Text 4: The first ones (VP-190408-11)
A long time ago it happened, they were coming along.
A long time they lived across (the sea).
There they lived for a long time and then...
the old people, some of them, they were getting elderly (couldn't travel any more) and then...
after a while the Indian doctors had a vision and said: "Hey, there's land way over there!"
And then they thought the land disappeared (under the water) every now and then,
and then they told each other after awhile the land came up and then the water ran off of it.
And then if somebody can run really fast, they can run (across to where the land is).
Way across there they could make it.
"That land lying there is floating," they thought.
Then they started measuring it (the time the land stays up) over again, they're watching it (every day).
They learned when it (the land) comes up and when it goes back down.
They started running.
Along the beach all of them on the sand, they are strong, they are young people.
And then they said: "A long ways we are running now, now we are going to run" (we've practiced, and now we're ready to run).
And then they said: "The land is starting to raise!"
And then when it started to come up several of them started to run, took off running as a group.
A different land was floating there, they came running up to it, they say.
And then they stayed there, they studied it to see at what time...
...it's going to raise back up again, what (the land which) disappeared (under the water).
haya:ł k'iye:-ding dahxo:diwing'a:n k'iye: ninis'a:n dahwila:l hayah me:ya:xo:ning'a:n hayah k'iye: ya'de:lts'e'
And then when they ran across again, the next floating land (island) they ran to it, they stayed/camped there.
They kept doing this, across and back across they kept running (until they got to the mainland).
They got there.
Right there (they realized) was a huge (in size) body of land lying there (not floating).
And there they stayed for awhile.
There was all kinds of food there, like even salmon...
...they caught it
and then
there were big trees there, they said: "we will make canoes."
They worked on them, they stayed there. After awhile...
me:lah-'e:n' dahna:xo:diwing'a:n na:yima:n na:xo:ndi'a:n-e:y 'a:ya'de:ne' "ninis'a:n tin nikya:w sa'ung-xola:n
then some of them returned (to where they came from) and they said: "There's a big body of land over there, we found.
And over there is where we should all go."
They were working on (building) canoes.
And then again young people...
...then more people left to where the (island) is floating.
ya'ninde:tł'-e:y k'iye: na:ła'a-ch'ing' ya'niwindił-xw yiwdin-de:-xw ya'un-ch'ing ya'ninde:tł'[-e:y]
They went from island to island like the people did before them, and finally they arrived at the mainland.
Then a lot of people came, young people.
They worked on the canoes that they (the first people who came across) were making and then...
after a while, it became a canoe and then they learned how to row the boats.
And then over there (back on the other side) they arrived back there (in canoes).
haya:ł 'a:ya'de:ne' "me:lah-'e:n' ła'ay-xw-q'ut tin do:-xokyun-ya:xole:n do:-heh 'a:ya:ch'ondehsne' keh na:yaydił na:yima:n ya:xoxa: hay xok'isdiya:n'-tah"
And then they said: "(As for) some people (that came across), they really (in a big way) don't have any common sense. They never thought 'Hey, let's go back after them,' their elders."
As for them, they took off running somewhere, don't know where.
And then as for them, they came back after their elders (these people who came back across).
And then I guess he is their leader,
łiwun hay de:-nohq'it-xwa-'un-ching' ch'ixine:wh haya:ł 'a:ya:xołch'ine: "hayah wohdil-e:-te: haya:ł ninis'a:n-'ung' hayah
the one who prays/preaches for them. and then he tells them "There you will go. And there is land...
...there for you. It will become your land, the place where you will live."
haya:ł-q'ut hay mich'ing' ya'widil [ya'xowile:l] haya:ł-q'ut me'dil-me'-tah 'aht'ing k'isdiyun yehwinyay diywho' 'aht'ing
And then they are going toward it (the land), and into the canoes the old people put in all of their (stuff, belongings).
Children too (in addition to old people), then they started transporting them across.
A long time they were staying there. And they built houses.
They lived there waiting (for everyone to come across).
All of them came across after awhile.
And then after that they started travelling.
Going south along the coast they travelled.
For many years they travelled that way...
after some time, they rested -- they lived temporarily in various places (as they travelled, during the winter).
Again when it gets warm (they say)...
in winter time (there's) too much...
snow and things, it gets cold, for that reason.
Then they go, they're travelling from the north southward.
Finally, they came near Eureka.
And then the leader said: "Right here!
...we're going to follow this stream here."
And then they said "Okay, we will do that."
And then some of them got older, quite old.
And then they said, "As for us, we like it here.
We're going to live right here."
haya:ł 'a:ya:xołch'ide:ne' "[do:-me:ya'-do:n'] de:-nohq'it-xw-mił do:-me'de:din digyung de:sohłts'e'
And then he told them: "He who is above us doesn't want you to live here (in Blue Lake).
We're going to go to that land that was made for us.
You have to go with us, we'll all live together."
And then, even then they said:
"No, we're tired of travelling. We're going to stay right here, we will live here.
There's lots of different kinds of food there, truly.
A river comes out there.
Salmon too are there, we can fish there, other things like eels also we'll eat.
Deer also are walking around there."
And so after awhile they left them (those who didn't want to travel) there.
They traveled along that stream ("in the wash of that stream"), up and over the hill.
Then they arrived at Redwood Creek and then he (their leader) said, "We can stay here for awhile.
We're going over the hill to our destination (the place that we are going).
To that place, that's where you shall live/dwell"
And then they lived there.
Among other things, they killed several deer and they also worked on (gathering) salmon.
And then their leader said "Now it is time for us to leave."
and then some of them said "No, as for us, we don't want to leave.
We will always live here."
And then the leader told them: "The Creator doesn't want you to live here.
You have to keep going to that land he has given you.
And then if you don't go...
you won't be part of the ones who went over the hill anymore.
Over there, whatever you need he (the Creator) will make for you.
You will always live at that place where we arrive, it will become your land."
"No!" they said. "As for us, we will always live here."
And then he told them, "Okay!
And then you won't become part of the people going to Hoopa Valley
You'll always live here (in Redwood Creek).
And then, what will become some dances like the jump dance, no more (they won't be for you)!
You watch from over there (in Redwood Creek, not in Hoopa Valley)
You can't dance (in the dances), they will be for Hupas only."
And then they left (the people going over the hill).
Even some of their relatives (of the ones who stayed behind) left.
They (Hupa and Redwood Creek people) are still related to each other.
And then over (the hill) to Hupa they came.
And then (all of a sudden) they saw the valley.
And (they built) several houses from there towards downriver and then...
(They settled) from there at Me'dilding, toward the first place (where they started to build) I guess it was.
in the area up the river
where the river comes around the land, they said:
"There! It looks like a fawn's face!" And then...
he (the leader) said, "There, it will become your land, 'Fawn's-face-sticking-out-place' (we'll call it)."
After awhile they called it something different.
It came to be called Diyshta:ng-'a:ding. They lived there for a long time.
And then they went along downriver.
Some said, "As for us, we will live here."
They liked me'dilding.
There some of them moved.
Then further downriver, finally (they came to) ta'k'imiLding.
Some of them liked it there, they lived there.
He (the Creator) made the dances for them.
At one time they were all one people/tribe.
And he said "Redwood Creek people (xwe:yL-q'it-xwe:) can't dance."
"As for them," the Creator said: "Redwood Creek people can't stand (on holy ground).
It's not made for them.
They would ruin the world (if they go against the Creator's law)."
For that reason, a long time ago it wasn't done for Redwood Creek people to dance.
They could (only) watch from a distance.
And that's how people started living in Hoopa.
Even today, we're supposed to live on this land that was made ours (given to us).
Others have come in (on top of us).
Nobody knows how we came to Hoopa (anymore).