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Tlingit Conversation #87
[This recording is a continuation of #86.] Speakers are Shakʼsháani Margaret Dutson and Kaxwaan Éesh George Davis. Recorded January 25, 2013, at the Davis home in Juneau, Alaska by Ljáaḵkʼ Alice Taff.
Tlingit transcription by Shaag̱aw Éesh Devlin Anderstrom. English translation by Shakʼsháani Margaret Dutson with Ljáaḵkʼ Alice Taff and by Shaag̱aw Éesh Devlin Anderstrom. Edited by X̱aagi Shaawú Keri Eggleston.
Daa gax̱tuda.óosʼ
Weʼre going to take a bath
so we can be pure.
Yéi áwé.
That is the way.
Aag̱áa áwé tsá yei gax̱tusatéen haa yádi.
At that time, only then, we are going to see our child.
Áwé yaa has naḵúx̱.
Then they are traveling by boat.
Yaa s nalít.
Theyʼre going fast by boat.
Eech kaadé áwé s aseiwa.áx̱.
They heard its voice toward the reef.
Eech kaadé áwé g̱áax̱ wé baby.
He is crying on a reef, that baby.
Wé atkʼátskʼu.
That little child.
Oh my.
Kandliyeeji át du kanáat wudziḵín.
Birds were flying up above him in a mass.
Du x̱ánt áwé ishḵáḵ, wé kʼákw.
It was sitting by him, that small owl. [strix varia]
Wé kʼákw ḵwá,
That small owl, though,
kóoshdaa ḵáa yéigi áwé.
that is the spirit-helper of the river otter people.
Yéi áwé.
That is the way.
Aax̱ yaax̱ has awsinook wé has du yádi.
They carried their child along away from there.
Du jín ḵwá, tle yéi,
His hands, though, like this,
{kóoshdaa} kóoshdaa ḵáa {y}
the river otter man
land otter eetí. Wudzix̱ák.
in the place of the land otter. They shrunk.
Aaá.
Yes.
Oh, my goodness.
Hél x̱wasakú {wáa}
I donʼt know
aadáx̱, ḵwá, tle hél x̱wasakú tsu át.
from there, though, I donʼt know anything more.
Hél tlax̱ naaléide akawulneek.
He didnʼt tell it very far into it.
I have that recording.
And aa, chʼu ká,
And uh, although,
a x̱oo.aa kwlix̱éetlʼsháni yáx̱ {ax̱} ax̱ tuwáa duwa.áx̱ch {wé} wé shkalneekxʼ.
some of it sounds like itʼs scary to me, those stories.
Chʼa sometimes há i gukkáa kḵwala.áax̱.
I will play it for you sometime so you can hear it.
Mhm.
Yes.
Há shayadihéini aa i gukkáa kḵwala.áax̱.
Well I will play many of them for you to hear.
Wé
That
chʼáakw
long ago
kóoshdaa ḵáa yóo s asáakw neejín.
land otter man, they used to called him.
Héixʼ áwé
Instead of that
wé shayeidisʼóowu ḵáa yéi s sh ulyéljin.
the devil used to appear that way.
Mhm.
Yes.
Am, hél yéi wduskú.
Um, they didnʼt know it that way.
Tle yá Bible kaax̱ áyá tsá kʼidéin yaa nduskwéin,
Then only from this Bible they are beginning to know it well,
wáanáx̱ sáwé
why it was
kóoshdaa ḵáa
land otter people
ḵustéeyin.
used to exist.
L ushikʼéiyi
It was terrible
ah, shayeidisʼóowu áwé a tóo ḵustéeyin.
uh, there used to be a demon inside of them.
Wé ax̱ éeshch kawlineegi aa ax̱ yáa ḵut woonee.
The story my dad told left me astounded.
Yées ḵáax̱ sitee,
He was very young,
wé i x̱án.aa du léelkʼw.
your wifeʼs grandfather.
{hé} Wé xʼáatʼ daaxʼ,
Around that island,
Douglas,
Douglas Island,
áwé gooch kʼiyáa áwé wdudliyéx̱ wé lʼeix̱ daakahídi.
on the base of a hill it was built, that dance hall.
Ḵa hóon daakahídi tsú a x̱ánt la.áa.
And there was a store, also, that sits next to it.
Áwé du éeshch aadé kaawaḵaa
So, his father sent him there
yóotʼátg̱aa, ah,
for those things, uh,
flour, wáa sá duwasáakw Lingít x̱ʼéináx̱?
four, how is it called in the Lingít language?
A kát x̱at seiwaxʼáḵw,
I forgot it.
flour.
Ḵʼeikaxwéin.
A flower.
Tléikʼ, wé sawknéinx̱ dulyex̱ át.
No, the thing that is made into bread.
Ah,
Uh,
sakwnéin kaxook áyú x̱á.
dry bread (flour), thatʼs how.
Ah, {hél} a kát x̱at seiwaxʼáḵw a saayí.
Uh, I forgot the name of it.
{áwé} Áwé aag̱áa kawduwaḵaa.
That is what he was sent for.
Áwé tle {awu} aawa.oo.
So then he bought it.
Keijín jinkaat yéi koodáal áwé chʼa koogéiyi kei awsig̱íxʼ.
It is 50 pounds, and he just threw it up anywhere.
Wé
That
{át} áa adulʼex̱ yé, ḵúnáx̱ yaa yanaxíx.
the dance was really going strong.
Áwé dei,
So then,
chʼa koogéiyi kei awsig̱íxʼ áwé.
he just tossed it anywhere.
Lʼeix̱.
Dance.
Tle yá xáanaa yaa shunaxíx.
Then the evening is coming to an end.
Ásí tsʼootaat x̱áng̱aa áwé tsu {du}
It seems it was near morning when again
du daa yaa anadáḵ, wáa sá
he was starting to come to, what (happened)
ax̱ éesh ḵu.aa,
my father though,
«Tláakw x̱at yagax̱dusḵáa.»
“Theyʼre going to really bawl me out.”
Áwé aag̱áa ḵoowajeil wé sakwnéin kaxook.
He started searching for the sack of flour.
Sh díx̱ʼ kát awdzig̱íxʼ, tle,
He threw it onto his own back, then,
íḵde yaa nashíx.
heʼs running toward the beach.
Tláakw yaa nashíx, yóo sh kalneek.
Heʼs running fast, the way he tells it.
{chʼa ya} Chʼa yóokʼdé áwé aawa.áx̱ at kayéik.
All of a sudden he heard a sound.
Áwé ltín ash yáa wdigoot
Then look here, it stood in front of him
wé kóoshdaa ḵáa.
the land otter man.
Tle ḵúnáx̱ yaksiyéi yóo akanéek.
Then it was very ugly is how he tells it.
Haa een aklaneek
He tells us
du shax̱aawú yéi kwdliyáatʼ.
his hair was this long.
Déix̱dahéen áwé áa aa wdudziteen, Ḵéex̱ʼ,
Two times, they saw one of these there, Kake,
áa yéi x̱at teeyí.
when I lived there.
Ó.
Oh.
Dleit ḵáach áwé wsiteen wé
It was a white man that saw it, that
{tléixʼ} second one.
Du yaagú,
His boat,
yá g̱eey tá
at the head of the bay,
float-dé aksixát.
he has it fastened to a float.
Car kát aadé yaa naḵúx̱u, wáa sá {kaawahayi} kaawahayi ḵáa áwé {du t yéi} du x̱ʼanaat hán.
When he was driving there in a car, a man appeared from somewhere, heʼs standing in his way.
Hél du x̱ʼanaadáx̱ yaa ugútch.
It wouldnʼt get out of his way.
{du} Á áwé a horn-i as.éexʼ, {wé}.
He was honking the horn at it.
Kawdisʼéilʼ du naa.ádi.
Its clothes were all torn up.
Wé kóoshdaa ḵáa gé? Aaá.
The land otter man? Yes.
Yan shakaawa.áa.
Itʼs very tall.
Há.
Huh.
Wáa kunáa sáwé du x̱ʼanaadáx̱ yaawahán.
At some point it finally moved out of his way.
Ldakát ḵáa tin {akak} aklaneek áa ḵux̱ daḵóox̱.
He told everyone when he got back there.
Hmh.
{át} Á áwé chʼu ká a daa yoo tux̱atánk nuch aadé yaa nx̱a{ḵú}shíxi.
So then I would always think about it whenever I am running over there.
Yeah.
Ax̱ éeshch yéi sh kalneek, wé
My father told it this way, that
{du yéi du du du} du tláach gé du een kaawaneek?
was it his mother that told it to him?
«Yéi at yisateení wé
“Whenever you see something like that,
duwaakú chʼa koogéiyi kg̱ilatóox̱.»
youʼll take snuff and just spit it everywhere.”
Áwé sh tóot at kawdijél.
Then he pack something (snuff) in himself (his mouth).
Áwé a yaadé altóox̱.
He started spitting it at it.
Altín ash náḵ ayawdigút.
He watched it turn away from him.
Yóot ayawdihán a náḵ,
It ran away from it,
wé duwaakú.
that snuff.
Ḵaa x̱ʼéide x̱wa.aax̱í,
When I heard from people,
a x̱oo.aa áwé, sʼeeḵ,
some of them, smoke,
tuwaakú,
snuff,
du yaadé dultoox̱ú
that they spit it at it
áwé chʼa aadé keelanik yé yáx̱ áwé x̱waa.áx̱.
exactly the way youʼre telling it is the way I heard it.
Áwé yeedát yéi,
And now, that way,
chʼa yéi áwé ax̱ toowú yatee.
that is just the way I feel.
Wé aax̱ ḵaa x̱oot uwagudi yé,
The place from whence they have come among the people,
x̱ʼaan ganaltáak
the fire of hell [Lit. 'the bottom of the fire']
á gíwé {áy} lichán yóo kdunéek.
it is told that maybe it stinks.
Wé x̱ʼaan ganaltáak
The fires of hell
ḵúnáx̱ lichán.
they really stink.
Á gíwé wé duwaakú ḵa wé sʼeeḵ,
Maybe thatʼs (why) that tobacco and that smoke,
hél du tuwáa ushgú awusnéexʼi.
it doesnʼt want to smell it.
Reminder.
Dleit ḵáach yéi yasáakw, itʼs a big reminder.
The white men call it that way, itʼs a big reminder.
Yeah.
Gwál ách áwé.
Maybe that is why.
Ahah.
Uhuh.
{tle} Tle ax̱ éeshch {chʼi} chʼa hóoch ax̱ een akawlineek.
My father, it was just him that told it to me.
Yéi haa daayaḵáa neejín,
He used to always say this to us,
{hél gáande}
«Hél {át yee} gáant yee luwugoog̱úḵ
“You all donʼt run outside
xáanaaxʼ.
in the evening.
L ushikʼéiyi át áwé gáanxʼ ḵaa x̱oot na.átch.»
The evil things walk among the people outside.”
5 oʼclock áwé {n}
Around 5:00 (pm)
neildé haa dulkélʼch
we would be chased home
ax̱ tláach.
by my mother.
Chʼu dei yaa kanashg̱ídi.
As it is starting to get dark.
Ldakát uháan neildé haa ulkélʼch.
All of us, she always chases us home.
Ḵachgu yéi yateeyi át
It is because things like that
chʼa yóo át áwé {áa} áa akwlix̱éetlʼshán.
that kind of thing is dangerous.
Nákw sʼaatí.
Witches.
Ahah.
Uhuh.
Uháan tsú yéi haa daayaduḵáa neejín.
They said that to us, too.
«Igax̱dulxʼáash!»
“Youʼre going to be bewitched!”
«Daa sákwshéiyú?» ax̱ toowú yéi nateech.
“What could that be?” I would always think.
«Daa sáwé?
“What is that?
Waa sáwé?»
How is it?”
Tlél {x̱w} a daat át x̱wasakú, x̱á.
I didnʼt know anything about it, you see.
Catholic Church tóotx̱ áyá
From inside of the Catholic Church
áx̱ kei haa uwawát.
we grew up there.
Wé,
Those,
wé
those
l ushikʼéiyi ḵáa, {hél}
bad people,
yagéi {yee} ḵaa x̱ooxʼ yéi nateech.
there are always many of them among the people.
Chʼa {yáx̱ hé} ḵáa yáx̱, hél wáa sá utí.
Just like people, thereʼs nothing wrong with them (it seems).
Ḵaa x̱oo yéi nateech.
Theyʼre among the people.
Du téix̱ʼ áwé hél ushkʼéi neech yú.á.
His heart is always terrible, they say.
{wé}
Gwál wa.éich iya.áx̱ a daat át wé
Maybe you have heard something about it, that
yoo híxgu shaawát.
woman that does hexes.
Aaa.
Yes.
Ax̱ tláach haa een kawlineek.
My mother told it to us.
Oh, gee.
Woosh yanáade ḵudzitee {at} a daat sh kalneekxʼ wé át.
There are many different stories about it, those things.
Sumdum Bay,
náaḵwg̱aa ḵushee áwé át wutuwaḵúx̱.
we went there looking for octopus.
Ax̱ húnx̱w áwé tle yóo x̱at yawsiḵaa,
Then my older brother said this to me,
{yáa}
«Yáaxʼ
“Here
náaḵw {nakʼíx̱ʼ} gag̱eekíx̱ʼt.
youʼll gaff an octopus.
Uháan ḵwá, {yáat}
As for us,
yáa a x̱ʼakáa yinaadé áwé gax̱too.áat.»
we are going to go over toward the mouth side of it.”
Yú.á.
Thatʼs what he said.
Núkt yayík duwa.áx̱ch April yát áwé.
The male willow grouse is heard during the month of April.
Wáa sákwshé duwasáakw Dleit Ḵáa x̱ʼéináx̱ núkt? Tlákw x̱a.áx̱ji neech.
How might a núkt be called in English? I always hear it.
Sʼawdáan.
Sumdum. [«núkt» is ʼgrouseʼ.]
Aaá.
Yes.
Aaá {sa aa} Sumdum Bay áwé Sʼawdáan
Yes, that is Sumdum Bay, Sʼawdáan
Lingít x̱ʼéináx̱.
in Tlingit.
Áwé
So
wáa sá kaawahayi át áwé
how in the world could it be,
xʼáatʼ kʼáchʼkʼu áwé, chʼa aan áwé núkt a kaadé wuduwa.áx̱.
thatʼs just a tiny island, but even so, the male willow grouse was heard on it (it was making its sound).
Áwé x̱waaḵít tle {át ax̱}
I was supicious of it, then
át ax̱walg̱einí tin áwé x̱wsiteen.
when I looked around, I saw it.
Té tlein {ax̱} ax̱ kaadé yaa naxíx.
A big rock started coming at me.
Kóoshdaa ḵáach x̱at shaawadzóo.
A land otter man threw a rock at my head.
{yá wé dáḵ} Yá left-de x̱wjixeex aag̱áa tsá dáḵde.
I ran to the left, and then after up away from the water.
Tle yá át x̱ahan yéit áwé uwaxíx.
Then it landed where I was standing.
Oh my goodness.
Áwé aax̱ ax̱ tóox̱ ḵoowatee yeisú tle {a n}
So I was really scared after that, and still,
yá x̱waakʼíx̱ʼdi náaḵw ḵwá tle a náḵ aax̱ kéi ayax̱wdihán.
that octopus that I had gaffed, though, I fled, leaving it behind.
Ax̱ húnx̱ hás yinaadé.
(I ran) toward my older brothers.
Has du x̱ánt x̱ashéex áwé,
When I arrived by them,
hél ax̱ x̱ʼéikʼ has ooheen.
they donʼt believe what I am saying.
«Chʼa wa.é aadé nagú, {hél} hél aadé kḵwagoot tsu,» yéi s yax̱wsiḵaa.
“You go there yourself, Iʼm not going to go there again,” is what I said to them.
Ax̱ tóox̱ ḵoowatee.
I got very scared.
Tlákw áwé áxʼ náaḵw too.een nuch {chʼa} just that once áwé
We always get octopus there, (but) it was just that once
át x̱at kawdi.ídák áxʼ, x̱aan,
I was shaking where I was standing because of it,
kóoshdaa ḵáa.
the land otter man.
Chʼu ká yeeyayátʼ wé shkalneek, am,
Well now, it was long, that story, um,
kax̱wlinigi aa.
the one that I told.
A few
things áwé aax̱ kei ḵux̱wli.óo.
things I have leftover from that.
Hél unalé 40 minutes, yéi áwé yeekaawayáatʼ x̱á time-x̱
Almost 40 minutes, thatʼs how long it was, the time
x̱at wudulyeix̱í.
I used.
Anita tin áwé kax̱wliník.
I told it to Anita. [Lafferty]
Hú tsú du shkalneegí ax̱ jeewú.
Her, too, I have her stories.
Wé kóoshdaa ḵáa daat át gé?
Those ones about the land otter man?
Uh, no.
Wé shaatkʼátskʼux̱ sateeyí aadé kei wdudziwádi yé.
The way that she was raised when she was a young girl.
Oh.
Áwé x̱aan akawlineek.
She told that to me.
Ó, ahah.
Oh, uhuh.
Wé Icy Strait Cannery-xʼ,
At Icy Straits Cannery,
áwé yéi has nateejín
they used to stay there
sʼísaa hít yee.
in a canvas tent.
Jé,i aadé óoshgé si.áatʼi yé,
Cripes, how cold it must be,
táakw
winter
sʼísaa hít yeexʼ.
in a canvas tent.
Gug̱wanaa néekw,
When she was going to die,
Anita,
{du x̱aax̱} du x̱aawaag̱í héide ashután.
she had the window open.
Chʼa hóoch x̱aan aklaneek
She herself told it to me
wé dictionary tulayeix̱í.
when we were working on the dictionary.
T x̱aan akanéek, [«t» is probably a contraction of «dá» which acts like a focus particle or adds emphasis]
She tells me,
«Yéil,
“Raven,
yéil áwé {ax̱ hí ax̱}
it was a raven
ax̱ hít kaadé g̱áax̱.
it is crying on top of my house.
Lingít yáx̱ g̱áax̱,» yóo akanéek.
Itʼs crying like a human,” thatʼs how she tells it.
«Ah, xʼoondahéen sá ax̱ tláa hásch x̱aan has akawlineek.
“Uh, how many times have my motherʼs people told it to me.
ḵukg̱wanaawú áwé yéi, yéi yoo at yaneik.»
when someone is going to die, that is the way, that is what happens.”
Áwé x̱ʼax̱awóosʼ Anita, «Átkʼ gé iyaheeni?»
So I ask Anita, “Do you believe?”
«Aaá.
“Yes.
Átkʼ ax̱aaheen.»
I believe.”
«Kʼé {i ee} i een sh káa x̱ʼaḵadagáaxʼ.»
“Please let me pray with you.”
Áwé du een káa sh x̱ʼax̱wdigáxʼ.
So then I prayed with her.
Hél yeewuyáatʼi áwé, one week later áwé shoowaxeex,
It wasnʼt very long, one week later she came to an end,
Anita.
So.
Áa ḵoowanaa gé?
Did they die there?
Aaá.
Yes.
Áwé a daat át awsikóo, {chʼa}
She knows things about it,
chʼa hóoch áwé.
only she did.
Du een káa sh x̱ʼaḵadagáaxʼit áwé,
So that I could pray with her,
a, {x̱at} x̱aan aklaneek.
she tells it to me.
Has du x̱aawaag̱í x̱ándáx̱ yawdiḵín.
It flew away from beside their window.
«Wé wásʼ now át áa. Áxʼ áwé tsu g̱áax̱,» yóo akanéek.
“Itʼs sitting over in the bushes now. There it is crying again,” thatʼs how she tells it.
Chʼu ká kawliyéi.
It really was strange.
Aadé óoshgé yeekakg̱wayáatʼi yé yá, ah,
I wonder how long they are going to be, these, uh,
shkalneekxʼ.
stories.
Wé tléixʼaa
That one
ax̱ een kaylineek, wé
you told it to me, that
wolf
{yee daa yi} yee daaxʼ luyaawagúḵ.
she surrounded you folks.
Áwé {wa/éi} chʼa wa.é ḵúwé íḵde yóot yijixíx.
Then just you, though, you took off running toward the beach.
???
Oh, yeah.
Ah,
Uh,
hél yeewuyáatʼ, ah, {xʼoon}
not long, uh,
ldakát hás tléil has ḵoostí dei.
all of them, theyʼre not around anymore.
Hmh.
{dei ax̱ x̱á} Ax̱ in.aaxʼw hás aag̱áa.
The ones that were with me at that time.
Húnx̱ aa {ax̱} ax̱ húnx̱,
The oldest of my older brothers,
yáaxʼ áwé du yinaadé aa, {ḵa ax̱}
then the one that was born after him,
haa káani Harold {ma}
our brother-in-law Harold
Harold Rose,
Jan du éesh.
Janʼs father.
Ahah.
Uhuh.
Ḵa Reggie Skeek, four-náx̱ hás. [-náx̱ is the human suffix for numbers.]
And Reggie Skeek, there are four of them.
All four hél has ḵoostí.
All four are not living.
Has shoowaxeex.
They all came to an end. [Theyʼre gone.]
Chʼas x̱át áwé ḵux̱dzitee.
Iʼm the only one alive.
Jéi, ldakát ax̱ húnx̱ hás {hél ha} hél has ḵoostí yeedát.
Gee, all of my brothers are not living now.
Alʼóon ágé yeeyḵoox̱?
Did you folks go out hunting?
Aaá.
Yes.
{l} Lingítch yéi yasáakw,
Tlingit say it this way,
náaḵw
octopus
g̱aa ḵugax̱dusheeyí,
when theyʼre going to go look for it,
atánxʼ yóo duwasáakw. [the verb for catching octpus for bait]
atánxʼ is how they call it.
«Atánxʼ áwé gax̱tooḵóox̱,» yóo.
“We are going to go get some octopus for bait,” thatʼs the way (they say it).
Á áwé
So then
yú át cháatl yeenáag̱u sákw áwé
that stuff, to make halibut bait
too.een wé náaḵw.
we kill those octopi.
Wáa sá duwasáakw?
How is it called?
Cháatl.
Halibut.
Cháatl, ah, at yeenáag̱u.
Halibut, uh, bait.
Ó, ahah.
Oh, uhuh.
Bait.
Ahah.
Uhuh.
A yís áwé {át}
Itʼs for that
too.een wé náaḵw.
we kill those octopi.
{áw hé}
{ah áa} Áa x̱at kawdi.ídák.
I was shaking there (from fear).
Dei yan ax̱ tóox̱ ḵoowatée chush káx̱ áwé yaa nx̱ashíx̱ íḵde.
I was completely terrified, I was just running on top of myself toward the beach (almost falling because heʼs running so hard).
Haroldích aadé x̱at kawlitsáay, hél ḵeix̱anee ???
Harold tried to get me to go there with him, ???
«Hél ax̱ tuwáa ushgú x̱wsateení tsu dei,» I told him.
“I donʼt want to see it again already,” I told him.
{á ḵwá hél ḵwá tlax̱}
Jí!
Gee!
Itʼs too bad {hél}
{shayadihéini sh} shayadihéin shkalneek a daat át, Tʼaaḵú, tsú.
there are many stories about it, Taku, also.
Ḵaa x̱ʼéide x̱a.áx̱ch nuch.
I hear them all the time from people.
Yáa yee country-yí.
This country of your peopleʼs.
Tʼaaḵú.
Taku.
Áwé ax̱ káani Harold Rose hás áwé,
My brother-in-law, Harold Rose and his family,
Auke Bay
áwé has du aaníx̱ sitee.
is their country.
{has} Has du x̱ʼéide áwé x̱waa.áx̱.
I heard it from them.
Jís, chʼa yeisú half hour uyéx̱.
Geez, there is still a half hour left.
Wáa sáyá?
Whatʼs that?
Chʼa yeisú half hour uyéx̱.
There is still half an hour left.
Oo, ahah.
Oh, uhuh.
Shkalneek haa tóode yaa shunaxíx.
We are starting to run out of stories that we know.
Wéi,
That,
wéi, wáa sá duwasáakw «wolf» a kát x̱at seiwaxʼáḵw has du saayí.
that, what do they call ʼwolfʼ, I forgot their name.
Wolves.
G̱ooch.
Wolf.
Há, g̱ooch.
Huh, wolf.
{Yee} A náḵ ayaydahaaní,
When you fled from it,
{kei} ax̱ een kaylineek.
you told me that.
G̱ooch.
Wolf.
Aaá.
Yes.
Wolf.
Yeah.
{yee daaḵ} Yee daa luyaawagúḵ.
They surrounded you folks.
Ooh.
Saginaw Bay, Skanáx̱xʼ áwé haa daa yaawa.át.
Saginaw Bay, at Saginaw Bay they surrounded us.
Ahah.
Uhuh.
{hél tsu} Hél óonaa {ax̱} ax̱ jee.
I didnʼt have a gun on me.
Chʼas ax̱ húnx̱ áwé óonaa yaa anastán.
Only my older brother was carrying a rifle.
X̱át ḵwá,
As for me,
g̱aatáaxʼw,
traps,
ḵa haa atx̱aayí ḵa bait,
and our food and bait,
áwé yaa nx̱ayéin.
thatʼs what I was packing.
Yéi gíwé kwsikaak ice.
The ice was maybe that thick.
Wé dleit kanáak wudlitʼíxʼ.
It was frozen on top of snow.
Tle yóot x̱washeexí áwé tle a tóonáx̱ x̱at g̱asgítch
When I would try to run, I would always fall through
ax̱ kasánt.
up to my waist.
Oh, my goodness.
A tóox̱ x̱at udaxísʼ.
I get stuck in it.
"Hurry up! Hurry up!"
{ax̱ tle ax̱}
{x̱át ax̱} X̱aan éexʼ nuch ax̱ húnx̱.
My brother keeps yelling at me.
Á du een kax̱anéek,
So I tell it to him,
«Yáat chʼu yéi yáade kḵwasag̱éexʼ {yá} yá bag.»
“Iʼm just going to throw the bag over here.”
Áwé chʼa g̱ég̱aa, ax̱ shanax̱wáayi áwé yaa nax̱latán.
So then, for no real reason I was carrying my axe.
Hél ḵwá daatx̱ sáwé at gux̱satee haa éet jiwda.aadí wé át.
Nothing, though, would really be anything (useful) if those things came upon us.
Wáanéi sáwé,
Then at some point,
x̱wasiteen, yéi kg̱waatsʼáan,
I see it, itʼs this shallow,
wé river.
the river.
{aan} Tle aanáx̱ x̱wajixeex.
Then I ran through it.
Tle ldakát yéide yoo shakooxeexch, x̱á.
Then, you see, they split apart in many different directions.
Ahah.
Uhuh.
{ḵut haa ḵútx̱ has haa oox̱}
Ḵutx̱ haa oox̱eech yá g̱oochxʼ.
They lost us, those wolves.
Yáanax̱.áa {yayi} has du yayík du.aax̱ch.
You can hear their voices on this side.
Next time áwé yáatʼaa.
Next time this one.
{át yaa s} Haa daa yaa s na.át.
Theyʼre circling around us.
Yee daa yaa lunagúḵ.
Theyʼre running around you.
Óho!
Oho!
G̱aatáa áwé áxʼ yéi daatooné.
We trap there.
Nukshiyáan yayee.
For mink.
Áwé {hél na} hél nalé a káa yax̱ haa wusteeyí.
It nearly cost us our lives.
{chʼu ká}
{á} Ách áwé
That is why
astʼeix̱ naḵaḵúx̱,
whenever I go out fishing in the boat,
{x̱wasa.a} g̱ooch x̱wasateení,
whenever I see a wolf,
{x̱waa} x̱a.únt nuch.
I keep shooting them.
But I never pick it up.
Chʼa át ux̱latlʼítch.
I just leave them there.
Chʼa {has} kulix̱éetlʼsháni át when they
Itʼs a dangerous thing when they
run in packs.
Chʼu ká,
Even so,
gwál chʼa x̱át áwé yéi x̱at tuwatee.
maybe itʼs just me, thatʼs the way I feel.
Hél x̱wasakú wáa sá a daa ḵaa dateeyí wé át.
I donʼt know how people feel about those things.
A x̱oo aa ḵu.oo chʼa a daax̱ at sinéekw. {wé}
Some groups of people are very sensitive about those things.
Ḵaa saaxʼúx̱ tsú sitee.
They are the names of people, too.
G̱ooch kaax̱ ḵoowduwasáakw.
People are named after wolves.
Jim Austin gé yisakóowun Xúnaa? Aaá.
Did you know Jim Austin in Hoonah? Yes.
G̱ooch Shaayí yéi áwé duwasáakw. Ahah. Yeah.
He was called G̱ooch Shaayí (Head of the Wolf). Uhuh.
Ḵa Johnny Jackson,
And Johnny Jackson,
G̱ooch Éesh
Wolf Father
yéi duwasáakw. Há.
they call him. Huh.
Ḵa Joe
And Joe
Peterson,
Waverly Peterson, du éesh.
Waverly Peterson, his father.
Hú ḵwá G̱ooch Yádi.
Him, though, Wolf Child
yéi duwasáakw.
they call him.
Ḵa
And
Billy James,
hú ḵwá,
but him,
Sá G̱ooch.
Wolf Voice.
G̱ooch satú kaax̱ wuduwasáa.
They named him after the voice of a wolf.
Yéi áwé x̱wsikóo, hóochʼ áwé, aax̱ ḵwá tle,
Thatʼs what I know, thatʼs all of it, from there, though,
hél tlax̱ ḵúdáx̱ a daat át x̱wasakú.
I donʼt really know too much about it.
But
just that once áwé {haa ax̱ tóot} tle ax̱ tóox̱ ḵoowatee.
just that once I was terrified.
Haa daa yawu.aadí.
When they surrounded us.
Am,
Um,
gwál ax̱ tláach i een kawlineek yáa
maybe my mother told it to you, this
shaawát
woman
ḵúnáx̱ woohíxkw yú.á.
she really practiced witchcraft.
Am,
Um,
héil ax̱ tuwáa ushgú du saayí x̱wasaayí.
I donʼt want to say her name.
Hél x̱wasakú daat ḵwáan sáyá yá shaawát.
I donʼt know which group of people she belonged to this woman.
Áwé jinkaat ḵa násʼgináx̱ wootee du dachx̱ánxʼiyán.
So, she had 13 grandchildren.
Ax̱ tláach gé i een kawlineek?
Did my mother ever tell it to you?
No, hél x̱wa.aax̱.
No, I havenʼt heard it.
Am,
Um,
áwé ltín,
so, you see,
wáanáx̱ sáyú tlax̱ yéi awdax̱wushikʼaan.
for some reason she really hated all of them.
Ḵaa dachx̱ánxʼiyán x̱á {daat} ḵúnáx̱ dudzix̱án.
You know how much a person loves their grandchildren.
Wé hóoch ḵu.aa,
She, though,
héexw een yax̱ ayawlijáḵ.
she used witchcraft to kill them all.
Chʼu tle ldakát, jinkaat ḵa násʼgináx̱ has wootee.
All of them, there were 13 of them.
Áwé ltín,
So you see,
yaa ganáa,
when she was dying,
áwé du x̱úx̱ yéi ayawsiḵaa,
she told her husband,
«Hél ḵaa tuwáa ushgú ḵaa x̱ooxʼ x̱at wunaawú.
“People donʼt want me to die amongst the people.
Aax̱ ax̱ een.» {wé at kát x̱at}
(Leave) from here with me.”
Sled.
Chʼa hóoch awliyéx̱i át.
A thing that he had just built himself.
«A kát x̱at nasxáatʼ, tle yú shaa shakéede.
“Pull me on it, up to the top of that mountain.
Áxʼ tsá i een sh kakḵwalneek.»
Only over there I will tell you a story.”
Áxʼ ḵúnáx̱,
There, really,
yeewooyáatʼ aag̱áa, gwál
it was a long time, maybe
one half a day,
awsixáatʼ du shát.
he pulled his wife.
Tle yú shaa shakéet asxáatʼ áwé tsá,
Then, only once he had pulled her to the summit of that mountain,
«Daa sáyá ax̱ een kakg̱ilaneek?»
“What are you going to tell me?”
«Has x̱washikʼaan ax̱ séekʼ du yátxʼi.
“I hated my little daughterʼs children.
Tlax̱ shayawdihaa.
There were very many of them.
{wé}
Daat x̱ʼáakxʼ sákwshé has x̱washikʼaan.
I wonder why I hated them.
Wé héexw een yax̱ shayax̱wlijáḵ.
I killed them all with witchcraft.
{xʼ} Ldakát hás.
All of them.
Has du x̱ʼáakxʼ áyá x̱at yagax̱dujée, ách áyá {x̱at yi}
I am going to be punished for them, this is why
yéi iyax̱wsiḵaa,
I told you,
‹X̱at nasxáatʼ
Drag me
yú shaa shakéede.› »
to the top of the mountain.ʼ”
Áxʼ áwé,
So there,
sʼísaa hít {a tin}
a tent
a kináa awliyéx̱.
over the top (of her) he built it.
Wé
Those
xáanaadé yaa ḵunahéini áwé,
when it was getting toward evening time,
kei kawdig̱áx̱,
she cried out,
«Ldakát wáa sá s yakoogéi ax̱ dachx̱ánxʼiyán,
“All of my grandchildren, all of them,
hél chʼu yéi aa wunaa.
not one of them died a normal death.
X̱áach áwé,
It was me,
yax̱ has yax̱wlijáḵ.»
I killed them all.”
Há.
Whoa.
«Wáanáx̱ sáyá tlél wutusakú wáa sá yaa neesgídi?»
“Why is it we didnʼt know what you were doing?”
«Yee yáx̱ wux̱ashéeych.
“I would put my hand over your eyes (using witchcraft).
Hél ax̱ tuwáa ushgú yeeysateení wáa sá ḵux̱anoogú.
I didnʼt want you all to see what I was doing.
Yahíxgu ḵáa yéi áwé.
A witch is that way.
Ḵaa yáx̱ wooshéeych.
He puts his hand in (covers) peopleʼs faces.
{hél ḵaa tuwáa} Hél du tuwáa ushgóo nich
He doesnʼt ever want (people to see)
{aadé ḵeeyanuk} aadé ḵux̱wanugu yé.
the way that I am doing things.
Yéi áyá
This is the way.
Yeedát ḵu.aa x̱át Dikée Aanḵáawuch x̱at yakg̱wajée.»
Right now, though, God is going to punish me.”
Wé taat sitgoosáani áwé,
That night at midnight,
kei kawdig̱áx̱.
she cried out.
Dei,
Now,
a táade gax̱dux̱ich át {át}
the stuff that she is going to be thrown into (liquid)
áa wdudli.úk.
is being boiled there.
Há hóoch ḵwá wé du x̱úx̱ch ḵwá {hél yoo}
Well him, though, that husband of hers, though,
{hél wut}
hél yei ustéench.
never saw it.
Hóoch ḵwáwé ayatéen.
She, though, she sees it.
«Ḵúnáx̱ taat sitgawsáanixʼ áwé a táade x̱at gax̱dux̱éech.»
“Right at midnight I am going to be thrown into it.”
Áwé a táat dux̱éech áwé,
When she was thrown in,
ldakát tʼoochʼ yáx̱ woonee.
she turned all black.
Ax̱ tláach yéi haa yawsiḵaa,
My mother said to us,
«Ách áyá xáanaaxʼ yéi yee daayatooḵáa neejin,
“That is why we always used to tell you in the evening,
‹Hél gáant yee luwoogoog̱úḵ,
ʼDonʼt you all run outside,
lushikʼéiyi ḵáa áwé,
there are evil people
xáanaaxʼ jidunáaḵch lushikʼéiyi átch.›
they are released in the evening by evil things.ʼ
Áwé
So
has dulxʼaashch
they use witchcraft
yagéiyi át káxʼ.
on many things.
Ách áyá yéi yee daayatooḵáa nuch, ‹Hél gáant yee luwoogoog̱úḵ.› »
That is why we always say to you, ʼDonʼt run around outside.ʼ “
Ax̱ tóox̱ ḵoowatee ax̱ tláach haa een kawulneegí.
I was terrified when my mother told us this.
{á ḵáa} Tlákw ḵáa x̱ʼéide x̱waa.áx̱.
I always heard that from peopleʼs mouths.
Wé aadé kaylineegi yé yáx̱.
Just like the way that you told it.
Gag̱ee.áax̱ ḵwá,
Youʼll hear it, though,
{du ka} du kayéik.
his noise.
Tlél ḵwá s yei kg̱isateen.
You wonʼt see it, though.
Aadóox̱ sá sateeyí,
Whoever it is,
du yáx̱ iteeyí,
if you are like him,
yei kg̱isatéen.
youʼll see him.
L du yáx̱ eeteeyí ḵwá s tléil yei kg̱isateen.
If youʼre not like him, though, you wonʼt see him.
Há.
Huh.
Tlákw ḵáa x̱ʼéide áwé x̱waa.áx̱
I always heard that from somebody
churchxʼ.
at church.
Dleit ḵáa x̱ʼéide.
From a white man.
Aaá.
Yes.
Dei ḵaa naawú x̱ánt áwé atoodél.
We were watching over a dead body.
Aag̱áa áwé {haa} haa een
That is when, to us,
«Tlél ḵwá wáa sá {a taa a kaa yee} a daa yee {tee} tootéeḵ,» yóo haa yawsiḵaa.
“Donʼt even think anything about it,” he said to us.
«Church áyá,
“This is a church,
{hél, tlél} gwál gax̱yee.áax̱ du kayéik, but,»
you might hear his noise, but,”
Suure enough, chʼa yeisú sh katoolneegí áwé,
Suure enough, while we were still telling stories,
wuligaaw.
it was loud.
But
But
du tʼaa ká {wuduts}
his floor (the bottom of his casket)
táḵl tin {wu} wu{duhee}dux̱eeji yáx̱ wuduwa.áx̱.
it sounded like it was being beat with a hammer.
{át áx̱} Yú ḵaa daakeidí x̱ánt haa lugóoḵ áwé,
When we ran close to the casket,
tle it was open.
then it was open.
A kaax̱ áwé
That is why
ḵaa yax̱oo ax̱walg̱éin ldakát uháan áwé káasʼ yáx̱ áwé.
I looked among peopleʼs faces, it (looked) like algae (white).
{our} All our faces turned white, wé haa tóox̱ ḵoowatee.
All our faces turned white, we were terrified.
Dleit yáx̱ ḵuyaawanee.
Everybodyʼs faces turned white.
Aaá.
Yes.
Jéi, hél tsu yéi kwlix̱éetlʼsháni át.
Gee, nothing else is that terrifying.
Hél tsu yéi kwlix̱éetlʼsháni át x̱án yéi x̱at unateech.
I have never been near anything else that was that terrifying.
Aan haa yawduwajéeyi át áwé wéitʼaa, {i}
That is a thing that we were always scolded about,
wé i chaan ḵa x̱át.
your mother-in-law and me.
Yeah.
{áx̱} Ḵúnáx̱ ax̱ tláa, «Ilí gáan xáanaaxʼ.»
My mother really, “Donʼt (go) outside at night.”
Tláakw yaa haa lugagúḵch.
We always ran fast.
Yéi áwé, {á} ách áwé {ax̱} haa tláach tle
That is the way, that is why our mother, then
neildé haa ulkélʼch.
she would always chase us home.
Ahah.
Uhuh.
Áwé hél yaa ḵooshgé.
That is not wise (to stay out).
{wé} Yá Ḵéex̱ʼ,
In Kake,
aan ḵwá likoodzí wé
it is amazing with it (in a bad way)
{yées} yées ḵu.ooch áwé sh tóo iltéew.
the young people are teaching themselves.
Sh tóo has altéew those young people,
They are teaching themselves, those young people,
nákw sʼaatíx̱ satí.
to be witches.
{a} Ah, du een ax̱wdzig̱eiwú ax̱ káani.
Uh, I seined with my brother-in-law.
Benjamin Kadake yéi duwasáakw.
Benjamin Kadake is how he is called.
Hú áwé, hóoch yéi x̱aan yoo x̱ʼali.atk,
It was him, he was talking to me like this,
«Tlél chʼáakw yáa yéi eetéeḵ,» yóo x̱at yawsiḵaa.
“Donʼt be here long,” he said to me.
«Hél chʼáakw yáa yéi eetéeḵ.
“Donʼt be here long.
Shayadihéini aa áwé
There are many of them
{yáa i yáa} dax̱ ḵu.oo {i yee} yee géide.
people who are against you all.
Yee géide lushkʼé yáx̱ {has yatee} has tuwatee.»
They wish evil against you.”
Du shát
His wife
ax̱ relative-íx̱ sitee.
is my relative.
Ách áwé
Thatʼs why
dei ax̱ éet aawag̱íxʼ wé neek.
he threw the news at me (confidentially).
Ách áwé hél aadé yoo ḵoox̱atínk ḵwáyú.
Thatʼs why I donʼt travel over there.
Ḵéex̱ʼ gé?
Kake?
Áa akax̱wdlix̱éetlʼ.
Iʼm afraid of it.
Yeah, kulix̱éetlʼshán áwé yé.
Yeah, that place is terrifying.
Yéi yatee x̱á, hé
Thatʼs the way it is, indeed, that
ḵúnáx̱ aan haa yawduwajée, ltín.
we were really warned about it, you see.
Ḵaa x̱ʼéig̱aa tsú haa wootee.
We were obedient, too.
Ḵushtuyáx̱ wáa sá ḵukawushoowú, {haa}
It didnʼt matter how drunk people were,
haa daaxʼ {ax̱} ax̱ shátx̱,
around us, my older sister,
héitʼaa, du tláa
that one, (Agnes Davis, Georgeʼs wife), her mother
haa nalkélʼch tayeedé.
she would chase us to bed.
8 oʼclock
{násʼ} "Time to go to bed."
Hél ax̱ tuwáa ushgóo nuch wáang̱aneens áwé du een x̱adaḵán nuch.
I never wanted to, sometimes I would argue with her.
«Sgóonde gax̱yee.áat tsʼootaatxʼ.
“You all are going to go to school in the morning.
Hél aadé chʼa koogéiyi ḵug̱aax̱yeedziteeyi yé.»
You canʼt just live any old way.”
Áhé,
Well,
wáang̱aneens áwé,
sometimes,
tsʼootaat x̱áng̱aa neil ḵukooshóoch.
close to morning people would come home drunk.
Áwé,
So,
ḵúnáx̱ hú áwé haa wlitín ax̱ shátx̱.
It was really her, she watched us, my older sister.
Hél du tuwáa ush(gú) ḵwáaḵt haa wuneiyí.
She didnʼt want anything bad to happen to us.
Gwál ách áwé hél á wáa sá haa wdusnee.
Maybe thatʼs why nobody ever did anything to us.
Chʼu xáanaa yaa ḵukanshg̱ítde áwé,
Even in the evening, when it was starting to get dark,
haa x̱ʼeis at oos.éeych.
she would cook for us.
Ax̱ tláa ḵa ax̱ éesh ḵwáwé s kanashóoch.
My mother and my father, though, they would be drunk.
A kaadé áyá {yi}
Thatʼs why
tsu gwál has du atdanaayí kaadé tle
and also maybe because of their drinking
hél tlax̱ kʼidéin daa sá x̱wsakú a daat, yá,
I donʼt really know anything very well about it, this,
yá Lingít ḵusteeyí.
this Tlingit way of life.
Yéi áwé x̱at yatee, jée,
Thatʼs that way I am, gee,
adawóotl.
chaos.
Ách áwé, chʼas
That's why, just
last payback party {x̱at du}
x̱at wuduwa.éexʼ, hél aadé x̱wagoot.
I was invited, I didnʼt go to it.
Kʼé kax̱wliḵéi.
I felt shy about it.
Kadéixʼ áwé x̱waatʼei first one.
I found embarrassment at the first one.
Aag̱áa, {x̱at}
At that time,
ax̱ tláa haa een daḵán neejín.
my mother always used to quarrel with us.
in Hoonah.
Yisikóo ḵúnáx̱
You know, really
áxʼ yaa yagaxíxjin.
thatʼs where they always used to happen.
Héil ax̱ tuwáa ushgú aadé x̱wagoodí.
I never wanted to go there.
Yeah.
{é} Hél daa sá ax̱ ée wdultéew.
They didn't teach me anything.
{ax̱ ax̱} Ah, ax̱ in.aaxʼw hás ḵwá, ax̱ húnx̱ hás,
Uh, my family, my older brothers,
hás ḵwá has du ée at wudutltéew ax̱ éeshch. [dli~tl contraction in classifier, classic southern dialect contraction.]
them, though, they were taught things, by my father.
Chʼáagu ḵusteexʼí á. Ahah.
The ancient ways. Uhuh.
Aadé ḵudustéeyi yé.
The way they used to live.
Has du een kawdutlneek.
They were told about it.
Ldakát át.
Everything.
{ax̱ ax̱ tú ax̱} Ax̱ tuwáa sigóo x̱wshagóogu.
I wanted to learn it.
But, uh,
chʼas átkʼ aheen yinaanáx̱ áwé haa een yoo x̱ʼatánk nuch.
he only would speak to us on the Christian side.
Ax̱ stepfather-í. Mhmh.
My stepfather. Yeah.
Yéi wootee wé Catholic Church. Yeah.
That's the way it was in the Catholic Church.
Minister áwé. Mhmh.
He was a minister. Yeah.
{hél hél chʼáagu Lingít ???}
Chʼáagu Lingít shkalneegí awsikóo.
He knows the old Tlingit stories.
Hél ḵwá du tuwáa ushgú uháanch wutushagóogu.
But he didnʼt want us to learn them ourselves.
Ách áwé chʼas Dikée Aanḵáawu yinaanáx̱ yoo x̱ʼatángi nuch.
Thatʼs why he always only spoke about things pertaining to the Lord Above.
Yéi áwé has wootee wé Catholic priest.
That's the way the Catholic priests were.
Hél has du tuwáa ushgú Lingít yinaanáx̱ daa sá wtusakóowu.
They didn't want us to know anything about the Tlingit ways of life.
Áwé ax̱ tláa tláakw haa yawsiḵaa héitʼaa du tláa een.
So my mother really got after us about it, with that oneʼs mother. [When Margaret wouldn't go to a Tlingit party with her.]
«Há likoodzí,
“It's amazing,
tle dleit sháax̱ áyá yee wsitee.»
you became white girls.”
Ách áwé yéi yax̱wsiḵaa ax̱ tláa,
Thatʼs why I said to her, my mother,
«Uháan ḵwá x̱á {i yát} i yátxʼi áyá.
“But we are your children.
Wáanáx̱ sáyá tlél i tuwáa wushgú
Why is that you didn't want
haa ée yilatóowu?»
to teach it to us?”
«Wé a x̱ʼáakxʼ yee dujáaḵw neejín, a kaadé áyá.
“They used to beat you up because of it, this is why.
I éesh een hél haa tuwáa wushgú yeeysakóowu.»
That is why your dad and I didn't want you to know it.”
Tle yéi a x̱oot kei haa uwawát.
That is the way that we grew up amongst it (feelings about the culture).
Wáang̱aneens ax̱ toowú néekw nuch.
Sometimes I always feel sad.
Chʼa átx̱ satí hél ḵáaḵx̱w ḵuwux̱saḵá.
It's a small wonder I don't say anything (for fear of hurting people).
Yéi áwé kaawagei.
Thatʼs all that there is.
Ḵushtuyáx̱ déi áwé.
Regardless, that is enough now.
Aaá.
Yes.
X̱at x̱ʼawdixwétl.
My mouth is tired.
Xʼoon gaaw sáyá?
What time is it?
Weʼre tired.
[They just talked for an hour and 20 minutes!]