Warm Springs, Oregon
Spilyay Tymoo
Wasco Language Lesson-
6 November 16,2000
Kiksht Language Lesson
Thanksgiving Dinner
Ixtba Wigwa
Monday
Grocery Shopping List
Yukst itaki
Awaqdt
Il'ishalx
Ilshdqwt il'ishalx
Illgalat
Ilkwlawaitq
Ilpuyanmax
Ildudush
Chllbut ildudush
cooked turkey
potato
corn
dried corn
carrot
onion
egg(s)
milk
ice cream
Ilac'imam Uk'flagwadit sugar
Hkupi coffee
Anxlgi'mlalma.
I'm going buying (shopping).
Inft idala, anuya store-yamt.
Give me money, I'm going to the store.
Ashgdumldlmama itlxlm.
They're going to buy food.
Shgduklt aga itshdalxlm.
Now they're carrying their food.
Chaximat atautauli ic'ikc'ikba.
He's putting the can in the truck (wagon).
Makwshtba wigwa
Tuesday
ikmf dish, plate
ilk'mimax dishesplates
isk'mtk fork, scissors, pitchfork
aq'fwiqi knife
I
Qaxba aq'fwiqi?
Where is the knife?
Qaxba ikmf?
Where is the dish?
Qaxba ilk'mimax?
Where is the plates?
Qaxba isk'mtk?
Where is the fork?
Imichgf iladas.
Pick up the plate.
Ixima ikmf iladamba.
Put the dish on the table.
Ixima isk'mtk iladamba.
Put the fork on the table.
Axima aq'fqiwqi ikmiba.
Put the knife on the dish.
Lunba Wigwa
Wednesday
Walu gmuxt chi? (Are you Hungry?)
Dan miuxulal?
What you doing?
Nlxlmax. Walu gmuxt chi?
I'm eating. Are you hungry?
'N. Kushnkiax.
Yes. I'm starving.
Amxitlxlmama naikaba itqwlf.
You come over to my place for dinner.
Imlxashdt chi?
Are you thirsty?
'N. Inlxashdt.
Yes. I'm thirsty.
Ayamulxlma. AgaAlxllma.
I'm going to feed you.
Time to eat.
Tai t'ukti itlxlm.
It was a good meal.
O
Laktba Wigwa
Thursday
Aga Alxllma (Time to eat)
Meals
Sitkumsin
Kadux itlxlm
Saibi aga! ax itlxlm
lunch (time)
breakfast
lunch
Chushdix itlxlm dinner
Aga Alxllma time to eat
Walu gmuxt chi?
Are you hungry?
K'aya. Inlxlmchk.
No. I just ate.
Dan igimxlmux7
What did you eat?
Yukst itaki.
Cooked turkey
Mukshdit chi?
Are you full?
N Nukshdi't.
Yes. I'm full.
Gwenmaba Wigwa
Friday
Grocery Shopping List
Yukst itaki
Awaqdt
Il'ishalx
Ilshdqwt il'ishalx
Iligalat
Hkwlawaitq
Ilpuyanmax
Ildudush
Chllbut ildudush
cooked turkey
potato
corn
dried corn
carrot
onion
egg(s)
milk
ice cream
Ilac'imam Uk'flagwadit sugar
Hkupi
coffee
Anxlgi'mlalma. (,
I'm going buying (shopping).
Inft idala, anuya store-yamt.
Give me money, I'm going to the store.
Ashgdumlalmama itlxlm.
They're going to buy food.
Shgduklt1 aga itshdalxlm.
Now they're carrying their food.
Chaximat atautauli ic'ikc'ikba.
He's putting the can in the truck (wagon).
Qaxba aq'fwiqi?
Where is the knife?
c
Qaxba ikmf? f
Where is the dish?
Qaxba ilk'mimax? :
Where is the plates?
"5
Qaxba isk'mtk? ,
Where is the fork?
Imichgf iladas.
Pick up the plate.
Ixima ikmf iladamba.
Put the dish on the table.
Ixima isk'mtk iladamba.
Put the fork on the table.
Axima aq'fqiwqi ikmiba.
Put the knife on the dish.
Dan miuxulal?
What you doing?
Nlxlmax. Walu gmuxt chi?
I'm eating. Are you hungry?
'N. Kushnkiax.
Yes. I'm starving.
Amxitlxlmama naikaba itqwlf.
You come over to my place for dinner.
Walu gmuxt chi?
Are you hungry?
K'aya. Inlxlmchk.
No. I just ate.
Dan igimxlmux? What did you eat?
Yukst itaki.
Cooked turkey
Mukshdit chi?
Are you full?
N Nukshdi't.
Yes. I'm full.
What has changed in 113 years?
by Valerie Aguilar
The battle to keep our native languages alive has been
endured since the influence of Europeans to this continent over 400
years ago. Sadly, many tribes have lost their languages and will
never have the chance to regain them again. Although the disloca
tion of our three tribes to middle Oregon is, in itself a injustice, we
can find blessings wherever we look. For example, was it in His
plan for us to be isolated here, in this high desert, so that we may
hold on to our languages, our culture, our way of life that the
Creator gave to us? Maybe, maybe not. Ponder this, why would
He create us all to look, act, and talk differently from one another, if
it weren't so?
On that note, I would like to share with you an article
written 113 years ago, regarding the languages of our native people.
Remember your elders, remember the devotion to hold on to our
languages through years of adversity.
"Barbarous Dialects Should Be Blotted Out... "
Excerpts from the 1887 Report of the Commissioner of Indian
Affairs By J. D. C. Atkins
In the report of this office for 1885, incidental allusion was
made to the importance of teaching Indians the English language,
the paragraph being as follows:
A wider and better knowledge of the English language
among them is essential to their comprehension of the duties and
obligations of citizenship. .. with the missionary and the schoolmas
ter industriously in the field everywhere among the tribes, it is to be
hoped, and it is confidently believed, that among the next genera
tion of Indians the English language will be sufficiently spoken and
used to enable them to become acquainted with the laws, customs,
and institutions of our country.
The idea was not a new one. As far back as 1868 the
commission known as the "Peace Commission, "...embodied in the
report of their investigations into the condition of Indian tribes their
matured and pronounced views on this subject, from which I make
the following extracts: The white and Indian must mingle together
and jointly occupy the country, or one of them must abandon it. ...
What prevented their living together?. ..The difference in language,
In the regulations of the Indian Bureau issued by the Indian
Office in 1880, for the guidance of Indian agents, occurs this
paragraph: All instruction must be in English, except in so far as
the native language of the pupils shall be a necessary medium for
conveying the knowledge of English, and the conversation of and
communications between the pupils and with the teacher must be,
as far as practicable, in English.
In 1884 the following order was issued by the Department
to the office, being called out by the report that in one of the schools
instruction was being given in both Dakota and English: You will
please inform the authorities of this school that the English lan
guage only must be taught the Indian youth placed therefor educa
tional and industrial training at the expense of the Government. If
Dakota or any other language is taught such children, they will be
taken away and their support by the Government will be withdrawn
from the school.
Deeming it for the very best interest of the Indian, both as
an individual and as an embryo citizen, to have this policy strictly
enforced among the various schools on Indian reservations, orders
have been issued accordingly to Indian agents, and the text of the
orders and of some explanations made thereof are given below:
December 14, 1886: In all schools conducted by missionary
organizations it is required that all instructions shall be given in the
English language. February 2, 1887: In reply I have to advise you
that the rule applies to all schools on Indian reservations, whether
they be Government or mission schools. The instruction of the
Indians in the vernacular is not only of no use to them, but is
detrimental to the cause of their education and civilization, and no
school will be permitted on the reservation in which the English
language is not exclusively taught.
To teach Indian school children in their native tongue is
practically to exclude English, and to prevent them from acquiring
it. This language, which is good enough for a white man and a
black man, ought to be good enough for the red man.
But it has been suggested that this order, being mandatory,
gives a cruel blow to the sacred rights of the Indians.
Today we face those same ignorant beliefs. There are
some who believe that their own comfort and understanding of life
does not spread further than their own community For example,
"Languages have died throughout human history our own
language bears little resemblance to the English of the 15th cen
tury, " said Michael Blake, a professor of philosophy at Harvard
University, who recently published a broadside attack on the
movement to protect endangered cultures in Civilization magazine.
"It is not immediately clear to me why we should try to preserve
them, " he said in a telephone interview.
Language is far more than the utterance of sounds, it is
attached to our souls. It shares the basis of belief, it engulfs our
spirit, and was given to us by our Creator to worship him. We have
an option to be bitter and hateful, but, would it get us anywhere?
We have great examples of forgiveness, and preserveranceour
Elders, who have been a great example. We go on, because the
Creator gives us strength to endure. We have survived near geno
cide which our people were 100 of the population base of this
country, but now are pitifully (approximately), but we will
survive.
This world is like a basket, and we are but a single twine.
The twine is pretty onto itself but add it with others we become a
part of the whole beautiful design. Once we understand this, we
truely become wise.
Many thanks to Myra who shared these exerpts with us.