Section 5.4 Gitxsan - TS鈥橴USXW鈥橫 G滩ABI GANHL SAG滩YT DOX滩HL HON
Written by: Veselin Jungic and Mark MacLean
Illustrated by: Simon Roy and Jess Pollard
Gitxsan translation by: Jeanne Harris, Barbara Harris Sennott, and Catherine Blackstock
G滩AN WILA HA鈥橳AG滩UM T鈥橧HLXW鈥橲 TS鈥橴USXW鈥橫 G滩ABI. SIL JOG滩IS TS鈥橴UMXW鈥橫 G滩ABI DIP NOX鈥橳 GANHL NIGWOOT鈥橳 GOOHL GAL TS鈥橝P LAX滩 TS鈥橢EHL AKS
Small Number is a young boy who gets into a lot of mischief. He lives in a small village by the water with his mother and father.
GIIYHL SA MOOJA SAKHL LAX滩HA SA YUKHL XWSIT. II YUKX鈥橳 HLI鈥橫OO鈥橲 TS鈥橴USXW鈥橫 G滩ABI NIGWOOT鈥橳 DIM WILA AMA JAPHL DIIT AAT DIM HOX DIIT T鈥橝AHLAKW JI HLA鈥橳 SAG滩YT DOX滩 DIIT HON. "G滩OLHL HON GOOHL BAHLX滩A LAX TS鈥橢EHL AKS. SGIDIM DIP UX滩WS MA鈥橤滩AHL AAT鈥橫 JI HLA HIIHLUUXW G滩UY YUKWHL WII AKS," DIIY鈥橝鈥橳 NIGWOOT鈥橲 TS鈥橴USXW鈥橫 G滩ABI.
It is a crisp autumn day and Small Number is helping his father to prepare the net for tomorrow's salmon harvest. "There is a school of salmon by Straight Line Beach. We need to set our net in the morning while the tide is still high" says Small Number's father.
G滩AS DI DIM鈥橳 STILS TS鈥橴USXW鈥橫 G滩ABIHL NIGWOOT鈥橳 DIM SIN HON 鈥橠II鈥橳. II HELT GIDAG滩ASXWS TS鈥橴USXW鈥橫 G滩ABI.
It is the first time that Small Number will go with his father to catch salmon and he has many questions.
鈥淗INDA G滩AN WIHL WANHL GUBA T鈥橝ABEEK滩鈥橷W鈥橫 LO鈥橭P GOOHL ANU K鈥橧HL II WANHL GUBA HA鈥橳鈥橝L GOOHL HLI K鈥橧HL AAT. HINDA G滩AN WIHL HASAG鈥橫 AHL GILBIL 鈥橶II DAX LO鈥橭P? HINDAHL G滩A STINHL GUBA LO鈥橭P? HINDAHL G滩ASG滩OOHL WIL NASTAWANHL GUBA LO鈥橭P? HINDA G滩AN WIHL WILA K鈥橭TSXWHL HAT鈥橝鈥橪 TUN? HINDAHL G滩A NAGWIHL AAT? HINDAHL DIP G滩A NAGWIHL HLAPS AAT?鈥�
鈥淲hy are these round pebbles on one side and those pieces of cedar on the other side of the net? Why do we need those two big rocks? What is the weight of those pebbles? How far apart are they? Why are the pieces of cedar cut in this shape? How long is the net? How deep is the net?鈥�
鈥淒IM DA G滩OO鈥橳 鈥橬IIN TS鈥橴USXW鈥橫 G滩ABI, DIM X滩SAWAY鈥橬HL LIP LIGI AGWI T鈥橝AHLAKXW,鈥� MUMK滩鈥橳 NIGWOOT鈥橳. 鈥淓DA BAX滩鈥橬 GOS DIP NII YE鈥橢鈥橬 GANHL NIBIB鈥橬 鈥橫II MAHLIHL HLISXWHL AAT GANHL, SKIDIM BAKW DIIT LAX TS鈥橢EHL AKS HLAG滩OK滩 DIM XSA ATIXS HLOX滩S!鈥�
鈥淏e patient, Small Number, you will learn all tomorrow,鈥� smiles his father. 鈥淣ow run and tell your grandfather and your uncle that the net is ready and that they should be at our beach before dawn!鈥�
SIM LUU AMHL G滩OOTS TS鈥橴USXW鈥橫 G滩ABI AHL SI WILA WILT. II GAS DI LIGI WOK滩鈥橳, II XSI WOK滩鈥橳 WIL X滩SA G滩OS GOOHL AKS 鈥橶II HON II G滩UUSXW XSI GW鈥橝DIXSXW鈥橳.
Small Number is very excited about his new adventure and when he finally gets to sleep, he dreams about a big salmon jumping out of the water and falling back with a splash.
鈥淕YUKSXW鈥橬 TS鈥橴USXW鈥橫 G滩ABI! HLIS WIHL WIS NIGWOOT鈥橬 GOOHL LAX TS鈥橢EHL AKS,鈥� LAX滩鈥橬I鈥橧S TS鈥橴USXW鈥橫 G滩ABIHL AME鈥橲 NOX滩鈥橳.
鈥淲ake up, Small Number. Your dad is already down at our beach,鈥� Small Number hears his mom鈥檚 gentle voice.
HLA X滩SAXW鈥橲 TS鈥橴USXW鈥橫 G滩ABI, IIT GYA鈥橝HL LIP LIGI AGWII. IIT GY鈥橝鈥橝鈥橦L TUUTSXWA 鈥橲滩GA鈥橬IST ANU IIT LAX滩鈥橬IHL HEHL AKS GANHL HEHL X滩SGYAAK.
When he steps outside, Small Number stops and looks around. He sees dark sharp peaks of mountains to the north and hears the sound of waves and the squawks of seagulls.
GISA LAX滩 TS鈥橢EHL AKS, TS鈥橴USXW鈥橫 G滩ABI IIT GYAA鈥橸鈥橲 TS鈥橴USXW鈥橫 GABIHL WIL LITXW GYAT II GUN BAX滩鈥橳 GO鈥橭 DIIT. 鈥淪IM HUGWAX DIM WIL WITXW鈥橬 TS鈥橴USXW鈥橫 G滩ABI,鈥� DII YA鈥橳 NII YE鈥橢鈥橳 LUU DA鈥橫IXSWIT 鈥橬IT. 鈥淵AGIT LOOHL G滩A 鈥橫AL鈥橳鈥橫 AAT GANHL 鈥橬OO鈥橭 II HLA HUGWAX DIM WIL鈥橫.鈥�
Down on the beach, Small Number sees a group of men and starts running towards them as fast as he can. 鈥淛ust on time, Small Number,鈥� says his grandfather hugging him. 鈥淥ur canoes are loaded with nets and baskets and we are ready to go.鈥�
HLA BAKW DIIT GOOHL BAHLX滩A LAX TS鈥橢EHL AKS, IIT SI GUUT TS鈥橴USXW鈥橫 G滩ABI YE鈥橢鈥橳 GANHL NIBIP XSI DAMG滩AN DIITHL 鈥橫AL. 鈥橬II WAN DIP TS鈥橴USXW鈥橫 G滩ABI GANHL NIGWOOT鈥橳 LAX滩 鈥橫AL IIT GI NAM DIITHL HLA AAT AS YE鈥橢鈥橳.
When they arrive at Straight Line Beach, Small Number鈥檚 grandpa and uncle pull their canoe out of the water. Small Number and his father stay in their canoe and pass the ends of the net lines to Grandfather.
WAAX鈥橳 TS鈥橴USXW鈥橫 G滩ABI SAA LAX TS鈥橢EHL AKS, YUKW鈥橳 UUXS MAG滩AS NIGWOOT鈥橳 AAT. HLAA鈥橳 WA DIITHL AAT, IIT TIXSIN DIITHL 鈥橫AL LAX滩 TS鈥橢EHL AKS IIT LUU MAK滩T NIGWOOT DIIT 鈥橶II LO鈥橭P G滩ANHL AAT TS鈥橧M AKS.
Small Number paddles away from the beach while his dad continues to pay out the net lines. When they reach the beginning of the net, they turn the canoe parallel to the beach and dad throws a big rock that is attached to the net into the water.
鈥淒IM DAX YUKW DIIHL G滩A DAY 鈥橪IP AAT,鈥� II HE鈥橳 AS TS鈥橴USXW鈥橫 G滩ABI. 鈥淕YAA鈥橸鈥� G滩EHLX滩XW鈥橳 TS鈥橴USXW鈥橫 G滩ABI, 鈥淒IM DAX YUKW DIHL TS鈥橴USXW鈥橫 LO鈥橭P AAT 鈥橳SIM AKS II DIM LOOKS HA鈥橳鈥橝L 鈥橳SIM AKS II DIM鈥橳 DAXYUGWIHL AAT TSIM AKS!鈥�
鈥淭his anchor will hold the net in place,鈥� he says to Small Number. 鈥淥h, I see,鈥� yells Small Number, 鈥渢he pebbles will keep one edge of the net on the bottom and the pieces of cedar will float and keep the other edge of the net on the surface!鈥�
IIT GYAA鈥橲HL TS鈥橴USXW鈥橫 G滩ABI 鈥橶II HELDA HON WIL TS鈥橧M鈥橧L LOK滩SXW TS鈥橧M鈥橧L BAX滩鈥橫 AKS. IIT GYA鈥橝SHL鈥橳 鈥橶II YAHLXW 鈥橶A G滩A LI SMAXS DIIT IIT AATX WIL BAX滩HL G滩OOT鈥橳. 鈥淒AXGYATHL AMA HON DIPUN!鈥�
Small Number sees how a large group of salmon have drifted inshore with the incoming tide. He looks at their large smooth bodies and feels his heartbeat fasten. 鈥淗ow strong and beautiful these fish are!鈥�
DAX YUKW DIHL G滩ADAYLIP AHL AAT IIT 鈥橳IKSIN鈥橲 TS鈥橴USXW鈥橫 G滩ABI 鈥橫AL A鈥橬U LAX滩 X滩SIIP IIT GINAMS NIGWOOT鈥橲 TS鈥橴USXW鈥橫 G滩ABITHL AAT鈥橲 AS NIBIB鈥橳.
The anchor secures the other end of the net and Small Number turns the canoe towards the beach where his dad passes the net lines to Small Number鈥檚 uncle.
YUWK鈥橳 XSIGUUS NIGWOOT鈥橲 鈥橫AL AKS, GIDA G滩AS TS鈥橴USXW鈥橫 G滩ABI 鈥淗INDA GABIHL HON SA TUN? HINDA DIM DIP WILA BASAG滩ANTHL HON AHL WILNA TAAHL鈥橫? DIM AMHL G滩ABI AHL LIP LIGI鈥橳 NA鈥橸A? HINDA DIM DIP WILAYHL DIM WIL GOO BAKWHL HON?鈥�
While his dad pulls the canoe out of water, Small Number asks, 鈥淗ow many salmon will we catch today? How are we going to divide the salmon among our families? Will there be enough for everybody? How do we know that the salmon will come back?鈥�
鈥淎P SKIHL WILA DIDILSIM,鈥� lDI YEE鈥橳 NIGWOOT鈥橲. 鈥淚I DIM GIDI HETXW鈥橬 G滩OOSUN. DIM HLIMOO鈥橬 NIBIBI?N DIM DAMG滩ANSXW鈥橬 SIM AHL AAT. DIM HLIMOO鈥橸NHL NII YE鈥橢.鈥�
鈥淲e have our ways,鈥� answers his father. 鈥淣ow, you stay here to help your uncle pull on the net lines. I鈥檓 going to help grandpa.鈥�
IIT X滩SIDAMG滩AN DIITHL AAT DIIT. GYAA鈥橲 TS鈥橴USXW鈥橫 G滩ABI GABIHL HELDA HON LU LOOKSIT SIM AAT TSIM AKS II HE鈥橳 AS NIBIP鈥橳, 鈥淎M WIL BAGWIM HLA 鈥橶II 鈥橬AKWIM G滩OOP. JI DA 鈥橶II 鈥橬AKHL G滩OOP II NEMDIM DII DIP 鈥橫UUKHL DIIT GABIHL HON TUN. LUGWIL AMHL WILA WILIM!鈥�
They start hauling in the net. Small Number sees that all fish within the area between the beach and the net are captured and says to his uncle, 鈥淕ood that we came during the high tide. If the tide were low we wouldn鈥檛 catch this many fish. Our ways are good!鈥�
GIDAG滩ASXW: HINDA GAN WIHL HANII G滩OOT鈥橲 TS鈥橴USXW鈥橫 G滩ABI DIM HLIBUUHL HON AHL TS鈥橴UXSW鈥橫 G滩OOP?
Question: Why did Small Number think that during a low tide the catch would be much smaller?
