Louie and Mike

Translation by Mary Charlie, Edna McCook, Eileen McCook and Sharon
Hargus. Translation of Mike's occasional English words and phrases
into Tsek'ene by Mary Charlie, Edna McCook, Eileen McCook and Nellie
Charlie. Transcription by Sharon Hargus.
Length:  14:36 
Told to Frankie Abou

1. SH: hǫ

2. MA: Okay I'm gonna tell you a story about me and Louie.

3. Yeah, me and Louie, my brother-in-law? One time we were, it's about freighting.

4. This was back in '66 I think. Do I have to tell you in Indian or?

5. SH: you should.

6. FA: yeah

7. SH: yeah, you should tell it dune za zàghè'

8. FA: yeah

9. MA: But how kids gonna grab it?

10. SH: We'll work on that.

11. MA: You know them---

12. Kòòhhard timewìlę.
    back thenk'ula 'udawdèdlahiithere is
    'There were hard times back then.'

13. 'Ùkooration'ii gòòliihard to get by.
    thoseevenk'ula 'udawdèdlah ghiilè'
    'Even buying food on credit it was hard to get by.'1

14. 'Ii 'èhkachowazǫhduneghàghu'ąh.
    anda littleonlypeoplethey give to
    'They just give out a little (money for food).'

15. 'Ii 'èhwork'èhlittle bitwork'èh'its'ididììht'èh.
    andkats'ììlhahwithwithwe're trying
    'We're trying to work a little bit.'2

16. Art Van Somerstore'ets'idehkeh.
    'ookèt dewe're freighting
    'We're freighting for Art Van Somer.'3

17. LhàwììLouie'èhjowuts'ehnints'uskęyìdà'è.
    oncewithherefromwe left again by boatdownriver there
    'Louie and I went back down in the boat.'

18. Dahdidiisa k'ehgwats'ut'eJune.
    wellthismonthwe are there
    'It was in June.'

19. 'Ìdà'èkhwudighe kwùneDale Place'ughut'e.
    downriver theremy older brothersDale Kǫh (dzè')they are
    'My brothers were staying in Dale's Place.'4

20. Gwanùghudèl'èhwoogàhtùts'uskę.
    therethey're livingandby themwe landed boat
    'We landed the boat where they were living.'

21. Toodùsno,too high'ulę.
    waterit's highit is
    'There was high water.'

22. Oh,khwudighenedry meatlotsdughehlha.
    my older brothers'utsigǫ̀'nùstlǫthey have hanging
    'They had lots of dry meat hanging up.'

23. Gee!Duyaziik'e'iighǫlǫ̀.
    cow and calfthey killedhad
    'They had killed a cow and calf.'

24. Gee,'uyiitsiiyagòòliimuchowè'k'eh'uk'agwudzè'zǫh.
    thatlittle mooseevenits ribsonfattherejust
    'Boy, there was lots of fat on the little moose ribs.'

25. K'ulajoowoogàh'utsigǫ̀'ts'atsèt.
    rathertooby themdry meatwe ate
    'We ate well at their place.'

26. 'Ùkooyamukayghniizųallwàts'iniila.
    thosewhatthey wantwe gave them
    'We gave them whatever they wanted (of meat).'

27. 'IiyakhwudigheGeorge'èh(n)ii"yìdà'èdedzawukak'ahkòòh'unt'a?"sèhnii.
    theremy older brotherhe saiddownriverwherefor whatalreadyyou are (Q)he said to me
    'My brother George said, "what are you guys going to do downriver?"'

28. "Artkhukayniizųkhwudighe.
    he needs usolder brother
    "'Art needs us.'

29. 'Ii 'èhlast'e,"'ìdissįį.
    that's whyI'm doing this
    'That's why I'm doing this," I told him.'

30. "'Udoowahtę̀'ììt'è''uskewa kwùne,'udoo,'iicanyonts'ìì'ònèwitsį̀į̀'kawììht'eda."
    notyou pl. should sleepboysnotthatverybadit iswhile
    "'Don't sleep boys, because the canyon is pretty awful right now."

31. 'Iiwuts'ehwooghàtints'idùskę,(yì)da('è).
    thatafterleaving themwe pulled back outdownriver
    'After that we pulled out again.'

32. Dunekhutsehjowuts'ehtwo night agoyìdà'ènìsu'etlboat'èh.
    peopleahead of usherefrom theredownriverthey (boats) left'ulà'with
    'Ahead of us two nights ago some boats had left from here.'

FA:

33. 'Oo,ma'ooht'ea?
    ohwhatit is (Q)
    'Who was it?'

34. MA: Donald and John Poole and them

35. 'Ii 'èh,ya---'Ukà'iiwuts'è'ts'akelhii'uyiidunefrontsuda.
    and thenAkietoas we're going by boatthatpersonhe's sitting
    'Just when we're coming to them, that man (Louie) is sitting in front of the boat.'

36. 'Utsììdesuda.
    in bow of boathe's sitting
    'He's sitting in front.'

37. Mukaydissįįgòòlìì'udoonùghìdah,kwacanyonkhwąza'awts'udlàhììgòòlìì.
    I call himbutnothe's movingalreadycloseas we made it toeven though
    'I call him but he don't move, even though we were getting close to the canyon.'

38. Oh boy,wavek'ànustą.
    taduyonè'I see
    'I see a wave.'

39. I turn aroundkwudisdiigòòlìì'udoowukaynuszų.
    nusonawdinooskèhiiI thinkbutnotI want to
    'I thought about turning back but I didn't want to.'

40. Dahdèkasjàhwukakwudisdii.
    wellwhat happens to mein order toI think
    'I'm thinking see what happens to me.'

41. Ah,'usdęhdzè'gwudakhu---duts'ùdè''èkighni`i`da.
    justtherehis blankethe's leaning on
    'He was leaning in his blanket towards us.'

42. 'Ìdà'èzǫhkwule'èht'e.
    downriverjusthe's watchinghe looks like
    'It looked like he was watching down the river.'

43. 'Uyiidunesutę.
    thatmanhe's sleeping
    'That man is asleep.'

44. Nunùstęlǫ̀.
    he fell asleephad
    'He had fallen asleep.'

45. 'Oos'edììgòòlìì'uyiitank switch'unusdlàh.
    trying my besthoweverthatI fixed
    'I did my best to switch the tank.'

46. How!Muchǫhdacanyonkudèeskę.
    wowwhile he's sleepingI went through by boat
    'Wow, I went through the canyon while he was sleeping.'

47. Kwùlalast placeboytaduyònè',high.
    finallywave
    'There were high waves going through the last place.'5

48. Kwùlasǫ'uyiighunuskęgwudzè'lakhwùdè'koodehlììni'idììtl'a.
    finally(uncert)thatI went through by boatthere(cert)finallysuddenlyhe jumped up fast
    'Just when I went through, he jumped up fast.'

49. Naydììgus.
    he looked around
    'He looked around all over.'

50. 'Iijoo---khǫhdììkanuskę.
    thattooalreadyI went through
    'I already went through.'

51. Suk'ànehtą.
    he looks at me
    'He looked at me.'

52. Gwa'wèdè'tunts'ukehdegwatùsuskę.
    therealwayswe land boatwherethereI landed boat
    'I landed where we always land.'

53. Dòòdiizǫhtùdùsjum'iitl'ǫh'iiboatkighìstl'ǫǫ.
    quicklyjusthe jumped ashoreandthenthat'ulà'he tied up
    'He jumped off ahead of the boat and tied it.'

54. "Oh boy,tlasè'suchǫhdawuzà'la.
    'ooh'unebrother-in-lawin my sleepjust rightcert
    "'All that while I was sleeping soundly.'

55. Kètl'àh 'ii gòòliisuka diniiadèkant'a?"sèh(nii).
    why notyou call mehow you arehe told me
    'How come you never called me?"

56. Gee'ùkookudadowajoonuka dissįį,'ùkoo---
    thosemoosefortooI call youthose
    "'I call you for those moose too," I told him.'

57. "Oh boy,ts'ììyùnèestęlǫ̀,"hesay.
    'ooh'uneI slept throughhad
    "Oh boy, I slept through (it all).'

58. "'Iitaduyònè'ghats'ididùs---ghadi---ghuninkęlǫ̀de,toosunè'k'idììtozii'èhlanidìstl'a,"'èhnii.
    thatwaveyou went throughhadwhenwatermy faceit splashedand(cert)I jumped uphe says
    "'When you went through that rough water, water went down my face that's when I woke up.'

59. 'Ii'èhwatermunè'(dùdìstl'iit).
    that's whytoohis faceit started to splash
    'Yeah, water splashed his face.'

60. FA: yeah

MA:

61. Kòòhladidiikachowadǫ̀h.
    back thencertthishe's youngwhen (in the past)
    'That's when he was young.'

62. "Hey,gwashòwant'eǫ?"'ìdissįį.
    thereyou're okay (Q)I tell him
    "'Are you okay?" I told him.'

63. "Yeah,kwats'inunusdzut.Shòwast'e."
    finallyI woke upI'm fine
    'Yeah, I'm awake now. I'm fine."

64. "Wellkhudant'e."
    hurry up
    "'Well hurry up."'

65. Kwùjooboat'inìnasutl'un,kwùjooyìdà'è.
    again'ulà'he pushed it again out with poleagaindownriver
    'He pushed the boat out again.'

66. 'IiRuby Redghidiidegwudazǫhkwùndùsk'wungwaboatkighitl'ǫǫh.
    thatthey callwheretherejustfire was burningthere'ulà'it's tied up
    'At Ruby Red Cr. we saw a fire going ahead of us and boat tied up there.'6

67. Gwudadunekhuts'è'ts'isudetl.
    therepeopletowards usthey came out on top
    'People came out towards us on top of the hill.'

68. 'Ùkoodunekhutsehnìsu'etldegwudat'è'woot'ùts'uskę.
    thosepeopleahead of usthey left camp by boatswheretherewe caught up to them by boat
    'There we caught up to those people that had left ahead of us.'

69. "'Ii tl'ǫhdèkaht'ajodek'udàzǫh'aht'a?"woowèhnii.
    andhow are you pl.herestillyou pl. are
    "'What the heck's wrong with you, still there?" he asked them.'

70. "Sòònats'ut'e"ghidii'iiDonald'udii.
    we're taking it easythey saythathe says
    "'We're taking it easy," Donald said.'

71. "'ÙkwùneEdna kwùnedìkinlèh,khudowa."
    those peopleEdna and othersput them in vesselfor us
    "'Put Edna and them in the boat for us."'

72. "I'm taking chance, that's hired boat," I tell him.

73. "Dune,dunedowakaghts'ììh(lhah)."
    personforwe're working
    "'We're working for somebody."'

74. "'Idegòòlìì,"sèhnii.
    even sohe told me
    '(Do it) anyway," he told me.

75. "Hǫ"'ìdissįį.
    okayI told him
    'I agreed.'

76. Hey,'ùkwùnemikidsè'dìkìts'iila.
    those peoplemeskèghewe put them in vessel
    'We put the kids in the boat.'7

77. 'Iiwuts'ehJohn Poolemuboatè'little more light'ulę.
    thataftermelà'tsehdònajàhit is
    'From there John Poole's boat got lighter.'8

78. Woodahdajoolotsdìkoots'iila.
    their stufftoowinùstlǫwe put it in vessel
    'Some of their stuff we put in the boat for them.'

79. Gwawuts'ehwooghànin(ts'uskę).
    thereafterleaving themwe left by boat
    'From there we left ahead of them.'

80. Gwawuts'ehnìnuts'uskękhu'èhììt'è'lanìnughuskę.
    thereafterwe left campright with us(cert)they left camp
    'From there they came right behind us.'

81. Oh,lhèhgą̀h,lhèhgą̀htùts'uskę.
    eveningwe landed boat
    'We landed the boat in the evening.'

82. Dèsǫ'iiDuncannunè'dèzǫh'ìghidiilǫ̀.
    I guessthattraplinehowthey call ithad
    'I guess they used to call it Duncan's trapline.'9

83. K'ahkindììhǫ?
    Qyou know it
    'Do you know it?'

84. FA: mhm

MA:

85. Dèzǫh'ìwidiilǫ̀?
    howthey call ithad
    'What did they call the trapline?'

86. FA: um, Duncan

87. MA: hmm

88. 'Iiya'ustąDuncankǫh
    that therepaternal unclecamp
    'Duncan's camp'

89. FA: Duncan slough

90. MA: no<

91. kwùdiiyahdàdelaDuncan Slough,way downFt Grahamewadà'èla
    justjust downriver there(cert)yìdà'èdownriver from(cert)
    'just down there Duncan Slough, way down below Ft Grahame'

92. FA: well I don't know

MA:

93. Ya('u)t'esǫ'ìghidiilǫ̀?
    whatit is(uncert)they call ithad
    'What did they call it?'

94. Wadà'èlatùts'uskę.
    downriver from it(cert)we landed boat
    'Way downriver from there we landed.'

95. Kwalhììdǫ̀lhèhgą̀h'uwìjàh(d)atùts'uskę.
    finallysun is settingeveningit waswhilewe landed boat
    'Finally we landed the boat as the sun was setting.'

96. Kǫ(h),'awts'idèdlah'iitl'ǫh'uts'idèt'ę'uts'atsèt.
    campwe madeandthenwe cookedwe ate
    'We made camp, we cooked, and we ate.'

97. Gwudzelakhwùdè'kwùlakutl'e'ii gòòlììkhuk'èhwooda'ąlh.
    coming(cert)thenfinallyin the darkeven thoughbehind usthey're coming
    'Even though it was dark they were coming behind us.'

98. Khugàhtùghuskę.
    by usthey landed boat
    'They landed by us.'

99. 'Oowawute'e.
    ohthey like it
    'Oh, they're happy.'

100. Dahkètl'àh'udootent'ii gòòliidaghdìì(htsòòs)kooht'edeghinèhtets.
     welljustnotlibàliieventhey set upthings like thatwhenthey went to sleep
     'They didn't even set up tent, they just sleep there.'

FA: (laughs)

MA:

101. K'udà'early morningk'ahkinawdnìì---nawdììgalhkwakhu---Donaldgwudachidudah.
     stillnot evenit's getting lightalreadytherehe's busy
     'Early morning Donald getting ready.'

102. "Khudaht'etii'ahdǫ.
     you pl. hurry upteayou pl. drink
     "'Hurry up, drink tea.'

103. Tiiwahdǫ̀'iinidàhdèl."
     teayou pl. will drinkyou pl. get up
     'Hurry up get up and drink tea."'

104. Kwùlamuts'è'nits'idìì(detl.)
     finallyto himwe got up
     'I got up to him.'

105. Gee,khudowajoo'useht'ę.
     for usalsohe cooked
     'He cooked for us.'

106. Everybody'atsèt.
     tuts'idnèt'ethey ate
     'Everybody ate.'

107. 'Ùkookhuts'à'alltunaghnii'òdziitl'ǫhwut'ùnaghghiila.
     thoseour dishesthey washed allandthey put them away
     'They washed all our dishes and put them away.'

108. Hǫ,'iiwuts'ehkwùjoonints'uskę.
     go aheadthatafteragainwe left again
     'We left again.'

109. 'Iiwuts'ehla'udoowoodowa wait 'uslę.
     thatafter(cert)notwoodowast'e
     'From there I don't wait for them.'10

110. 'Iilagwudzè'Finlay Forksghidiigwudzè'zǫh,gwudasawmillsu'ǫgwudzè'zǫhtùsuskę.
     that(cert)therethey calltherejustthereit istherejustI landed
     'At Finlay Forks we landed by that sawmill.'

111. Geewawute'e.
     they're happy
     'Gee, they're happy.'

112. Gwawuts'ehLouie'èhallkhuboat'èkèhtliin 'unawts'ììdlàhall,everything.
     thatafterwithkhelà'insidewe cleaned
     'Then Louie and I cleaned the entire boat.'

113. Shòwà'naniila.
     wellhe organized things
     'He organized it well.'

114. Tl'oolhtwo'èh'iiboat(dì)kighìstl'ǫǫ.
     ropelhèkwudut'ewiththat'ulà'he tied up
     'He tied up that boat (2 ropes).'

115. 'Uyiisawmill bossgwakhuts'è'nùzut.
     thattherefacing ushe's standing
     'The sawmill boss was standing facing us.'

116. "'Uyiisuboatè'oonlè'ììt'è'supanè',"'ìdissįį.
     thatselà'you watchmy friendI tell him
     "'Watch my boat, friend."'

117. "McLeodts'è'hitchhike 'uts'idadììlhe,"'ìdissįį.
     towe'll hitchhikeI tell him
     "'I'm going to hitchhike to McLeod Lake.'

118. "Ya kahitchhike 'awndeha?
     whyyou will hitchhike
     "'Why are you going to hitchhike?

119. 'Iisuforemanè'gwudzè'datl'elhedòòdii."
     thatmy foremantherehe'll drivefast
     'My foreman's going to go that way."'

120. Kwa'iiwuts'eh'ii wuts'ehwìkìts'ii'atstlįį̀'įį.
     finallythatafterwe 2 got in vesselgood at it
     'From there we went in, caught a ride with that guy's foreman.'11

121. ThatnightMcLeoddzè'lììkhunawute'e.
     'iilhèhgą̀htherejustwe have fun
     'That night in McLeod we had fun.'

(laughs)

122. Dunetah khu'awdut'etl'ǫhgwudzè'laArtkhunèehnudèhtl'a.
     peoplewe joinedafterthere(cert)meeting ushe came back
     'We joined in with different people, and then that's when Art came back up.'

123. Art,he say,"boyyouboysshòwaht'eǫ?"
     nukhinii'uskewaare you pl. okay
     "'Are you boys okay?"'

124. "Yeah,shòwats'iiht'e."
     we're okay
     "'Yeah, we're okay."'

125. "Wellgwudzè',kwùlagwudzè'nukhudowaloadallreadylhunughalelh."
     therealreadytherefor you pl.'ùkoo 'udahiithey brought them
     "'They brought your load (to your boat)," he tell them.'

126. Gwawuts'ehmìkints'at'atskwagwudzè'lhunukhahtelh.
     thatafterwe got back in hisalreadytherehe took us back
     'After that we got back in his (truck) and he took us back (to the boat).'

127. 'Ùkooyamuka yuts'idiiallkhudowanidììla.
     thosewhatwe ask for itfor ushe bought
     'What we asked for he bought for us.'

128. Kwa,khuboatè'khudowatunaghdèhmun.
     alreadykhelà'for usthey filled up
     'They filled up our boat (with gas).'

129. Alldìkeghiila,'ùkooholy,13 barrels of gas,'iiwuts'eh'ùkoooil,little bit grocery.
     they put things in (vessel)thosethatafterthosets'utsudzii datsìdla
     'They put everything in the boat: 13 barrels of gas, oil and a little bit of groceries.'

130. How!'Idewuts'ehwe start'unts'ujàh.
     wowthatafterwe went back
     'We started back up.'

131. Yìdàdzekats'ut'e,yìdàdzekats'ut'e.
     from downriverwe keep going
     'We keep going up.'

132. 'Ide
     there
     'there'

133. FA: long drive eh

134. MA: oh boy

135. Widniihsàt.
     it's far
     'It's pretty far.'

136. FA: long slow drive

137. MA: gee

138. Three days timelakhwùdè',two and a half days'iicanyontunts'uskę.
     (cert)thenthatwe landed again
     'In two and a half days we come to the canyon.'

139. Kwa'idejoowe unload.
     finallytheretoo'ùkoo 'udahii dìkìnats'iila
     'We took things out.'

140. Gwajooboatkats'uleh,kats'ulehììzǫhlhèhgą̀hts'è'lakhwùdè'finish.
     theretoo'ulà'we unload thingswe unload thingsuntileveningat(cert)thenkwùlats'ujàh
     'We kept unloading the boat and finished everything by evening'

141. Gwudat'è'joots'iihtets'iicanyonwudasdè'.
     theretoowe sleptthatabove
     'We spent the night above the canyon.'

142. 'Iiwuts'ehnext daygeefast,'iitoofast.
     thatfromlhèh dzenethatwaterniilįį
     'From there, next day water's pretty fast.'12

143. Se'khiniisǫkats'ut'èzǫhDale Kǫh'iiislandk'ehgwudzè'latawts'uslà.
     finallywe(uncert)we keep goinguntilDale's placethattadįįdzè'onthere(cert)we made it
     'Finally we make it to Dale place by the island.'

144. Ho','iiwuts'ehnext dayabout 5 o'clockkwùlakhwùdè'jodetawts'ùsla.
     wowthatafterlhèh dzenefinallythenherewe made it
     'About 5 o'clock we finally made it up here.'

145. Geeduneghawute'edunekhunèehjust---.
     peopleare happypeoplemeeting us
     'People just meet us, everybody happy.'

146. Dahdunenùstlǫ'èh'ùkooboatno timelakwastorethey unload.
     wellpeoplemanyandthose'ulà'(cert)finally'ookèt dekaghuleh
     'So many people, no time they unload everything.'

147. K'usk'ehdzelanukhuba kwùnenukhutawnehyheh,kwanumakòòh.
     that's how(cert)your pl. parentsthey raise you pl.finallyyour motherback then
     'That's how your mom and dad raised you guys up.'13

148. 'Ududèdlahghiilè''iinuba.
     he's good at thingshe used to bethatyour father
     'Your father was good at things.'

149. Dahlhadzè''udaghdèdlàh.
     wellboththey're good at things
     'They're both good at things.'

150. Dòòdiik'eghit'į̀į̀h:
     fastthey do things
     'They do things right away:'

151. khutsehììt'è'khudowa'ùkoots'ootsudzii,
     ahead of usfor usthosewhat we will eat
     'cook fast for us,'

152. 'ùkookhudahdatliin,anything,kooye,gwasukǫh,'ùkoosuts'ùdè''èdè'sudowa,
     thoseour belongingscleanaround theretheremy housethosemy blanketfor me
     'keep everything clean, our blankets,'

153. 'iiMama kwùnegàh'ùkooghighutsudzii'ùkoogrocerymuka ghidiiallwoodowa.
     thatmy parentsbythosetheir groceriesthosethey order themfor them
     'get all the groceries Mom and them ordered to them.'

154. Geelaallyou kidsnukhawute'e.
     (cert)ts'òòdawa kwùneyou pl. are happy
     'You kids are happy.'

155. You have your own party with all the sweets, pop, juice, all the sweets you kids want. Okay that's it Sharon.

Notes

1. By "ration" Mike means giving food on credit. It was \$45 per family then.
2. kats'ììlhah 'what we work on, our work'
3. from Parsnip R.
4. George is mentioned below. William Poole (Tommy Poole's youngest brother, drowned in Williston) and Emil McCook were also down there.
5. Swifty Place, going through Deserter's Canyon
6. north of Ft. Grahame
7. Edna McCook remembers that her father used to work in Summit L. sawmill. He lived out there with his family for a couple of years.
8. ts'ehdònajah 'it became lightweight'
9. Duncan Pierre, Laura Seymour's ex
10. woodowast'e 'I wait for them'
11. tlįį̀'įį (lit. 'like dogs', said when something fortunate occurs)
12. niilįį 'it's flowing'
13. Margaret, one of Mike's younger sisters, was Frankie's mother