HALHT'Ă'M BĂ C'OLDIW TS'AN
(Wet'suwet'en Translation)
Wet'suwet'en translation by: Rita George and Gary George of the Wet'suwet'en Nation
Written by Veselin Jungic and Mark MacLean
Illustrated by Bethani L'Heureux
HALHT'Ă'M BĂ C'OLDIW TS'AN
Si SozĂŻâ HalhtâĂŻâm BĂŻ c'oldiw di cidedeâ Tso sa nawinec gwin an adec bitsoâ habe nawinec Tsâan kĂŤyikh wa zuh ai een âilyegh
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Story Transcript: Wet'suwet'en and English
Si SozĂŻâ HalhtâĂŻâm BĂŻ c'oldiw di cidedeâ Tso sa nawinec gwin an adec bitsoâ habe nawinec Tsâan kĂŤyikh wa zuh ai een âilyegh
My name is Small Number. This is a story that Iâve heard from my grandmother and that she heard from her grandmother. It is about an old totem pole built by my ancestors on a beach close to our village.
âĂlhidzĂŻn sggĂŻgit yik tâalh ka câĂŤâĂŤn lhok cyo oi ya bihl Yik da lehn to guht Yik Kay yit Nadah Bilegh Bitsâi yiz zĂŻ lhok tabe âenekh kya SggĂŻgit Bitsâintâaâ Ti ehl tus tĂŤkh en kya lhok âene khlil
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. But, the salmon was so big that even eagleâs strong wings could only lift the fish just a bit above the surface of the water.
SggĂŻgit Gyehl sihll Slegâiknekh Slegâiknekh
âHelp! Help!â â screeched the eagle.
Detsan Yezeehs-zi nadah Bidebegh bi lhok ya din geht
The raven heard eagleâs cry, so he flew down and pierced his beak into the salmonâs body.
sggĂŻgit detsan lhok hi-yehl-suhts et dihn ze tabĂŻ hehn kyeh Tobegh ne-nihl-zuht
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.
Slegâiknekh Slegâiknekh SggĂŻgit kwa Gyehl sihll
âHelp! Help!â â screeched the eagle again.
SggĂŻgit gyuhl sihl Slegâiknekh Slegâiknekh Sus sggĂŻgit gyuhl sihl ut diz tzi da kyun tuhts hahl kla sa yĂŻn belagh kyo beyin SggĂŻgit hi yiz gowh
The bear heard the eagleâs piercing shrill, ran out of forest, stood up and grabbed the eagle with his huge paws.
Sus sggĂŻgit Kiyh yihl kehl kla sggĂŻgit Detsan lhok ohye Kiyh yihl kehl dinze lhok tabegh un kyah onzah tabĂŻ winu naneehlti
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.
Slegâiknekh Slegâiknekh sus dihl gwagh
âHelp! Help!â â roared the bear.
Dâikuntikh lhic (yis) sus gyuhl sihl yin diz zigh dâkyun tuht hahl gla duhk dadĂŻn ya kl sus bikyuhn duhtz yiz gowh
The wolf heard the bearâs call, ran out of forest, stood up and grabbed the bear with his long front legs.
Dâikuntikh lhic (yis) sus oh ya ki yihl kehl sus gwĂŻn an sggĂŻgit oh ya ki yihl kehl sggĂŻgit ingwa gih detsan oh ya ki yihl kehl detsan lhok oh ya ki yihl kehl lhok TabĂŻ in kyah adin za lhok TabĂŻ wa zouh ni ki ehl kyot
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.
Slegâiknekh Slegâiknekh Yis gyahl sil
âHelp! Help!â â howled the wolf.
Tsa Dâikuntikh lhic Yis di zihs i to guht dut ne câikwah wus zu hahlt kla yis bile ba yiz gouwh
The beaver heard wolfâs whimpering, ran out of the river, and grabbed the wolf with her hands.
Tsa Dâikuntikh lhic (Yis) oh ya ki yihl kehl Dâikuntikh lhic (Yis) sus oh ya ki yihl kehl sus sggĂŻgit oh ya ki yihl kehl sggĂŻgit detsan oh ya ki yihl kehl lhok oh ya ki yihl kehl lhok zehl in kyah adin za lhok TabĂŻ wa zouh na nihl ti
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.
Slegâiknekh Slegâiknekh tsa gyahl sil bi kyeht bĂŻ to guht hadihl da
âHelp! Help!â â the beaver cried as she slapped the water with her tail.
Dilkw'akh, tsa gyahl sil câikwah BikĂŤcin (leg) Dilkw'akh tsa ghyel zihl a diz sigh
The frog heard beaverâs call, ran out of the river, and grabbed the beaver with his legs.
Dilkw'akh tsa gyahl sil sus sggĂŻgit detsan lhok Dilkw'akh tsa yis sus sggĂŻgit detsan lhok
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.
SggĂŻgit detsan, sus, lhok, Dâikuntikh lhic (Yis) tobegh Dilkw'akh
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, SFU, and Mark MacLean, UBC
Illustrator: Bethani L'Heureux from the Cree First Nation
Wet'suwet'en translation by: Rita George and Gary George of the Wet'suwet'en Nation
Voice: Rita George of the Wet'suwet'en Nation
Music: Gary George of the Wet'suwet'en Nation
Producer: Veselin Jungic, 91ĹÝÜ˝
Director: Andy Gavel, Ryerson University; and Aidan Wright UVic
Special Thanks To:
Tom Archibald, 91ĹÝÜ˝
Pam Borghardt, 91ĹÝÜ˝
Ozren Jungic, University of Oxford
Department of Mathematics, 91ĹÝÜ˝
Department of Mathematics, University of British Columbia
The IRMACS Centre, 91ĹÝÜ˝
Faculty of Science, 91ĹÝÜ˝
Department of Linguistics, 91ĹÝÜ˝
Office for Aboriginal Peoples, 91ĹÝÜ˝
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.