042. A Fight for a Drifting Whale

Dictated by Captain Bill, December 30, 1913. XVIII:16-17;

A story about two groups fighting over the rights to a drift whale.

42.1
ʔuħʔaƛitweʔin 
ʔuħ 
is 
-ˀaƛ 
NOW 
-(m)it 
former 
-weˑʔin 
3.QT 
it was now 
t̉an̉anakšiƛ 
t̉an̉anakšiƛ 
give birth 
he had a child 
hiitaɬuksuʔis 
hiitaɬuksuʔis 
Pronouncing-spell-out-at-sea 
Pronouncing-spell-out-at-sea 
ħaaw̉iɬaƛ 
ħaaw̉iɬaƛ 
young man 
young man 
. 

Pronouncing-spell-out-at-sea had a child, a boy.

42.2
ʔuusimč̉aƛ 
ʔuusimč 
do ritual training 
-ˀaƛ 
NOW 
he trained for 
huun̉ii 
huun̉ii 
drift whale 
drift whale 
qaħakʔi 
qaħakʷ 
dead 
=ʔiˑ 
DEF 
for dead 
maaʔak 
maaʔakʷ 
California gray whale 
California whale 
. 

(When he grew up), he trained for drift whale, for dead California whales.

In a secret ritual he prayed that a dead whale might drift up on his beach. In the present narrative the whale did not reach shore and so it belonged to whoever towed it in. Once a whale reaches shore or close in, it belongs to the chief who has the rights to that section of shore.

42.3
n̉ačuʔaɬʔaƛ 
n̉ačuʔaɬ 
see 
-ˀaƛ 
NOW 
he caught sight of now 
huun̉ii 
huun̉ii 
drift whale 
drift whale 
wik 
wik 
not 
not 
ʔukʷi 
ʔukʷi 
at, on 
at, on 
nism̉eʔi 
nism̉a 
land 
=ʔiˑ 
DEF 
the land 
yaaɬ 
yaaɬ 
there 
there 
tup̉aɬ 
tup̉aɬ 
sea 
sea 
ʔukʷi 
ʔukʷi 
at, on 
at, on 
. 

Once he caught sight of a drift whale not on land but out there on the sea.

42.4
hinaačiʔaƛ 
hinaačiƛ 
set off on the water 
-ˀaƛ 
NOW 
they set off on the water 
načimw̉asʔatħʔi 
načimw̉asʔatħ 
Nachimwas tribe 
=ʔiˑ 
DEF 
Nachimwas tribe 
hišink̉aƛ 
hišinkʷ 
together with 
-ˀaƛ 
NOW 
together with 
maakƛʕiiʔatħʔi 
maakƛʕiiʔatħ 
Wouwer Island band 
=ʔiˑ 
DEF 
the Wouwer Island band 
. 

The Nachimwasath put out to sea together with the Wouwer Island band.

42.5
n̉ačuʔaɬʔaƛ 
n̉ačuʔaɬ 
see 
-ˀaƛ 
NOW 
they saw it 
ỷuuqʷaa 
ỷuuqʷaa 
also 
also 
c̉išaaʔatħʔi 
c̉išaaʔatħ 
Tsishaath people 
=ʔiˑ 
DEF 
the Tsishaa people 
huun̉iiʔi 
huun̉ii 
drift whale 
=ʔiˑ 
DEF 
the drift whale 
. 

The Tsishaath also saw the drift whale.

42.6
hinaačiʔaƛ 
hinaačiƛ 
set off on the water 
-ˀaƛ 
NOW 
they set off on the water 
c̉išaaʔatħ 
c̉išaaʔatħ 
Tsishaath people 
Tsishaa people 
ʔuucħa 
ʔuucħa 
go in connection with 
go in connection with 
huun̉iiʔi 
huun̉ii 
drift whale 
=ʔiˑ 
DEF 
the drift whale 
. 

The Tsishaa people put out to sea to go after the drift whale.

42.7
miɬšiʔaƛ 
miɬšiƛ 
be the same 
-ˀaƛ 
NOW 
at the same time they did 
sukʷiƛ 
sukʷiƛ 
grab 
grabbing it 
huun̉ii 
huun̉ii 
drift whale 
drift whale 
c̉išaaʔatħ 
c̉išaaʔatħ 
Tsishaath people 
Tsishaa people 
maakƛʕiiʔatħ 
maakƛʕiiʔatħ 
Wouwer Island band 
Wouwer Island band 
. 

The Tsishaath and the Wouwer Island band took hold of the drift whale at the same time.

42.8
maƛšiʔaƛ 
maƛšiƛ 
tie 
-ˀaƛ 
NOW 
they tied it now 
ʕaƛyuuʔi 
ʕaƛyuu 
cedar branch rope 
=ʔiˑ 
DEF 
with cedar branch ropes 
č̉uučk̉aƛ 
č̉uučk 
both 
-ˀaƛ 
NOW 
both of them 
maƛšiƛ 
maƛšiƛ 
tie 
tying it 
. 

They both tied it with cedar branch ropes.

42.9
ʔuucuʔuk̉ʷap̉aƛ 
ʔuucuʔuk̉ʷap 
take s.t. swh 
-ˀaƛ 
NOW 
they were taking it to 
ỷuuqʷaa 
ỷuuqʷaa 
also 
also 
c̉išaaʔatħ 
c̉išaaʔatħ 
Tsishaath people 
Tsishaa people 
ʔuucuʔuk̉ʷap̉aƛ 
ʔuucuʔuk̉ʷap 
take s.t. swh 
-ˀaƛ 
NOW 
they were taking it to 
hiɬukʔitq 
hiɬ 
LOC 
-uk 
POSS 
-ʔiˑtq 
3s.REL 
where theirs was 
maʔas 
maʔas 
house 
home 
c̉išaa 
c̉išaˑ 
Benson Island 
Benson Island 
. 

The Tsishaath were taking it to where their tribal lands were, at Benson Island.

42.10
ỷuuqʷaaʔaƛ 
ỷuuqʷaa 
also 
-ˀaƛ 
NOW 
they were also now 
ʔuucuʔuk̉ʷap̉aƛ 
ʔuucuʔuk̉ʷap 
take s.t. swh 
-ˀaƛ 
NOW 
they were taking it to 
hiɬukʔitq 
hiɬ 
LOC 
-uk 
POSS 
-ʔiˑtq 
3s.REL 
where theirs was 
maʔas 
maʔas 
house 
house 
maakƛʕii 
maakƛʕii 
Wouwer Island 
Wouwer Island 
. 

Also (the others) were taking it to where their home was, at Wouwer Island.

42.11
n̉iƛkʷaqšiʔaƛ 
n̉iƛkʷaqšiƛ 
take action 
-ˀaƛ 
NOW 
they struggled for it now 
. 

They struggled for it.

42.12
sukʷiʔaƛ 
sukʷiƛ 
grab 
-ˀaƛ 
NOW 
he took it 
wiʔakʔi 
wiʔakʷ2 
warrior 
=ʔiˑ 
DEF 
the warrior 
maakƛʕiiʔatħ 
maakƛʕiiʔatħ 
Wouwer Island band 
Wouwer Island band 
ʕaƛyuuʔi 
ʕaƛyuu 
cedar branch rope 
=ʔiˑ 
DEF 
the cedar branch ropes 
t̉it̉iiʕin 
t̉it̉iiʕin 
Sound-of-Dropping 
Sound-of-Dropping 
. 

The Wouwer Island warrior, Sound-of-Dropping, took the cedar branch rope (of the Tsishaath).

42.13
č̉iħtaʔap̉aƛ 
č̉iħtaʔap 
cut off 
-ˀaƛ 
NOW 
he cut it off 
ʕaƛyuuʔi 
ʕaƛyuu 
cedar branch rope 
=ʔiˑ 
DEF 
the cedar branch rope 
. 

He cut the cedar branch rope (of the Tsishaath) off.

pg. 17 begins below

42.14
ỷuuqʷaaʔaƛ 
ỷuuqʷaa 
also 
-ˀaƛ 
NOW 
also now 
c̉išaaʔatħʔi 
c̉išaaʔatħ 
Tsishaath people 
=ʔiˑ 
DEF 
the Tsishaa people 
wiʔak 
wiʔakʷ2 
warrior 
warrior 
sukʷiʔaƛ 
sukʷiƛ 
grab 
-ˀaƛ 
NOW 
he took 
ʕaƛyuuʔi 
ʕaƛyuu 
cedar branch rope 
=ʔiˑ 
DEF 
the cedar branch rope 
č̉iħtaʔap̉aƛ 
č̉iħtaʔap 
cut off 
-ˀaƛ 
NOW 
he cut it off 
ỷuuqʷaa 
ỷuuqʷaa 
also 
also 
c̉išaaʔatħ 
c̉išaaʔatħ 
Tsishaath people 
Tsishaa people 
. 

A Tsishaath warrior likewise took the cedar branch rope (of the Wouwer Island band) and cut it off also.

42.15
huʔaasƛaa 
huʔaas 
once again 
=ƛaa 
again 
they did once again 
maƛšiƛ 
maƛšiƛ 
tie 
tied it on 
maakƛʕiiʔatħ 
maakƛʕiiʔatħ 
Wouwer Island band 
Wouwer Island band 
. 

The Wouwer Island band tied onto it again.

42.16
huʔaasƛaa 
huʔaas 
once again 
=ƛaa 
again 
they did once again 
maƛšiƛ 
maƛšiƛ 
tie 
tied it on 
c̉išaaʔatħ 
c̉išaaʔatħ 
Tsishaath people 
Tsishaa people 
. 

Again the Tsishaath tied onto it.

42.17
ƛiiħak̉aƛ 
ƛiiħakʷ 
paddle 
-ˀaƛ 
NOW 
they paddled on 
ʔuucuʔuk̉ʷap̉aƛ 
ʔuucuʔuk̉ʷap 
take s.t. swh 
-ˀaƛ 
NOW 
they were taking it to 
nism̉aakʔi 
nism̉a 
land 
-ˀak 
POSS 
=ʔiˑ 
DEF 
their land 
maakƛʕii 
maakƛʕii 
Wouwer Island 
Wouwer Island 
. 

They paddled along taking it to their land at Wouwer Island.

42.18
ỷuuqʷaaʔaƛ 
ỷuuqʷaa 
also 
-ˀaƛ 
NOW 
also now 
ʔuucuʔuk̉ʷap̉aƛ 
ʔuucuʔuk̉ʷap 
take s.t. swh 
-ˀaƛ 
NOW 
they were taking it to 
nism̉aakʔi 
nism̉a 
land 
-ˀak 
POSS 
=ʔiˑ 
DEF 
their land 
c̉išaa 
c̉išaˑ 
Benson Island 
Benson Island 
. 

They were also now taking it along to Benson Island.

42.19
maƛsmaʕaqaƛ 
maƛsmaʕaqa 
compete in towing 
-ˀaƛ 
NOW 
they were competing in towing 
. 

They were competing in towing it.

42.20
ƛaaʔuuk 
ƛaaʔuk 
another one 
another one 
č̉iħtaỷap 
č̉iħtaỷap 
cut apart 
cut it apart 
t̉it̉iiʕin 
t̉it̉iiʕin 
Sound-of-Dropping 
Sound-of-Dropping 
wiʔakʔi 
wiʔakʷ1 
brave 
=ʔiˑ 
DEF 
the brave one 
maakƛʕiiʔatħ 
maakƛʕiiʔatħ 
Wouwer Island band 
Maktliath tribe 
. 

Again, Sound-of-dropping, the fearless Wouwer Island man, cut it apart.

42.21
ỷuuqʷaa 
ỷuuqʷaa 
also 
also did 
ƛaaʔuuk 
ƛaaʔuk 
another one 
another one 
c̉išaaʔatħ 
c̉išaaʔatħ 
Tsishaath people 
Tsishaa people 
. 

Again another Tsishaath man did so also.

42.22
muup̉itšiƛweʔin 
muu 
four 
-p̉it3 
... times 
-šiƛ 
PRF 
-weˑʔin 
3.QT 
they did it four times 
č̉iħtaỷap 
č̉iħtaỷap 
cut apart 
cut it apart 
ʕaƛyuu 
ʕaƛyuu 
cedar branch rope 
cedar branch rope 
hiišcuw̉at 
hiišcuw̉at 
on both sides 
on both sides 
. 

Each side did so four times, cutting the rope.

42.23
wiiʔakšiʔaƛweʔin 
wiʔakšiƛ2 
be weak 
-ˀaƛ 
NOW 
-weˑʔin 
3.QT 
they weakened now 
maakƛʕiiʔatħ 
maakƛʕiiʔatħ 
Wouwer Island band 
Wouwer Island band 
. 

Then the Wouwer Island people weakened.

42.24
ʔuħʔaƛweʔin 
ʔuħ 
is 
-ˀaƛ 
NOW 
-weˑʔin 
3.QT 
it was now 
našukšiʔaƛ 
našukšiƛ 
be strong 
-ˀaƛ 
NOW 
they became strong 
c̉išaaʔatħ 
c̉išaaʔatħ 
Tsishaath people 
Tsishaa people 
. 

The Tsishaath proved to be stronger.

42.25
ɬačiʔaƛ 
ɬačiƛ 
give up 
-ˀaƛ 
NOW 
they released it 
maakƛʕiiʔatħ 
maakƛʕiiʔatħ 
Wouwer Island band 
Wouwer Island band 
. 

The Wouwer Island band let go.

42.26
ƛuɬst̉aɬitweʔin 
ƛuɬst̉aɬ 
be good to each other 
-(m)it 
former 
-weˑʔin 
3.QT 
they were good to each other 
ʔuukʷiɬ 
ʔuukʷiɬ2 
refer to 
refer to 
c̉išaaʔatħ 
c̉išaaʔatħ 
Tsishaath people 
Tsishaa people 
maakƛʕiiʔatħ 
maakƛʕiiʔatħ 
Wouwer Island band 
Wouwer Island band 
. 

The Tsishaath and the Wouwer Island bands were friendly toward each other.

I.e., this contest was friendly and not such as might lead to war. They merely wanted to see who would get the whale.