HALHT''M B 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''M B C'OLDIW TS'AN
Si Soz簿 Halht簿m B簿 c'oldiw di cidede Tso sa nawinec gwin an adec bitso habe nawinec Tsan k禱yikh wa zuh ai een ilyegh
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Story Transcript: Wet'suwet'en and English
Si Soz簿 Halht簿m B簿 c'oldiw di cidede Tso sa nawinec gwin an adec bitso habe nawinec Tsan k禱yikh wa zuh ai een ilyegh
My name is Small Number. This is a story that Ive 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.
lhidz簿n sgg簿git yik talh ka c禱禱n lhok cyo oi ya bihl Yik da lehn to guht Yik Kay yit Nadah Bilegh Bitsi yiz z簿 lhok tabe enekh kya Sgg簿git Bitsinta Ti ehl tus t禱kh en kya lhok ene 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 eagles strong wings could only lift the fish just a bit above the surface of the water.
Sgg簿git Gyehl sihll Slegiknekh Slegiknekh
Help! Help! screeched the eagle.
Detsan Yezeehs-zi nadah Bidebegh bi lhok ya din geht
The raven heard eagles cry, so he flew down and pierced his beak into the salmons body.
sgg簿git detsan lhok hi-yehl-suhts et dihn ze tab簿 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.
Slegiknekh Slegiknekh Sgg簿git kwa Gyehl sihll
Help! Help! screeched the eagle again.
Sgg簿git gyuhl sihl Slegiknekh Slegiknekh Sus sgg簿git gyuhl sihl ut diz tzi da kyun tuhts hahl kla sa y簿n belagh kyo beyin Sgg簿git hi yiz gowh
The bear heard the eagles piercing shrill, ran out of forest, stood up and grabbed the eagle with his huge paws.
Sus sgg簿git Kiyh yihl kehl kla sgg簿git Detsan lhok ohye Kiyh yihl kehl dinze lhok tabegh un kyah onzah tab簿 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.
Slegiknekh Slegiknekh sus dihl gwagh
Help! Help! roared the bear.
Dikuntikh lhic (yis) sus gyuhl sihl yin diz zigh dkyun tuht hahl gla duhk dad簿n ya kl sus bikyuhn duhtz yiz gowh
The wolf heard the bears call, ran out of forest, stood up and grabbed the bear with his long front legs.
Dikuntikh lhic (yis) sus oh ya ki yihl kehl sus gw簿n an sgg簿git oh ya ki yihl kehl sgg簿git ingwa gih detsan oh ya ki yihl kehl detsan lhok oh ya ki yihl kehl lhok Tab簿 in kyah adin za lhok Tab簿 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.
Slegiknekh Slegiknekh Yis gyahl sil
Help! Help! howled the wolf.
Tsa Dikuntikh lhic Yis di zihs i to guht dut ne cikwah wus zu hahlt kla yis bile ba yiz gouwh
The beaver heard wolfs whimpering, ran out of the river, and grabbed the wolf with her hands.
Tsa Dikuntikh lhic (Yis) oh ya ki yihl kehl Dikuntikh lhic (Yis) sus oh ya ki yihl kehl sus sgg簿git oh ya ki yihl kehl sgg簿git detsan oh ya ki yihl kehl lhok oh ya ki yihl kehl lhok zehl in kyah adin za lhok Tab簿 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.
Slegiknekh Slegiknekh tsa gyahl sil bi kyeht b簿 to guht hadihl da
Help! Help! the beaver cried as she slapped the water with her tail.
Dilkw'akh, tsa gyahl sil cikwah Bik禱cin (leg) Dilkw'akh tsa ghyel zihl a diz sigh
The frog heard beavers call, ran out of the river, and grabbed the beaver with his legs.
Dilkw'akh tsa gyahl sil sus sgg簿git detsan lhok Dilkw'akh tsa yis sus sgg簿git 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.
Sgg簿git detsan, sus, lhok, Dikuntikh 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, 間眅埶AV, 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, 間眅埶AV
Director: Andy Gavel, Ryerson University; and Aidan Wright UVic
Special Thanks To:
Tom Archibald, 間眅埶AV
Pam Borghardt, 間眅埶AV
Ozren Jungic, University of Oxford
Department of Mathematics, 間眅埶AV
Department of Mathematics, University of British Columbia
The IRMACS Centre, 間眅埶AV
Faculty of Science, 間眅埶AV
Department of Linguistics, 間眅埶AV
Office for Aboriginal Peoples, 間眅埶AV
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.