Section 6.4 Gitxsan - TS'UUSXW'M G̲ABI G̲ANHL ‘WII G̲AN
Written by: Veselin Jungic and Mark MacLean
Illustrated by: Simon Roy and Jess Pollard
Gitxsan translation by: Barbara Harris Sennott, Jeanne Harris, and Catherine Blackstock, of the Gitxsan Nation
G̲AN WILA HA'TAG̲UM ‘TIHLXW'S TS'UUSXW'M G̲ABI
Small Number (is a young boy) who gets into a lot of mischief.
YEEX̲S DIS TS'UUSXW'M G̲ABI G̲ANHL HLGIIXW 'T SIM HUGWAG̲UMG̲ABI DIIT TS'IITS DIIT TS'UUSXWM ANJOK̲ LAX̲ YIP DIIT.
With his sister, Perfect Number, he visits their Grandma who lives in a small village on their Nation's traditional territory.
WII'US TS'UUSXW'M G̲ABI DIM ‘WIHL YEE'T TS'IM WILP'S TS'IITS'T.
Small Number likes to wander around grandma's house
HINDA WILT YEEX̲SIS TS'UUSXW'M G̲ABI'T TS'IITS'T IIT G̲AN WILA ‘WAHL LIGI AGWII
because whenever he visits he discovers something new and exciting there.
‘WAY'ITHL LOOG̲'M ‘NOO'O
(This time) he finds an old (woven) basket.
“GYA'AHL G̲ASG̲OOHL AMG̲OOGITHL WILA GYADIT,” DII'YA'T TS'UUSXW'M G̲ABI. YUKW'T DASHL YAHLXWA ‘NOO'O.
“Look how beautiful these patterns are,” says Small Number while touching the smooth surface of the basket. (BIRCH BARK BASKET)
“JABIS ‘WII NIXDAA'Y,” II'T LAX̲NIS TS'UUSXW'M G̲ABI HLA AM'E'S TS'IITS
“It was made by my great aunt,” Small Number hears Grandma's gentle voice.
NEEMA WILAX WIL'T HOX DIITHL HLA WISHL HA'T'AL' AA?
“Do you know that this (basket) was made from cedar roots?”
GY'A'A'S TS'IITS'T WIL'T LIXSKEDIMSXW'S TS'A'A'S TS'UUSXW'M G̲ABI
Grandma looks at Small Number's (puzzled) face,
II HE'T, “'NIIN G̲ANT HUGWAG̲UMG̲ABI DIM STILIS'M NII'Y. DIM HLIMOO'Y'N ‘NII'Y DIM DIP SAG̲AYT DOX̲'HL HLA WISHL HA'T'AL' JI TAA'HLAKXW'.”
and says, “You and Perfect Number will go with me tomorrow to help me gather cedar roots.”
“DI'. HLA DIM TOOK̲XW'M”
“Now let us eat”
“DIM MAHL DII LUN G̲AN WILA WIHL “SACRED” HA'T'A'L LO'OM G̲AN HINDA DIP WILA HOY'T.”
“and I'll tell you why cedar is a sacred plant for our people and how it can be used (in many different ways.)”
“SI' IX SAG̲AYT DOX̲'YHL HLA HA'T'AL' WIST AHL XWSIT, HLISHL ‘TIS WIS G̲ANHL HLAGOK̲ DIM SOX̲”
“I try to gather my (CEDAR) roots in the fall after the rains and before the frost.”
“II ‘NIT G̲AN WIHL NA MIDINHL HA'T'AL DIM HOY'M JI HLA MAADIM. DIM II DIP JAPHL ‘NOO'O”
“That why I make sure that I have enough (CEDAR) supply for the winter to make my baskets,”
DII YA'T TS'IITS AS TS'UUSXW'M G̲ABI GANT HUGWAG̲UMG̲ABI HLA YUUK'T GY'A DIITHL SPAG̲AYT G̲AN
says Grandma to Small Number and Perfect Number when they entered the forest.
‘TIS YEEN IIT HANEEK DIS TS'UUSXW'M G̲ABIHL MIYUXWSIM SPAG̲AYT G̲AN II SIM AMA HIIHLUUXW AHL TSIM YEEN WIL SA AP HLO'O DIIT
It is a misty morning and Small Number can smell the sweet scent of the forest.
IIT LAX‘NII WIL LIMX TS'UUTS TSIM SPAG̲AYT G̲AN
He hears how the birds sing to each other somewhere high in the trees.
II HANII G̲OOT'S TS'UUSXW'M G̲ABI, “GWIHL DOX'IT HAKYOO'HL SPAG̲AYT G̲AN?”
“What is behind those big trunks?” thinks Small Number
II YEE'S TS'UUSXW'M G̲ABI GO'OHL LAX YIP TSIM HLA HANII WANHL SPAG̲AYT G̲AN.
and starts walking over the coarse woody debris on the forest floor.
II YEE'S TS'UUSXW'M G̲ABI WIL DOX̲HL GAN GAN LAX YIP, II YEE'T IIT GYAA'HL HELDA GAN GAN LITXWIT GO'OHL TSIM AXS.
He moves between fallen dead trees and the remains of large branches until he reaches the group of trees standing by a creek bank.
II ‘WIDIN YEE'S TS'UUSXW'M G̲ABI GOOHL WIL LITXWHL GAN GAN IIT MIN GY'A'T
Small Number gets close to one of the trees and looks up,
“IIT GIDAHL HINDAHL G̲A'NAGWIHL G̲AN TUN! II HANII G̲OOT'S TSI XWSDINS WIL K'AP METERS G̲A'NAGWIT?”
“How straight this trunk is! This tree must be at least 50 meters tall!”
IIT ‘TIP GYA'AHL HLGU AXS
Then he looks down at the creek.
HII LA'IHL TSA'A'S II TS'UUSXW'M G̲ABI II BAX̲HL G̲OOT'T WILT GYAHL WIL HELTHL HON
Small Number's eyes widen and the beating of his heart RACES (fastens) when he realizes that the creek is full of (spawning) salmon.
“HELDIMAHL HON G̲OOSUN.”
“There must be thousands of fish here.”
‘MIIN GYATLASXW'T TS'UUSXW'M G̲ABI II ‘WILKII HETXW'T HAGYO'OHL G̲AN
Small Number lifts his head (LOOKS UP) and quickly steps back behind the tree.
HLA AMHL G̲ANAGWIT IIT XSI GY'A'HL HLI KI'IHL HLGU AXS
After a few moments, gathering all his courage, he peeks out at the other bank of the creek.
GYA'A'T ‘WII HA'T'AL G̲AN G̲ANHL TUUTSXWA SMAX GANHL GWILA'L'THL KUBA SMAX HLIHLAXW'T.
There he sees a huge cedar tree and a black bear with her three cubs just under it.
“AP HUGWAX G̲A'DA WILT GUPHL SMAXHL HON.” DII'YA'T TS'UUSXW'M G̲ABI
“So it is true that bears eat salmon,” whispers Small Number.
“AP ‘NIT TUN SA, K'YA AMA SA AHL HLA DIDILSI'Y.” DII'YA'T TS'UUSXW'M G̲ABI
“This is the most exciting day of my life!” (SAYS SMALL NUMBER)
“HE'Y LUN DIM G̲AN WILA W'IHL WIN GO'Y, TS'UUSXW'M G̲ABI!”
“I told you to stay with me all the time, Small Number!”
LAX NII'IS TS'UUSXW'M G̲ABIHL AME'S TS'IITS'T AHL HA'GYO'O'T
Small Number hears his grandma's quiet voice, coming just from behind him.
LUUT KUU ‘TAYXWSXW ‘NIT IIT SIM LUU ‘DA'MIXSXWS TS'IITS'T
He turns around and hugs grandma very tightly.
“SIM LUKWIL SIIPIN'Y ‘NIIN TS'IITS!”
“I love you so much, grandma!”
“AP HOTI SIM ‘WII O'Y ‘NIIN” DIYET TS'IITS “II HAP HA'O MIJA SA X̲BATS'OW'Y!”
“I love you very much too, but please don't scare me like this again!” replies grandma.
YUKHL TOOKXW DIIT, IIT G̲AN WILA LISEEXWS TS'UUSXW'M G̲ABIHL, HUGWAG̲UMG̲ABI GANHL TS'IITS'T.
During dinner back at grandma's house, Small Number cannot stop telling grandma and Perfect Number about his adventure.
“GYA'A'Y WIL YUKW'T GUPHL SMAXHL HON HLI HLAXWHL ‘WII T'ISSIM G̲AN.”
“I saw bears eating salmon under the biggest tree ever.”
“SIM ‘KYA ‘WII TIXW HLI SILKXWHL ‘WII G̲AN.”
“The trunk of the tree was so big. (that)”
“HASAG̲'Y DIM G̲ANDOO'LDUL'T DIM G̲ABIHL AN SIPSIIBINSXW'Y' DIM AN'T LUU DA'MIXWSHL G̲AN.”
“I would need at least eight of my friends to (TO HUG THE TREE) hold their hands to get around it (THE TREE).”
“DIM SA WA'T DIITHL SMA(X)'A G̲AN!”
“I'll call it the Bear Tree!”
“NEM DIM DI MAHLIT AS NOX̲'Y WIL AM K'YUL'Y SPAG̲AYT G̲AN.”
“Just don't tell Mom that I wandered through the forest on my own.”
HINDAHL GAL'A'IHL SMA(X)'A G̲'AN GI?
Question: How wide was the Bear Tree?
