Small Number and the Old Canoe-Huu-Ay-Aht
Small Number and the Old Canoe 鈥� Huu-ay-aht
In Small Number and the Old Canoe, mathematics is present throughout the story with the hope that this experience will make at least some members of our young audience, with the moderator鈥檚 help, recognize more mathematics around them in their everyday lives. Using terms like smooth, shape, oval, and surface, and mathematical phraseology like It must be at least a hundred years old, the artist skillfully presents reflection (symmetry) of trees in water, and so on. The idea behind this approach is to give the moderator a few openings to introduce or emphasize various mathematical objects, concepts and terminology. The short film is a little math suspense story and our question is related only to one part of it. The aim of the question is to lead to an introduction at an intuitive level of the concept of a function and the essence of the principle of inclusion-exclusion as a counting technique. The authors would also like to give their audience an opportunity to appreciate that in order to understand a math question, one often needs to read (or in this case, watch) a problem more than once.
蕯ana岣ナ攊s Huksyuu 蕯u岣ナ攊拧 qiick史ii蕯a茮蕯i 膷虛apac
(Nuu-Chah-Nulth / Huu-ay-aht Translation)
Written by Veselin Jungic & Mark MacLean
Illustrated by Simon Roy
Huu-ay-aht Translation by Benson Nookemis from the Nuu-Chah-Nulth Nation
Translations
Links
Story Transcript: English and Huu-ay-aht
Benson Nookemis recorded the Nuuchahnulth Version of the story himself on a dictaphone cassette recorder and submitted the tape to the Mathcatcher Team. The story was transcribed by Henry Kammler with the assistance of students of the Nuuchahnulth language at U of Munich: Merlin Detschey, Julia Haslinger, Susanne Mors, Lara Stephan, and Filip Wissert from Institut f眉r Ethnologie, M眉nchen, Germany.
蕯ana岣ナ攊s Huksyuu 蕯u岣ナ攊拧 qiick史ii蕯a茮蕯i 膷虛apac.
Small Number and the Old Canoe
蕯uk艂aa 蕯ana岣ナ攊s Huksyuu su膷虛aq蕯i膷岣ナ攁茮 me蕯i茮qac. Wiwip虛a艂c虛a saa膷虛ink. 蕯uk膷iq茮虛as natnaniqsak. Wiiy虛a蕯a艂 蕯uu拧waa 蕯ani wiwip虛a艂c虛a saa膷虛ink me蕯i茮qac蕯i. Naniiqsu 蕯usim蕯a茮 岣siik 蕯uuk史ii艂 茮虛ax蹋aas 蕯inksy虛iq岣in. "蕯usim蕯a茮e蕯ic", waa蕯a茮 naniiqsu, "pisatukquuk hitaas岣� 蕯uupaa艂岣� 蕯uks膷a蕰inm虛in岣k蕯itqak. 蕯uu蕯uuqukma 茮虛upaa. 茮虛up虛ii膷岣ヅ蕯a茮.鈥� Kamitq拧i蕯a茮蕯a艂 me蕯i茮qacm虛in岣ナ攊. Hitinqsa茮 茮awaa 膷虛a蕯ak蕯i hinas. T虛apat拧i蕯a茮蕯a艂 q史aa蕯ap蕯aaq茮uusi蕯a艂 pisatuk. 蕯ii岣ナ攊i Mitxyuu 蕯uk艂aa me蕯i茮qac: "蕯un虛aa岣uumin m虛uksy虛i 茮虛aaskaa膷i拧tuu艂蕯apqun tuuxtuux史ap hi艂cpii膷i茮岣ツ峣k虛ap yaq蕯aaq茮uusin sayee蕯iya蕯ak." T虛apat拧i蕯a茮蕯a艂 me蕯i茮qacm虛in岣ナ攊 蕯ani 蕯usim蕯aaq茮 茮u艂蕯ii 茮u艂aa艂 m虛uksy虛i蕯i. 蕯un虛aa岣ヅ蕯a茮蕯a艂.
蕯ana岣ナ攊s蕯i Huksyuu yaac拧i蕯a茮 yee sayee蕯ii 蕯un虛aa岣� 茮虛askaa艂quu m虛uksy虛i蕯i. Hisii蕯ik虛史aqstinu蕯a茮 蕰aqmapt蕯i y虛aaq. Wa岣a蕰as蕯a茮we蕯in caqyaqas蕯a茮 膷虛apac 蕯uuk史i艂 hiy虛aaqste蕯i huptaas. 膶虛an虛ii蕯a茮 蕯ani y虛aaqqaa 蕰aqmapt蕯i. 茮akis拧i蕯a茮, 茮虛u岣aat虛anu蕯a茮 蕯ani 蕯uusuqta. N虛an虛aan虛i膷拧i蕯a茮 yaa艂蕯ii 膷虛apac蕯i. Qii蕯isck史a茮 hi艂 huptis 蕯uusaa岣 y虛aaq蕯ii 蕰aqmapt. 茮akis拧i蕯a茮 t虛aast虛aasa茮 yaa 蕯ani 蕯uusuqta t虛u岣虛iti. N虛an虛aan虛i膷拧i蕯a茮 膷虛apac蕯i 蕯atquu yaa蕯ak虛a茮虛at t虛u岣虛iti. N虛i茮k史a蕰aqstu蕯a茮, haa蕰in膷i蕯a茮 yaaqs膷a蕰in蕯itq. Kamitquk虛史a茮蕯a艂 hinin me蕯i茮qacm虛in岣ナ攊.
N虛a膷u蕯a艂蕯a艂 yaqii q史ayiip蕯itq. 茮虛ikaasi蕯a茮 膷虛apac蕯i 蕯ani 茮u艂aa艂 茮u艂aa艂. "Qiick史i蕯a茮ma 蕯a岣uu hi艂," waa蕯a茮蕯a艂. 蕯ii岣aa 膷虛apac蕯i. "Qum虛istay虛akituusi 蕯a岣uu蕯i?" Waa蕯a茮蕯a艂 蕯ii岣ナ攊i Mitxyuu 蕯uk艂ee蕯i: "Qum虛aaq蕯i膷岣茮uusi q史iyimtii蕯a艂 蕯a岣uu 蕯uuk史ii艂?" T虛apat拧i蕯a茮蕯a艂. Hayaap虛a艂拧i蕯a茮蕯a艂 蕯ani pipisatuk史it蕯a艂. Qii膷i茮拧i蕯a茮蕯a艂 蕯uumac虛uk yaa 膷虛apac蕯i, yaqck史iiwuusi 蕯uu岣虛a艂.
蕯ii岣ナ攊i Nuutxyuu 蕯uk艂aa 岣iq拧i蕯a茮虛atuk 蕯u蕰aqstu蕯a茮, t虛aa膷虛a 蕯u岣ナ攁茮uk 岣iq拧i蕯a茮. "Haw虛iiq茮a岣�," waa蕯a茮. "蕯usim蕯a茮in haw虛aasqun," waa蕯a茮 y虛uuq史aa 岣aw虛ii岣茮蕯i, me蕯i茮qacm虛in岣ナ攊. Y虛uuq史aa蕯a茮 haw虛iiqstu茮m虛in岣ナ攁茮. Kamitq拧i蕯a茮蕯a艂 hu蕯aca膷i蕯a茮 hihiy虛at岣ナ攊tq.
蕯ana岣ナ攊s蕯i Huksyuu wa艂拧i蕯a茮 kamitquk虛史a茮 hi艂uk蕯itq naniiqsu 蕯uuk史ii艂 岣miis岣in 茮ax蹋aas. Haa蕰in蕯ap虛a茮 yaa me蕯i茮qac蕯i "nee neen蕯i," naniiqsak蕯i 蕯uuk史i艂蕯a茮. N虛a拧i蕯a茮 naniiqsu, n虛aa膷apu蕯a茮 yaa. "蕯aqis蕯a茮岣k茮a," waa蕯a茮. "Yanuuq史i蕯a茮 蕯a岣虛ii hi艂saat虛ak蕯itqak." "蕯aqisk史a膷i蕯a茮岣k茮a," waa蕯a茮虛at 蕯aa蕯aatuu. Hayaap虛a艂拧i蕯a茮 蕯ani caqaasit yaa. 蕯iiq岣ヅ蕯a茮 naniiqsak蕯i 蕯ani 蕯uuy虛ip 膷虛apac. "Qii蕯isck史a茮ma hiis yee hitinqis蕯i. Su膷虛iiqq蕯i膷岣atakck史a茮 hi艂," waa蕯a茮 t虛apat拧i茮.
茮虛iix拧i蕯a茮 yaa naniiqsu. "岣mat虛ama岣� 蕯a岣虛ii蕯i 膷虛apac蕯i," waa蕯a茮. "蕯uupimtma 蕯a岣虛ii c虛aaxuk 膷虛apac蕯i 蕯a岣uu hiy虛at岣in. 蕯u岣tma 蕯uuk史ii艂 yaquk史itiis n虛uw虛iiqsu 蕯a岣ナ攁a蕯a茮 蕯a茮a qa艂aatik qa艂aatikuk蕯i," waa蕯a茮 yaa naniiqsu蕯i. "岣膷atakuk史itma yaquk史itiis naniiqsu hu岣akm虛in岣� 蕯uuk史ii艂 膷虛apac, 膷虛iin虛u艂 蕯uuk史ii艂. N虛aacsa岣k yaa qacc虛e蕯i 膷虛iin虛u艂 hi艂 蕯ii岣ナ攊i ma蕯as hii艂s蕯atu蕯as? 蕯u岣tma蕯a艂 蕯uuk史ii艂 yaquk史itiis ne蕯iiqsum虛in岣ksi."
Tuup拧i蕯a茮蕯itq me蕯i茮qac蕯i wiky虛uu蕯itq we蕯i膷u茮 t虛aat虛aapat拧i蕯a茮. "Y虛uuq史aami岣ama岣� 蕯usiikquus 膷虛apac 蕯a岣ナ攁a蕯a茮 膷虛iin虛u艂 q史aa q史ack史ii蕯itq yaqwiimit. 蕯a蕯aatuu蕯aaq茮a岣� naniiqsakqas 蕯am虛ii茮ik qum虛aa蕯akituusi y虛uk史iiqsum虛in岣� n虛uw虛iiqsakit蕯i. 蕯a茮a qacc虛a muu su膷虛a qum虛aa蕯akituusi," waa蕯a茮 蕯a岣ナ攁a t虛apat拧i蕯a茮.
蕯aa蕯aatuu蕯a茮 蕯ana岣ナ攊s蕯i Huksyuu: 蕯unaakii膷 waa qum虛aamituk史ituusi naniiqsu qa艂aatikm虛in岣�? T虛aat虛aapat拧i蕯a茮: 蕯a茮a qacc虛a muu su膷虛a. Hawii膷i蕯a茮 t虛aat虛aapata.
Credits and Acknowledgements
- Written by: Veselin Jungic, 大象传媒 and Mark MacLean, UBC
- Illustrator: Simon Roy, Victoria, B.C.
- Director: Andy Gavel, 大象传媒
Special thanks to:
- Tom Archibald, 大象传媒
- Peter Jacobs, Squamish Nation
- Ozren Jungic, University of Oxford
- Kwosel, Seabird Island First Nation
- Kwelaxtelot, Seabird Island First Nation
- Susan Russell, 大象传媒
- Erin Tait, Nisga'a Nation
- Department of Mathematics, 大象传媒
- Faculty of Science, 大象传媒
- The IRMACS Centre, 大象传媒
- Office for Aboriginal Peoples, 大象传媒
- Pacific Institute For Mathematical Sciences
This story is part of the NSERC PromoScience project "Math Catcher: Mathematics Through Aboriginal Storytelling"
Financial support provided by NSERC, PIMS, UBC, the IRMACS Centre, and 大象传媒