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
scqescíłni ttwit
Little Falls Boy
Narrated by Orten Ford
Illustrated by Diane Covington
łuʔ t q̓sípiʔ u ep swiʔnúm̓t łuʔ č̓ scqescí.
A long time ago, there was a young man at Little Falls.
łuʔ t nk̓ʷasq̓t, cuntm t lʔews, “n̓em kʷ xʷuy č̓ čłq̓liʔ u n̓em kʷ cʔuncút.”
One day, he was told by his father, “You will go to a lake and you will seek your vision.”
“n̓e kʷ čičš łuʔ č̓ še, m̓ kʷ weʔm: ʔi……!”
“When you arrive there, you will shout, “Eeeeee!”
kʷen̓t xʷist łuʔ č̓ čkʷlkʷltasq̓t čłq̓liʔs.
Then he walked to Benjamin Lake.
tešlš n sx̣cin u weʔm, “ʔi…..!”
He stood up on the shore and shouted, “Eeeeee!”
kʷen̓t máw̓is łuʔ x̣cnúm̓tis u nʔust.
Then he took off his clothes and dove in.
nč̓rip č̓łʔišút u wičm t nšn̓esšn ʔec̓x̣íł t nx̣lenč.
He swam beneath and saw a rock cliff like a shelf.
tl̓šeʔ nč̓rip u wičm heł nk̓ʷuʔ nšn̓esšn.
He swam some more and saw another rock cliff.
ʔax̣í u čłtéšlšmis łuʔ sništétkʷ.
Finally he stood on the bottom of the water.
kʷen̓t čicntm t w̓suʔł.
Then he was met by a loon.
čmlk̓ʷmíc̓eʔ u epł t̓aʔt̓apmín u hec ncáʔaqʷ.
He had arrows stuck all over his body.
cúti, “Ɂax̣l čn t̓ʔek̓ʷ, qʷu hec t̓apims t sqélixʷ, pn̓ ta pistém̓ qʷu hec mʔečtmms. nexʷ l̓šey̓ m̓ kʷ ʔec̓x̣íł.”
She said, “Whenever I come out of the water, the people shoot me, but it never bothers me. You will also be like that.”
kʷen̓t čicntm t sqlew̓. nexʷ čmlk̓ʷmíc̓eʔ u epł t̓aʔt̓apmín.
Then he was met by a beaver. He was also covered all over his body with arrows.
tixʷł ʔesél snʔešʔeščén̓tn tl̓ sqlew̓. nk̓ʷuʔ epł hi kʷil scsust u nk̓ʷuʔ epł hi kʷriʔ.
He received two vessels from the beaver, one had a red drink and another had yellow.
cuntm t sqlew̓, “n̓e kʷ lxʷup, m̓ kʷ sust m̓ kʷ x̣stwilš.”
He was told by beaver, “When you get hurt, you will drink and get better.”
kʷen̓t čicntm t ltkʷuʔ u čmlk̓ʷmíc̓eʔ ep sq̓tq̓tim. kʷen̓t nk̓ʷƛ̓im t n̓in̓č̓mn łuʔ t sqeltčs.
Then he was met by an otter and all over his body he had scars. Then he pulled a knife from his body.
cúti, “xʷʔit łuʔ i sq̓tq̓tim hu pn̓ ta piʔstém̓ qʷu hec lxʷupnúnms. nexʷ l̓šey̓ m̓ kʷ ʔec̓x̣íł.”
He said, “Many are my scars, but they never hurt me. You will also be like that.”
“k̓ʷúl̓iš t n̓in̓č̓mn ʔec̓x̣íł t łiʔé hu pn̓ ta piʔstém̓ aqéc lxʷupnúnm łuʔ a snk̓ʷélixʷ.”
“Make a knife like this, but you must never hurt your fellow people.”
l̓šey̓ u wíčis łuʔ suméšs.
That was how he saw his power.
heł t̓ʔek̓ʷ u č̓uw łuʔ x̣cnúm̓tis. čtmelxʷ u heł xʷist łuʔ č̓ scqescí.
He came out of the water again and his clothes were gone. He walked back to Little Falls naked.
łuʔ heł čičš, u hec c̓qʷáʔaqʷi hecyáʕ̓ łuʔ stm̓mélisc.
When he arrived again, all his family was crying.
cuntm t sk̓ʷuys, “ʔaslásq̓t u kʷ č̓uw. an lʔew u wi̓čis łuʔ an x̣cnum̓tn u qe nte u kʷ ƛ̓lil.”
He was told by his mother, “You were gone for two days. Your father found your clothes, and we thought you died.”