Section 7.8 Tla'amin - mɛnatᶿɛy hɛga ʔəms χat̓kʷ
Written by: Veselin Jungic and Mark MacLean
Illustrated by: Bethani L'Heureux
Tla’amin translation by: Ochele (Betty Wilson) and Gail Blaney, Tla’amin Nation; Eva and Herman Francis, Klahoose First Nation; Marianne Huijsmans, UBC; and Su Urbanczyk, UVic.
mɛnatᶿɛy ʔatᶿ nən. payɛč gagayɛɬtən kʷ ʔukʷtəm. saystom tums ƛaχƛaχay kʷ qʷaqʷθəm ninijɛ kʷ sχoχoɬ. χaƛ kʷatᶿ tawθɛ ninijɛs ta χat̓kʷs tɛʔɛ t̓aχəmay.
Menathey is my name. I always ask about everything. Our elders like to tell old stories. I would like to tell you about the designs on this cedar pole.
t̓ᶿɛt̓ᶿɛyqenəm šɛ qayk̓ʷ šɛ paʔa t̓ᶿokʷ. kʷʊnuxʷas šɛ ti mot jɛnxʷ. hɛhew gaɬ mot. χʷayɛmɛtəs ta ti jɛnxʷ. ʔi: ƛukʷtəs. hanəm qatəm ta jɛnxʷ. xʷačɛmas qahuxʷəs. nənmaɬ ʔot tayq. hanəm qatəm.
One day the eagle was out looking for something to eat. He spotted a huge fish just below the surface of the water. It was so shiny. He plummeted down towards the fish. He grabbed it with his talons. The fish was too big and heavy. The eagle was unable to lift it. He could only move it just a little. It was too heavy.
“qʷal čɛgaθ qʷal čɛgaθ” t̓ᶿiqɛt ta qayk̓ʷ.
“Come help. Come help” screeched the eagle.
činəm ta p̓oho. xʷayɛmɛtəs. ɬəqtəs ta məqsens ta giyɛws ta jɛnxʷ.
The raven heard eagle's cry. He flew down. He pierced his beak into the salmon's body.
sɛsayɛmɛtəs tətk̓ʷt ta qatəm ti jɛnxʷ. xʷačɛməs qahuxʷəs. hanəm qatəm. namaɬ ʔot tayq.
The two worked together to pull the big fish. They were unable to lift it. Too heavy. They were able to move it just a little.
t̓ᶿiyk̓t qay ta qayk̓ʷ: “qʷa čɛgatumoɬ qʷa čɛgatumoɬ”
The eagle screeched again. “Come help! Come help!”
činəm ta mɛχaɬ. ho jɩƛmɛtas ta qayk̓ʷ. qʷopašəs ta jɩšjɩšɩns ta qayk̓ʷ. (qʷopaɬštəs) tətkʷtəm ta mɛχaɬ ta qayk̓ʷ ta qayk̓ʷ hɛga ta p̓oho ta ti jɛnxʷ hanəm qatəm ta jɛnxʷ namaɬʔot tayq.
The bear heard the eagle's shrill cry he ran towards the eagle. The bear grabbed the eagle's feet (grabbed by the feet). The bear pulled the eagle, the eagle pulled the raven that big fish. That fish was too heavy It only moved just a little.
χɛχɛnəm ta mɛχaɬ: “qʷal čɛgatumoɬ qʷal čɛgatumoɬ”
The bear roared: “Come help! Come help!”
činom ta ƛaɬom χɛnəms ta mɛχaɬ. ho jɩƛmɛtəs ta mɛχaɬ. čɛganəq kʷo. ƛayɛtəs ta mɛχaɬ ʔi tukʷtəs.
The wolf heard the bear's call He ran towards the bear. He also helped. He grabbed the bear and began to pull.
tət k̓ʷ təm ta ƛaɬom ta mɛχaɬ. tət k̓ʷ təm ta mɛχaɬ ta qayk̓ʷ. tət k̓ʷ təm ta qayk̓ʷ ta p̓oho. ta ti jɛnxʷ. namaɬʔot tayq ta ti jɛnxʷ.
The wolf was pulling the bear. The bear was pulling the eagle. The eagle and the raven pulled the big fish. The fish only moved a little.
guguhom ta ƛoɬom: “qʷal čɛgatumoɬ! qʷal čɛgatumoɬ”
The wolf howled: “Come help! Come help!”
činəm ta qʷowut šɛ guhoms ta ƛaɬom. θo čɛganəq. ƛayɛtəs ta ƛaɬom.
The beaver heard the wolf's howl. He went over to help. He grabbed the wolf.
tət k̓ʷtəm ta qʷowut ta ƛaɬom. tət k̓ʷtəm ta ƛaɬom ta mɛχaɬ. tət k̓ʷtəm ta mɛχaɬ ta qayk̓ʷ. tət k̓ʷtəm ta qayk̓ʷ hega ta p̓oho ta ti jɛnxʷ. naməɬʔot tayq ta ti jɛnxʷ
The beaver pulled the wolf. The wolf pulled the bear. The bear pulled the eagle. The eagle and the raven pulled at the big fish. The fish only moved a little.
ɬəɬpatəs šɛ sopnačs: “qʷal čɛgatumoɬ! qʷal čɛgatumoɬ!”
The beaver cried as she slapped her tail: “Come help! Come help!”
činəm ta walθ. čɛganəq k̓ʷo. ƛayɛtəs ta qʷowut.
The frog heard the beaver's call. He ran over to help. He grabbed the beaver.
tət k̓ʷtəm ta walθ ta qʷowut. tət k̓ʷtəm ta qʷowut ta ƛaɬom. tət k̓ʷtəm ta ƛaɬom ta mɛχaɬ. tət k̓ʷtəm ta mɛχaɬ ta qayk̓ʷ. tət k̓ʷtəm ta qayk̓ʷ hɛga ta p̓oho ta ti jɛnxʷ. ʔuk̓ʷ čɛčɛganəq. hoya sitətəs ta ti jɛnxʷ ta ɬayt.
The frog pulled the beaver. The beaver pulled the wolf. The wolf pulled the bear. The bear pulled the eagle. The eagle and the raven pulled the big fish. Everyone worked together. The heaved the fish onto the shore.
gayɛɬtanč: čɩmčɛ qaχayɛmɛtəs šɛ ti jɛnxʷ hɛwtəm ɬaytuxʷs?
Question: Why did it take all the animals to be able to pull that big salmon on to the shore?
