January 9, 2003
THE CONFEDERATED TRIBES LANGUAGE LESSON
Legends
isk'ulya Wacaqwsba.
Spilyay Tymoo, Wsrm SpHngs, Oregon
Coyote and Rabbit
English version by Alice Florendo
Wasco version translated by Gladys Thompson
and Madeline Mclnturff, corrections by
Margaret Boise
lyachumax Isk'ulya iyakshen flalik
gashduteit Wfmatba. lyachumax
Isk'ulya gachiulxam iyakshen, "K'aya
amuya yaxi Swachi
Hchqwaba, shimani
k'aya imixichemlit
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Grandfather Coyote
and his grandson
Rabbit lived along
the Columbia River. Grandfather told
his grandson, "Don't go too far, don't
go near the water. If you don't obey,
the water-monster will swallow you."
flalik galikta gachdumitshki Hshukshmax.
Kwapt gayuya qwatxala" yaxi. Ichixyan
luq' gachiux.
One day, grandson Rabbit
went looking for
arrowheads. He went too
far;,, he went near the-;,,-water.
The water-
monster swallowed him.
lyachumax isk'ulya gachiunaxtam
iyakshen flalik. Luxwan qadamt iyuya.
K'aya gachigelkel qaxba. Kwapt
galikfm, "Ichkshen
iyuya yaxi, sqw'ap
itchqwaba.
Dala'x Ichixyan
luq' ichiux."
Grandfather
Coyote went
looking for grandson Rabbit, he did not
know where he went. He did not see
him anyplace. Grandfather went to the
river and said, "My grandson went too
far, near the water. The water monster
must have swallowed him."
Gachtux itkamanaqbama awatut kwadau
Kshukshmax.
Kwapt gayuya
Wfmatyamt. Kwapt
galikfm, "Ichixyan,
Ichixyan."
He took firewood
and an arrowhead,
then he went to
the river.
Grandfather called
out, "Monster!
Monster!"
Kwapt galixguitk Ichixyan, galitpa"
iyapS'atyamt. Kwapt gachinxdnawenxt
wimat, kwapt gfgwaladamt gasixlutk.
Kwapt gasixlutk fnadix, gachigelkel
Monster woke up and came out of his
cave. The monster looked upriver and
he looked downriver. Then he looked
across the river and saw Grandfather
Coyote at Wacaqws.
Kwapt isk'ulya galikta" sqw'ap
Ichfxyanba. Kwapt Ichixyan luq'
gachiux.
Grandfather went near the water
monster, he let the monster swallow
him.
Tai dagepgep iyawanba. Kwapt
Ichfxyanba iyawn lyachumax gachux
awatut. Tai dawx galaxux. Kwapt
gachigelkel iyakshen kwadSu idelxam.
It was very dark in the monster's
stomach. In the monster's stomach,
Grandfather made a fire. It became
bright. He could now see his grandson
and the other people.
Iyachumx gachiulxam iyakshen, "Aga
tq'up anyuxa Ichixyan
iyagwamnit. Kwapt
Ichixyan alma ayumqta
kwapt saqw ayaJutk.
Tt'ak achiuxa
iyakweshxcit, kwapt saqw
amshxwaxida ti'axen .
Shaidalalamd
auidiiAwaua:
Grandfather told his grandson, "I will
cut the monster's heart. The monster
will die and breathe his last breath.
When he opens his mouth to breath,
you all hurry out. You must run out!"
Lq'up gachiux Ichixyan iyagwamnit.
Coyote cut the monster's heart.
Kwapt saqw ayatutk Ichixyan tt'ak
gachiux iyakweshxSt. Isk'ulya iyakshen
flalik kwadciu idelxam gatxwaba.
Taking his last breath, the monster
opened his mouth. Coyote, grandson
Rabbit, and the other people ran out.
Kwapt gup gachiux iyakwshxcit Ichixyan,
kwaba flalik
gachaixuksh aygich.
Qidau engi llalfk Jf N
icack'ecx aySich.
Tonebewitoo Natugooyoonana
The Store of a Flower
Nu ya pudu tomokwi ka no'oko hemma
pooeka'yoo, mu peha kammadu,
pa'a kamukoobakwi, nu yow tonega
tonebe ya'a mu, sumu koobakwi nu
na'a, ka mu kwena'a, pabakootsoo,
sona'a, tsoapa, umu e poone, ka
awamoasoo pesa e tabuapunne.
In the
season of
wild
strawberries
I came from
the Earth as
a flower
high on a
hill above
my village,
with only
the eagle. The Buffalo, The Bear, and
The Butterfly to watch the petals of my
spirit unfold.
Masoo kwena'a mooe yadoa'oo, e
pune'e u ki nukwa'nekoo kasakagakwe,
ka u noseekwikoosu'mu, yise u ka
koomebanaga yotsenumekwe, otea nu
pesow
tusoohanekunne
u keakwe.
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The Eagle spoke
first, he said
"Sister, you will
never have wings
like me, except
in the pathways of your dreams. Yet
you will fly to the top of the sky
because I give you the gift of courage."
Soo pabakootsoo yadoa'oo, e pune'e u
ki nukwa'ne muna'we nuwenuwekwe,
pesa tusoomayuna, u dyise ka
tomomupa mease u oo mabetukukwe,
yoonekoo nu
e keakwe.
Water-monster bit
off the tip of
grandson Rabbit's tail just as he closed
his mouth. That is why rabbits have
short tails.
The Buffalo
spoke next,
he said:
"Sister, you
will never survive a long time like me,
except on the trail of your memories,
yet you will see a thousand winters go
by because I give you the gift of
endurance."
Mu pedoo yise yatoo'a, meoo uni; "e
pune'e, u ki mu watse soopedakwatoo
mu watsuoo kakakowpaka'yoo hee
numedu, ote'a u ka tonebenena. Nu
unu tusoohanena e keakwe.
The Bear spoke next, he said: "Sister,
you will never know the secrets of the