間眅埶AV

Small Number and the Old Canoe-Gitxsan

AM TSUUSXWM G戽ABI GANHL LOG戽OM MAL

XSTINS G戽A戽BIHL X戽KUULXWS TSUUSXWM G戽ABI II G戽AN WILA HATAKWT

SA TUN DIM IIT HLIISANHLS YEET TSAKM LILIGET II SAGOOTXWT DIM MAOST DIP TSUUSXWM G戽ABI G戽ANHL ANSIPSIIPINSXWT GOOHL GYALK戽

LUGWIL AMA SA II SIM TSATXWHL HLOX戽S AHL GW0OYIM II YAG戽A GUL DIIT LAX TSEEHL AKS

AM TSUUSXWM G戽ABI GANHL LOG戽OM MAL

Written by Veselin Jungic & Mark MacLean

Gitxsan translation by: Jeanne HarrisCatherine Blackstock, and Barbara Harris Sennott

Illustrated by Simon Roy, Victoria, BC

Transcript

AM TSUUSXWM G戽ABI GANHL LOG戽OM MAL

XSTINS G戽A戽BIHL X戽KUULXWS TSUUSXWM G戽ABI II G戽AN WILA HATAKWT

Small Number is a five year-old boy who gets into a lot of mischief.

SIL JOKED TSIITST GANHL NII YEET II AP WODIIT NIIT II NEEDII ALAX DIIT LOOT TSAA G戽AL MALU NIT

He lives with his Grandma and Grandpa, who patiently put up with his antics most of the time.

SA TUN DIM IIT HLIISANHLS YEET TSAKM LILIGET II SAGOOTXWT DIM MAOST DIP TSUUSXWM G戽ABI G戽ANHL ANSIPSIIPINSXWT GOOHL GYALK戽

Today, Grandpa needs to finish carving a feast dish and decides that Small Number should go out and play with his friends.

LUGWIL AMA SA II SIM TSATXWHL HLOX戽S AHL GW0OYIM II YAG戽A GUL DIIT LAX TSEEHL AKS

It is a beautiful, sunny, spring day, and they (the boys) run down to play near the water.

LIP LIGI AGWIHL GYAA DIIT IIT HO JAP DIIT SII MAOS GANHL TSUUSXWM G戽ABI GANT WII TAABEEK戽XW DIM X戽STAAHL LIGIT NAA DIM ANT MATSHL LOOP WAGYT NAGWIT

Everything they see sparks a new game (play), and Small Numbers friend Big Circle says the winner will be whoever throws the stone farthest.

 

II SAGOOTXWS WIITAABEEKXW DIMT GYAAHL NAA DIM ANT ALPA MATSHL LOOP WGYT NAGWIT TSIM AKS

Big Circle suggests they see who can make a stone skip the farthest on the surface of the water.

WILAAK KUBA TILXWM GYAT SGIDIM HOX DIIT YAHLXWM TABEEKWIM LOOP II DIM NAKW DIM WIL G戽OSHL YAHLXWM LOOP

The boys quickly learn that for a stone to go far it needs to be smooth, flat, and oval shaped.

IIT GIIS TSUUSXWM G戽ABI TABEEKWIM YAHLXWM LOOP

Small Number wanders far along the shore looking for a winning stone. (smooth, flat, and oval)

II YEET LAX HABASXW II DEEXS TSUUSXWM G戽ABI IIT YATSHL TIMG戽EST LAX LOGAM MAL TSIM HABASXW

He scrambles through tall grass and trips (over something), falling headfirst into an old canoe hidden (in the grass).

HETXWT TSUUSXWM G戽ABI HLIBALT DITHL HUPX戽T AHL YUKWT GYAHL LOGUM MAL

Small Number stands up, rubbing his forehead as he looks around at the canoe.

TSAA LIGI SIIPXWHL TIMGEST II AP LUU AMHL G戽OOTT WILT WAHL LOGUM MAL IIT EETXWHL ANSIPSIIPINXWT II G戽UN G戽UL DIIT

Even though his head hurts, he is very excited at his discovery (of the old canoe) and he calls out to his friends, who come running.

II GUN LITXWHL GYAT IIT DAS DIITHL II SAAM YAHLXWHL LOGUM MAL II SIM YAHLXWT AHL ANON DIIT

The boys stand around the canoe, running their Hands along its smooth shape.

WIHL AP LIGI WII TIS IDYHL LOGUM MAL

It looks very old and very big to them.

GIDAG戽AS AM TSUUSXWM G戽ABI HINDAHL GABIHL GYAT DIM NII WANIT LAX MAL?

Small Number asks, How many people do you think it could hold (in the canoe)?

GIDAG戽AS WII TABEEKWXW HINDAHL GABIHL KUUHL JIS WIT JAP DIITHL MAL GI?

Big Circle asks, How many generations (years) ago was it built?

TAGIHL KUBA TILXW WILT MATS DIIT YALXWA LOOP G戽AL TISHL ALALGYAX DIIT AHL WILA WIHL MAL IIT NAA DIM ANT HOOXT?

The boys forget their previous game (of throwing the rock) and spend a long time talking about the canoe and who might have used it.

YUKHL ALALGYAX DIIT II DALHL G戽ALOOSTS WII TABEEKWXW XWDAX NIIY. DII! TOOKWIM ANSIPSIIPINSXWY

As they are talking, Big Circles tummy starts to growl. Im hungry. Lets go eat. he says to his friends.

WILAYHL HLOGOTSUUHL TIHLXWM IIXWT WIL HOTI HU DAX DAA II WALG戽A G戽UL DIIT GOOHL GALTSAP

The other boys realize they are hungry too, and they all run back to the village.

 

BAXT TSUUSXWM G戽ABI GOOHL NIYEET, YUKWT JAPHL NOOHLM G戽AN

Small Number races home, where Grandpa is carving the surface of a huge wooden dish.

YUKWHL G戽ELXWS TSUUSXWM G戽ABI II MIIN GYALAASXWS NIYEET IIT GYAA WIL MUKWHL HUPX戽S TSUUSXWM G戽ABI GIDAG戽AS YEE HINDAHL WIN?!

Small Number is shouting excitedly and Grandpa looks up. What happened?! Grandpa asks.

TAGIS TSUUSXWM G戽ABI WILT G戽OGANHL HUPX戽T II SITAAMA DIMT MAHLIHL AS YEET WILT WAHL LOGAM MAL

Small Number has forgotten that he bumped his head and starts to tell Grandpa about finding the (old) canoe:

 

WAYHL LOGAM MAL LAX XSIIP! II HANI G戽OOTT JI LIGI XSTINS WIL KYAP DA GIL BIL X戽KUUHLT

I found an old canoe down on the beach! It must be at least a hundred years old!

MUMK戽T YEE. WILAYHL MAL TUUST G戽YAA AYEEHL MAL TUUST GOOHL G戽ALTSAPM JABIS NIGWOODY GANHL BAGA DILITHL HU WAKXWT

Grandpa smiles. I know that canoe. It was once the fastest canoe in our village. It was built by my father and two of his brothers.

HLOOHL G戽OOTS YEE II HET, WALK戽A NITHL HLGUUHLM II UXT ANT WILAX GYAHL G戽AN

Grandpa proudly continues, All the sons of my grandfather were known as great wood carvers.

WILAYANHL GWILALT G戽YADIM G戽AN LITXWIT HLA KOOGHL WII NAKWM WILP AA? NIBIBIIY ANT JAPHL TAX戽 NITSXWHL GYADIM G戽AN

You know those three old totem poles in front of the longhouse? Each of them (totem poles) was built by one of my uncles.

HLA GOOKXWM DIM WOKS, TSUUSXWM G戽ABI AHL YUXWSA, IIT TIL X戽HOOTXWT DIM HASAGY NIM JAPHL MAL GANHL GYAYHL G戽AN WILA WIS DIP NIYEETXWY SKIDIM GITAGASXWY AS YEE TAAHLAK HINDAHL GABIHL WAKS NIGWOOTT?

That evening, just before falling asleep, Small Number thought, Id like to build canoes and totem poles just like my ancestors. I have to ask Grandpa tomorrow how many brothers his father had. Two, three, four, five or more色

HINDAHL: HINDA G戽AN WIHL HANI G戽OOTS TSUUSXWM G戽ABIHL NIYEETXWT GANHL WAKT JI LIGI BAG戽ADIL, GWILUN, TX戽ALPX戽DUL, XWSDINSUL?

Question: Why did Small Number think that his great-grandpa might have two, three, four, five or more brothers?

Credits

Written by Veselin Jungic, 間眅埶AV, and Mark MacLean, UBC

Gitxsan narration by Barbara Harris, Jeanne Harris and Catherine Blackstock of the Gitxsan Nation

Voice: Jeanne Harris of the Gitxsan Nation

Illustrator: Simon Roy, Victoria, BC

Sound: Jeanne Harris of the Gitxsan Nation

Music: Catherine Blackstock of the Gitxsan Nation

Animation: Andy Gavel, Vancouver, BC

Producer: Veselin Jungic, 間眅埶AV

Director: Andy Gavel, Vancouver, BC, and Aidan Wright, Victoria, BC

 

Special Thanks To:

  • Tom Archibald, 間眅埶AV
  • Gary George of the Wetsuweten Nation
  • Peter Jacobs of the Squamish Nation
  • Ozren Jungic, University of Oxford
  • Kwosel of the Seabird Island First Nation
  • Kwelaxtelot of the Seabird Island First Nation
  • Susan Russell, 間眅埶AV
  • Erin Tait of the Nisga'a Nation
  • Department of Mathematics, 間眅埶AV
  • Faculty of Science, 間眅埶AV
  • The IRMACS Centre, 間眅埶AV
  • Office for Aboriginal Peoples, 間眅埶AV
  • Pacific Institute For Mathematical Sciences