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About Siletz news / (Siletz, OR) 199?-current | View Entire Issue (June 1, 2001)
TRIBAL PROGRAM NEWS Dispute Resolution of our Ancestors The CTSI Tribal Court Rules and Procedures establish the Siletz Community Court. One purpose of this court is to resolve disputes more traditionally. This article presents some written accounts of dispute resolution in the history of the different tribes making up the Siletz confederation. The first account is about Takelma people, the second relates to the Tututni, and the third is a report about a tribunal, or early version of Tribal Court, established among the tribes at the Siletz Agency. This article includes these accounts verbatim as they were printed in their original sources. Thank you to Robert Kentta, cultural resources director, for his research and for loaning these documents! Siletz Tribal Court and Code Development Takelma Texts by Edward Sapir 3. How a Feud Was Settled. 3. How A Feud Was Settled. (How) one acts as a go-between. (Let us suppose) people who are related to each other by their children’s marriage slay one another, on either side they call for each other’s bones, dead men’s bones they call for. Dentalia, those used to be termed dead men’s bones. So then they make speeches to one another, and one is made a go-between, so that he may go between (both parties). “Give me blood money, since you have slain me!’’ people said to each other. Now he (whose kinsman) has been slain, that one makes use of the go-between. “Give me of that kind, give me one hundred,’’ says the slayer of the person is told. But he does not wish it. “I will not give you anything, I shall even kill some more of yours,’’ says the slayer of the person. Then the go-between returns across, then recounts what he has been told. ‘“I’ll give you no blood-money!’ he says to you,’’ says he. Then the go-between (adds), ‘“Not in that fashion!’ no matter how often I told him.’’ “Do not tell me that, since you have slain mine just for nothing, though I did nothing to you. For just no reason have you slain one of mine, though yonder my girl is dwelling,” (thus) people spoke to one another in times long past. Then he returns across. “‘Just you give me blood-money!’ he says to you. ‘Too far will it go! People will yet be slain,’ says I,” says the go-between. Then, recounting what he has been entrusted to say, the go-between tells him thus, “Now these whose (kinsman) has been slain, their heart has become sick.” That did people of long ago say to one another when they killed each other. So then once more the go- between turns across. On this side he whose (kinsman) has been slain cries. “Keep on going across! Many things he must give me,” says he whose (kinsman) has been slain. So he returns across. “‘Just you give me something!’ he says to you,” says the go-between. “Give him something!” says the go-between, to the slayer of the person he says it. “Perhaps too far it goes. Yet shall people be slain; they will get even with you. Many people will be killed, so for that reason give him something!” says the go-between. Then “Yes” he says. “I’ll give him something. It is well,” says the slayer of the person. “You shall not get even with me, I’ll give you something. Friends to each other we are,” says the slayer of the person. “Some little thing do you also give me in return!” Now the go-between returns again; now he whoops, his heart has become glad. Now it is known that it is intended to give him something. Many are the people. Now he whoops. ‘“I give you blood-money,’ he says to you. ‘Do you too give me a little bit,’ he says to you.” Then he relates to them what he has heard. A certain one answers him, “Just that he says.” Then they give each other blood-money. Now on either side they proceed to each other and give each other (presents). The slayer of the person gives most of all, to him, in his turn, is given just a little bit. Thus in time long past, indeed, people (acted) when they slew one another. And also the women on both sides give each other many things. And the go-between also is given something, dentalia are given to him. On this side he whose (kinsman) has been slain, that one does so, that one gives him dentalia. The slayer of the person does not give him anything. Xaawit'. Yap!a t!omóxafn k!ouxámxa yowóudaf ha'Eya yók!wat'gwan yilim, xilam yóuk!aa yilim. Tcíólx ga xilam yóuk!aa nagánhan. Gasí£ gane tc!ibínxaEn, gasf xa“wisa“ k!em?n, gas f xaawit'. “ibiT ü'si t!ümuxdaf,” nagásafn yap!á. Aga t!omománmaE ga xaawisaa kíeméi. “Ganaf Eü'si, t!eimí£s £ü'ci,” nagan yap.’a doumá£s. Gasi£ ani£ gelgulük'. “Wede k'ai úsbiga£, honó£ dóumxbin yáa,” nagá,£ yap!a doumáEs. Gane xaawisaa hanyewéIE, gane gwenhegwéhók'w. “'A'nie ibíT ugusbi£n/ nagasbi,” naga,£. Gane xaawisaa, “'Wede ganát',’ Ts is i£ nagá£n.” “Wede ga n?xdam tíümuxda' haxounhi, áni£ gwi£ na£nagásbinda£. Ganga tíümuxdam yaxa, wa-iwi't'ék' ge ci£ulit'a£,” nagása£n yap!a hop!é'En. Gane hányewe,£. “'Ganga ibilE ü'si,’ nagasbi. ‘Gi'£wa k!i‘gá£t‘, honó£ yap!a doumaná£,’ nagait'e*,” nagá,£ xaawisaa. Gane gwenhegwéhak'wnana£ gana£néx malak‘ xaawisaa, “Gane aga dumhak‘wdan guxwf xilam laale'.” Ga nagása£n yap!a hop!é'£n t!omóxandae. Gas i£ gane honó£ hanyewé,£ xaawisaa. Emé£dat‘ dumhók‘w t‘agá,e. “Ganga hanyéu! k‘aiwi£ ugu 'si,” nagá,£ dumhók‘w. Gas i£ hányewe,£. “‘Ganga k‘áiwi£ ü 's i,’ nagasbi,” nagá,£ xaawisaa. “K‘áiwif ók‘i,” nagá,£ xaawisaa, yap!a doumá£s naga. “Yewe déhi kHyfk*. Honó£ yap!a doumanace, ged? ye£gwásbina£. Yap!a gwala do“maná£, gasT ga£al k‘aiwi£ ók‘i,” nagá,£ xaawisaa. Gane “Há-u” nagái£. “K‘áiwis iE ogoyfn. Duwu'£k‘,” nagá,£ yap!a doumá£s. “Wéde gede ye£gwásdam, k‘áiwi£ ogúsbifn. K!úuyabadam efbik‘,” nagá,E yap!a doumáEs. “K‘á-iwiE ha'p‘di' másie honoE ü'si.” Mi1 honóE yewé,E xaawisaa; mi1 senésant‘, guxwf du laale'’. Yok!oyán mi1 k‘áiwiEók‘igulugwán. Gwala yap!á. Mi1 senésant‘. ‘“ibiT ogoyíE,’ nagásbi; ‘masíE t!ocou ha'p‘di’ Eü 's i,’ nagásbi.” Mi' gwenhegwéhók‘w. Mi EsgaE dak‘dahalk‘wa, “Gáhic nagáiE.” Gane ibi T ogús aEn. Gane há^ya wát‘gwan giníEk‘, gane ogúsa'n Yap!a doumáEs daagwála oyón, a'k‘s iE t!osóu ha'p‘di'hi ogoyín. GanaEnéx hop!é'fná yap!a t!omdxandaE, k‘aiEla'p‘as iE honoE k‘ái gwala ogúsaEn ha'£yá. XauwisaasíE honoE k‘ai ogoyín, te!úlx ogoyín; adat‘ dumhók‘wdaaga xebéEn, ga tc!olx ogoik‘wa. Yap!a doumáEs ánif k‘ai ogoik‘wa. (See Dispute on page 10) June 2001 □ Siletz News □ 9
