A very special treat: Boowach yaka ya'im (fwd)

[David Robertson]

 *VISIT the archives of the CHINOOK jargon and the SALISHAN & neighboring*
		    <=== languages lists, on the Web! ===>
	   http://listserv.linguistlist.org/archives/salishan.html
	   http://listserv.linguistlist.org/archives/chinook.html

Klahowyam, konoway-klaxta.  Sit back and listen as Scott tells you a
priceless old story from his people, in excellent Chinook Jargon.  Pay
attention to the Makah pronunciations here!  Hyas
mahsie, Scott, you honor us!  What do Makah people say for "Habu"?
(Lushootseed word for "Keep telling the story, we're listening!")  --Dave

 ---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Fri, 26 Feb 1999 15:56:14 -0800
From: "Scott E. Tyler" <styler at multicare.com>
To: 'David Robertson' <drobert at tincan.tincan.org>
Subject: RE: Bu!kwach yaka ya'im


Dedicated to John Thomas, Nitnat elder, a friend and Baha'i.
John told me this story of the creation of Deer at a Council Fire
in Neah Bay on the Makah Reservation about 15 years ago.
Scott


  OKE BOOWACH PE !QWETI
  The Deer and Mink

  Oke Mowich yaka kumtaks koopa kwolan,
	oke !Qweti tlatawa yukwa.
The Deer heard the Changer was coming.

  Alta oke Boowach hiloo tliki spoos !Qweti mamook huloymi iktas alta.
The Deer did not want the the Changer to make things different.

  Hiloo latate man oke Boowach pe yaka tliki mamook delate kokshut koopa
!Qweti !
The Deer was a simple man who wanted to kill the Changer!

  Boowach  yaka mamook makst opitsah koopa toluks-'owas.
  Yaka tliki mamook meshachee koopa !Qweti, yaka oyahut okoke !
Deer made two knives from mussel shells.
He planned to make trouble for the Changer!

  Yaka mamook toluks-'owas chakoo delate tsish koopa yootlkut pe klimin
kays.
He made the mussel shell very sharp with a long smooth stone.

  Yaka mamook tsish oke toluks'owas pe mamook hiyu tlimin tlimin pollalee
kakwa sapolil.
  Delate yaka mamook hyas tsish opitsah.
He sharpened the mussel shell and producing much dust.
Truly he made a very sharp knife.

  Boowach yaka lemolo-man, yaka tumtum yaka iktas mitlite hiyu skookum.
Deer was crazy he thought himself to be very strong.

  Oke Boowach yaka tanc tanc pe mamook shontey.  Pe yaka wawa,
 	' Nayka tliki kokshut koopa !Qweti !'
The Deer danced and sang.  And he said, 'I want to kill the Changer.'

  Yaka chakoo yootl pe mamook skookum myeena.  Yaka palh skookum wawa.  Yaka
shontey alta.
He became pround and sang loudly.  He was a braggert.  He sang.


		Alqi nayka kokshut !Qweti alta,
		Nayka tlemahoon yaka tloosh,
		Yaka pilpil pe chakoo memaloos,
		Nayka skookum kakwa boos boos
		Yeh ey ya hah Yeh ey ha hoo


  Alta yaka tanc konamokst makst toluks opitsah !  Yaka mamook tanc kakwa
pook pook pe tlemahoon, mitlite hiyu opitsah.
He danced with the two mussel knives!  He made a dance jabbing and stabbing
with the knives.

  Yahwa yaka mitlite makst opitsah koopa makst lemah.  Ikt koopa kenkayam
lemah.  Pe ikt koopa lept lemah.
There he had two knives in his hands.   One in the right hand. And one in
the left hand.

  Pe !Qweti nanich oke Boowach ta-a-anc ta-a-anc pe shonte-e-ey alta.  Oke
!Qweti yaka solleks okoke man,
  delate hiloo latate yaka .
And Changer saw the Deer dancing and singing.  The Changer was displeased
with this stupid fellow.

  Oke !Qweti kisskeeyoo* koopa Boowach,  '? Qhata mamook mayka ? ? Klaska
chakoo ? ? konsee yaka ko ?'
The Changer asked Deer, 'What are you doing? Who is coming? When will he
arrive?

  '? Qhata alqi mayka mamook koopa opitsah ?'
What will you do with the knife?

  Oke Mowich yaka hiyu heltesh.  Yaka wawa wext oke yaka kultus oyahut.
  Mowich wawa, 'Alqi nayka tlkope pe tlemahoon koopa ...
The Deer laughed.  He repeated his worthless plan.  Deer said, 'I will cut
and stab the ...

...  !Qweti, alqi nayka iskam yaka wind.  Alta nayka mamook yaka memaloos
alta!'
... Changer, I'll take his life.  I'll kill him now!'
A
  !Qweti kisskeeyoo yaka, '? Tloosh spoos nayka nanich mayka opitsah ?  ?
Nah hyas tsish okoke ?'
Changer asked him, 'May I see your knife?'  'Is it very sharp?'

  Pe, '? Tloosh spose nayka elahan mayka kokshut koopa !peshak !Qweti ?'
And, 'May I help you kill this no good Changer?'

  Pe Boowach wawa, ' Nawitka! Nixwah mayka iskam nayka toluks-'owas
opitsah, yaka delate tsish !'
And Deer said, 'Yes. Here, you take my mussel shell knife, it is very
sharp!'

  Boowach pahllach yaka opitsahs koopa !Qweti.
  !Qweti iskam opitsahs pe hyas kwutl koopa oke Boowach yaka la tate.
Deer gave his knives to the Changer.
Changer took the knives and thrust them into the head of Deer.

  Pe yaka mahsh makst toluks-'owas opitsah koopa okoke tlaXayam man yaka
kwolan.
And he left the two mussel shell knives in the ears of that poor man.

  !Qweti nanich oke mamook-tsish kays.
Changer saw the sharpening stone.

  Hyak alta oke !Qweti !tlap kays koopa yaka lemah.
  Pe yaka tlemahoon !tlip oke kays kikwalli oopooch koopa Boowach.
Quickly, Changer snatched the stone with his hand.  And he stabbed the stone
deep into the rear end of Deer.

  Alta Boowach mitlite hyas kwolan koopa la tate pe yootskut kays koopa
oopooch !
  Tlos hyas anah !  Tlos hyas pil pil !
Deer now had large ears on his head and a short stone in his bottom.
  O the pain!  O the blood!

  !Qweti mamook pahl yaka lemah koopa tkope pollalee.
  Pe yaka hyas kokshut koopa Boowach yaka oopooch.
  Pe mamook hiyu tkope smok koopa kanawi qah.
Changer grabbed hands full of the white powder.
He slapped the bottom of Deer.  And made a dusty cloud all around.

  Oke tlimin pollalee mamook tkope oke Boowach yaka oopooch pe yakwatin.
  Oke tlaXayam man yaka hyas sopena pe hyak kooli siya koopa hiyu stik.
The dust made Deer's rear end and underside white.
The poor man bounded off and ran swiftly far into the forest.

 Yahwa chakoo !tlah Boowach delate kakwa alta nesayka nanich yaka alta.
Thus Deer was created as we see him presently.

  Yaka mitlite hyas lowalo kwolan kakwa toluks-'owas, pe tenas oopooch
kakwa tenas kays,
  pe tkope yakwatin pe tsum tsum oopooch.
He has the big rounded ears like mussel shells, the stubby tail,
 white belly and spotted rear.

  Alta kwansim laly Boowach yaka hyas sopena pe hyak kooli
  pe ipsoot yaka latate koopa tillakum alta.
Even now, the Deer is always jumping, running
and hiding himself from people still.

  Kanawi okoke kehwa yaka mamook halo kwan koopa !Qweti.
All this because he offended the Changer.

  Kehwa halo yaka !kwas koopa !Qweti.
Because he did not fear the Changer.