AM TS鈥橴USXW鈥橫 G滩ABI GANHL LOG滩OM GYAHL G滩AN(Gitxsan Translation)
Gitxsan translation by: Barbara Harris Sennott, Jeanne Harris and Catherine Blackstock of the Gitxsan Nation
Written by Veselin Jungic and Mark MacLean
Illustrated by Bethani L'Heureux
AM TS鈥橴USXW鈥橫 G滩ABI GANHL LOG滩OM GYAHL G滩AN
TS鈥橴UXW鈥橫 G滩ABIHL WA鈥橸. LAX NII鈥橸HL ANT鈥橧MAHLASXW TUN. DIP 鈥楾SIITS GANHL AGWI 鈥楾SIITS NII鈥橸HL MAHLASXW LOO鈥橸.
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Story Transcript: Gitxsan and English
My name is Small Number. This is a story that I鈥檝e heard from my grandmother and that she heard from her grandmother.
WILA WIHL LOG滩AM GYAHL G滩AN JABIS DIP G滩AN鈥橧I鈥橸E鈥橢TXW鈥橫 LAX TS鈥橝AHL AKS. GOOHL HLGU G滩AL TS鈥橝P鈥橫.
It is about an old totem pole built by my ancestors on a beach close to our village.
GII鈥橸HL SA II YUKW鈥橳 GII鈥橸HL X滩SGYAAKHL WINEEX. IIT GY鈥橝HL WII HON TSIM AKS, II WA鈥橤滩YT T鈥橧P DA鈥橶IHL鈥橳 TSIM AKS IIT 鈥楳UKWHL HON AHL WII TAAX HLAKS鈥橳.
One day, the eagle was looking for food. He spotted a huge salmon just below the surface of the water, he plummeted to the river and caught the salmon with his mighty talons.
II AP G滩AL WII TISHL HON TS鈥橝A WATS DAXGYATHL K鈥橝AXHL X滩SGYAAK II AP AM TS鈥橴USXWHL WIL鈥橳 M鈥橧IN BA鈥橳S鈥橧HL HON GOOHL TSIM AKS.
But, the salmon was so big that even eagle鈥檚 strong wings, he could only lift the fish up a little bit in the water.
HLIMOO鈥橸 HLIMOO鈥橸 鈥� 鈥榃AA鈥橝TXWHL X滩SGYAAK.
鈥淗elp! Help!鈥� 鈥� screeched the eagle.
LAXNII鈥橸HL G滩AAK滩 WIL 鈥榃AA鈥橝TXWSHL X滩SGYAAK, II T鈥橧P GIPAYKW鈥橳 IIT GAHLXW HLI SMAXHL HON.
The raven heard eagle鈥檚 cry, so he flew down and he pierced the body of the fish.
SAG滩AYT_DAMG滩ANHL X滩SGYAAK GANHL G滩AAK滩H滩L滩 HON GIX, AP G滩AL AP LUKWIL 鈥榃II TS鈥橧HL HON GANWIHL AM LAX TS鈥橢EHL AKS WIL鈥橳 MAK滩 DIITHL HON.
The eagle and the raven were pulling the salmon together, but the fish was so big that they only moved the salmon just a little bit closer to the shore
HLIMOO鈥橸 HLIMOO鈥橸 鈥� II HETSIMO 鈥榃AA鈥橝TXWHL X滩SGYAAK.
鈥淗elp! Help!鈥� 鈥� screeched the eagle again
LAX NII鈥橸IHL SMAX WIL 鈥榃AA鈥橝TXWHL X滩SGYAAK, II XSII BAX滩鈥橳 GOOHL SPAG滩YAT G滩AN, II 鈥楳IIN HETXWHL SMAX IIT G滩UUHL X滩SGYAAK AHL 鈥榃II DAX AN鈥橭N鈥橳.
The bear heard the eagle鈥檚 piercing shrill, ran out of forest, and the bear stood up and grabbed the eagle with his huge paws (hands).
DAMG滩ANHL SMAX X滩SGYAAK, GI IIT DAMG滩ANHL X滩SGYAAK GANHL G滩AAK滩 HON, G滩AL AP LUGWIL 鈥榃II TS鈥橧HL HON GANWIHL AM LAX TS鈥橢EHL AKS WIL鈥橳 MAK滩 DIITHL HON.
The bear was pulling the eagle, and the eagle and the raven were pulling the salmon, but the fish was so big that they could only move the salmon just a little bit closer to the shore.
HLIMOO鈥橸 HLIMOO鈥橸 鈥� 鈥榃AA鈥橝TXWHL SMAX.
鈥淗elp! Help!鈥� 鈥� roared the bear.
LAX N鈥橧HL GIBUU WIL AA AASXWHL SMAX, II XSII BAX滩鈥橳 AHL SPAG滩YAT G滩AN, IIT 鈥楪IIDII GUUHL SMAX HOYITHL XSG滩OOG滩AM HII N鈥橧ILUXW鈥橫 SI SEE鈥橢.
The wolf heard the bear鈥檚 call, and ran out of forest, stood up and stopped the bear.
DAMG滩ANHL GIBUUHL SMAX, DAMG滩ANHL SMAXHL X滩SGYAAK, IIT DAMG滩ANHL X滩SGYAAK GANHL G滩AAK滩H滩L滩 HON, II AP LUGWIL 鈥榃II TS鈥橧HL HON GANWIHL AM LAX TS鈥橢EHL AKS WIL鈥橳 MAK滩 DIITHL HON.
The wolf was pulling the bear, the bear was pulling the eagle, the eagle and the raven were pulling the salmon, but the fish was so big that they could only move the salmon just a little bit closer to the shore.
HLIMOO鈥橸 HLIMOO鈥橸 鈥� 鈥榃AA鈥橝TXWHL GIBUU.
鈥淗elp! Help!鈥� 鈥� howled the wolf.
LAX NII鈥橧HL TS鈥橧MILX WIL 鈥榃AA鈥橝TXWHL GIBUU, XSI BAX鈥橳 GOOHL TS鈥橧M AKS, IIT GIIDII GUUHL GIBUU HOY鈥橳HL AHL AN鈥橭N鈥橳.
The beaver heard wolf鈥檚 cries, ran out of the river, and grabbed the wolf with her hands.
DAMG滩ANHL TS鈥橧MILXHL GIBUU, DAMG滩ANHL GIBUUHL SMAX, DAMG滩ANHL SMAXHL X滩SGYAAK, II鈥橳 II DAMG滩ANHL X滩SGYAAK GANHL G滩AAK滩 HON GIX, II AP G滩AL 鈥榃II T鈥橧SHL HON GANWIHL AM LAX TS鈥橢EHL AKS WIL鈥橳 MAK滩 DIITHL HON GIX.
The beaver was pulling the wolf, the wolf was pulling the bear, the bear was pulling the eagle, the eagle and the raven were pulling the salmon, but the fish was so big that they could only move the salmon just a little bit closer to the shore
HLIMOO鈥橸 HLIMOO鈥橸 鈥� 鈥榃AA鈥橝TXWHL TS鈥橧MILX YUKW鈥橳 YATS K鈥橴UKW鈥橳 TSIM AKS.
鈥淗elp me! Help me!鈥� 鈥� the beaver cried as she hit the water with her tail.
LAX NII鈥橧HL G滩ANAA鈥橶 WIL WA鈥橝TXWHL TS鈥橧MILX, II XSI BAX鈥橳 TS鈥橧M AKS, IIT GIIDII GUUHL TS鈥橧MILX AHL SI鈥橲EE鈥橳.
The frog heard beaver鈥檚 call, ran out of the river, and grabbed the beaver with his legs.
DAMG滩ANHL G滩ANAA鈥橶 TS鈥橧MILX GI, II鈥橳 DAMG滩ANHL TS鈥橧MILX GIBUU GI, DAMG滩ANHL GIBUUHL SMAX GI, DAMG滩ANHL SMAX X滩SGYAAK, II鈥橳 DAMG滩ANHL X滩SGYAAK GANHL G滩AAK滩 HON GIX, II鈥橳 SAGAYT XSI DAMG滩AN DIITHL HON GO鈥橭HL LAX XSIIP.
The frog was pulling the beaver, the beaver was pulling the wolf, the wolf was pulling the bear, the bear was pulling the eagle, the eagle and the raven were pulling the salmon, and together they heaved the salmon on to the shore.
GIDAG滩ASXW: GWI GAN WIHL STIP X滩SGYAAK, GANHL G滩AAK滩, GANHL SMAX, GANHL GIBUU GANHL TS鈥橧MILX DIM HLIMOO DIITHL TS鈥橴USXW鈥橫 G滩ANAA鈥橶 DIM NII DAMG滩ANHL HON AHL LAX XSIIP
Question: Why did the eagle, the raven, the bear, the wolf, and the beaver need help from a little frog to pull the salmon on to the shore?
Credits and Acknowledgements
Written by Veselin Jungic, 大象传媒, and Mark MacLean, UBC
Illustrator: Bethani L'Heureux from the Cree First Nation
Gitxsan translation by: Barbara Harris Sennott, Jeanne Harris and Catherine Blackstock of the Gitxsan Nation
Voice: Jeanne Harris of the Gitxsan Nation
Music: Gary Georege of the Wet'suwet'en Nation
Producer: Veselin Jungic, 大象传媒
Director: Andy Gavel, Ryerson University; and Aidan Wright UVic
Special Thanks To:
Tom Archibald, 大象传媒
Pam Borghardt, 大象传媒
Ozren Jungic, University of Oxford
Department of Mathematics, 大象传媒
Department of Mathematics, University of British Columbia
The IRMACS Centre, 大象传媒
Faculty of Science, 大象传媒
Department of Linguistics, 大象传媒
Office for Aboriginal Peoples, 大象传媒
Pacific Institute For Mathematical Sciences;
This story is an adaptation of the Russian fairy tale "The Giant Turnip" inspired by west coast First Nation's traditions and art.