Section 5.4 Gitxsan - TS’UUSXW’M G̲ABI GANHL SAG̲YT DOX̲HL HON
Written by: Veselin Jungic and Mark MacLean
Illustrated by: Simon Roy and Jess Pollard
Gitxsan translation by: Jeanne Harris, Barbara Harris Sennott, and Catherine Blackstock
G̲AN WILA HA’TAG̲UM T’IHLXW’S TS’UUSXW’M G̲ABI. SIL JOG̲IS TS’UUMXW’M G̲ABI DIP NOX’T GANHL NIGWOOT’T GOOHL GAL TS’AP LAX̲ TS’EEHL AKS
Small Number is a young boy who gets into a lot of mischief. He lives in a small village by the water with his mother and father.
GIIYHL SA MOOJA SAKHL LAX̲HA SA YUKHL XWSIT. II YUKX’T HLI’MOO’S TS’UUSXW’M G̲ABI NIGWOOT’T DIM WILA AMA JAPHL DIIT AAT DIM HOX DIIT T’AAHLAKW JI HLA’T SAG̲YT DOX̲ DIIT HON. "G̲OLHL HON GOOHL BAHLX̲A LAX TS’EEHL AKS. SGIDIM DIP UX̲WS MA’G̲AHL AAT’M JI HLA HIIHLUUXW G̲UY YUKWHL WII AKS," DIIY’A’T NIGWOOT’S TS’UUSXW’M G̲ABI.
It is a crisp autumn day and Small Number is helping his father to prepare the net for tomorrow's salmon harvest. "There is a school of salmon by Straight Line Beach. We need to set our net in the morning while the tide is still high" says Small Number's father.
G̲AS DI DIM’T STILS TS’UUSXW’M G̲ABIHL NIGWOOT’T DIM SIN HON ’DII’T. II HELT GIDAG̲ASXWS TS’UUSXW’M G̲ABI.
It is the first time that Small Number will go with his father to catch salmon and he has many questions.
“HINDA G̲AN WIHL WANHL GUBA T’AABEEK̲’XW’M LO’OP GOOHL ANU K’IHL II WANHL GUBA HA’T’AL GOOHL HLI K’IHL AAT. HINDA G̲AN WIHL HASAG’M AHL GILBIL ’WII DAX LO’OP? HINDAHL G̲A STINHL GUBA LO’OP? HINDAHL G̲ASG̲OOHL WIL NASTAWANHL GUBA LO’OP? HINDA G̲AN WIHL WILA K’OTSXWHL HAT’A’L TUN? HINDAHL G̲A NAGWIHL AAT? HINDAHL DIP G̲A NAGWIHL HLAPS AAT?”
“Why are these round pebbles on one side and those pieces of cedar on the other side of the net? Why do we need those two big rocks? What is the weight of those pebbles? How far apart are they? Why are the pieces of cedar cut in this shape? How long is the net? How deep is the net?”
“DIM DA G̲OO’T ’NIIN TS’UUSXW’M G̲ABI, DIM X̲SAWAY’NHL LIP LIGI AGWI T’AAHLAKXW,” MUMK̲’T NIGWOOT’T. “EDA BAX̲’N GOS DIP NII YE’E’N GANHL NIBIB’N ’MII MAHLIHL HLISXWHL AAT GANHL, SKIDIM BAKW DIIT LAX TS’EEHL AKS HLAG̲OK̲ DIM XSA ATIXS HLOX̲S!”
“Be patient, Small Number, you will learn all tomorrow,” smiles his father. “Now run and tell your grandfather and your uncle that the net is ready and that they should be at our beach before dawn!”
SIM LUU AMHL G̲OOTS TS’UUSXW’M G̲ABI AHL SI WILA WILT. II GAS DI LIGI WOK̲’T, II XSI WOK̲’T WIL X̲SA G̲OS GOOHL AKS ’WII HON II G̲UUSXW XSI GW’ADIXSXW’T.
Small Number is very excited about his new adventure and when he finally gets to sleep, he dreams about a big salmon jumping out of the water and falling back with a splash.
“GYUKSXW’N TS’UUSXW’M G̲ABI! HLIS WIHL WIS NIGWOOT’N GOOHL LAX TS’EEHL AKS,” LAX̲’NI’IS TS’UUSXW’M G̲ABIHL AME’S NOX̲’T.
“Wake up, Small Number. Your dad is already down at our beach,” Small Number hears his mom’s gentle voice.
HLA X̲SAXW’S TS’UUSXW’M G̲ABI, IIT GYA’AHL LIP LIGI AGWII. IIT GY’A’A’HL TUUTSXWA ’S̲GA’NIST ANU IIT LAX̲’NIHL HEHL AKS GANHL HEHL X̲SGYAAK.
When he steps outside, Small Number stops and looks around. He sees dark sharp peaks of mountains to the north and hears the sound of waves and the squawks of seagulls.
GISA LAX̲ TS’EEHL AKS, TS’UUSXW’M G̲ABI IIT GYAA’Y’S TS’UUSXW’M GABIHL WIL LITXW GYAT II GUN BAX̲’T GO’O DIIT. “SIM HUGWAX DIM WIL WITXW’N TS’UUSXW’M G̲ABI,” DII YA’T NII YE’E’T LUU DA’MIXSWIT ’NIT. “YAGIT LOOHL G̲A ’MAL’T’M AAT GANHL ’NOO’O II HLA HUGWAX DIM WIL’M.”
Down on the beach, Small Number sees a group of men and starts running towards them as fast as he can. “Just on time, Small Number,” says his grandfather hugging him. “Our canoes are loaded with nets and baskets and we are ready to go.”
HLA BAKW DIIT GOOHL BAHLX̲A LAX TS’EEHL AKS, IIT SI GUUT TS’UUSXW’M G̲ABI YE’E’T GANHL NIBIP XSI DAMG̲AN DIITHL ’MAL. ’NII WAN DIP TS’UUSXW’M G̲ABI GANHL NIGWOOT’T LAX̲ ’MAL IIT GI NAM DIITHL HLA AAT AS YE’E’T.
When they arrive at Straight Line Beach, Small Number’s grandpa and uncle pull their canoe out of the water. Small Number and his father stay in their canoe and pass the ends of the net lines to Grandfather.
WAAX’T TS’UUSXW’M G̲ABI SAA LAX TS’EEHL AKS, YUKW’T UUXS MAG̲AS NIGWOOT’T AAT. HLAA’T WA DIITHL AAT, IIT TIXSIN DIITHL ’MAL LAX̲ TS’EEHL AKS IIT LUU MAK̲T NIGWOOT DIIT ’WII LO’OP G̲ANHL AAT TS’IM AKS.
Small Number paddles away from the beach while his dad continues to pay out the net lines. When they reach the beginning of the net, they turn the canoe parallel to the beach and dad throws a big rock that is attached to the net into the water.
“DIM DAX YUKW DIIHL G̲A DAY ’LIP AAT,” II HE’T AS TS’UUSXW’M G̲ABI. “GYAA’Y” G̲EHLX̲XW’T TS’UUSXW’M G̲ABI, “DIM DAX YUKW DIHL TS’UUSXW’M LO’OP AAT ’TSIM AKS II DIM LOOKS HA’T’AL ’TSIM AKS II DIM’T DAXYUGWIHL AAT TSIM AKS!”
“This anchor will hold the net in place,” he says to Small Number. “Oh, I see,” yells Small Number, “the pebbles will keep one edge of the net on the bottom and the pieces of cedar will float and keep the other edge of the net on the surface!”
IIT GYAA’SHL TS’UUSXW’M G̲ABI ’WII HELDA HON WIL TS’IM’IL LOK̲SXW TS’IM’IL BAX̲’M AKS. IIT GYA’ASHL’T ’WII YAHLXW ’WA G̲A LI SMAXS DIIT IIT AATX WIL BAX̲HL G̲OOT’T. “DAXGYATHL AMA HON DIPUN!”
Small Number sees how a large group of salmon have drifted inshore with the incoming tide. He looks at their large smooth bodies and feels his heartbeat fasten. “How strong and beautiful these fish are!”
DAX YUKW DIHL G̲ADAYLIP AHL AAT IIT ’TIKSIN’S TS’UUSXW’M G̲ABI ’MAL A’NU LAX̲ X̲SIIP IIT GINAMS NIGWOOT’S TS’UUSXW’M G̲ABITHL AAT’S AS NIBIB’T.
The anchor secures the other end of the net and Small Number turns the canoe towards the beach where his dad passes the net lines to Small Number’s uncle.
YUWK’T XSIGUUS NIGWOOT’S ’MAL AKS, GIDA G̲AS TS’UUSXW’M G̲ABI “HINDA GABIHL HON SA TUN? HINDA DIM DIP WILA BASAG̲ANTHL HON AHL WILNA TAAHL’M? DIM AMHL G̲ABI AHL LIP LIGI’T NA’YA? HINDA DIM DIP WILAYHL DIM WIL GOO BAKWHL HON?”
While his dad pulls the canoe out of water, Small Number asks, “How many salmon will we catch today? How are we going to divide the salmon among our families? Will there be enough for everybody? How do we know that the salmon will come back?”
“AP SKIHL WILA DIDILSIM,” lDI YEE’T NIGWOOT’S. “II DIM GIDI HETXW’N G̲OOSUN. DIM HLIMOO’N NIBIBI?N DIM DAMG̲ANSXW’N SIM AHL AAT. DIM HLIMOO’YNHL NII YE’E.”
“We have our ways,” answers his father. “Now, you stay here to help your uncle pull on the net lines. I’m going to help grandpa.”
IIT X̲SIDAMG̲AN DIITHL AAT DIIT. GYAA’S TS’UUSXW’M G̲ABI GABIHL HELDA HON LU LOOKSIT SIM AAT TSIM AKS II HE’T AS NIBIP’T, “AM WIL BAGWIM HLA ’WII ’NAKWIM G̲OOP. JI DA ’WII ’NAKHL G̲OOP II NEMDIM DII DIP ’MUUKHL DIIT GABIHL HON TUN. LUGWIL AMHL WILA WILIM!”
They start hauling in the net. Small Number sees that all fish within the area between the beach and the net are captured and says to his uncle, “Good that we came during the high tide. If the tide were low we wouldn’t catch this many fish. Our ways are good!”
GIDAG̲ASXW: HINDA GAN WIHL HANII G̲OOT’S TS’UUSXW’M G̲ABI DIM HLIBUUHL HON AHL TS’UUXSW’M G̲OOP?
Question: Why did Small Number think that during a low tide the catch would be much smaller?
