snxʷmeneʔ nqʷlqʷeltn
6190 Agency Loop Road
PO Box 100
Wellpinit, WA 99040
509-258-4222
Spokane Tribe Language and Culture
ƛ̓uxʷ šey̓ lʔe n šiyulexʷ We have always walked this land
Albert Sam
sx̣ʷƛ̓ey̓ sp̓sip̓iʔšis
GOAT’S MOCASSINS
łuʔ uł spilye, łuʔ n smʔeʔms, pul̓ye, hec q̓eʔy łuʔ pʔišeʔ. kʷen̓t ecyaʕ̓ łuʔ xʷixʷey̓uł, łuʔ cyaʕ̓ stem̓ u sqelixʷ. łuʔ st̓mčʔeʔlts tixʷ sx̣ʷƛ̓ey̓ sql̓tmixʷ u enes, xʷist, im̓š. esl spentč łuʔ sč̓uw u eł cčičš. ec čšistem̓ łuʔ t sql̓tmixʷs, u t čnaqs łuʔ uł sinceʔs. cʔúʔukʷis łuʔ scqiyełc̓eʔ, x̣mip słaq u p̓ux̣ʷp̓ux̣ʷ łuʔ č̓ spílyeʔ u smʔems.
Speelya and his wife Pulye lived in the days when all the birds and animals, fish, and plants were people. Their daughter was with her husband, Mountain Goat, and his family, far up in the hills. Two years passed and one day she came home, with her husband and one of his brothers. They brought dried venison, camas and dried berries to Speelya and his wife.
x̣ʷa x̣ʷl̓ k̓ʷnša lšeʔʔ łuʔ n uł spilye, kʷen̓t hoy cutiʔ łuʔ sx̣ʷƛ̓ey̓, “n̓em qeʔ xʷuyi. kʷen̓t n̓e piʔstem̓ n̓em qeʔ čxʷuymłlt.”
Their daughter stayed for several days, then it was time for her to leave. “We are ready to return to our home,” said Mountain Goat. “We would like to have you visit us.”
hoy, kʷen̓t nte łuʔ spilye, “i qs wičm x̣ʷa n̓em l̓ čen̓ u ec̓x̣ił łuʔ ciʔtxʷs, łuʔ snlšeʔtis,” kʷen̓t cuti, “n̓em čn eł čšin!” hoy, łuʔ x̣lip xʷuʔyi, eneʔs.
I will be glad to,” said Speelya, anxious to see what kind of a home his daughter had. They left the next day.
xʷu···ʔy, łi y̓e č̓ hec šn̓esšn̓, nwist łi y̓e hec šn̓esšn̓! hoy, łi y̓e sx̣ʷƛ̓ey̓ t čn̓ečšis łuʔ smʔems, t xʷist, u kʷen̓t qaʔql̓t.
For many days they traveled. One day they came to a high cliff. Mountain Goat took his wife by the hand and they went up without any trouble.
hoy, č̓e spilye! em̓ u el̓ist, kʷen̓t eł ec cq̓ʷʔap, eł ct̓yip! čmiš u ec čłałahx̣ʷq̓ʷpšnmi! x̣ił n̓e u čmšqnmist, u wičis łuʔ sp̓sip̓išn. wičis łuʔ sx̣ʷƛ̓ey̓ łi łuʔ t nwist.
Speelya could not go up. Every time he tried to climb, he slipped and fell. He was about to give up when he saw a pair of moccasins fall in front of him. Looking up he saw Mountain Goat standing at the edge of the precipice.
weʔis, “q̓eʔšnʔiš! kʷen̓t n̓em t šey̓ m kʷ cqelt, n̓em t šey̓ m čn̓šitmt m kʷ cqelt!”
“Put on my moccasins and you will be able to climb the cliff without falling,” he hollered to Speelya.
“čmiš kʷ i ec nʔemtew̓sm, n̓e kʷ qelt m sic čn xʷuy!”, cuti łuʔ spilye. “n̓em čn q̓eʔšnim̓ t a sp̓sip̓iʔšn, kʷn̓e či qs qelt. i nšiʔtsncutn šruʔtm t kʷtunt hec šn̓esšnʷ. łuʔ puti čis ttw̓it kʷen̓t čn̓ ec qeclš, čn ec šrutm! šey̓ qeʔ nk̓ʷul̓mn!”
“I was just waiting for you to get up there before I started,” said Speelya ashamed of his helplessness. “But since you have given me your moccasins, I will put them on. My ancestors used to climb cliffs steeper than this. When I was a boy, I used to run up and down steep cliffs like this all the time.”
hoy kʷen̓t q̓eʔšnim łuʔ t sp̓sip̓iʔšn̓. u kʷen̓t nełiʔ łi y̓e q̓eʔšnim t sx̣ʷƛ̓ey̓ q̓eʔšis, u kʷen̓t łi y̓e t hec šn̓esšn̓, čsxʷstesšn̓, u qelt. hoy tl̓ šeʔ eneʔs u čiʔčš łuʔ č̓ sx̣ʷƛ̓ey̓ snlšeʔtis.
He put on the moccasins. He found that the Mountain Goat’s moccasins enabled him to walk up the perpendicular walls as easily as if he were walking on a level plain. They went on climbing and at last they reached the home of Mountain Goat.
cuntm łi y̓e t st̓mčʔelts, “ta exʷ kʷ qs w̓elm̓scut! n̓em i kʷ tx̣ʷmscut!”
“Be careful and do not try any of your tricks here,” his daughter warned him. “If you do you will get into trouble.”
e··! łi y̓e nč̓łnč̓mep u ec ʕac łi y̓e smx̣ey̓čn̓! npiʔlš łi y̓e k̓ʷiƛ̓t. hoy, łi y̓e spilye u nexʷ qs nʔułxʷi, kʷen̓t ʕay̓ntem łi y̓e t smx̣ey̓čn̓! e···m, u eł xʷuy, kʷen̓t eł ʕayntem! kʷen̓t ta qs nʔułłxʷnum̓t!
Speelye did not say anything. As they approached the tipi, he saw a grizzly bear tied close to the door. The others got inside alright, but as soon as Speelya tried to enter, the grizzly bear uttered a fierce growl. Speelye was terrified. Each time the bear growled, he ran back from the door as fast as he could.
hoy, kʷen̓t łi y̓e sx̣ʷƛ̓ey̓ sk̓ʷuys, łi y̓e sxʷl̓otqs, oyn̓cut, u cuti, “aʕ, ha kʷ nx̣elm łi y̓e in č̓mtncutn?!!” ƛ̓e p̓x̣ʷp̓x̣ʷut, kʷen̓t č̓e i čpiqqn, č̓e ta epł x̣lexʷ. hoy, aymt łuʔ spilye! eł ʕay̓ntem łuʔ smx̣eyčn, pn̓ nʔułxʷ łuʔ spilye.
Every time he ran, Hare, the mother of Mountain Goat, laughed. She was an old lady with white hair. She was toothless and wrinkled. “Hee hee hee,” she laughed, “Speelye is afraid of my pet.” This made Speelye so angry that he walked bravely to the door and entered, although the grizzly bear growled again.
wičis łi y̓e sxʷl̓otqs u nte, “x̣i···ł mił č̓sus łi y̓e!”
Looking at Hare he saw that she was homely and old. “She is the homeliest woman I ever saw,” he thought.
u kʷen̓t oy̓ncut łuʔ sxʷl̓otqs, “i···, kʷen̓t kʷ nte čn č̓sus! x̣ʷa a scnłeptmm łuʔ a smʔem!” kʷen̓t eł oy̓ncut!
“Hee hee hee,” laughed Hare. “Speelye thinks that I am the homeliest woman he ever saw. He has forgotten about his wife. Hee hee hee.”
hoy, tl̓ šeʔ aymt łuʔ spilye, nte, “x̣ił xʷtxʷett u č̓sus!” tl̓ šeʔ eł oy̓ncut łuʔ sxʷl̓otqs! “spilye nte čn xʷtxʷett, u čn č̓sus!” tʔe stem̓ nte łuʔ spilye, kʷen̓t ƛ̓e ec miyłtem łi y̓e t sxʷl̓otqs!
Every time Speelye thought, she always read his mind.
hoy, łuʔ č̓luxʷ, kʷen̓t łi y̓e sx̣ʷƛ̓ey̓ ckʷeys łuʔ snmen̓xʷtis, qʷamqʷmt łi łuʔ snmen̓xʷtis! hoy, nt̓qem, kʷen̓t men̓xʷ, kʷen̓t nšlčmstes. hoy spilye xʷic̓łtm – hoy, ih! kʷen̓t nte, “n̓em qł qʷuyʔe łi y̓e! pn̓ n̓e···m qł qʷuyʔe łi y̓e!” hoy, wiʔs meʔnxʷ, hoy u elk̓ʷis łi ye snmen̓xʷtis łuʔ t sx̣ʷƛ̓ey̓.
That evening, Mountain Goat took a pipe from the wall. It was a beautiful pipe, carved out of stone and having a long handle. Mountain Goat filled the pipe with tobacco made of finely crushed leaves, and passed it around. When the pipe reached Speelye, he examined it closely. He at once decided that he would have it for his own.
hoy, łuʔ skʷkʷʔec, spilye ec sun̓u···m̓ti, ecyaʕ et̓itš. u kʷen̓t q̓eʔšnim łi łuʔ sx̣ʷƛ̓ey̓ q̓eʔšis. u kʷen̓t ckʷeys łi łuʔ snmen̓xʷtis u šey̓s xʷist. eł xʷi····st, u pu··t x̣x̣l̓pul̓eʔxʷ u ayx̣ʷt u łi y̓e n č̓emeʔ u itš.
That night, when everyone was asleep Speelye got up and found the moccasins that Mountain Goat had loaned him. He put them on and then snuck up to where the pipe was hanging. Taking the pipe he walked out. With it under his arm, he set out for home. He traveled all night. As dawn was breaking he was so tired that he decided to rest. He found a bed of pine needles under a tree and laid down, going to sleep immediately.
še···y, łuʔ qiłt, ec qiłn̓m̓ łuʔ t st̓mčʔelts, cuntm, “ƛ̓e! qaʔqs el̓iłni!” čxʷpxʷupmusm. ƛ̓e łi łuʔ n sx̣ʷƛ̓ey̓ ciʔtxʷs u eł lšeʔ! puti epł snmen̓xʷtn. nyiʕap ec q̓eq̓eʔšin łi łuʔ t sx̣ʷƛ̓ey̓ q̓eʔšis! hoy ac̓x̣, u łi łuʔ sxʷl̓otqs ec oy̓ncuti!
He was sleeping soundly when someone shook him by the shoulders. Opening his eyes, he saw his daughter. “It is time to get up,” she said. “Breakfast is ready.” Speelye sat up and looked around. He was surprised to find himself back in the tipi of Mountain Goat. Cautiously he felt under his arm. The pipe was still there. He looked down at his feet and saw that the moccasins were still on his feet. Looking up, he saw Hare laughing.
cuti, “tam łi łuʔ sx̣ʷƛ̓ey̓ q̓eʔšis x̣ʷl̓ ecyaʕ! čmiš łuʔ x̣ʷl̓ i sqʷsqʷseʔ u łišeʔ q̓eʔšin! kʷen̓t n̓e t swet m naq̓ʷmis, n̓e q̓eʔšnmintm, kʷen̓t n̓em eł cxʷuy y̓e lʔe.” kʷen̓t eł oy̓ncut!
“Hee hee hee”, she cackled. “The Mountain Goat’s Moccasins are not for everyone. They are for my sons alone. They know their way home, and if a thief takes them they come back and bring the thief with them. Hee hee hee!”
tas ec̓in̓n̓t łuʔ spilye.
Speelye did not say anything. He did not dare even to think. Hare would read his mind.
ho···y łi łuʔ šey̓ sx̣lx̣alt łuʔ i č̓ewep, epł č̓uw. kʷen̓t eł xʷuy u eł elk̓ʷis łi łuʔ snmen̓xʷtn u nexʷ łuʔ sp̓sip̓išn.
Later in the day, when no one was looking, he put the moccasins where they belonged and hung the pipe on the wall over Hare’s bed.
kʷen̓t cuti, “pn̓ ta, ta qs hoystn!”
“I will not give up,” he said to himself.
hoy, łi šeʔ skʷkʷʔec, ƛ̓e exʷ lšeʔ eł q̓eq̓eʔšnim. u eł naq̓ʷmis łi łuʔ snmen̓xʷtn! kʷen̓t ƛ̓e exʷ eł cčičš! mus s xʷistm, mus nyiʕap u eł čičš č̓ sx̣ʷƛ̓ey̓ citxʷs! hoy šey̓ u čmšqnmist.
That night when all were asleep he again took the pipe and the moccasins and snuck away. Four times he tried to steal the pipe and the moccasins but they were back in the tipi of Mountain Goat. Then he gave up.
cuti łuʔ spilye, “kʷen̓t łi łuʔ snmen̓xʷtn, n̓em x̣ʷl̓ qʷuyʔe m x̣est! u łi łuʔ sp̓sip̓iʔšn, n̓em čmiš łu x̣ʷl̓ sx̣ʷƛ̓ey̓ m x̣est! łu n̓e č̓ sx̣ʷƛ̓ey̓ m xʷic̓š!”
"j naAemn, ta qe epO naAemn hi/e l/e, zuys Qa/Qesnim t Ou/ sPsiPiSn m j cweOjp Ou/ D mEmoE hu tapistem heO czuy hi/e l/e, neOi ta qe/ xmend Ou/ naAemn."
“Getting the pipe will benefit none but me,” he said. “As for the moccasins, none but Mountain Goat should wear a goat’s moccasins.”
“Because you are a thief you will never be allowed to come back and visit any of us ever again. Thieves are not allowed here; we always share everything we have with each other, we never steal from one another. You may put these moccasins on one more time, and that will be to get you back down the mountain.”
šey u hoy