning,
hú ḵu.aa, 3 o'clock áwé,
he gets up, at 3 oʼclock, himself,
2 o'clock in the morning áwé,
(or) itʼs 2:00 in the morning and
héeni g̱anúkch.
he would sit in the water.
Shax̱duḵéen áwé wé x̱'aangoogú na(téich).
When everybody else has woken up, heʼs (already back) sleeping by the fire.
Éi! Wéit'aa ḵwá!
Oh, my goodness! That person!
Ooskaach yaa najáḵ.
Laziness is killing him.
The only person that knew,
the only person that knew, was her (his) aunt
sh tóo at iltéewu.
that he is training himself.
Hóoch áwé awsikóo.
She's the one that knows it.
X'oon months sákwshéwé shoowaxeex.
How many months went by.
{héeni g̱a héeni} Héeni g̱anúkch.
He would sit in the water.
Áwé aax̱ daaḵ góot áwé,
As he came out of the water,
yáa, yáa woogoot yáa, yáa dáaḵde.
he went up into the woods.
Yáa dáaḵde nagóot áwé,
As he went up into the woods,
Latseench woosháat.
Strength grabbed him.
Yan wuduwax̱ích.
He was thrown down.
Sh daa áwé awdlig̱ín.
He looked all around himself.
Hél aadóo sá á.
There is nobody there.
Latseench áwé woosháat.
Strength grabbed him.
Áwé, ch'a hú áwé yéi tuwditaan,
Then, he thought to himself,
tléil yan x̱at unéiych.
I'm not ready yet.
Á áwé tsu héeni g̱anúkch.
So he'd go back into the water.
X'oon weeks sáwé shoowaxeex.
How many weeks went by.
Áwé, aax̱ daaḵ góot áwé,
Then, when he came up from there,
áwé, tsu yéi áwé woogoot.
then, he went the same way again.
Yaa nagúdi áwé wduwasháat,
As he was walking, something grabbed him
du díx̱'náx̱.
from behind.
{tléil yan wu} Tléil yan wudux̱eech.
It didn't throw him down.
Áwé yáa aas tóonáx̱ kooda.áaych,
Then, they stick out from the tree,
only comes out from a, a spruce.
there's a knob that comes out.
Áwé át wujixíx.
He ran right up to that branch of that tree.
Yéi áwé, akawlitéex̱' aax̱ yóot aawax̱út'.
So he twisted it and pulled it off of there.
He put it back.
Yáa aasyátx'i x̱oot wujixíx.
He ran among the young trees.
Wé aasyátx'i áwé aklatéex̱'.
He was twisting the young trees.
Right down to the root, little trees.
Ha! Ha yan uwanée áwé.
Now he is ready.
Hél wuduskú du daat.át Dukt'ootl'.
Nobody knew anything about Blackskin.
Hél wuduskú.
Nobody knew.
Hél wuduskú sh tóo at iltéewu.
Nobody knew he was training himself.
Áwé aax̱ yei kg̱agút,
So whenever he was coming down from there,
á áwé ḵaa yayík aawa.áx̱.
he would hear the people making noise.
Aadés yaa kana.át.
They were rushing over there.
Wé Dukt'óotl'ch aax̱ yóot uwax̱út'i. Yá Aan Loowú yóo duwasáakw. Aan Loowú.
Blackskin pulled it out. Itʼs called the Nose of the Village. Nose of the Village.
Áwé prince áwé sh tóo at iltéew.
The prince is training himself. [The prince is G̱alwéitʼ, Duktʼóotlʼs brother.]
Áwé át uwagút
So he walked up to it (that branch)
tle aax̱ yóot aawax̱út'.
and pulled it out.
Dukt'ootl'ch yéi wsineiyi át áwé.
That's what Dark-Skinned Man did.
Á áwé, tle wé
So then,
at wuduwaxoon
they prepared to go
wé eech daadé, wé dikée wé eech daadé.
out to the reefs, to the reefs out in the ocean.
Ha dei ch'a likoodzí,
Theyʼre just amazing,
wé sh tóo at wudlitíwu ḵu.oo.
the people that taught themselves.
Wé prince áwé kawduwanáa
They told the prince to go
yáa a shaká, yaakw shaká.
to the bow, the bow of the boat.
Áwé át hán.
So heʼs standing there.
Áwé yan uwaḵúx̱.
They went ashore.
Aax̱ éeḵt wujik'én.
He jumped out onto the beach.
Yóo áwé át wushix̱'éel' gíwé kelps x̱oo.
He was sliding around like this on the kelp.
Aadáx̱ áwé g̱unéi jiwdigút.
He started to charge from there.
Wéi taan, a yátx'i, áwé ashakat'íx̱'t
The sea lions, their babies, he smashed their heads in
du jín een.
with his hand.
Yóo kei ashátch ashakat'íx̱'x̱.
He would grab them like this (and) smash their heads in.
Sea lions, the baby ones.
Smashing their head in, this man.
Ashakat'íx̱'t.
Clubbing their heads.
Finally, he came to the sea lion.
Ḵáa taan.
Male sealion.
Yóo a tayeet wujixeex.
He was running around underneath it like this.
Ch'a yáak'udé áwé wududziteen.
All of a sudden it saw him.
Át wusheexí,
When he was running around,
yóo áwé kei kaawdudlixít.
it flipped him up in the air like this.
Kéi ash kawlixít wéi taan.
That sea lion flipped him up into the air.
Yóo dikéedáx̱ áwé (yan shaawagásʼ),
From up there, (he fell on his head),
{shakaa} shakaawawál',
it just broke his skull,
wé, wé prince.
the, the prince.
Áwé a shkwáa sh kax̱wdliník.
I skipped this part of the story.
Daak has gaḵóox̱ áwé,
When they were going out,
áwé yáa héen táat áwé hán.
he was standing in the water.
Yáat kaawadáa.
The water was up to here.
Yáa yaakw shaká áwé alshát,
He was holding the prow of the boat,
«X̱át tsú yee een.
"Let me go with you too.
X̱át tsú yee een,»
Let me go with you too,"
yóo x̱'ayaḵá.
this is what he was saying.
«Kushtuyáx̱ áwé chʼa wé yaakw kax̱wsakooxú.»
"Even if Iʼm just bailing the boat."
Áwé, «Tléik', ḵúdáx̱, ḵúdáx̱ eedzikaa.
So, they told him, "No, you're too lazy.
Hél daa sá yéi yisanei.»
Youʼve never done anything."
Hél wudusteen sh tóo at wultéewu, Duktʼootlʼ.
Nobody saw him training, Blackskin.
Wáannéi sáwé de yéi s yaawaḵáa, «Góok.
They finally said, "Go ahead.
{Yaax̱ g̱ag̱aax̱ g̱aag̱agoo} Yaax̱ g̱aysagú.
Bring him on board.
Héench áwéi wé yaakw akagux̱sakóox.»
He'll bail the water out of the boat." [They only took Blackskin as a bailer.]
Áwé a yée yei uwagút.
And he came on board.
Yáa héen táa áwé tle áa woonook.
He just sat in the water.
Át áa yá héen.
He sat there in the water.
Hél yóo héench akooskoox.
He wasn't bailing the water out.
Áa du shakéede áwé aklaxéis' yú.á.
They say he was pouring the water on his head.
Táakw áwé.
It was wintertime.
Yáa du shakée, aax̱ akgas.ínch,
On his head, he would scoop some (water) up (and)
yáa du shakéede aklaxéis' wé héen.
he was pouring the water on his head.
Á áwé, áwé tléil,
And no,
tlél du éek' aduheen.
nobody believes in him.
«??? chʼa déi nayḵeet,» yú.á,
"???be suspicious of it," it was said,
«aadé ḵuwanéegu yé.»
"what he is doing."
{yáa ts} Yáa yaakw tsú,
The boat too,
tle ch'a yáa héen táanáx̱ áwé kee sh wudlitséx̱
he pushed himself up with his legs from the water
tle yáa yaakw ÿíkde.
and into the boat.
Áwé (a daat) a daat has hóo áwé,
When they waded around it,
Áwé a shkwáa sh kax̱wdliník.
I skipped a part of the story.
Wé áwé prince,
That prince,
kei sh kawdlixít.
he pushed himself up.
Hú áwé,
He, (Duktʼootlʼ)
«X̱át áyá.
"It's me.
Yáa aanloowú tóot x̱waax̱út'.
I am the one that pulled the branch out from the trunk.
X̱át!
Me!
Ḵa x̱áach áyá tsú yáa,
And I'm the one,
asyátx'i,
the sapling,
yax̱ yax̱wsix'áa.
I twisted it.
X̱áach áwé kuḵajáaḵ wéi taan.»
I'm the one that's going to kill the sealion."
{hél} Hél yóo a yax̱ak'áawu kaanáx̱ yakawulyáas';
He didnʼt step over the thwarts of the canoe;
tle a x̱oox̱ áwé daaḵ uwagút.
he went through them.
Yáa du keeysháade uwal'íx'.
They broke on his knees.
Wé a kát s aḵin yax̱ak'áaw.
The crosspieces that they sit on.
A káa g̱aḵéich; yéi ásíwé duwasáakw.
Thatʼs what they sit on; thatʼs what theyʼre called.
Áwéi a shukáa daaḵ góot áwé,
When he came out on the bow of the boat,
kei wjik'én.
he jumped.
Tle yéi áwé yan wudzigít yú.á.
He landed just like this.
Hél x̱ʼuskawushx̱ʼéelʼ
His feet didn't slip
yáa yáa kelps.
on the kelp.
Aadéx̱ áwé g̱unéi át jiwdigút.
He went on the warpath from where he landed.
Yaa jindagút.
He was on the warpath.
A daat wujixeex
He was running around it,
wé taan.
that sealion.
Wé taan ch'u tle yóo
That sealion there
that's the biggest sea lion there is.
You could see, you could see the hair
in that seal, sealion
teeth, in between the teeth.
Wé aawajág̱i ḵáa shax̱aawú áwé
The hair of the man he killed
du oox̱ x̱'áa yéi yatee.
was in between the sealion's teeth.
Hú áwé, hú áwé, wé wé,
That's him, that's him,
wé taan.
that's the sealion.
Áwé yóo a daat wujixeex.
So he was running around it like this.
Ch'a yák'wdáx̱ áwé,
All of a sudden,
éex' een áwé, yóo éex' áwé,
while shouting, he was (running and) shouting like this,
éex'.
he was yelling.
Yák'wdáx̱ áwé tle yóot wudzigít.
All of a sudden, he fell into it.
Tle ch'as shé aanáx̱ yóot kaawa.áa.
Blood just spurted forth from it (the sea lion).
Wé yaakw yíkt ḵin ḵu.oo,
The people sitting on the boat,
hél has awusteen
they didn't see it
wé taan wóochdáx̱ awus'éil'i.
when he ripped the sealion in half.
Tle ch'as shé aanáx̱ yóot kaawa.áa yú.á.
They say blood just spurted from it (the sea lion).
Yáa latseen áwé du kát uwagút wé ḵáa;
The spirit of strength had come upon that man;
Duktʼootlʼ.
Blackskin.
Á áwé tle ch'as shé áwé.
There was just blood.
Áa daaḵ a.áat áwé,
When the people got up there,
wududziteen
they saw it.
Tle yáa du geen,
Its flippers,
du geendáx̱
from its flippers
tle yáa a sháat,
up to its head,
akaawas'él'.
he ripped it.
Wóoshdáx̱ aawas'éil',
He tore it in half,
wé, wé taan.
that, that sealion.
And after they went out, they went back
and they honored, uh, Dukt'ootl'
that trained, nobody know.
The people were still
still think that
that that man was to be killed by that sealion
but uh,
bBut he trained
and trained and
the thing, the thing is
that includes this story,
I don't know if you know the
Samson story in the Bible.
That Samson got strength.
Latseen du kát uwagút.
The power of strength came upon him.
The story of the Lord had given that strength.
Samson.
And that's how
this man was,
this man, Dukt'ootl',
same thing. You know how, how strong Samson was.
The way he, he pulled the pillars
and that, the building went down
on the Philistines.
Yeah, that's a,
one of the greatest stories.
Today, you're going to find that
uh, this man
is the first man under the totem pole there in Kake.