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
How Antelope Stole the Moon
Narrated by Orten Ford
Illustrated by Cody Peone
łuʔ č̓ snč̓el̓xʷtin hu hec q̓iq̓ey, čxʷeʔxʷey̓it hu kʷen̓t lšeʔ hu hec čst̓steʔs łuʔ skʷskʷʔec sp̓q̓n̓iʔ, hec yeʔkʷmiʔnms tiʔ. hu łiy̓e č̓ʔe hec qʔiqʔey y̓e k̓ʷiƛ̓t sqelixʷ nteʔ qs k̓ʷ his naʔq̓ʷums ni kʷen̓t n̓em heł čt̓uk̓ʷ aʔsq̓tms, kʷent n̓em heł tiʔxʷł c̓ekʔʷ sšn n skʷkʷʔec.
It was to the sundown place, the west there they are camped, a whole bunch of them, and then it was here they are caring for the night sun; they are being stingy with it. Here at another place are camped there different tribe, they thought they'd go to steal it. Then they would again put it up in the sky, then would again have light at night.
tm̓a put šey̓ kʷen̓t hi č̓im̓, č̓im̓, č̓im̓ łuʔ n skʷkʷʔec. hu pn kʷen̓t łu̓ suxʷčšt̓im ƛ̓e hec miyscuʔt qs nčm̓eʔƛ̓xʷłtm tuʔ skʷkʷʔec sp̓q̓n̓iʔsc n̓e łuʔ nč̓el̓xʷepm. kʷen̓t cniʔłc qs nʔemteʔws̓ms, mqs puʔlsms.
You know about then there, it was dark, dark, dark there in the night. But then the moon tenders already they all knew it was going to be taken from them, their night sun, when in the dark of night. Then the tenders were going to lie in wait for them, and will then kill them all.
hoy, łiʔe č̓sel staʔan łuʔ kʷuʔlstm, tm̓a šey̓ łuʔ mił ay̓ʔayʔpuł, kʷen̓t ta swet qs nčcniʔčntms. unexʷ lšeʔ hu heʔc̓x̣ił xʷt̓puʔsis łuʔ sp̓q̓n̓iʔ, kʷen̓t ta swet č̓̌̌̌̌̌̌iʔtmiʔntm.
So then two antelope were chosen because they were the fastest. Then no one is going to even come near them. Really that's how it happened, they ran away with the sun, sure enough no one came near them.
Hoy, heł yiʕaʔp n č̓ol̓šqeʔ łiy̓e skʷkʷʔec sp̓q̓n̓iʔ hu npiʔlš łiy̓e č̓sel staʔan.
Finally, again they arrived at their home, they leaned it up here in the outdoors this night sun, and they went in, these two antelope.
.jpg)
exʷ spilyeʔ sewneʔ, łux̣ʷpim, č̓ šeʔ s taʔx̣ʷlus hunexʷ hec čƛ̓ƛ̓aʔqin ih, pn̓kʷeys, šey̓s xʷt̓ip exʷ ta s čk̓ʷnkʷen̓šnm sʷilyeʔ sewneʔ mn tm t huł staʔan hu šey̓s čtqntem spilyeʔ.
As usual, Coyote heard about this. He ran over there and sure enough, it was leaning outside there; boy! He took it and ran. As usual, he didn't watch his step, and coyote was heard by the two antelope, and right now began to chase Coyote.
.jpg)
nyaʕ̓pmist, putiʔs lšeʔ hu y̓etłx̣ʷa. np̓q̓iyutetkʷ!
Just as they were going to grab him, with all his might, Coyote gave a push to the night sun, it rolled, and it fell there in the Spokane River.
It lodged among the rocks, and there it is, still there to this day. It shimmers and shines deep in the water.
šey̓ u hoy
That is all.