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Noy xugidighedhitinh. The one who escaped form war. Told by Ellen Savage at her home in Anchorage, AK, October 2002. |
Recorded by Alice Taff and Donna Miller MacAlpine. Transcribed and translated by Donna Miller MacAlpine (DMM), Ellen Savage, Edna Deacon, and Alice Taff. (added for clarity) {false start} [notes]. |
TO REPLAY A PHRASE, click on its speaker icon. |
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Xidhoyh. |
The story. |
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(DMM) The one you just told us. |
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Yeah. |
Yeah. |
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Gogide, |
Here it is, |
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deg xiq'i {xitatl} |
in the local language |
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vixitatldhoyh, |
I'll tell it, |
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go idał, vixatldhok iy. |
right now, the one I already told. |
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Yidong engithidong {xid} |
A long, long time ago |
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xidhoyh. |
story. |
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Ngine', |
Up river, |
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ngine', |
up river, |
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Xiyighelinghdi xit'an ye, |
the Holikachuk people, |
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singonh, |
my mother, |
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sinughił di'ne, |
she told me, |
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"Ayiggi ngitsiy k'idz, |
"That one, your little grandpa, |
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ayiggi gide Xiyighelinghdi, |
right there in Holikachuk, |
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xit'an an at. |
he's a Native from there. |
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Agide, noy. |
So (there was) war. |
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Ghon' xits'i vonh |
From there his mother |
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ngiyiłtaninh, anh," |
is the one who carried him," |
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dina iłne. |
she told us. |
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"Tr'ine, |
"It is said, |
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xiyhts'in' go dadz |
in falltime like this |
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vonh and vito', |
his mother and his father, |
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tr'ine, |
it is said, |
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xivits'i iy da'on yeg |
their relatives, lots of them |
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ngitthing, |
down there, |
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a, Nulato or, |
ah, Nulato or |
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Yiqin |
Yukon |
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xivits'i iy da'on ye didiltth'en. |
their relatives lived there. |
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Ts'ixitathdatl |
They go to them |
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Xiyighelinghdi xits'in'. |
from Holikachuk. |
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Ts'i yitots'i yit qay xinedatl. |
So then they reached that village. |
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Qay xinedatl ts'i xiłdik, |
They reached the village and then, |
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xivits'i iy da'on ye, |
their relatives, |
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gho xidixinedatl. |
they went in to them. |
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Yit xadidltth'e. |
They started to stay there. |
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Xełedz xineg yuxudz yit xididltth'e. |
Nicely, all of them stayed there. |
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Yeg ndadz sre' ine', |
I don't know how many but, |
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ndadz sre' inałtadi |
I don't know how many nights |
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xinadhoł yuxudz dixet'a xingo. |
it was, during which they camped. |
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Yitots'i, |
And then, |
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xiłts'in' tux, |
in the evenings, |
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an nq'ołdałin ye |
the women |
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te xonxididił. |
carried up the water. |
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Anh giłigginh xiłdi nq'ołonh anh, |
One of those women, |
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te xitadhiyodi |
at the water place (water hole) |
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yit te titlchet xiyił, tr'ine. |
started to get water, then, it is said. |
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Iy te iy yuxudz yeg |
All that water |
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ni'idinix. |
was moving. |
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Vinjit didlidhiyh. |
She got scared. |
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Go itl'e noy ghidił, |
Perhaps war is coming, |
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inedhinh. |
she thinks. |
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Ngidiq, tr'ine, yuxudz yeg, |
Up the bank, it is said, |
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xanidliggok. |
she ran up the bank. |
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Yix xidon iliggok. |
She ran into the house. |
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Yuxudz xiłdi xinughił di'ne, |
She told everyone, |
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'Ngitthet, |
D'own there, |
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te getiy ni'idinix. |
the water is really moving. |
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Noy,' ne. [Although Ellen pronounces the word "no'oy" for 'sun', we think she means to say "noy", 'war'.] |
War,' she said. |
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Ne', 'Agide ndałon |
She said, 'Right now maybe |
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tr'odił.' |
they are coming.' |
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Nginedz or ndagh sre' xits'i. |
From upriver or she doesn't know where. |
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'Noy dił'an nighidił ndałon,' xiłne. |
'The fighting people (army) are crossing (the river) maybe,' she tells them. |
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Xiye gho dluggidilighusr, tr'ine. |
They laugh at her, it is said. |
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'Ngo xits'i tidhene ts'i, ngonh. |
'Don't talk like that, mother. |
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Dina qul,' xałne. |
There is nobody there,' they say. |
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Ts'i yitots'i yuxudz, |
So after that, |
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xididighenek. |
she quit talking about it. |
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Che yuxudz, yuxudz ts'in' ne, ne, {xey ix, hiy hiy hiy yi} |
It's still so with her (what she believed) but, |
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xivixo yighela' ts'in', |
they didn't believe her, |
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anh xiłdi anh, |
that person, |
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Xiyighelinghdi xits'i xit'an, |
the people from Holikachuk, |
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nq'ołonh anh vigi-, |
that woman her, |
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vigidiyorz k'idz, vigi-, |
her little son, her, |
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trixineganh k'idz yił, |
with her little baby, |
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vughiyithdon yił xiłdik yit, |
and with her husband there |
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{dits'i} vits'i iy da'on vixididltth'e. |
staying right there with their relatives. |
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Ts'i yitots'i xinathdrit," ne. |
So then they went to bed," she said. |
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"Deg xitixet'a xiyił. |
Then they were sound asleep. |
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Vinixiłyiq |
In the morning |
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nixitili'eł dixits'i xiyił, |
before it got light, |
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qay yuxudz yeg, |
The whole village, |
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getiy longhin |
really lots of people |
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nedatl. |
came. |
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Yix tux oxo tithidatl. {xidigi-, xige} |
Among the houses they went. |
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Uxitiy |
Those things |
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tixixighon, tixixighon, tixixighon. |
they're killing, killing, killing. |
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{Ni} Yiggiy dałtidl ixdinałdał, |
They didn't have those guns, |
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uxitiy deg. |
what they use around here. |
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(DMM) Q'o is the arrow. |
(DMM) Q'o is the arrow. |
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Ts'i yitots'i yuxudz yix tux ixididał iy |
Then they went in all the houses |
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xivigi'iłting' axa, |
with their bows and arrows, |
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nq'oxdina' ye yuxudz, |
lots of people, |
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{ixi-, xate-} yuxudz tthidixixine'onh. |
they slaughtered everyone. |
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Gan nq'ołonh xiłdik anh |
That woman's then she, |
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diyozr k'idz {digi-} |
her little son, |
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digitr'ixineganh k'idz, |
her little baby, |
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tr'ine, dughi yixini'iłt'anh. |
it is said, she put him under her. |
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Yitongo iy q'o |
Meanwhile an arrow |
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idiq'idz dithitonh. |
she put on top of her. |
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Yitots'i antr'an yeg {didl-} |
So then it looks like |
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q'o axa dalyoq xidingit'a. |
with an arrow she was already struck. |
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Yuxudz xiłdi xaxa |
All the time |
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viłałtingh xiq'i. |
like she's sleeping. |
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Ts'i yuxudz dingit'a nighisino ts'i xiyił. |
All that time she stayed that way, not moving. |
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{vigi-} Viyozr k'idz xiłdik, anh q'idz xiłdik |
her little son, on top of him |
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dathtanh. |
she's lying. |
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Yitongo vughiyithdon, |
Meanwhile her husband, |
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go viq'idhith, |
right beside her, |
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tr'ine, q'idong |
it is said, already |
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q'o axa xiyeditltił. |
with an arrow in him. |
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Ts'i yitots'i viyetr qul. |
So now his breath (life) was gone. |
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Yuxudz dingit'a ts'i xiłdik yuxudz. |
Even so she just stayed like that. |
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Ngi'egh yuxudz, yuxudz, |
Outside all of them, everything, |
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qay xichux yuxudz, |
the whole big village, |
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xit'an ye yuxudz, |
all the people, |
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tr'ine, yuxudz, |
it is said, all, |
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yuxudz xeloq, noy. |
they all died, war. |
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Yuxudz {xivi} xitogh ghidiltotl q'o axa. |
All of them were shot with arrows. |
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Ts'i yuxudz dina qul ts'i xidiyoq. |
Like there was nobody living. |
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Ixideyan' yuxudz. |
Only them (the mother and baby). |
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Yixi tux xidixodił ts'i xiłdik, |
They (the attackers) went among all the houses, |
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yeg yuxudz, |
all the people, |
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xiviyideloy tux xiyił, |
among their clothes too, |
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gan yeg xiyiq'a dingit'a yuxudz, xighiłzrek. |
anything they liked, all that they took. |
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Yuxudz xotl'ogh xiłdik, |
After they did that, |
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nixitithidatl. |
they left. |
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Anh nq'ołonh xiłdik an, |
That woman, she, |
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tth'e yuxudz ingit'a viyozr k'idz {vigi-, viy-, vigi-} |
still she is lying like that (on) her little son, |
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tr'ixineganh k'idz gho yix. |
little baby underneath her. |
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Xidigał xezron che, |
Finally at last, |
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tr'anyeniłtanh. |
she took him out (from under her). |
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Ngi'egh yuxudz yeg |
Everything outside |
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q'udixidetth'iq, |
was quite all around, |
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nq'oxdina' ye qul ts'in'. |
no people. |
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Agide yuxudz. |
That's all of them. |
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Nixitithidatl, inedhinh. |
They left, she's thinking. |
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Yitos'i xits'i xo'in xiłdi |
So that's why then |
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digigik'idz tr'anyiniłtanh dughiyixi xits'in'. |
she took her little baby out from under her. |
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Xełedz xineg xiłdik, |
Really nicely then, |
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niyethtl'enh. |
she dressed him up (taking care of him). |
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'Agide, dadz ghiluq, viyił, ntasdoł itl'e,' inedhinh. |
'Now this poor dear, with him, I'll walk back perhaps,' she's thinking. |
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Ts'i yitots'in', |
So then, |
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xełedz xineg diyeloq ts'i xiłdik. |
very nicely she does it. |
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Niyithtl'enh ts'i. |
She dresses him up. |
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Niyiłtał ts'i xiłdik. |
She's carrying him then. |
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Ngi'in tthiniytth |
She puts her head out. |
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Tthi'idiggisr. |
She crawls out. |
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Antr'an ye ghidiggisr. |
Like she's crawling on out. |
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Ghihoł qul; |
She didn't walk; |
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ghidiggisr. |
she crawled. |
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Xidigał ndagh sre' |
Finally she doesn't know how |
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xits'i nineyo, |
she got out, |
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ghidiggisr xingo. |
while she's crawling. |
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Xiłdik, 'Sixitiłtthał,' inedhinh ts'in'. |
Then, 'They might see me,' she's thinking. |
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{a dig} Digigik'idz, xiłdik anh, |
Her little one, then that one, |
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dughi yixiyił do. |
he stayed under her. |
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Iłt'e yołtał ts'in'. |
Still she's holding him. |
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Ts'i yitots'i xidigał xezron che |
So then finally at last |
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tritr tux {ne} idiggisr. |
she crawled into the woods. |
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Yit xits'i xiłdi diggadiniłnek. |
There then she stood up. |
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Ts'i yitots'i xinił'anh. |
Then she looked around. |
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Yuxudz xinił'anh. |
She looked all around. |
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Dina qul. |
No people. |
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Diva ine' 'n iy? |
Who would there be? |
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Xighela' ts'in'. |
They weren't there. |
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Agide yitots'in', |
So then, |
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yit, xits'i xiłdik, |
from right there then, |
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digigik'idz yił, |
with her little one, |
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tr'ine, |
it is said, |
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Xiyighelinghdi xits'i ntithiyo ghihoł ts'in'. |
she started walking straight to Holikachuk. |
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Ghihoł ts'i yiyił nughidoł. |
She walked back with him. |
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Che yuxudz, |
All that, |
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vughiyithdon, |
her husband, |
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yuxudz xivileg yił, qul ts'in'. |
and all their dogs, gone. |
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Yiyił ghihoł ts'i yuxudz. |
She walks on with him. |
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Xidigał xezron che, |
Finally at last, |
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Xiyighelinghdi niyiłtanh." |
she carries him back to Holikachuk." |
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Agide, |
Thus, |
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istl'idong, |
when I was little, |
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nighitl-'an', |
I saw him, |
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anh, |
that person, |
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tr'ixineganh k'idz, ghelahin. |
the little baby, he was him. |
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Singonh sinoł didighene'. |
My mother told me. |
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Ayiggi gide anh. |
That one, that was him. |
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Tr'ixineganh k'idz ghela' |
He was the little baby |
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yit noy dighit'an dong. |
when the war happened long ago. |
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"Yuxtsiy an anh," dina iłne. |
"That's your grandfather," she tells us. |
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Ts'i nighitl-'an' anh, |
I saw that person, |
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noy, xugidighedhitinh. |
war, the one who escaped from it. |
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Vonh, gidiyighiłdhitinh. |
His mother, the one who escaped with him. |
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Yit yitots'i vaniginagh ts'in'. |
Right there I never forgot it. |
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Che singonh sinughił didighene ts'in'. |
Then my mother told it to me. |
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Agidet, xunik. |
There it is, a true story. |
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Agide |
There it is |
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yit, yidong, |
there, long ago, |
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a yuxudz, noy dighit'an. |
that's how war was. |
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Getiy engtthegh |
Really far over there |
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{ne} novogh xits'in' |
from the coast |
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go Deg Xit'an |
(to) the people around here, |
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yuxudz xighił'an 'n a an at. |
they used to do that way to them. |
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Deg Xit'an ye |
The Deg Xit'an |
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iłt'et |
always |
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{xiyił xidin} idiyił ghidiniyh. |
take care of themselves. |
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Yuxudz xoghot xiłdik xitixixithghon ts'in'. |
That's why they never got killed. |
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Yitots'i, |
So then, |
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yuxudz xaxa xiłdik xełedz xineg xivixa dixighet'a'. |
all of them then did (live) really good. |
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Yitongo engtthegh xit'an ye |
Meanwhile the coast people |
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nixididił ine', |
they come but, |
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q'agh nixitididił. |
they go back. |
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Che xivan, Deg Xit'an ye, |
Then for them, the Deg Xit'an, |
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{xivixo-} xivixo xididltth'e. |
they are waiting for them. |
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Yitots'i yixenedatldi, |
Then where they come, |
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xitixoghitaghonh. |
they'll kill them off. |
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Yuxudz xo'in q'anixidididił. |
That's why they turn around. |
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Yuxudz xighit'an xiyił xidigał, |
That's what was happening finally, |
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tr'ine, |
it is said, |
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gashigh xit'an ye |
(when) the white people |
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nedatl engan xits'in'. |
came over from far away. |
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Yit xits'in' a xighidighenek. |
From right then they stopped (having war). |
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Yuxudz gashigh xit'an ye ixinałjit. |
They were afraid of the white people. |
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Xiłdik, |
Then, |
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yuxudz gits'i dixidiyoqda', |
when anyone did something bad, |
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giholyaxdi, xidixivitolyał. |
the jail house, they'll put them in it. |
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Yuxudz xo'in xiłdik |
That's why then |
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yuxudz xighidighenek iy. |
they quit all that (war). |
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Yit xits'in', |
From then on, |
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yuxudz, |
everything, |
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yuxudz an at dighidighenek. |
they quit all of it. |