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.

Some Tips

  • Start and stop continuous playback with the media player's controls.

  • Play a single line by clicking on that line's number. To re-activate continuous play, use the media player's controls.

  • Use Command+F on a Mac, Control+F on windows, to search for words in the conversation.

  • For video conversations, the "picture-in-picture" mode can be useful. This puts the video in a separate window, after which you can shrink the originating video window in your web browser, allowing more text to be seen on-screen.

  • Safari on a Mac laptop, iPhone or iPad sometimes produces odd results in single line mode.

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 #74

[This conversation is continued from #73] Speakers are Ḵintóo Adeline St. Clair (Raven, Deisheeitaan, Yéil Sʼaagí Hít), Kaakwelaaxt Lootooskú Larry Sanders (Yéil, Tʼaḵdeintaan, Yéil Kudi Hit, Xuna Ḵwáan), and Shakʼsháani Margaret Dutson. Recorded July 14, 2011, in Hoonah, Alaska, by Ljáaḵkʼ Alice Taff.
Tlingit transcription by X̱ʼaagi Sháawu Keri Eggleston. English translation by Shakʼsháani Margaret Dutson with Ljáaḵkʼ Alice Taff. Edited by Shag̱aaw Éesh Devlin Anderstrom.
Wé Juneau-xʼ á. Mhm. Hah.
In Juneau. Yes. Huh.
Vicki {Sarab} Soboleff,
Ó.
Oh.
húch áwé
she's the one
ḵaa ée at latóow uh,
that teaches
Ray Wilson een.
with Ray Wilson.
Ahah.
Uhuh.
Aan áwé yéi s jiné {ax̱ yát} ax̱ dachx̱anxʼiyán.
They work with my grandchildren.
Shatx̱i.aa áwé {ḵ ḵ}
The oldest girl
ḵúnáx̱ at shí.
really sings.
Hóochʼi aayí táakw áwé,
Last winter,
Christmas-dáx̱ awé g̱óot.aa tóox̱ yei kgwagóot.
after Christmas, she was going to enter another one.
Kikʼi.aa du niyaadé aa hú tsú ashigóok ldakát wé at.shí.
The one next to her (in age) really knows all the songs.
Ḵa wé ḵáaxʼw ḵunáx̱ agwal nuch.
And the boys, they really beat the drum.
Ḵúnáx̱ at shée nuch.
They really sing.
Kasiyéi {hél} hél x̱wagóok wé at.shéexʼ.
It's so funny, I don't know the songs.
Wudusheeyí ḵwá ax̱ x̱ánxʼ
But when they sing it next to me,
x̱wasikóo tle, at x̱ashée nuch ḵaa een.
I know it then, I sing along.
Ḵaa x̱ʼéidáx̱ at eeshí gé?
You sing it when other people are singing it? [Do you sing it from other peopleʼs mouths?]
Mhm.
Yes.
Tléináx̱ x̱washeeyí ḵu.aa hél x̱washagóok.
But I donʼt know how to sing it by myself.
X̱washigóok ḵaa een at.shí ḵu.aa.
I know how to sing it with other people though.
Daaḵw.aa Lingít sáyá x̱át?
What kind of Tlingit am I?
Ax̱ tláa, wáa sás {a} has du tuwáa sagóo neejín
My mother, oh how she loved
a káa yaa s x̱ʼakagasheejín wé at.shí.
they used to sing along to those songs.
Wé
So,
wé
that
"You Are My Sunshine" ḵúnáx̱ has du x̱ʼéi wookʼéi náaw sʼaatxʼí.
"You Are My Sunshine," the drunks really liked to sing that one. [«has du x̱ʼéi wookʼéi» is ʼIt was good to their mouths.ʼ Also translated as, ʼIt tastes good to them." Or "They like to say that."]
Juneau-dáx̱ áwé haa x̱ánnáx̱ ??? ḵukoodakʼéetʼch.
From Juneau they would all come by us.
Wé Dan
That Dan,
{dan} Dan Brawn-ch ḵwá {y} wéi
Dan Brown it was though,
"Heartaches by the Number" ashée noojín
always used to sing "Heartaches by the Number"
Lingít x̱ʼéináx̱.
in Tlingit.
Has ashée noojín.
They always used to sing that.
{hél x̱wash} Hél x̱wasakóowun ax̱ éesh wé guitar akool.áx̱jin x̱á.
I didn't know my dad used to play the guitar.
Ahah.
Uhuh.
Dan Brown ḵwá wéi
Dan Brown (played) the
banjo
ḵa wé Filipino
and that Filipino
ukulele {has a} has ashée nuch
ukulele, they would always sing it.
Heartache.
"Heartache number one
is when you left me," he said.
«Ax̱ náḵ yaa geegóot áwé
"When you left me
tléixʼx̱ wusitee.
that was the first.
Dax̱.aa áwéi
The second one
ax jeet x̱ʼaydataaní
is when you called me,
haadé kg̱eegóot ax̱ x̱ánde, wáa sá ax̱ toowú sigóo.
(and said) you will come to me, how happy I was.
Yeedát
Now
heartache number 3 ḵwá
heartache number 3 though,
hél haat yigoot ax̱ x̱ánxʼ.
you didn't come to me.
Heartache number 5 ḵwá,
Heartache number 5 though,
kei x̱wdilít áwé de.
I have given up now.
['At shooḵ']
['Laughter']
{tle} Tle ax̱ toowóoch woosháat.
It just stuck in my mind. [My thoughts grabbed it.]
Xwéi.
Sigh.
Haaw, haat uwagút wé i partner-í sákw.
Well, he arrived, your partner-to-be.
Chʼa
Just,
Wé i partner-í sákw áwé?
Your partner-to-be?
Ó, wé át ágé?
Oh, is that him?
Ha hóoch áwé déiskʼ.
Now it's his turn.
Ha, góok. [Recording break as KLLS replaces ShMD.]
Go ahead.
Wéit g̱anú tle,
Sit over there, then
Heʼll need water.
I got coffee.
Coffee wont. You need water when youʼre talking. And thatʼs Deborahʼs.
My ??? You know what? I donʼt even know how she ??? [recording break]
You tell them now.
Oh. OK. Am I on? Um.
Ḵaakul.áx̱ch áwé ax̱ saayíx̱ sitee.
Kaakuláx̱ch is my name.
Déix̱ saayí áwé ax̱ {tóo} jeewú.
I have two names.
Ḵaakul.áx̱ch.
['His name']
Luwduskú
['His other name']
Howard Greggs jeedáx̱ áwé
thatʼs from Howard Greggs,
ax̱ jeet aawatée yáa saayí Luwduskú.
gave me this name, Luwduskú.
Ḵaa
And
James Grant jeedáx̱
from James Grant,
Ḵaakul.áx̱ch
Ḵaakuláx̱ch
Lingít x̱ʼéináx̱. Excuse me.
In Tlingit.
Lingít x̱ʼéináx̱ áwé
It was in the Tlingit language
ax̱ léelkʼw
my grandfather
ax̱ léelkʼw
my grandfather
{s} ax̱ éesh áwé sitee {awus}
he was my father
x̱at kei wsiwát.
he raised me.
Daaḵw naa sá isitee?
What clan are you?
Yéil Kudi Hít.
Raven's Nest House.
Tʼaḵdeintaan.
T'aḵdeintaan.
Wáa sás eewatee yáa yagee?
How were you today
i yéijineiyíxʼ?
at your job?
Daa sáwé yéi ysinee?
What did you do?
Ayáx̱ sh kaneelneek.
Tell the truth.
Hél áa yan aa eesháadiḵ xʼwán.
Be sure not to leave anything out. [Be sure not to withhold anything.]
Chʼa a daa yóo tután xʼwán.
Be sure to think about it.
Chʼa yeisú tatgé {yéi} yéi yeeyaḵaa.
Just yesterday you said that.
X̱áat ḵuhéini tle yóo x̱ʼakḵwatáan áwei.
When itʼs my turn, I will speak.
Goodé sáwé {k} wujixeex i jináḵ?
Where did it run away from you to?
Am, yeah I had, I was practicing it last night but it didnʼt come out the way I thought it would. [At shooḵ]
['Laughter']
Ḵintóo yóo x̱at duwasáakw.
Ḵintóo is my name.
Killisnoo-dáx̱ áyá x̱át.
I'm from Killisnoo.
Yáa yagiyee áwé
And today
a káa daak x̱at seiwaháa
I was reminded of
haa náḵ woo.aadi ḵu.oo.
the people who have left us.
Haa sháade háni,
Our leaders,
xʼoon sá wootèe.
there were many.
Tléixʼ táakw haa x̱ándáx̱ kei s kawdliyásʼ.
In one year they left us.
Daa sá hél ayáx̱ utí,
Whatever was wrong,
has x̱ʼax̱awóosʼ noojín,
I used to ask them,
«Wáa sá kg̱watée yóo x̱wasgeedí?»
"How will it be if I do this?"
«Hél gé wáa sá utí?»
"Isnʼt it all right?"
Áwé tle x̱aan has akananíkch.
So then theyʼd tell me.
A káaxʼ wé yaa kx̱agútch.
I went according to it.
Woogéi
She was big
yá {ax̱}
this
ax̱ shátx̱
my older sister
Esther Lindoff Case yóo duwasáakw.
Esther Lindoff Case is her name.
Haa náḵ kei kawdliyásʼ.
She left us.
X̱walitín, du x̱án.aa áwé x̱wlitín.
I looked after (him), I looked after her husband.
Tax̱ʼnéekw áwé du jeewú {hél} yaa gagútch tle.
He had heart problems, when he would try to walk,
hél unalé áa yéi isgítch chʼa aadé yaa kagajuxji yé du téix̱ʼ.
he wouldnʼt make it very far and then heʼd collapse right there because his heart was pounding too fast.
Áwé yéijiné ax̱ jeet {has} wuduwatée has du een yéijiné.
So I was given a job working with them.
Shayadihéin yanwáatxʼ, has du een yéi jix̱waanei.
There were a lot of elders (that) I worked with.
Hél x̱washagóogun yóox̱ʼatánk.
I never used to know how to speak.
has du jeenáx̱ áyá x̱wasikóo
It was from them I learned
yáa yóox̱ʼatánk.
this language.
Kux̱a.aag̱ú,
When I tried,
góot yéide daak us.aax̱jín,
it would come out different,
hél ḵwá x̱at kawdushóoḵ.
but nobody made fun of me.
«Yóo ḵu.aa áwé yayiḵaayí kei kg̱wakʼéi.»
"If you say it this way, it would be better,"
Has du x̱ʼéit x̱wasi.áx̱.
I listened to them.
Chʼas
Only
ḵuwdu.éexʼi
when there's a party
áwé hél x̱wasakú
I didn't know
wáa sáyú x̱ʼakḵwataaní.
what I should say.
Áwé ax̱ éekʼ yéi yaawaḵaa,
So my brother said,
«Ldakát wé naa áwé
"All the clans,
kg̱eesáa
you should name
Chʼáakʼ niyaanáx̱
on the Eagle side,
tle has du shatxʼiyán een,
with their wives,
áwé has du kéekʼ hás een
with their younger brothers,
has du húnx̱u hás een.
with their older brothers.
«Aakʼé áwé.
"Thatʼs a good one.
Wáanáx̱ sáwé {hél tuwa} hél yóo x̱ʼayeetaan kwshé shuxʼáanáx̱?"
Why don't you speak at the beginning?"
Áag̱áa áwé kḵwasakóo.
That way I will know.
Ách áwé du x̱ʼéit x̱wasi.áx̱.
I listened to him.
Yóokʼde áa x̱áat awdlig̱ín.
All of a sudden he looked at me there.
«Daaḵw.aa {s} naa sáwé {hél} hél x̱wasá?»
"Which clan was it I didn't name?"
«Shangukeidí áwé hél yisá.»
"You didnʼt name the Shangukeidí."
«Ó!» Áa daak uwagút tsu.
"Oh!." He stepped out again.
Yan yóo x̱ʼatáan gíwé
After he got through speaking I guess,
áa daak x̱waagút.
I walked out there.
Tle tláakw yóo x̱ʼax̱wditán ldakát wé saaxʼw áwé x̱wasikóowu wé
I spoke quickly and named all the names that I knew
Chʼáakʼ ninaanax̱.á.
on the Eagle side.
Gunalchéesh yóo yax̱wsiḵaa ldakát hás.
I said thank you to all of them.
Du x̱ánt ḵanóok áwé, yóo x̱at yawsiḵáa,
When I sat by him, he said to me,
«Hóochʼ áwé x̱ʼax̱wdataaní i x̱ʼeis,
"I'm not going to speak for you again,
tle ax̱ yáanáx̱ áwé yóot x̱ʼayditán
you spoke better than me
shaawát aa kát.»
on the woman's side."
«Chʼa aadé yéi x̱at na.oo,» yóo yax̱wsiḵaa.
"Forgive me," I said to him.
«Hél x̱wasaku
"I didn't know
chʼa koogéiyi áwé yóot x̱ʼax̱wditán.»
I spoke out improperly."
«Hél wáa sá yayiḵaa.
"You didn't say anything wrong.
Ayáx̱ áwé yaa sh kaneelník."
You said the right things."
Du éet ax̱wdlig̱ín.
I looked at him.
Áwé yá hél haa ée wdultóow yóo áwé sh kax̱alneek.
So they didnʼt teach it to us, thatʼs what Iʼm saying.
Yéi haa kwshagéinkʼi
When we were little
yéi haa daayaduḵáa nooch,
they would say to us,
«Shaawát aa kát
"On the women's side,
hél yóo x̱ʼakg̱eetaan.
you won't speak.
Chʼas ḵáaxʼw áwé yóode kg̱watáan.»
Only the men will talk."
Áwé lidzée.
It was hard.
Chʼa yeisú yeedát x̱áng̱aa
Still, just recently,
hél Deisheetaan yáat ách áwé {x̱at x̱ʼak}
there is no Deisheetaan here, thatʼs why
x̱at nadux̱úx̱ch tsu wé sháade háni {áa át}
the leader calls me again
át han yé.
to where heʼs standing.
«Shuxʼáanáx̱ wa.é áwé yóo x̱ʼakg̱eetáan.
"You will speak first.
Tléináx̱ áwé yáat eehán haa x̱oot ách áyá.»
You're the one standing here by us, that is why."
Áa daak x̱agútni áwé tle yóo x̱ʼax̱atangi nooch.
When I walk out there I always talk.
Ḵux̱ x̱adagóot has du x̱ánxʼ áwé tle {yéi yan} yéi yanaḵéich,
When I go back by them, he would say,
Kenny Grant,
«Dláa!
"What the heck!
Ldakát áwé keeyaneek hél tsu áa yan aa yisháat ax̱ jeeyís.»
You said everything, you didn't even leave anything for me."
«Chʼa aadé yéi x̱at na.oo.
"Pardon me.
Yéi x̱áawé x̱at yaysiḵaa. Yóo x̱ʼatánk dé!»
Thatʼs what you told me. You speak now!"
«Ách áwé
"That is why
háʼ five minutes áwé i jeet x̱waatée.
I gave you 5 minutes.
Keijín minutes yóo x̱ʼakg̱eetáan.
You'll speak for 5 minutes.
Tleix̱ yóo x̱ʼayditán.»
You spoke forever."
Haa yóox̱ʼatángi
Our language
lichʼéeyáḵw haa yóox̱ʼatángi.
it's slow, our language.
Yáa haa asg̱eiwú
This fishing of ours
My uncle John Young,
Kawx̱ʼoonook
['John Youngʼs name']
yóo áwé dusáagun Lingít x̱ʼéináx̱.
that was his Tlingit name.
«Ax̱ káak.»
"My maternal uncle."
Yeah.
Ax̱ káak.
My uncle.
«I ée áwé kḵwaltóow
"I'm going to teach you
gooxʼ sá
where
ax̱wasg̱eiwú,
I fish,
Ḵaakul.áx̱ch.
[Larry Sandersʼ name].
Góok.
Go ahead.
Tláakw dé.»
Hurry."
Up on top
«X̱at latín.
"Watch me.
Ḵa wé skiff tsú has latín.
And the skiff too, watch them.
Gag̱isakóo
You will learn
gooxʼ sá
where
téx̱ sitee
itʼs rocky
ḵa
and
tide.»
the tide."
{Wáa sá kg̱wa}
Át kaawadaayi yé.
Where the tide flows.
«Yeah, át kaawadaayi yé,
"Yeah, where it runs,
wé tide.
the tide.
Litseen wé tide.
The tide is strong.
Ḵa gag̱isakóo wáa sá
And you will know how
kg̱eeḵóox̱ wé power skiff.
to run the power skiff.
Litseen áwé wé power skiff.
The power skiff is strong.
Ax̱ tuwáa sigóo yisakoowú
I want you to know
ax̱ jeedáx̱
from me
yáa asg̱eiwú
the seine net
ḵa wáa sá x̱aḵaayí
and how I sew
yáa corks
the corks
ḵa yáa leadline
and this leadline,
ḵa wé web
and the web,
ḵa bridles
and bridles,
gax̱yisakóo
you will know
ax̱ jeedáx̱.
from me.
Kaax̱ʼoonook áwé yéi x̱at duwasáakw, aa.»
Kaax̱ʼoonook is my name, yes."
Yéi x̱at woosiḵaa (yawsiḵaa).
This is what he said to me.
Tatgé tliya.aakádin,
The other day,
x̱waaḵoox̱ ḵaa een
I went with them
heen yíkde.
to the river valley. [Where the fish run upstream.]
Ax̱ tuwáa sigóo x̱wsateení.
I wanted to see it.
Xʼoon táakw sáwé hél héen yíkde yóo x̱wagútk.
For many years I havenʼt been to the river.
Hél tsu x̱áat ḵoostí wé héen yík.
There arenʼt anymore fish in that river.
Hél ayáx̱ koogei wé héen.
There wasn't enough water.
Tléixʼ gaaw tsú awtudlig̱een, tlá-áykʼ.
We even looked around for an hour, no-ope.
Hél daa sá.
There was nothing.
Kawsiyéi.
It was strange.
Yeedát x̱áng̱aa áwé
Just recently
too.in nuch tléiḵw yeedát ḵwá tláykʼ.
weʼd always pick berries, but not now.
Náakw yéi daatoonéi nooch.
We always make medicine.
Ashigóok héitʼaach náakw yéidaané.
This one here (KLLS) knows how to make medicine.
Ḵusa.áatʼ néekw i jee yéi teeyí {asik} awsikóo a náagu.
If you have a cold, he knows the medicine for it.
Ḵa,
And,
{wudu} yoo yaxásh i jín,
when you cut your hand,
awsikóo a náagu.
he knows the medicine for it.
Yéi s adaané
They make it
haa boss een
with our boss
Tayna Martin
wé náakw.
the medicine.
Ax̱
My
ax̱ een.aa áwé shaatkʼ
my relative, that woman,
kawushoowú áwé,
when she was drunk,
sdoox tóode yéi adaané gán
she was putting wood in the stove,
áwé wudix̱ʼíx̱ʼ du jín.
she burned her hand.
{see} Tle hél gooháa wé dleey aadé kaawagaani yé du jín.
Her flesh (meat) was visible; thatʼs how burned her hand was.
Áwé hél du tuwáa ushgú
She didn't want
has du een akawuneegí.
to tell them.
Ash {ku} sh (ka)toolyát
We were playing
yákʼude áwé x̱wsiteen.
(and) all of a sudden I saw it.
Chʼa tlákw áwé yínde ??? aa yei
She was always
akasayéey du
tying (pulling?) down her
du jéigádi,
her jacket,
du goodásʼi.
her shirt.
Áwé x̱wadihaan, ax̱,
So I got up, my,
wé boss x̱ánt x̱waagút.
I went to the boss.
«Yakʼéi shákdé {du wásh} du jín jee
"Itʼs probably a good idea
daa yayis.aayí.
for you to examine her hand.
Kaawagaan.
It's burned.
Hél gooháa.
Itʼs plainly visible.
Awlisín ḵu.aa áwé hél du tuwáa ushgú akawuneegí.»
She had it hidden though, she didn't want to say anything about it."
Áwé át awdlig̱ín.
S/he (the boss) looked at it.
Tláakw áwé,
Right away,
clinic-dé wduwax̱óotʼ.
they took her to the clinic.
Chʼáakw, {hél woo} hél wuneex̱.
For a long time it didn't heal.
Héitʼaach
This person (KLLS),
náakw yéi awsinee.
he made medicine.
Áa {yéi wduwa} kawduwachúx.
He worked it into her hand by rubbing.
Kawduwasʼít.
It was bandaged.
Áwé,
So,
wé ḵáaxʼw,
those men,
«Ḵeeyagwál áwé, ách áwé yéi yatee.»
"You punched somebody, thatʼs why itʼs that way."
Tle yéi áwé ax̱ tuwáa yatee.
That's the way it looked to me. [Like a boxing glove.]
Ḵulagaawu aa chʼa tlákw kawdusʼéedi du jín
Like how fighters always have their hands bandaged
ḵulagaaw yís.
for fighting.
Áwé {ka} kawduwashóoḵ chʼa tlákw.
People were always laughing at her.
Áwé,
So,
du {sh} tóon wootee, aax̱ yéi awsinee.
she was upset so she took it off.
Aag̱áa áwé wdudziteen du jín.
That's when they saw her hand.
Hóochʼ.
No more.
Hél aadóo sá x̱ʼawdataan.
Nobody spoke.
Tle yéi wdudzinee tsu.
He did it again. (He bandaged her.)
Héitʼaach áwé yéi yawsiḵaa,
This one (KLLS) said to her,
«Hél aax̱ yéi daa.eenéiḵ.
"Don't take it off,
Wuneex̱í áwé tsá
when it gets well, only then,
change-íx̱ gax̱dulyéix̱ uháanch.
We'll change it ourselves.
Hél áx̱ eesheeḵ.»
Don't touch it."
Chʼa aadé yéi x̱at nay.oo xʼwán.
Forgive me.
A kát x̱at seiwaxʼáḵw
I forgot (to say)
goodáx̱ sáwé x̱at sitee.
where I came from.
Sheetʼkaadáx̱ áyá x̱át.
I'm from Sitka.
{Juneau} Juneau-dáx̱ áwé
From Juneau
Sheetʼkaadé.
to Sitka.
X̱at kei wsiwát in Sitka.
I grew up in Sitka.
Du léelkʼw
His grandparent
ḵáa aa
the male (grandfather}
haat has ḵutéen Sheetʼkaadáx̱
when they came here (Hoonah) from Sitka
du léelkʼw áwé
his grandfather
ax̱ aat aawasháa.
married my paternal aunt.
Hél ḵwá x̱wsakú du saayí.
I don't know her name though.
Ḵúnáx̱ ashigóok {dleit}
She really knew
dleit ḵáa x̱ʼéináx̱ yóox̱ʼatánk wé
the white manʼs language
ax̱ léelkʼw.
my grandparent.
Ax̱ éesh du shátx̱ (dlaakʼ)
My father's sister [The speaker is female, so her sister would be shátx̱ but a maleʼs sister is his dlaakʼ.]
áwé
so,
«Haa ABCs tsú x̱wasikóo x̱á
"Hey, I know the ABCs too, you know,
ḵa tléixʼ, déix̱, násʼk x̱wasikóo.
and I knew 1, 2, 3.
X̱ashigóok x̱á Lingít x̱'éínáx̱ yóox̱ʼatánk
I knew how to speak the Tlingit language
ḵa dleit ḵáa x̱ʼéináx̱ x̱wasikóo.»
and I knew how to speak the white language."
Aag̱áa áwé x̱wsikóo
That's when I knew
hél yeewuyáatʼ a ítdáx̱ áwé wduwasháa.
not long after that she got married.
Shuxʼáa aa du shát.
His first wife.
Násʼk wootee du yátxʼi gé?
He had three children?
Four.
Hél x̱wasakú "Um". Wáa sá yakg̱eeḵáa yéi? Iʼm lost for words.
I donʼt know "Um." How would you say that?
Well anyway, um, when my uncle was teaching me how to go about fishing, and how to prepare the seine, and how to run a power skiff, was, uh, quite an experience. Cause I was only about 9 years old when he grabbed me to go out fishing with him.
Chʼu yéi kusagéinkʼi wé du káakch
When he was still small, his maternal uncle
yaakw yíkde ash kawlitsáay.
asked him to go along with him on the boat.
X̱áat,
Fish,
aadé yéi daadune yé áwé
the way they make it
daaḵw.aa
which one
aadé du ée wdudlituwu yé,
the way they taught him,
agux̱sakóo chʼa hóoch.
he'll know it himself.
Yéi yawdudziḵaa du káakch.
That's what his uncle told him.
Daa sá
Whatever
{ax̱} wáa sá gax̱duḵaayí
how they sew it (the seine net),
kawulsʼéilʼi,
when it gets torn up,
ḵa wáa sá gax̱duxaashí,
and the way they cut it,
And where we stayed was a good, real good fish creek. And, uh, I remember the first time I gran, my, uh, my grandmother chased me down to the creek. We had a long gaff hook pole that we go down and catch a dog salmon because thatʼs what was running up, dog salmon. And I hooked on to a big one. I was just a small little tyke yet. And uh, when I hooked that dog salmon, I wasnʼt very strong but I didnʼt let go of the pole. It pulled me upriver and my grandma
Everything that I know thus far that I make, Iʼve learned from various people. Like my grandparents, my uncle, and all my other uncles like Frank Paul, Charlie Sumdum, uh, my sister, especially my grandmother. I learned all that that I know, making fish, dryfish, seal, how to prepare for smokehouse,
Daa sáwé du ée wdudlitúw du léelkʼúch,
Whatever his grandparents taught him,
ḵa du káak hás ḵa chʼu yé du xoonx̱ʼí,
and his uncle and all of his relatives,
x̱áat aadé yéi daadune yé,
how they put up fish,
ḵa {daa} wáa sá gax̱duxaashí atxʼaanhídi yís ḵa wé tsaa,
and how they cut the fish for the smokehouse, and seal,
has aawa.óon,
they shot it,
wáa sá duxaashí
how they cut it
kawdulsʼeig̱í
when it's smoked
atxʼaan hídi yeexʼ. [atxʼaanhít yeexʼ ???]
(in) the smokehouse.
ShÉDA: sounds like «atxʼaanhít yeexʼ.»
I remember the smokehouse that we had in Sitka. The name of the place, I remember it real well in Tlingit name but I canʼt recall the other name that it has.
Daxéit áwé yéi duwasáagun.
(Place name) it's called.
Daxéit.
['A summer village near Sitka.']
Where we stayed was a good, real good fish creek. And uh, I remember the first time I grabbed my uh, grandmother chased me down to the creek. We had a long gaff hook pole that, go down and catch the dog salmon cause thatʼs what was running up, dog salmon. And I hooked onto a big one. I was just a small little tyke yet. And when I hooked that dog salmon, I wasnʼt very strong. But I grabbed, I didnʼt let go of the pole; it pulled me up river. And, my grandma,
«G̱alsháat kʼidéin!»
Hold on good!
"Hold on tight!" So I held on tight. And I didnʼt lose that fish. After it got tired out I just dragged it right back down to where I got him. I gave, took him up to my grandmother but he, she cut it up real quick.
Du léelkʼuch
His grandparent
shaawát aa yéi awdus. yé,
the grandmother, ???
ee the verb to cook?
yéi ayawsiḵaa,
she told him,
«Héen yíkde nagú,
"Go into the creek,
x̱áat kʼíx̱ʼ ax̱ jeeyís
gaff some salmon for me
atx̱á yís.
for food.
Gax̱toox̱áa.
Weʼll eat it.
Áwé {aawash}
So
aawasháat,
he grabbed it,
kʼíx̱ʼaa.
the gaff hook.
Hél áyáx̱ wultseen.
He wasn't strong enough.
Áwé héen táadáx̱ wooheen,
So he swam like a fish up out of the river
wé x̱áat een.
with the fish.
Chʼa aan ayaawadlaaḵ.
He caught it anyway.
Du léelkʼw áwé
His grandmother
éexʼ, {du}
was shouting,
«G̱alsháat xʼwán, g̱alsháat!»
"Be sure to hold on to it, hold on to it!"
Ayaawadlaaḵ ḵwá, du léelkʼw x̱ánt wuji(xíx).
He made it though, he ran to his grandmother.
Awsitaa.
She picked it up.
Aawaxaash tle atx̱á yís chʼa yóokʼ.
Right away she cut it up for food.
My uh, grandmother, when she was busy cutting fish or meat, like deer or seal,
she used to call me, «Ḵaakul.áx̱ch, haagú!
"Ḵaakul.áx̱ch, come here!
Yáat g̱anú.
Sit right here.
Gag̱ilatéen
Youʼre going to watch
wáa sá x̱waxaashí
how I cut
yá dleey.»
the meat."
OK, so I sit down and I watch her real close on how she cut it. And the best part of that is, she wouldnʼt let my granfather touch any of her knives. She always did the sharpening herself. And Iʼll tell you what; she had those knives really sharp. You could shave with them.
Du léelkʼwch yéi yaawaḵaa, «Ax̱ x̱ánt g̱anú.
His grandmother said to him, "Sit by me.
[ga]g̱ilatéen
you'll see
aadé duxash yé yá dleey.
they way they cut this meat.
Kʼidéin xʼwán kalatín.»
Be sure to observe carefully."
Áwé áa woonook altín.
So he sat down there and watched.
Chʼa hóoch áwé ayaawag̱ílʼ. {g̱ít wé l}
She sharpened them herself.
Du lítayi, chʼa hóoch yéi adaané.
Her knives, she does it herself.
Hél du tuwáa ushgú du x̱án aach át wusheeyí.
She didn't want her husband to touch them.
Aax̱ áwé awsikóo wáa sá yéi daaduneiyí.
That's how he knew how it was done.
Well, the crick that we, where we stayed, we had a, we had a bunkhouse and we had a uh, three level smokehouse. And, uh, one night it was my turn to stoke the smokehouse, the fire. And uh, I fell asleep inside the smokehouse. Then all of a sudden the back, the back wall fell outward with a bear pulling on it. And uh, when I heard the bear growl I was already up on the third level before he could growl the second time. And my uncle, my grandfather, and Uncle Frank Paul, ???, were there and uh, they all came out with rifles and that bear was gone. I mean it didnʼt have a chance with 3 guys. One shot apiece and that bear was down. We donʼt eat, brown bear. I donʼt think anybody here in town eats brown bear either. But uh, they cut it up. They skinned it out. It was a pretty good hide. And I think my grandfather kept it. I donʼt know where they put it or did they give it to somebody; I canʼt remember but they had it for a while. They had it on their bedroom floor.
Át ḵoowaháa,
The time had come,
du aayíx̱ wusitee
it became his (turn in the)
atxʼaanhídi.
smokehouse.
Wé sʼeiḵ,
The smoke,
xʼoon sá wootee?
how many were there?
Násʼk yikaadé wootee.
There were three places (levels in the smokehouse).
Dikéede násʼk wootee.
Above there were three (levels).
Dikée yéi yatee.
They were above.
Chʼa yeisú
Still
wé x̱ʼaan altíni áwé {chʼa yei át}
while he was watching the fire,
táach uwajáḵ áxʼ.
he fell asleep there.
Yákʼwde áwé aawa.áx̱.
Suddenly he heard it.
Wáa sáwé aax̱ wujix̱een?
How did they fall?
Dáaḵnax̱.á du
Behind his
atxʼaanhídi
smokehouse
xóots tlein áwé {át á}
a big brown bear
áwu á.
was there.
Tláakw áwé wdigoot tle
He jumped up right away and
dikéede wudlitlʼéitʼ.
he climbed up.
Aag̱áa áwé {d} du léelkʼw
That's when his grandparent
ḵa Frank Paul-ch uwa.áx̱.
and Frank Paul heard it.
Át has wujixíx.
They ran there.
Du.éexʼ, «Goosú wa.é?»
The yelled at him, "Where are you?"
«Yá dikéewu x̱át.»
"I'm up here."
Wuduwa.ún.
They shot it (the bear).
Tle wdudlixʼeesh.
They skinned it.
Hél awuskú wáa sá wdusneeyí wé
He didn't know what they did to it.
Wuduxaashídáx̱ áwé,
After they cut it,
Um, when that bear was all through, um, I, my uh, uncle finally called me
«Ḵaakul.áx̱ch!»
['Larryʼs name']
"Come on down now. The bear is dead. I went, I climbed back down. But that bear, before he, they shot him, he already had that first level because it was low. He had the whole thing torn down. We had to, my grandmother and I, we had our chores cut out for us next morning. Her and everybody, we were putting the fish back up. Funny thing about that was, uh, the bear didnʼt tear up ??? just knocked down the sticks with the fish on them. They had like 6, 6 fish wide across each, uh, post, each section. And uh,
Yan yéi s awusneiyídáx̱ wé
After they finished
dleey daa yéijiné áwé át has awdlig̱ín wé
working on meat, they looked at the
x̱áat.
fish.
Ldakát wé tʼáa káxʼ yéi yatee.
It was all on the floor.
Du léelkʼu een áwé a daa yéi s jiné.
His grandmother and he were working on it.
Aax̱ yéi s adaané tle
Taking it off of there (the floor) and
ldakát wé
all of the
ḵáasʼ wé {aax̱}
sticks
aax̱ aawalít.
(the bear) had thrown down.
Ḵúx̱de yéi s adaané.
They were putting them back.
Du léelkʼuch
His grandparent
woo.éexʼ,
called out,
«Haakwdé.
"Come here now.
Woonaa dé yá
It died now
xóots.
the brown bear.
Hél wáa sá utí.
It's all right.
Hél wáa sá utí yá x̱áat tsú.
The fish is all right too.
A daa yéi jigax̱toonéi góok, góok, góok.
We're going to work on it. Hurry, hurry, hurry.
Yaa kanashg̱ít.»
It's getting dark."
Kawjigít ḵu.aa áwé.
It's already dark though.
Um, we didnʼt get through putting that fish up, back up to where they belonged next morning. I still stayed in the smokehouse but next morning I was still stoking the fire and uh, and my grandmother got up which was about 9:00 that morning, came out and, she looked at the fish. It was ready for náayadi pack. It was all set, all of them. So we, I started from the top, lowering it down to her and she was packing them away. We didnʼt have a freezer back then but we had a underground cooler. And thatʼs where she was stacking them as we finished packing them in a box. And uh, she wrapped them in newspaper and put them, put them inside a box, tissue box, and uh, packed them all ??? which was very heavy; I could hardly pick it up myself. But I managed to get them down there. And my uncle would come back down and heʼd help me put them up. Weʼd go about 3 high and while we were doing that, while they were doing that, I would be down, grandma tell me, "Go down, catch more fish." And when I pulled up that aluminium, aluminium, or galvanized ???, yeah, tub. When I got that full, grandma would get busy and start cutting. And while she was cutting, Iʼd be putting them up on the sticks. Iʼd start from the top and work my way down. And the top sticks held like 4 fish across on both sides and the center one held like 5 fish, both sides, 5 on a stick, 5 on a stick. And the bottom ones had 6. 6 rows right down.
Tsʼootaat shawdanoogú ax̱ léelkʼw
"In the morning when my grandmother got up, [Prior to this, ḴASC translated using 3rd person, ʼheʼ. Now she begins to use 1st person, I, as if she is KLLS.]
gooshúḵ gaaw
9:00
áwé
that's when
át awdlig̱ín wé x̱áat.
she looked at the fish.
Náayadi áyá.
It's half-smoked dryfish.
«Haat kajél.
"Bring it (all) here.
A daa yéi jigax̱toonéi.
We'll work on it.
Kagax̱toocháak.
We'll package it up.
Cháash.»
Bough with needles on it." ???
Aadé áwé s {kaawa},
The way they,
yéi s awsinee.
they put it away.
Atx̱á áa yéi daaduné.
They put food there.
Hél tʼéexʼ ḵoostí
There was no ice
aag̱áa.
at that time.
Áwé x̱áatg̱aa s wooḵoox̱ tsu.
So they went after fish again.
Has ashawlihík tsu.
They filled it (the smokehouse) up again.
Yeah, and, once we got all that fish smoked and put away, everybodyʼs favorite was the strips. They loved my grandmotherʼs strips. Smoked strips. And we had like uh, sheʼd make about 5 boxes, bathroom tissue boxes which were pretty high. Sheʼd have 5 of them plumb full. And they were a little bit lighter than the náayadi. I could handle those. And uh, once we got all that packed away, then we started in on the meat. Smoking the dear meat that my father got, I mean, that my uncles got, and my grandfather, while we were getting that all smoked up, my grandmother and I and tell me,
«Haagú.»
"Come here."
("Weʼre) going to go across the creek." Across the creek thereʼs a great big flat area. It was great big field of uh, wild rice. [kóox, chocolate lily root, Fritillaria camschatcensis] And uh, my grandmother and I would be on our knees all day getting wild rice. And at noon she would stop and go cook wild rice and weʼd have some with our, our fish that we had put up, our strips or náayadi, whatever she had in mind. And weʼd eat. Then weʼd go back out and weʼd start picking some more wild rice.
«Yan yéi wtusinée wé x̱áat.
"We finished putting up that fish.
Kawtoocháagi ítdáx̱
After we packaged it,
wóoshdáx̱ yéi wtusinee chʼa ax̱ káak aayí ḵa haa aayí.
we would divide it between my uncle and ours.
A ítdáx̱ áwé ax̱ léelkʼw yéi yaawaḵaa, ‹Haagú!
After that my grandmother said, ʼCome here!
Kóox gax̱too.éen.›
We're going to pick wild rice.ʼ
Chʼu a daa yéi jitooneiyí,
While we were still working on it,
du kéekʼ {áxʼ} át woogoot
his younger brother would walk around
kóox kahaa.
digging wild rice. [«kóox kahaa» is an adverb of manner for the verb «át woogoot» ʼhe walked around.ʼ
Atx̱á gaawóot kawdaxeedí áwé,
When dinner time came,
at toox̱áa nuch.
we would eat.
Yan at wutoox̱aayí ítdáx̱ áwé
After we got through eating,
tsu ntoo.átch kóoxg̱aa.»
we would go for more rice."
After we got all that rice, it was like about 10 cases of wild rice that she had prepared, jarred, and cooked. She didnʼt cook it too long because she didnʼt want it to get soft. It had to be a little bit firm. And that way she could add it to berries, if there was a party you know, sheʼd add it to berries. She loved it with berries. And uh, once we got all that wild rice picked, then she would say,
«Haa, góok.»
"Come now."
"Weʼre going to go picking berries. Weʼd go up the river and weʼd get salmon berries and on the other side weʼd go across the river and get blueberries, blackberries, whatever was there. And uh, we had like, we had a lot of cloudberries, I guess they call them.
Néx̱ʼw. Yeah, néx̱ʼw, yeah.
Yellow cloudberries.
Cloudberries, which was good for medicine also. It was edible, right from the stem. And she would make jelly out of that. Which was, out of all the berries that we had, she would make jelly. Then sheʼd start jarring the berries whole, so we could have some with pancakes, whatever, blueberry bread. My aunts loved to make bread, my auntie Mary Merrill, and she was always making it with these uh, huckleberries or blueberries.
«Ách áwé a daa yéi jitooneiyí atx̱á ax̱ léelkʼw.
"Thatʼs why we work on the food with my grandmother.
Át ḵooháaych góot.aa tléiḵw yéi daatooneiyí.
The time would come, we would pick different berries.
Jinkaatx̱ wusitee wé kóox,
It became 10, the rice,
akaawachák.
she packed it.
Ínxʼeesháa tóode
She put it in jars
chʼa yeisú kalitʼéexʼi yáx̱.
while it's still kind of firm.
Kawulx̱ʼaanéyáx̱ áwé wé
When it's half-cooked,
yéi oosnéeych.
she would fix it.
Aag̱áa áwé
That's when
ḵuwdu.éexʼi
when they have a potlatch
tléiḵw x̱ooyís yéi ana.eich.»
she would store it for mixing with berries."
Chʼáagu aayí Lingít
The old Tlingit people
has ax̱áa nooch
would eat
chʼa yéi kóox
ordinary rice
eex̱ een.
with seal oil.
«Áyá néx̱ʼw
"Yellow cloudberries,
át ḵoowaháa néx̱ʼw wutoox̱aayí.
the time for eating cloudberries came.
Á ḵu.aa áwé
That one, though,
sakwnéin kayís jelly yéi anasneejín.»
she used to make jelly for putting on bread."
Du aatch áwé chʼa tlákw sakwnéin us.éeych.
His paternal aunt would make bread. [Probably bannock, soda bread.]
Kanatʼá
Blueberries
ḵa tleikatánk a x̱oo yéi ana.eich.
and red huckleberries, sheʼd put in there.
Toox̱áa nuch.
We always ate it.