Julia Starritt: "Coyote Goes to a War Dance" (1957)

Primary participants: Julia Starritt (speaker), William Bright (researcher)
Date: 1957
Project identifier: WB_KL-06
Publication details: William Bright, The Karok Language (1957), pp. 184-189, Text 6
Additional contributor: Erik Maier (annotator)

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Text display mode: paragraph | sentence | word | word components

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[1]	pihnêefich	vaa	káan	mukríhraam	pihneefthuf'ípan
	coyote	so	there	his.fishery	end.of.Wilder.Gulch

Coyote's fishery was there at the end of Wilder Gulch.

[2]	xás	káan	atahári	vúra	ukrihankôotih
	then	there	always	Intensive	he.was.going.fishing.there

He was always fishing there.

[3]	xás	tuthítiv	chími	uthivtapáraheesh
	then	he.had.heard	soon	there.was.going.to.be.a.war.dance

And he heard it, there was going to be a war dance.

[4]	xás	ararátaay	chími	kunivyíhukeesh
	then	lots.of.people	soon	they.were.going.to.come

A lot of people were going to come.

---

[5]	xás	káan	panamnih'ifápiit	áxak	kun'iin
	then	there	Orleans.girl	two	they.lived

And two Orleans girls lived there.

[6]	xás	pu'akara'îin	kínmaahtihap
	then	nobody	they.were.seeing.them

And nobody had seen them.

[7]	xás	kunpíip	payêem	xasík	chí	kinmáheesh
	then	they.said	now	then.(future)	soon	they.will.see.us

And they said, "Now we are going to see them."

---

[8]	xás	uum	pihnêefich	káru	vúra	púva	haríxay	maahvúnaa
	then	3.SG	coyote	also	Intensive	not.yet	sometimes	he.saw.them

And Coyote had never yet seen them either.

[9]	xás	upíip	miník	nikyâavunaa
	then	he.said	of.course	I.fix.them

And he said, "I'll fix them!"

[10]	xás	sípnuuk	káruk	u'êethroov
	then	storage.basket	upriver	he.carried.it.upriver

So he took a storage basket upriver.

[11]	xás	ikríhak	á'	utháantak
	then	on.fishing.platform	above	he.laid.it.on.it

And he set it up on the fishery.

[12]	xás	upêer	pasípnuuk	naa	ík	vúra	neemúsahitiheesh	peekûuntakoo
	then	he.told.it	the.storage.basket	1sg.	must	Intensive	you.will.look.like.me	as.you.sit

And he said to the storage basket, "You must look like me as you sit.

[13]	xasík	ík	ipakurîihvutiheesh	ik
	then.(future)	must	you.will.be.singing	must

You must be singing."

[14]	xás	kári	pamúvaas	uyxôorariv	pasípnuuk
	then	then	his.blanket	he.covered.it.with.it	the.storage.basket

Then he covered the storage basket with his blanket.

[15]	xás	upêer	vaa	ík	vúra	kóo	ôok	ikûuntakoovish	pani'ípakahaak	xasík	ikôoheesh
	then	he.told.it	so	must	Intensive	as.much.as	here	you.will.sit	until.I.come.back	then.(future)	you.will.stop

And he told it, "You must be sitting here like that until I come back, then you can stop."

[16]	xás	ta'ítam	úkriihvaheen	pasípnuuk	upakurîihvutih
	then	so	it.fished.with.a.set-net	the.storage.basket	he.was.singing

Then the storage basket fished, it was singing.

[17]	xás	pihnêefich	yúruk	upikvíriprup
	then	coyote	downriver	he.ran.back.downriver

And Coyote ran downriver.

---

[18]	xás	yánava	tuthivtaparákaamha
	then	visible	there.had.been.a.big.war.dance

And he saw there was a big war dance.

[19]	xás	upíip	chími	yíth	kanpárihish
	then	he.said	soon	other	let.me.become.it!

And he said, "Let me turn into someone else!"

[20]	yaas'arah'ávansa	kanpárihish
	rich.man	let.me.become.it!

Let me turn into a rich man!

[21]	koovúra	paniníshaanva	ishpúk	kamikxúrikarahiti	káru	fúrax
	all	my.clothes	dentalium.shells	let.it.be.decorated.with.it	also	woodpecker.head

Let all my clothes be decorated with money and woodpecker heads!"

[22]	ta'ítam	uthivtáparaheen
	so	he.went.to.do.the.war.dance

Then he went to the war dance.

[23]	xás	yánava	pa'ifápiitsha	xákarari	kun'íin	poothivtapárahitihirak
	then	visible	the.girls	on.both.sides	they.sat	where.there.was.a.war.dance

And he saw the girls sitting on each side where people were war-dancing.

[24]	xás	vúra	koovura'îin	kunsíinva	vúra	akárayvava	kumayaas'árah	vúra	kumeemshúpap
	then	Intensive	all	they.failed.to.recognize.him	Intensive	anyone	its.rich.person	Intensive	its.attractive

And they all failed to recognize anyone so rich, so attractive.

[25]	xás	koovura'îin	kunímuustih
	then	all	they.were.looking.at.him

And everybody was looking at him.

---

[26]	xás	tá	kunpatánvish	hôoy	i'aramsîiprivtih
	then	PERF	they.asked.him	where	you.are.coming.from.there

And they asked him, "Where do you come from?"

---

[27]	naa	vúra	yíiv	ni'aramsîiprivti	páy nanuxákararih
	1sg.	Intensive	far	I.am.coming.from.there	country.outside

"I come from far away, from the outside."

---

[28]	xás	kâakum	tá	kunpiip	atafâat	uum	pihnêefich
	then	some	PERF	they.said	maybe	3.SG	coyote

And some of them said, "Maybe he's Coyote.

[29]	kâam	kiimúsan	póokriihvutihirak
	little.upriver	you.guys.go.to.look!	where.he.is.fishing.with.a.set-net

Go look upriver where he's fishing."

---

[30]	xás	pa'ávansas	káakum	kunihmáraroov
	then	the.men	some	they.ran.upriver

And some of the men ran upriver.

[31]	yánava	káan	úkriihvutih	upakurîihvutih
	visible	there	he.was.fishing.with.a.set-net	he.was.singing

They saw him there fishing, he was singing.

[32]	xás	yúruk	pakunpávyiihma	tá	kunpiip	uum	vúra	pihnêefich	kâam	úkriihvutih	upakurîihvutih
	then	downriver	when.they.went.back	PERF	they.said	3.SG	Intensive	coyote	little.upriver	he.is.fishing.with.a.set-net	he.was.singing

And when they got back downriver, they said, "It's Coyote upriver fishing, he's singing.

[33]	pu'uumhára
	not.him

It's not him (dancing)."

---

[34]	víri	akáray	tá	kunpiip
	so	who	PERF	they.said

"Then who is it?" they said.

[35]	vúra	hôoy	u'aramsîiprivtih	tá	pukin'aapúnmara
	Intensive	where	he.is.coming.from.there	PERF	we.do.not.know

"Where does he come from? We don't know.

[36]	chíshki	kúkuum	kâam	kiikpimúsan
	quickly	again	little.upriver	you.guys.go.back.to.look!

Go look upriver again quick!

[37]	atafâat	ník	vúra	pihnêefich
	maybe	a.little	Intensive	coyote

Maybe it is Coyote."

[38]	xás	kúkuum	kunpimúsar	xás	ikríhak	vúra	úuth	kun'uum
	then	again	they.went.back.to.look	then	on.fishing.platform	Intensive	out.to.water	they.arrived

So they went and looked again, and they went out on the fishery.

[39]	yánava	káan	kích	sípnuuk	úkrii	upakurîihvutih
	visible	there	only	storage.basket	it.sat	it.was.singing

They saw it was just a storage basket sitting there, it was singing.

---

[40]	ta'ítam	yée	naa	hínupa	páy	uum	vúra	pihnêefich	payûum	uthívtaaptih
	so	well	1sg.	surprise	this	3.SG	Intensive	coyote	who.downriver	he.is.dancing

So (they said), "Well, that's Coyote who is dancing downriver!

[41]	kinpiksháyvuunishtih
	he.is.deceiving.us

He's deceiving us.

[42]	chôora	chími	nuykan
	let's.go	soon	let.us.kill.him!

Let's go, let's kill him!"

[43]	xás	ta'ítam	kunpihmárarupaheen
	then	so	they.ran.downriver

And so they ran back downriver.

[44]	xás	kunpíip	uum	pihnêefich	pathivtaaptíhan	pu'uumhára	peekriihvútihan
	then	they.said	3.SG	coyote	who.is.dancing	not.him	who.is.fishing

And they said, "It's Coyote who's dancing, it's not him that's fishing.

[45]	sípnuuk	kích	káan	ukûuntakoo
	storage.basket	only	there	it.is.sitting

Just a storage basket is sitting there.

[46]	ta'ítam	chími	nuykan	tá	kinpiksháyvuunish
	so	soon	let.us.kill.him!	PERF	he.is.deceiving.us

So let's kill him, he's deceiving us!"

---

[47]	ta'ítam	ukvípaheen
	so	he.ran

So (Coyote) ran.

[48]	xás	yúruk	ukvíriprup
	then	downriver	he.ran.downriver

He ran downriver.

[49]	xás	yánava	káan	ípaha	u'íihya	xás	usúrukaahitih
	then	visible	there	tree	it.stood	then	there.was.a.hole.in.it

And he saw a tree standing there, and there was a hole in it.

[50]	xás	pihnêefich	sú'	uhyívkaanva	ararátaay	kiihmárarishuki	xás	kâam	kiihmáraroov
	then	coyote	inside	he.shouted.into.it	lots.of.people	you.guys.run.out!	then	little.upriver	you.guys.run.upriver!

And Coyote shouted in through it, "Lots of people, come out, and run upriver!"

[51]	xás	ta'ítam	yúruk	ukvíriprup
	then	so	downriver	he.ran.downriver

And so he ran downriver.

---

[52]	xás	patishanihyûum	ukvíriprup	víri	kúna	kâam	pa'îin	kun'áharamuti	tá	kunihmáravarak
	then	when.downriver.from.tishániik	he.ran.downriver	so	in.addition	little.upriver	the.ones.that	they.were.following.him	PERF	they.ran.downriver

And when he ran downriver from tishániik, the ones following him were running down just upriver.

[53]	xás	pihnêefich	upíip	thúfkaam	vúra	vúrunihi	nani'ífuth
	then	coyote	he.said	big.creek	Intensive	flow.downhill!	behind.me

So Coyote said, "Let a big creek flow down behind me!"

[54]	xás	vúra	ukvíriprup
	then	Intensive	he.ran.downriver

Then he ran downriver.

(Bright: "This was the origin of Camp Creek, the large creek just south of Orleans.")

---

[55]	xás	yurúkthuuf	pookvíripma	xás	nani'ífuth	thúfkaam	kam'árihish
	then	Bluff.Creek	when.he.ran.to.there	then	behind.me	big.creek	let.it.become.it!

And when he ran to Bluff Creek, then (he said) "Let it become a big creek behind me!"

[56]	xás	pa'îin	kun'áharamuti	xára	xás	kunithyárukha	ayu'âach	ishahákaam
	then	the.ones.that	they.were.following.him	long.time	then	they.went.across-river	it.was.because	lots.of.water

And those following him were a long time crossing, because there was a lot of water.

---

[57]	xás	vúra	yúruk	ukvíriprup
	then	Intensive	downriver	he.ran.downriver

And so he ran downriver.

[58]	xás	xôoxhirak	ukvíripma
	then	Martin's.Ferry	he.ran.to.there

And he ran to Martin's Ferry.

[59]	xás	káan	yánava	ikmaháchraam	u'íikra
	then	there	visible	sweathouse	it.stood

And there he saw a sweathouse standing.

[60]	xás	úskaakurih
	then	he.jumped.in

And he jumped in.

[61]	xás	âapun	ukyívish
	then	on.the.ground	he.fell.down

And he fell on the ground.

[62]	xás	upíip	amtápar	vúra	kan'árihish	xás	paniníyuup	ámtaap	kamixyan
	then	he.said	ashy	Intensive	let.me.become.it!	then	my.eyes	dust	let.it.become.full.of.it!

And he said, "Let me become covered with ashes, and let my eyes become full of ashes.

[63]	xás	vúra	pihnîich	kan'árihish
	then	Intensive	old.man	let.me.become.it!

And let me become an old man."

[64]	xás	káan	pihnîich	úyruuhriv
	then	there	old.man	he.lay

So he lay there (as) an old man.

---

[65]	xás	axmáy	îim	kunihmárish
	then	suddenly	outdoors	they.stopped.running

And suddenly they stopped running outside.

[66]	xás	kunihyívraathva	ikmaháchraam
	then	they.shouted.into.the.sweathouse	sweathouse

And they shouted into the sweathouse.

(Bright: "kunihyívraathva is reduced by haplology from kun-ihyív-ivraath-va 'they shouted into the sweathouse (pl.)'")

[67]	xás	kunpíip	hôoy	kích	ára	kumáheen	tóo	kvíriprup
	then	they.said	where	only	person	you.guys.saw.him	he.had	run.off..downriver

And they said, "Where have you seen a person? He ran downriver."

---

[68]	xás	upíip	chi'é
	then	he.said	chi'é

And he said, "chi'é.

[69]	káan	ník	chirikiríkih
	there	a.little	be.sound.of.footsteps

There was the sound of footsteps there."

(Bright: "chi'é" in sentence 68 "is supposed to be a Yurok word; the informant knew no meaning for it. chirikiríkih is 'broken Karok' for urikiríkiha 'there was a sound of footsteps.' Another informant's version of this sentence gives the same word as ulikilíkiha, showing substitution of l for the flap r which is lacking in Yurok.")

[70]	xás	kunihmárarup
	then	they.ran.downriver

So they ran downriver.

---

[71]	xás	pihnêefich	úskaakrupuk
	then	coyote	he.jumped.outside

Then Coyote jumped out.

[72]	xás	ishkêeshak	úskaakurih	xás	úkpuuhrin
	then	in.a.river	he.jumped.in.water	then	he.swam.across

And he jumped in the river, and he swam across.

[73]	xás	má'	ukvíripuraa
	then	uphill	he.ran.uphill

And he ran up into the mountains.

[74]

xás

pa'ávansas

uumkun

yúruk

ník

tá

kunithvirípiithva

xás

puvúra

fâat

tá

máhap

then

the.men

they

downriver

a.little

PERF

they.ran.around

then

not.Intensive

what

PERF

they.did.not.see.it

And the men ran around downriver, and they didn't see anything.

[75]	xás	axmáy	ithyáruk	má'	pihnêefich	ukpêehva	shúuuuuhuuuuu
	then	suddenly	across	uphill	coyote	he.shouted	coyote.howl

And suddenly across river in the mountains, Coyote hollered "shúuuuuhuuuuu."

[76]	xás	vaa	vúra	pihnêefich	ukúphaanik
	then	so	Intensive	coyote	he.did.it

And Coyote did that.