Shtunyu'en

By Albert Wassillie
Transcribed by James Kari

yi gini q'ula'a dilani shtunyu'en sukdu'a Qizhjeh qayeh q'et'gheli łu qedyuq
this is a true story about a hunter that happened a long time ago at Qizhjeh (Kijik)

iqech' dach' qidyuq izin en'ugha qevqayeh qełagh ha
in fact, this happened long before guns were available in the village

naqeli q'u qil qizdlan ha ggagga ghini qituyuł qech'u tsa nuteneldih ts'ełq'i tedzi ch'u ts-ełq-i jani hqugh teneldih
it happened late in fall time before the big bears hibernate eng they sleep for a day and a night

q'et' q'u łu shtunyu'en tets qilan idi eła k'denlghiq-i cheh łu qadadaznex
long ago a hunter was walking home one night when he heard a loud snoring

yudeq dghili nanq- ggagga nlanch' qit'ayitni
he knew that it was a bear high up the mountain side

naqeli qilanch' ch'q-u daghiłtey nułgheł
it was fall and it was getting really dark

ench'u chk'diłnil ghuda yech' hniniyu
because he hadn't killed anything, he went up it

izin enlugha qełagh ha gheyuł ch'q'u daghiłggech' yegh niłilgguk
they did not yet have guns and he walked and he went up close to it

ch'q'u detets'a ghin niydaniłggat ch'q'u dek'izhaga ch'aghalkit
and he put down his spear and took out his knife

q'uyehdi yech' hch'ak'nal'in ex yegh nik'nal'in
and he sneaked out to it and he sneaked up to it

ch'q'u yeghudelnex vekuz'in vahdełnex qiqu
and he started feeling around for the bear's heart beat

q'uyehdi viq'di vahdełnix sht'a łu yizgget ch'q'u veł ch'ghałdilen
once he found the bear's heart, he plunged his knife into it and it rolled down (the mountain)

ch'q'u nihdaniłghetl'
and he heard the noise as it rolled to a stop

q'uyehdi ggagga hq'a ghita ghu hq'aghelgguk ch'q'u qa'iltan ex niłdanitun
and he went into the place where the bear had been lying, he lay down and spent the night

q'ut'un sht'a ts'anizit ch'q'u chench' yiqu htalyu
he woke up early in the morning, and he went down looking for it (the bear)

yegh niyu idi'eła chidyuq
he came to it and it was dead