snxʷmeneʔ nqʷlqʷeltn
6190 Agency Loop Road
PO Box 100
Wellpinit, WA 99040
Spokane Tribe Language and Culture
509-258-4222
ƛ̓uxʷ šey̓ lʔe n šiyulexʷ We have always walked this land
Albert Sam
c̓oyx̣eʔ u smx̣ey̓čn̓
Crawfish and Grizzly Bear
as told by Antoine Andrew
Narrated by Orten Ford
Illustrated by Annette Peone
qsipi, łu n č̓sulexʷ šey hepł nšnšnenč, ec̓x̣ił t sčkʷtnews lše hu ec čłʔemtews łuʔ smx̣eyčn, ax̣la, tats ƛ̓ekʷš.
A long time ago in the forest there was a rocky cliff, like a stomach extended, there's where the grizzly bear sat every day; he didn't leave.
n̓e k̓ʷene, wičis t sqelixʷ ʔec šiyust č̓ šeʔ cp̓up̓ƛ̓m, hecyáʕ̓ sqelixʷ hu xʷist č̓ šeʔ kʷent pulsc
After some time he sees a person go through there, then he would rush at him
ho...y kʷen̓t čtqlwis, kʷen̓t pulsc. hu kʷen̓t hec c̓spnunms łuʔ xʷeʔit sqelixʷ.
Then Grizzly Bear would chase him around and kill him. Grizzly Bear was running out of people to eat.
hayo! c̓x̣ił t sewn̓eʔ c̓oyx̣eʔ yo... hec nk̓ʷselčstmstxʷ hecyaʕ̓ sqelixʷ łuʔ smx̣ey̓čn. hoy, n̓em pulstn łuʔ smx̣eyčn.
Then Crawfish had heard about Grizzly Bear. Oh h h, Grizzly Bear is tormenting everyone. Crawfish thought to himself, I am going to kill that grizzly bear.
ʔaymt! hu čxʷerčstm łuʔ c̓oy̓x̣eʔ. kʷen̓t čc̓ip̓is łuʔ hec mlk̓ʷalqʷ, łuʔ sʔa̓tqʷłp hu łuʔ caqʷl̓š, kʷen̓t nq̓ecinms.
Crawfish stretched out his arms in anger. He pinched a whole pine tree and big yellow tamarack then put them into his mouth.
čxʷerčstm łiʔe łuʔ hec č̓ipstm. hayo! psap smx̣ey̓čn̓. č̓nwistmis č̓č̓ʔit, č̓ smx̣ey̓čn̓ hu hec tešlš.
He stretched out his other arm over the rock cliff, Grizzly Bear was amazed. He held a tree up high and with the other arm, it swept right past Grizzly Bear.
hayo xił n̓e hu č̓c̓ipntm t smx̣ey̓čn̓ hoy iššeʔ c̓nes łiʔe čelš coyx̣e. č̓c̓ipntm hecyaʕ̓ hec šit̓, hu kʷen̓t enes.
In a little while came the hand. Wow Grizzly Bear almost got pinched, Crawfish's hand kept going by Grizzly Bear, sweeping up trees, time and time again they would go by.
iššeʔ hu heł c̓nes łiʔe čelš, č̓ip̓uʔsntm hu nwisšl̓šstm t smx̣ey̓čn̓, hayo!
After a while here it comes, crawfish's hand, it pinched Grizzly Bear and lifted him up.
hayo! pn̓ hec nq̓eʔcinm, hu caʕcaʕcaʕ smx̣ey̓čn̓. hoy hu hoystm, cuntm, "n̓e pƛ̓ečstmntm, kʷent ƛ̓ekʷš, č̓ lkʷut hu xʷuy, mił hec c̓sp̓nustxʷ łuʔ sqelixʷ. x̣ʷuyš čšeš ƛ̓ekʷš.
Crawfish lifted him high into the air, wow! He was going to get swallowed up and he cried out. Crawfish said, yes I will let you go for now and you must go far away, the people are almost all gone.
ih! xʷt̓ip łuʔ smx̣ey̓čn̓, put č̓ hec ntʔoqʷ hu ƛ̓lip hec t̓u...k̓ʷ, nteʔ yo...sx̣sełc̓eʔ łuʔ sqelixʷ, ƛ̓e nem heł iłn n̓e tʔe piʔstem̓.
Wow! Off running went Grizzly Bear. He stopped and la...id there and he thought,
Oh h h but the people taste so good to eat... That's enough! I must stop thinking I should eat people.
put hu ec ntelsi, ƛ̓e heł č̓ipntm, hu xʷuystm č̓šeʔ, pn̓ qs nq̓eʔcinm, hoy caʕcaʕcaʕ, šey p̓ƛ̓ečstmntm, hoy xʷt̓ip
He was just thinking, again he was pinched then taken to Crawfishes mouth. Then he began to cry out and he was set free and he ran.
ha! swet hu qs cunm, hiʔe lʔe hu čn lšeʔ! nem heł iłn łuʔ sqelixʷ n̓e piʔstem̓. put č̓wupš. šeʔ heł c̓ip̓ntm, hoy caʕcaʕcaʕ, hu hoystm, šey hu xʷtipš.
Who's going to tell him this is where I am? I will eat people again. Then he shut up and was again pinched. He cried out and was let go again.
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šey unexʷ hu xʷt̓ipš hu t x̣ʷa t čmus mqʷmoqʷ hu ƛ̓lip. hec t̓u...k̓ʷ ʔáyx̣ʷt hec nte "ƛ̓e hoy łuʔ hi qs ntelsi čiqs iłn t sqelixʷ, ƛ̓e hoy kʷen̓t šey sʔax̣lmcut hu xʷist. kʷent tixʷsnm. šey̓ hu np̓ƛ̓musms łuʔ sm̓em̓iʔ ci c̓oyx̣eʔ hu smx̣ey̓čn̓
You have to leave, go far away, said Crawfish. This time in earnest he really did run, about four ravines, and stopped. He thought, "That's enough, I'll quit thinking I should eat people, that's enough." He turned away and began foraging for food for himself.