snxÊ·meneÊ” nqÊ·lqÊ·eltn
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
skʷkʷʔec sp̓q̓n̓iʔ
night sun
cq̓sipiʔ hu hec q̓iq̓eʔy , čxʷexʷʔit , hi y̓e n hec awstm , snč̌̓el̓xʷtin̓ .
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a long time ago here there is a camp , there were many of them , here where it is called , the west end , where the sun goes down .
kʷen̓t t suxʷnč̓el̓xʷtiʔn hu hec čšt̓steʔs łuʔ skʷkʷʔec sp̓q̓n̓iʔ
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so then it was these people who were guarding the night moon .
łi y̓e huł k̓ʷiƛ̓t sqelixʷ , hu heʔc x̣ʷuʔpmiʕys y̓e skʷkʷʔec sp̓q̓n̓iʔ,
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here these other people , they were wishing for it this night moon ,
nteʔ qs naʔq̓ʷms m kʷen̓t qł čc̓q̓mnaʔsq̓tms
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they thought they would steal it and would then throw it up into the sky .
n̓e qeʔł p̓eʔxʷmi , tm̓a hi č̓eyleʔxʷ;
so it will again become bright , you know it is a dark land ;
qs weʔkʷisti m qs naʔq̓ʷms
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they're going to hide so they could steal
kʷen̓t hec miymiyscuʔt łi y̓e łuʔ hepł sp̓q̓n̓iʔ , n̓e qs čtqeʔms y̓e łu suxʷ - n̓an̓a q̓ʷʔum m qs puʔlstms
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but then they aware of this , those who had the sun , they would give chase , chase these robbers and will kill them .
yÌ“e č̓sel staʔʕan Å‚uÊ” nteʔʔ Å‚uÊ” qs suxÊ·naÊ”qÌ“Ê·m , tmÌ“a huÅ‚ ayÌ“Ê”ayÌ“puÅ‚, ta swet qs kÊ·nnuÊ”nm . ho·y , lsÌŒeÊ” hu axÌ£iÊ”lm -- hecyaÊ•Ì“ swet huÊ” ntu·nÌ“iÊ”cÌŒntmÌ“ , Å‚u huÅ‚ ayÌ“Ê”ayÌ“puÅ‚ !
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These two antelope who thought they should be the robbers , becasue they are so fast , no one would be able to catch them. So... that is how they decided everyone around could not over take them , they were so fast !
łuʔ huł stʕan heł iaʔap...hu y̓e n q̓ey̓muʔtyeʔs hu čłaʔqiʕs łi y̓e skʷkʷʔec- sp̓q̓n̓iʔ hu npiʔlš , x̣ʷa qs el̓iʔłni , x̣ʷa qs eščeʔni...
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So when the antelopes arrived home...and here on their teepee they did lean it against this here night moon and they went in , maybe they were going to eat , who knows what they were going to do...
ih , exʷ p̓n spilye sewne , hu
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oh , boy , who but coyote hears this , and
sÌŒey s kÌ“Ê·Ê”is xÊ·tÌ“ip··· wÌ“icÌŒis hec čłaÊ”qi...n yÌ“e skÊ·kÊ·Ê”ec spÌ“qÌ“nÌ“i hu kÊ·enÌ“t
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that's when he went running . . . he saw it it is le...aning this night moon and then
kʷeys , šey̓ s xʷt̓pusis
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he took it , proceeded to run away with it
sewneʔmntm t huł stʕan , kʷen̓t šey̓ s čtqeʔms spilye , hec taʔx̣ʷlus č̓ ntx̣ʷetkʷ .
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they heard him did these antelope , so then they began to chase coyote , who is headed toward the river .
pu · · t qs kÊ·nnuÊ”nm
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ju . . st as they were going to grab him ,
spilye yoyoscut hu kÊ·upis
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coyote gave a mighty heave and pushed forward
y̓e skʷkʷʔec sp̓q̓n̓iʔ [ tm̓a hec qiccms - - ]
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this night moon [ you know he is rolling it - -]
hu kʷen̓t ƛ̓ax̣t x̣ʷollq̓ʷ hu nt̓iypetkʷ
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and then fast it rolled and fell with a splash
ye n ntx̣ʷetkʷ , pʔišeʔ hec awstm nqqʔeteʔkʷ .
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here into the river , at that time it is called the narrow little river.
kʷen̓t putiʔ s lšeʔ hu y̓etłx̣ʷa.
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so then yet it is there even unto this day.
šey̓ hu hoy.
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that is all.