Humor: The last words of a Nicola Déné speaker?
When one of the last speakers of endangered Nicola Athabaskan thought it was the end of his life, he spoke Chinuk Wawa!
And Hapkrin requested a will to be written for him, in English I guess.
Hápkrin was convinced he was headed here, Coldwater First Nations Cemetery
(image credit: Find A Grave)
Such are some of the pains of losing your native language. Dying among strangers, you do what you can to be understood by them.
You can read the tale for yourself, as told in English by Father Le Jeune of the “Kamloops Wawa” newspaper.
I’ll also show it to you in Chinook Jargon, where you’ll spot some differences!
At the top of the first page from “K.W.” is a little note about another of the last known speakers of Stuwix, also known as Nicola Dene (Athabaskan) — the elder called Joeyaska / Jew-yas-ka. For a pretty great telling of Joeyaska’s family history, please go read Mary Jane Joe’s 1999 UBC thesis, “Chu tesh ha timiux “he worked hard on the land”: The story of Joeyaska“!
Editing on April 2, 2024 to add — I forgot I’d already shared this story with you folks 🙂 But the material I’ve added today is worthy stuff, so read on!
Page 49
Kopa Nshiskrit, wik saia
‘At Nshiskrit, near’Kol Watir, mitlait iht ol man
‘Coldwater, lives this one old man’iaka nim Shuiáska: klunas wik
‘called Shuiáska: he may be nearly’
saia < 100> sno ukuk ol man.
‘100 years old, this elder.’
Iaka ilip kopa < 95> sno. Pi chi
‘He’s over 95. And just’
alta iaka chako wash, kopa
‘recently he got baptized, on’
Ipril < 24>, pi iaka tlap nim Pol.
‘April 24, and took the name Paul.’<X>
Mitlait kopa Nikola ilihi iht
‘In the Nicola area there lives an’
ol man iaka nim Hápkrin, iaka
‘old man named Hápkrin, whose’
wash nim Abraam. Iaka drit ol man
‘baptism name is Abraham. He’s a really old man’
alta, klunas < 90>, klunas < 95>.
‘now, maybe 90 or 95.’Ankati ukuk Hápkrin ayu
‘Once this Hápkrin was’kuli [Ø] kanawi kah ilihi; iht
‘travelling a lot, all over the country; one’
son iaka chako kopa iaka haws
‘day he came to the house of’iht tkop man iaka nim Shon Gilmor.
‘a White man called John Gilmore.’Pi klaska makmak kanamokst. Pi Gilmor
‘And they had a meal together. And Gilmore’iskom ukuk paia makmak klaska nim
‘got out this spicy food called’
myustard. < X> Hapkrin wawa:
‘mustard. Hapkrin said,’
= Patlach [Ø]. < X> Gilmor wawa: Ilo.
‘ “Give me some.” Gilmore said, “No.” ‘< X> Hapkrin wawa: = Naika tiki [Ø].
‘Hapkrin said, “I want some.” ‘Page 50
Gilmor wawa: = Wik kopa Sawash
‘Gilmore said, “It’s not for Natives,’ukuk makmak. < X> Pus wik maika
‘this food. If you won’t’siisim kopa klaksta naika patlach [Ø]
‘tell anyone, I’ll give some’kopa maika. < X> Hápkrin wawa: =
‘to you.” Hapkrin said,’Wik naika siisim kopa klaksta man.
‘ “I won’t tell anybody.” ‘< X> Gilmor wawa: = Tlus… Mamuk
‘Gilmore said, “All right…open’halak maika labush pi aiak makmak [Ø].
‘up your mouth and eat it fast.” ‘Pi iaka mash patl iht spun myustard
‘And he put a spoonful of mustard’kopa Hápkrin iaka labush, pi Hapkrin
‘in Hapkrin’s mouth, and Hapkrin’aiak makmak [Ø]… < X> Wik lili pi iaka
‘ate it right up… Soon he’tlap kakwa pus paia iaka labush pi
‘felt like his mouth was on fire and’
iaka kwatin, pi iaka rol kopa
‘his belly too, and he rolled on’flor, pi iaka aias skukum wawa:
‘the floor, and he screamed,’
= Patlach chok, aiak chok!
‘ “Give (me) water, hurry, water!’
Naika drit paia kanawi… O!
‘I’m totally burning up…Ooohhh!’Drit mimlus… Iskom maika
‘(I’m) really dying!…Get out your’pipa pi mamuk cim naika wawa:
‘paper and write my words:’
Naika tiki patlach naika kyutan kopa
‘I want to leave my horses to’
naika tanas… Drit naika mimlus.
‘my kids…I’m really dying!” ‘Pi Gilmor ayu ihi: Iaka ankati
‘And Gilmore laughed and laughed; it was the late’Shon Gilmor iaka siisim ukuk.
‘John Gilmore that told this story.’
— from Kamloops Wawa #205 (June 1903), pages 49-50
