107. The "River" of the Tsakwistisath

Told by Tom Sayachapis to Edward Sapir, November 11, 1913, Notebook XIII: 13-14; 107/f2 (7)

A Ucluelet Arm story.

107.1
ʔukɬaama 
ʔukɬaa 
name 
-maˑ 
3.IND 
he was called 
c̉akʷistisʔatħʔi 
c̉akʷistisʔatħ 
Tsakwistis band 
=ʔiˑ 
DEF 
the Tsakwistis 
ħaw̉iɬ 
ħaw̉iɬ 
chief 
chief 
waakiitkʷisiis 
waakiitkʷisiis 
Purple-rises-from-Beach 
Purple-rises-from-Beach 

The Tsakwistis chief was named Purple-rises-from-Beach.

The Tsakwistis are a band of the Ucluelet Arm tribe.

107.2
ʔuumiik 
ʔuumiikʷ 
getter of ... 
he was a getter of ... 
ʔaayimk 
ʔaayimk 
catch many 
catching many 
maaʔak 
maaʔakʷ 
California gray whale 
California whales 
ʔiiħtuup 
ʔiiħtuup 
humpbacked whale 
humpbacked whales 

He was successful in getting many California and humpbacked whales.

107.3
ʔaħʔaayiyaƛquuweʔin 
ʔaħʔaa 
that 
-(y)iya 
at ... time 
-ˀaƛ 
NOW 
-quu1 
3.CND 
-weˑʔin 
3.QT 
at that time they would do 
hiɬ 
hiɬ 
LOC 
there 
hupaɬʔaƛʔi 
hupaɬ 
month 
-ˀaƛ 
NOW 
=ʔiˑ 
DEF 
the present month 
ƛ̉imšyaʕisčiʔaƛquu 
ƛ̉imšyaʕisčiƛ 
eat boiled food 
-ˀaƛ 
NOW 
-quu1 
3.CND 
when they would eat boiled (salmon) 
maatmaas 
maʔas 
tribe.pl 
tribes 

At this time in this month (November) when the tribes would eat boiled (salmon).

107.4
ʔuuħw̉aɬšiʔaƛ 
ʔuuħw̉aɬšiƛ 
use 
-ˀaƛ 
NOW 
he would use 
ʔukɬaaʔakʔi 
ʔukɬaa 
name 
-ˀak 
POSS 
=ʔiˑ 
DEF 
his named 
xʷišimɬ 
xʷišimɬ 
harpoon 
harpoon 
n̉uup̉itiipšiiɬ 
n̉uup̉itiipšiiɬ 
Always-causing-to-be-gone-after-only-once 
Always-causing-to-be-gone-after-only-once 
ʔukɬaaʔak 
ʔukɬaa 
name 
-ˀak 
POSS 
his named 
ƛaʔuuʔakʔi 
ƛaʔuˑ 
other 
-ˀak 
POSS 
=ʔiˑ 
DEF 
his other one 
xʷišimɬ 
xʷišimɬ 
harpoon 
harpoon 
ƛiiƛuuqƛmiik 
ƛiiƛuuqƛmiikʷ 
Always-getting-Tlitluuktl-Whales 
Always-getting-Tlitluuktl-whales 

He would use his harpoon named Always-causing-to-be-gone-after-only-once and his other harpoon named Always-getting-Tlitluuktl-whales.

The Tsakwistisath, one of the bands of the Ucluelet Arm tribe, had no rivers and hence did not depend much on salmon. Always had whale meat when other tribes were eating salmon. Their "river" was "whale," which they could get any time.

ƛiyup "liver". Alex Thomas thinks it refers to fat whales.

107.5
ƛ̉imšyaʕisčiʔaƛquuweʔin 
ƛ̉imšyaʕisčiƛ 
eat boiled food 
-ˀaƛ 
NOW 
-quu1 
3.CND 
-weˑʔin 
3.QT 
they would eat boiled food 
ỷuuqʷaa 
ỷuuqʷaa 
also 
also 
qʷeeʔiitq 
qʷaa 
thus 
-ʔiˑtq 
3s.REL 
just like  
maatmaasʔi 
CVt- 
PL 
maʔas 
tribe 
=ʔiˑ 
DEF 
the tribes 
ʔunaakʔi 
ʔunaakʷ 
have 
=ʔiˑ 
REL 
the ones who had 
c̉aʔak 
c̉aʔakʷ 
river 
river 
maatmaas 
maʔas 
tribe.pl 
tribes 

They would eat boiled food as likewise did the other tribes, the tribes having a river.

107.6
miiɬħiimaħsaƛ 
miiɬħii 
equal 
-miħsa 
want 
-ˀaƛ 
NOW 
they wanted to be equal 
ʔuukʷiɬ 
ʔuukʷiɬ 
Obj. Marker 
refer to 
c̉anaakʔi 
c̉anaakʷ 
have a river 
=ʔiˑ 
REL 
the ones having a river 
maatmaas 
maʔas 
tribe.pl 
tribes 

They wanted to be equal to the other tribes having rivers.

pg. 14 begins here

107.7
nuuknaak̉aƛuk 
nuuk 
sing 
-naˑkʷ 
have 
-ˀaƛ 
NOW 
-uk 
POSS 
they have a song 
ʔaƛqimɬʔi 
ʔaƛa 
two 
-qimɬ 
... unit 
=ʔiˑ 
DEF 
the two 
xʷišimɬ 
xʷišimɬ 
harpoon 
harpoons 
ʔunaakqa 
ʔunaakʷ 
have 
-qaˑ 
3.SUB 
that they have 
c̉anaak 
c̉anaakʷ 
have a river 
have a river 
xʷišimɬukʔi 
xʷišimɬ 
harpoon 
-uk 
POSS 
=ʔiˑ 
DEF 
his harpoons 

Now his two harpoons have a song, his harpoons have ones about having rivers.

107.8
hitasaʔaƛquuweʔin 
hitasaʔaƛ 
come to shore 
-quu1 
3.CND 
-weˑʔin 
3.QT 
they would come to shore 
č̉aapuk 
č̉aapuk 
canoe party 
canoe party 
histaqšiƛ 
histaqšiƛ 
come from 
they came from  
sayeeʔi 
sayaˑ 
far off 
=ʔiˑ 
DEF 
far off 
ħačỷaak 
ħačỷaakʷ 
gift visit 
on a gift visit 

A canoe party would come to shore from far off on a gift visit.

107.9
huɬiiʔiʔaƛquuweʔin 
huɬiiʔiƛ 
dance in 
-ˀaƛ 
NOW 
-quu1 
3.CND 
-weˑʔin 
3.QT 
they would dance into the house 

They would dance into the house.

107.10
|| 
c̉aʔakʷiyaaksiš 
my creek 
ʔaħkuu 
ʔaħkuu 
thus 
thus 
c̉aʔakʷiyaaksiš 
my creek 
ʔa 

yaacsitʔiisiš 
c̉aʔaak 
creek 
yaacsitʔiisiš 
c̉aʔakʷiyaaksiš 
my creek 
||. 

"This is my river. I am standing in the river."

R&S song no. vii. F. 80a (no.33). Potlatch entry song, sung by Tom, Tsishaa. Tupaati derived from the Tsakw'stis, a sept of the Hitatsuat, and going back to waakiitkwisiis. This is my river. I am standing in the river. It is said that the Tsakwistis tribe had no river, but pretended to have one because they wanted to show themselves equal to the tribes that had rivers. Waakw'itkwisiis was very successful in getting whales with his two whaling spears named n̉uup̉itiipšiiɬ ("get in one try at intervals") and ƛiiƛuuqXmiik ("getter of tlitluuktl whales"). In the season when other tribes were eating boiled freshwater fish, he would boil his whale meat and eat it boiled. The song was considered to belong to the two whaling spears, and the supposed river was supposed to belong to the two spears. When the Tsakwistis would go visiting with presents, they would dance into the house singing the above song and carrying the spears aloft at the head of the column of dancers.

107.11
c̉aʔakukʷaħ 
c̉aʔakʷ 
river 
-uk 
POSS 
-(m)aˑħ 
1s.IND 
I have a river 
ʔaħkuu 
ʔaħkuu 
thus 
thus 
yaacsitʔisaħ 
yaacsit 
step into water 
-ʔis 
DIM 
-(m)aˑħ 
1s.IND 
I am stepping in the water 
c̉aʔak 
c̉aʔakʷ 
river 
river 

I have a river, I am stepping into the river.

107.12
ʔaƛaaƛ 
ʔaƛa 
two 
-ˀaƛ 
NOW 
there were two now 
suu 
suu 
hold 
holding 
xʷišimɬʔi 
xʷišimɬ 
harpoon 
=ʔiˑ 
DEF 
the harpoon 
yaqwiħtiɬʔitq 
yaqʷ 
REL 
-wiˑħta 
in front 
-‘iɬ3 
in the house 
-ʔiˑtq 
3s.REL 
those which were in front of the house 

There were two who were in the front of the house holding the harpoons.