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 #96

This recording is a continuation of #95. Speakers are Shx̱'oosaxws Verna Johnson, (Raven, Deisheetaan, Ka ḵáak'w hít, Tsaagweidé Yádi, Aangoon Ḵwáan), Shḵanyadaká Elizabeth McCluskey (Raven, L'eeneidí, Aanx̱’aak Hít, T'eiḵweidi Yádi, Aangoon Ḵwáan), Kaseix Selina Everson (Raven, Deisheetaan, Raven House - Angoon, child of the Kaagwaantaan, grandaughter of the bear clan Teḵweidí, Raven/Beaver) and Shák’ Sháani Éesh Konrad Frank. Recorded May 19, 2013, at Admiralty Suites, Angoon, AK, by Tuli.aan Carolyn Anderson.
ShVJ = Shx̱'oosaxws Verna Johnson. ShEM= Shḵanyadaká Elizabeth McCluskey. KSE = Kaseix̱ Selina Everson. ShÉKF = Shák’ Sháani Éesh Konrad Frank. LAT = Ljáaḵkʼ Alice Taff.
Tlingit transcription and English translation by X̱ʼaagi Sháawu Keri Eggleston.
Daa sá Lingít x̱ʼéináx̱ ah,
What in Tlingit uh,
ShÉKF
learning.
ShÉKF
Yaa nx̱askwéin. Yaa nx̱askwéin.
Iʼm learning. Iʼm learning.
KSE, ShÉKF
Yaa nx̱asakwéin. Yaa nx̱asakwéin.
Iʼm learning. Iʼm learning.
ShVJ, ShÉKF
Yakʼéi x̱á.
Itʼs good.
ShVJ
I kaax̱, i kaax̱ ax̱ toowú kligéi, ách áwé yoo x̱ʼax̱waawóosʼ
Iʼm proud of you, thatʼs why I asked.
ShVJ
Gunalchéesh. [whispered]
Thank you.
KSE
Gunalchéesh.
Thank you.
ShÉKF
Yeah you, I going to say this part in English, I hope you'll continue to do it and work at it. So you won't stumble around in your Tlingit language like we are right now. We understand every word.
ShVJ
Kʼidéin x̱ʼatuwa.áx̱ch, Lingít x̱ʼéináx̱ yoo x̱ʼadul.átgi.
We understand well, those who are Tlingit speakers.
ShVJ
It's, itʼs building the sentences, itʼs, it's relating to other people that's really hard when it comes down to it even if you really understand it, and it's really good that youʼre working with these people.
ShVJ
Gunalchéesh i yoo x̱ʼatángi.
Thank you for your words.
ShÉKF
One thing, you being an Angoon boy, I'm pround of you and I hope you will continue. I hope other kids will see you
ShVJ
and what you do. He's a youth Rep. for Tlingit and Haida, so heʼll travel.
KSE, ShVJ
Yeah.
ShVJ
Probably to DC, too.
KSE
X̱ʼayduwóos' i éen.
??? A question for you.
ShEM
Aangóonxʼ yéi yateeyi ax̱ léelkʼw hás hél Lingít has x̱'éya.áx̱ch. [At shooḵ]
My grandparents in Angoon, they donʼt speak Tlingit. [Laughter] [Maybe referring to todayʼs children of the same clan as her grandparents.]
ShEM
Has du éex̱ latóow!
Teach them!
KSE
Has du éex̱ x̱alatóow.
Iʼm teaching them.
ShEM
['At shooḵ']
['Laughter']
All
Eesháanxʼ áwé wé ax̱ léelkʼu hás!
My poor little grandparents!
ShVJ
Hú tsú has du yóo x̱ʼatángi has ooshgóok.
Her too, she doesnʼt know their language.
ShVJ
Dleit ḵáax̱ yei aa s nastéen. [At shooḵ]
Theyʼre becoming white people. [Laughter]
KSE, All
???
ShEM
Oh, I'm proud of you. I just hope other, other young people will start doing the same thing. I know they're interested in the culture.
ShVJ
Uh, itʼs, after a, a sorrow thereʼs a dinner given for the opposite clan. And my mother, oh!
KSE
«Chʼa daa sá has ag̱ashooḵ.»
"Just let them laugh at whatever."
KSE
To put laughter or a smile on their faces, theyʼd get up and talk, try to tell something funny to the people in sorrow, to bring them to smile or to have, to cheer up. I thought that was the beautiful part of our culture.
KSE
Mhm.
Yes.
ShVJ
Because then, even, even the people who are hurting really bad are laughing right along with the other people and. No matter how bad they were feeling.
ShVJ
É! Hawaii yís ḵoowateen.
Wow! We traveled to Hawaii for it.
KSE
We went to Hawaii for my brother Harry's party; we brought back pineapples, fresh pineapples.
KSE
Hawaiian sháa.
Hawaiian women.
KSE
Hawaiian sháax̱ haa wsitee.
We were Hawaiian women.
KSE
Not her, though.
KSE
Never.
ShVJ
['At shooḵ']
['Laughter']
ShVJ
Jeff David,
KSE
haa sáni,
our paternal uncle
KSE
he used to speak in our language, too. Thereʼs something else that, I, tried to bring out the payoff party? Mhmh. I think Dan covered that. [Recording #93] Mhm. And how we, how we address each other. They know that part now,
KSE, ShVJ
Mhm.
Yes,
ShVJ
Like you said,
KSE
ax̱ léelkʼu hás tsú s dleit ḵáa x̱ʼéináx̱ has,
my grandparents too, English language they,
KSE
"Not me, though."
ShVJ
Ḵáaxka.éesh, everything, "Not me, though."
Ḵáaka.éesh (said about) everything, "Not me, though."
KSE
Chʼa lishoog̱u át tsú.
Just the funny things, too.
KSE
They used to, at pay-off party?
ShEM
Ḵaa eesh hás {yaa s yaa s} yoo s koosgítgi,
When theyʼre having a memorial party for a personʼs parents,
ShEM
said they would
ShEM
du yátxʼi chʼu du díx̱ʼ de yánde s gug̱anáaḵ.
his/her children will stand at his/her back.
ShEM
Mhm. They will stand, they could stand by them to encourage him and help him. It's how our culture is, éh?
KSE, ShEM
Or, du shátxʼi yán,
Or his wives,
ShEM
Or something like that.
ShEM
Du x̱ánxʼ yánde s gug̱anáaḵ.
They will stand beside him/her.
ShEM
They can stand behind him when they're talking up front. When they are talking about if they, thereʼs a loss in the family or something..
ShEM
How do you say your father-in-law in Tlingit?
ShVJ
I cháan.
Your mother-in-law.
KSE
Is that what it is?
ShVJ
Chaan is the mother. I chaan.
Your mother-in-law.
ShEM, ShVJ
Ax̱ chaan. Mother.
My mother-in-law.
ShVJ, KSE
Thatʼs the mother. Yes.
ShVJ, ShEM
It's the, The wife.
ShVJ, KSE
Du wóo.
His/her father-in-law.
ShEM
Du wóo. Aha.
His/her father-in-law. Yes
KSE, ShVJ, ShEM
see, your (Tlingit language)
KSE
it's coming back. Du wóo.
His/her father-in-law
KSE, ShVJ
Du wóo.
His/her father-in-law
ShVJ
You can say that Lingít x̱ʼéináx̱
You can say that in Tlingit
KSE
Ax̱ wóo, ax̱ wóo áwé.
My father-in-law, thatʼs my father-in-law.
ShVJ
{Du éet x̱wadash du du} Du éet {x̱wa} x̱wadishée.
I helped him.
ShVJ
Party yaa yanasxíxi.
When theyʼre running a party.
ShVJ
Just like what youʼre talking about.
ShVJ
I really work hard with him.
ShVJ
{du ée}
ShVJ
wé atx̱á yánde yaa nasnéin
heʼs preparing the food
ShVJ
ḵa wé
and the
ShVJ
daa sá ḵaa jeedé at gug̱wateeyí
whatever heʼs handing out to people
ShVJ
du een, du een,
with him, with him,
ShVJ
{daa yóo} a daa yéi jitoonéi noojín.
we always used to work on it.
ShVJ
Áwé
So,
ShVJ
sáa ax̱ jeet aawatée.
he gave me a name.
ShVJ
«Tlákw, tlákw áwé
"Always, always
ShVJ
{haa ax̱ een} ax̱ éen, ax̱ éen,
with me, with me
ShVJ
yéi jinéi nooch.» {yéi yéi}
sheʼs always working."
ShVJ
How do you say party?
ShVJ
Wé yáa ḵu.éexʼ.
The party.
ShVJ
Yá ḵu.éexʼ.
The party.
ShVJ
«Yaa,
This,
ShVJ
daa yéi jix̱aneiyí,
when Iʼm working on it,
ShVJ
«Tlél,
"Not,
ShVJ
tlél chʼa
not just
ShVJ
x̱at ooltínxʼi nooch,
not just watching me,
ShVJ
ax̱ een yéi jinéi nooch.
sheʼs always working with me.
ShVJ
Ách áyá yá saa du jeedé kḵwatée,
Thatʼs why Iʼm going to give her this name,
ShVJ
Káayawdul.aat.»
['name']
ShVJ
Náḵ.
(Stand. ???)
ShVJ
Káaḵuyatán. There's two names.
ShVJ
«Káaḵuyatán yóo kḵwasáa.»
"Iʼm going to call her Kaaḵuyatán."
ShVJ
It's off of that reef, that's on this side, that big reef.
ShVJ
«Káaḵuyatán.»
ShVJ
He said,
ShVJ
«Yaakw yaa naḵúx̱u
"As the boat goes along
ShVJ
{we} wé té áwé {yei} yei dustínch.» Mhm.
the rock that is seen."
ShVJ, KSE
A káaxʼ,
On it,
KSE
«A káaxʼ áwé yaa gaḵúx̱ch {wé} wé yaakw.»
"The boats go along according to it (location of the rock)."
ShVJ
Aax̱ áwé
From there
ShVJ
yá Annie,
Annie,
ShVJ
Mabelʼs mother, what was her last name? Annie Albert
ShVJ, KSE
No, Annie, it wasn't Albert.
ShVJ
Mabels mother?
KSE
Annie Paul.
ShVJ
Annie Paul.
KSE
«Yá Annie Paul áwé,
"It is this Annie Paul,
ShVJ
wé du hídi aat át la.aayí,
her house stands there,
ShVJ
wé yaakw yaa naḵúx̱ áwé,
when boats go along there,
ShVJ
a káa yandul.átch.
they steer around it.
ShVJ
Ách áwé hú ḵu.aa,
Thatʼs why she though,
ShVJ
Káayawdul.aat yóo gax̱toosáa.
weʼll call her Káayawdul.aat.» [people steer around her]
ShVJ
['At shooḵ']
['Laughter']
ShVJ
So that's where we got the, we got those two names,
ShVJ
Káayawdul.aat ḵa Káaḵuyatán.
Káayawdul.aat and Káaḵuyatán.
ShVJ
I remember, Matthew stood up,and said, Matthew Fred, jumped up,
ShVJ
"Aa, my goodness," he said in Tlingit
ShVJ
«Yeedát ḵu.aa áwés
"So now
ShVJ
sʼáaxw áwé {du jee du} du jeeyís gax̱tulayéix̱.»
weʼll make a hat for her."
ShVJ
{a káa ya a káxʼ gwál áxʼ}
ShVJ
['At shooḵ']
['Laughter']
ShVJ
Light houses!
KSE
Light House!
KSE
Light House Annie. [At shooḵ]
['Laughter']
ShVJ
Oh, dear!
KSE
['At shooḵ']
['Laughter']
All
Whole place got quiet. They thought he was, he was uh, they thought Matthew was disagreeing with what, what the names they gave us there he made it. He said, "Now we have to build, and have made, and have hats made for them so they could have lights blinking on top of their hat!
ShVJ
I'm gonna tell you about myself once. One time when we first moved here to Angoon. We, we come from here and went to, because for jobs. My family used to, we moved to Sitka from Sitka to Juneau and then we finally came back here after my, my kids. Daniel I think was only about 7 or 8 when we moved back here. There, my father-in-law was having another party and it was, it was a happy party, I remember, because everybody was sitting
ShVJ
Ldakát áwé ḵoowa.éexʼ.
Everyone was invited.
ShVJ
Ldakát Aangóon.
All of Angoon.
ShVJ
Kát ḵin ḵu.oo áwé aawa.éexʼ.
??? were invited.
ShVJ
Kéi uwa.íxʼ.
It cried out. [Making a joke about the phone ringing; «uwa.íx» 'cried outʼ, sounds similar to «aawa.éexʼ» 'invite' ].
KSE
We walked into the hall and, and uh, lot of people were sitting there.
ShVJ
Át aḵéen de.
People were sitting there already.
ShVJ
We had
ShVJ
Yaa haa shunagút áwé,
Sheʼs leading us,
ShVJ
wé shaawát,
that woman,
ShVJ
yaa ntoo.át.
weʼre walking along.
ShVJ
I {r}
ShVJ
Ásíwé wé shaaxʼw át ḵin
women were sitting there
ShVJ
Blond
ShVJ
I wasn't paying any attention to the men, just walking, following that uh,
ShVJ
L a daat x̱at tooshtí.
I wasnʼt thinking about it.
KSE
Tlél a daat x̱at tooshn,
I wasnʼt thinking,
ShVJ
waanée sáwé,
at that point,
ShVJ
ax̱ éet x̱ʼeiwatán.
she spoke to me.
ShVJ
«Haaw, wáa sás iyatee?»
"Well, how are you?"
ShVJ
yóo x̱at x̱ʼeiwawóosʼ.
she asked me.
ShVJ
And I
ShVJ
Sh daa yax̱wdlig̱én.
I looked around.
ShVJ
Who is she talking to, me?
ShVJ
Yeah, haaw!
Yeah, well!
ShVJ
I was so shocked! I was looking at her as if,
ShVJ
«Wáa sás iyatee?»
ShVJ
she said it again. I said, "We're good!"
ShVJ
['At shooḵ']
['Laughter']
ShVJ
Two Caucasian women, blonds.
ShVJ
She was so flabbergasted. I was so,
KSE, ShVJ
I never, I wasn't expecting anything like that, you see, we just came back from Angoon. Those ladies were here learning the Tlingit language from all the elderly people for I don't know, Oh, what was their names?
ShVJ, KSE
how many years. Constance Naish and Gillian Storey, Yes! Yeah! Yeah,
ShVJ, LAT
"We're good!"
ShVJ
['At shooḵ']
['Laughter']
ShVJ
Believe me, I never felt, I looked at Dan and
ShVJ
when we sat down I said, "God, I never felt
ShVJ
so dumb in all my life!"
ShVJ
['At shooḵ']
['Laughter']
ShVJ
Oh, they could speak, they knew. They knew, they knew the words!
ShVJ
They, if they could speak, you could speak!
KSE
They could! Yeah, I can speak it, Itʼs
ShVJ
It's just hard coming back. Itʼs just talking into the big eye there.
KSE, ShVJ
Wéi jaḵdáana. Wéi waḵdáana. Hél yéi ḵudzitee.
The ???. The lens. It isnʼt alive. ???
KSE, ShVJ
Wei jaḵdáana, waaḵ x̱'akal.at
???
KSE
It's a funny thing though because you know, every time we have parties there's always cameras all over the place, huh? Thereʼs cameras all over the place.
ShVJ
We should be used to it by now, really.
ShVJ
Hmm, Waasá wé iyati?
Whatʼs with you?
KSE
We dance in front of it.
ShVJ
Oh, talk about when my sister Helen and you were dancing behind the blanket and Lily George. Those girls learned to dance like that. Who said that to her? They watched TV!
KSE
['At shooḵ']
['Laughter']
ShVJ, KSE
Lily had a sense of humor! Cyril George's mother.
KSE
Oh,
ShVJ
lot of funny things again, happen in the Tlingit, Social used to go on in the hall, ANB Hall. Yeah. Social nights. They used to pick on Elsie. Make a big circle and somebody's gotta be the Kitty. Elsie, you have to pet the kitty it comes to meow. Sheʼd, "Poor pussy, poor pussy! "
ShVJ , KSE
Before she can even get the third one she would laugh. Then she would have to become the kitty. Meow. Poor pussy!
KSE
When I was growing, when I was growing up, I can remember only this lady. I was a little girl.
ShVJ
{whenev} Skóolldáx̱ neilt has ḵoowateen yéi áwé,
They went from school to home,
ShVJ
her and June and uh,
ShVJ
Helen, Marie.
ShVJ, KSE
I barely remember Marie, I only remember Harriet and
ShVJ , KSE
uh, Marge.
ShVJ
They were strong in the ANB and the ANS, that I can remember.
ShVJ
And one thing I can remember,
ShVJ
tléix' yateeyi át áwé ḵúnáx̱ yeedát, up to today I
One thing really now,
ShVJ
X̱wasikóo. A kát x̱at tuwatee.
I know. I feel like doing that.
KSE
A kát x̱at tuwatee tlákw.
I always feel like doing that.
ShVJ
The song, the song they used to sing. Can you remember 'Dear Old Angoon'?
ShVJ
Wa.éich kei gashí.
You sing it.
ShVJ
Dear old Angoon, that was pretty
ShVJ
really neat. It was so pretty.
ShVJ
I was, golly!
ShVJ
We love it more and more every year.
KSE
Old Angoon, dear old Angoon, weʼll love you all the years, through the years.
KSE
Through the years. All of us.
ShVJ
Pretty, they sounded like Hawaiian girls.
ShVJ
['At shooḵ']
['Laughter']
ShVJ
We used to love to harmonize.
KSE
Mhm.
ShVJ
To hear the Russian Orthodox choirs.
KSE
Caroling.
KSE
Yeah.
ShVJ
And thereʼs Garfieldʼs dad, had that big star, or was it Peter Tom?
KSE
Peter Tom, yeah. I donʼt remember who died one time. It was one of the big shots when I was a little girl, that was. You know if you ev, if ever you thought you, you knew the Tlingit language fluently, thereʼs some words when it comes to a big burial like that.
ShVJ
The old words
KSE
You need a dictionary to, practically need a dictionary to try to understand what theyʼre talking about it, it runs that deep. I was surprised when my, my husband. Even my husband said, he said, "Oh! Wow!" he said. "They lost me!" And he understands Tl, he understood Tlingit. He was so amazed that they were, heads from different communities. They all stood up. They were talking to one another.
ShVJ
Lingít x̱ʼéináx̱ wóoshteen yoo has x̱ʼali.átk.
They always speak Tlingit together.
ShVJ
It was, it was, oooh.
ShVJ
Awesome.
KSE
Really awesome. And, my husband was so taken aback, "Iʼve got to get with them. Iʼve got to meet with them," he kept saying. He said he was surprised that they, he couldnʼt understand what they were talking about. I said, "Why? What do you mean? Why, what were they saying?" He said, "We need a dictionary." So thatʼs how deep it could get. I mean if itʼs, if we could find the right person.
ShVJ
I was talking about something that, when she started, in Tlingit, it was so, if she could say it again. Haw, we donʼt,
KSE
Yee x̱ʼéit áwé x̱wsi.áx̱.
Iʼm listening to you two.
ShEM
Ax̱ ḵu.aa áwé,
I however,
KSE
i x̱ʼéit ḵusa.aax̱ yéi haat ḵux̱waatín.
I traveled here so people could hear what you have to say.
KSE
Should we, what did you and I talk about?
ShEM
Yoo, woosh yáa woodané.
Respect.
ShVJ
You need to speak up.
ShVJ
We talked about that yesterday.
ShEM
Yeah.
ShVJ
I think we need to start a Tlingit culture class here.
ShVJ
Donʼt look at me!
KSE
Iʼm looking at him. We need a teacher.
ShVJ
Youʼre supposed to be teaching him.
KSE
Dóooo!
Too much!
KSE
What kind of Grandma!
KSE
Oh, Iʼm so proud. I was just telling him how proud I am of him.
ShVJ
I mean I wish, I hope that other young people will start following in his foot steps,in his foot prints.
ShVJ
In his foot prints.
KSE
His footprints.
KSE
I was telling him Iʼm glad heʼs learning. He can tell people back in Juneau that heʼs got grammas that donʼt speak Tlingit.
ShEM
They speak Tlingilenglish!
KSE
He has to come back and teach us.
ShEM
Thatʼs no kidding though. This, I mean, weʼre not pulling your leg or anything, itʼs the truth. Even the real old-timers, uh? That all passed on, English speaking! I used to tell them,
ShVJ
Lingít x̱ʼeinax̱ has du een yoo x̱ʼa ??? aa wé at yatkʼi.
Tlingit language with them ??? the children.
ShVJ
"Talk to them in Tlingit," I used to tell them. The first few words would be in Tlingit and before you know it theyʼre speaking in English again and uh. So it just.
ShVJ
«Yee léekʼw yoo x̱ʼatángi, ákwé?»
Thatʼs your grandfathersʼ language, right?
KSE
"Is that your grandfathersʼ language?"
KSE
So, we need, I mean, this is a wake up call, really. We need to do something. We need.
ShVJ
My son came home yesterday and said; he knew I was in a class yesterday and he came home and said uh, in Tlingit Iʼll tell it. He said uh,
ShEM
Oh, I better just better tell it in English. He donʼt, he understands Tlingit but he donʼt speak it. He said somebody told him, he said, "If somebody speak to you in Tlingit, and you understand what theyʼre saying, but you donʼt know how to speak it, all you can say is, «Aaá, aaá.»
"Yes, yes."
ShEM
Gé?
Right?
ShEM
Tléikʼ.
No.
ShVJ
He says, "Yes or no."
ShEM
He, he made me laugh.
ShEM
Our language itʼs, itʼs a, people always say itʼs a beautiful language.
ShEM
Mhm.
ShVJ
But uh, we, we really lost most of it. Itʼs, but a lot of people always say itʼs, thereʼs something about our language, I donʼt know, because you, you can laugh when they talk. And itʼs just, some of the words just always seem to sound funny and for some reason and then all of the people start laughing. And they, our people used to like to laugh all the time but,
ShEM
at shóoḵ.
laughter.
ShEM
Yéi x̱waajée. S tuwáa sigoowun.
I think so. Theyʼre happy.
ShVJ, ShEM
Toowú kʼé.
Joy.
ShEM
Ḵa
And
ShEM
they used to say, «Yee toowú klatseen!»
"You all be strong!" (mentally)
ShEM
"Be strong!"
ShEM
And, thereʼs a lot of other words but I canʼt even think. Um, but they, a lot of people compliment on our language. Itʼs a, but I always be amazed when those that learn it.
ShEM
Celebration káxʼ wé yées ḵáaxʼw dákde s na.áat nuch haa yoo x̱ʼatángi een.
At Celebration the young people always come out with our language.
ShEM
And they speak it real good. They, I always be amazed at it. Even the little kids. Even that little boy that
ShEM
{ash} at shí {a kák}
song
ShEM
{kaw} akawlishee du kéekʼ jeeyís.
he sang a song he composed for his little brother.
ShEM
{du} Du kéekʼ daatx̱ at wooshee.
He sang about his little brother.
ShEM
That was sure something. That little boy up, uh, uh, made up a song for his brother. Made a song for his brother.
ShEM
That was Celebration 2013. 2012.
KSE
Mhm.
ShVJ
And he sang it at Celebration.
ShEM
It was really something. Itʼs really touching to, to for people. They always say,
ShEM
«Dikée Aanḵáawuch aan haa wliyéx̱
"God made us
ShEM
haa ḵusteeyí.
our way of life.
ShEM
Dikée Aanḵáawuch áwé
It was God that
ShEM
haa wliyéx̱ haa yoo x̱ʼatángi teen.»
made us with our language."
ShEM
Ḵa yáa aadé,
And the way,
ShEM
yei áwé that our regalias and stuff. And so it, itʼs really interesting some of the stories from way back; itʼs, itʼs almost like Bible stories. Lot of stories. It almost match up with uh, the Bible. And I always be amazed when I come across it or read it.
thus
ShEM
Just like that Yéil yá {aan} aan
Just like that Raven, this land
ShEM
wudiḵéen
he flew
ShEM
all over to sit.
ShEM
The, the Raven.
KSE
dís
the moon
ShEM
du léelkʼuch jeedáx̱ dís awdzig̱áax̱.
He cried for the moon that his grandfather had.
ShEM
Ḵa,
And,
ShEM
g̱agaan
the sun
ShEM
ḵa ḵutx̱.ayanahá
and stars
ShEM
ḵa
and
ShEM
what is it
ShEM
ḵa héen
and water
ShEM
héen.
water.
ShEM
They said dleit yáx̱ téeyin Yéil.
They said Raven used to be white.
ShEM
Said du tayeet kukawduwa.ák.
Said they built a fire under him.
ShEM
Wé héen aawata ax̱táawu ???
He stole water ???
ShEM
he took a lot of water and
ShEM
Tle aan wudiḵeen yá aan tóonáx̱.
Then he flew through the land.
ShEM
He said the, a káanáx̱ kadutlʼóoḵ áwé.
He said it dripped throughout (the land).
ShEM
Made lakes.
ShEM
Aakʼw kʼisáani.
Little lakes.
KSE
And reverse. And, itʼs, I always remember that story. Thereʼs other stories that I remember. Interesting. It, it, some of the stories that were told but, I know that they believed in God.
ShEM
Dikée Aanḵáawu ákʼ has aawahéen.
They believed in God.
ShEM
Ách áwé has ayaawadlaaḵ
Thatʼs why they succeeded
ShEM
chʼu yeedát yeisú ḵutudzitee.
so weʼre still alive.
ShEM
Praise God.
ShEM
Amen! Yeah.
ShVJ
[recording break] kḵwalayéix̱.
Iʼll do it.
ShEM
Mhm.
ShVJ
You guys sing it.
ShEM
{wa.é áwé} Wa.é áwé kawduwaḵaa.
It was you they sent for.
ShVJ
Ḵaa eesg̱eiwúx̱ ikḵwalayéix̱.
I will make you fishers of men.
ShVJ, KSE
Ḵaa eesg̱eiwúx̱ ikḵwalayéix̱.
I will make you fishers of men.
ShEM
Ikḵwalayéix̱,
I will make you,
All
ikḵwalayéix̱,
I will make you,
All
Ḵaa eesg̱eiwúx̱ ikḵwalayéix̱.
I will make you fishers of men.
All
Ax̱ ítx̱ yaa g̱agú.
Follow me.
All
Ax̱ ítx̱ yaa g̱agú.
Follow me.
All
Ax̱ ítx̱ yaa g̱agú.
Follow me.
All
Ḵaa eesg̱eiwúx̱ ikḵwalayéix̱.
I will make you fishers of men.
All
Ax̱ ítx̱ yaa g̱agú.
Follow me.
All
Salvation Army.
KSE
Yeah.
ShVJ
This other one is uh,
ShEM
We sing it in church; you sing a little differently.
ShEM
At congress time itʼs, those ladies from Metlakatla sang it and they made it into motions when they sang. Itʼs
ShEM
Héen yík yaax̱ gug̱wadáa.
The river will flow.
ShEM
Séew yaax̱ daak gux̱satáan.
The rain will fall.
ShEM
Kéi yaax̱ yei kg̱waxéex.
The sun will rise.
All
Du kasheexʼ yá tlʼátgi káaxʼ.
They praise him on this land.
All
Haa Aan Ḵáawu gax̱duskóo
People will know our God
All
yá lingítʼaani káxʼ
on this Earth
All
du yakg̱wahéihg̱u haa xwaa yéi kg̱watée.
His spirit our ??? will be.
All
Praise God.
ShEM
God is good. Amen.
ShEM