Mamie Offield: "How Deer Meat Was Lost and Regained" (1957)

Primary participants: Mamie Offield (speaker), William Bright (researcher)
Date: 1957
Project identifier: WB_KL-33
Publication details: William Bright, The Karok Language (1957), pp. 230-233, Text 33
Additional contributors: Kayla Begay (annotator), Clare Sandy (annotator)

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

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[1]	kachakâach	ípat	yíchaach	mukun'ávanhanik
	bluejay	doe	together	their.husband.once

Bluejay and Doe had a single husband.

[2]	xákaan	vúra	kuníkyeehiti	poo'áveesh	áxak	vúra	upátati	paxuun
	both	Intensive	they.were.making.it.for.him	what.he.will.eat	two	Intensive	he.was.eating.it	the.acorn.soup

They both made for him what he was to eat, he ate two (servings of) acorn soup.

[3]	kári	xás	pa'ípat	tutharámpuk
	then	then	the.doe	she.cooked.acorn.soup

So Doe cooked acorn soup.

[4]

kári

xás

uxúti

pakachakâach

hûut

áta

kumá'ii

pa'ípat

múxuun

kích

kúnish

poopátatih

then

then

she.was.thinking

the.bluejay

how

maybe

because.of

the.doe

her.acorn.soup

only

sort.of

that.he.is.eating

And Blue Jay thought, "I wonder why he sort of eats only Doe's acorn soup?"

[5]	kári	xás	uxus	tîi	kanmáhi	hûut	áta	pookupeekyâahitih
	then	then	she.thought	let...	let.me.see	how	maybe	how.she.is.making.it

And she thought, "Let me see how she makes it!"

[6]	kári	xás	pootharámpuk	ta'ítam	múpsii	úkpaatravaheen
	then	then	when.she.cooked.acorn.soup	so	her.leg	she.broke.it.in.two

So when she made acorn soup, then (Doe) broke open her leg.

[7]	ta'ítam	peekpát	u'ínihnamnihach
	so	the.marrow	it.dribbled.into.it

So the marrow dribbled into (the soup).

[8]	kári	xás	uxús	kachakâach	tîi	kantharampûuki
	then	then	she.thought	bluejay	let...	let.me.cook.acorn.soup

Then Blue Jay thought, "Let me make acorn soup!"

[9]	kári	xás	úkpaatrav	pamúpsiih	aax	kúna	u'ínihnamnihach
	then	then	she.broke.it.in.two	her.leg	blood	in.addition	it.dribbled.into.it

And she broke her leg, but (only) blood dribbled in.

[10]	kári	xás	úpthaaniv	kachakâach	aayâach	ápsii	tóo	spat
	then	then	she.was.laid.up	bluejay	it.was.because	leg	it.was	be.broken

Then Blue Jay was laid up, it was because her leg was broken.

---

[11]	kári	xás	pa'ípat	yítha	mú'aramah	yeenipaxvúhich
	then	then	the.doe	one	her.child	girl

Doe had one child, a little girl.

[12]	kári	xás	upêer	pamú'aramah	chími	pami'áka	êehi	paxuun
	then	then	she.told.her	her.child	soon	your.father	give.it.to.him	the.acorn.soup

And she told her child, "Give your father his acorn soup!"

---

[13]	púyava	pakachakâach	tóo	pyávpa
	you.see	bluejay	she.now.was	well.again

Blue Jay was well again by now.

[14]	kári	xás	tóo	kmar	páaxiich
	then	then	she.did	meet	the.child

And she met the child.

[15]	kári	xás	upiip	tâak	naa	ni'êeh
	then	then	she.said	give.me!	1sg.	I.give.it.to.him

And she said, "Here, I'm giving it to him."

[16]	kári	xás	âapun	tóo	yvêesh	paxuun
	then	then	on.the.ground	she.did	pour.out	the.acorn.soup

Then she poured the acorn soup down on the ground.

[17]	kári	xás	tóo	piip	âasara	úxanee
	then	then	she.did	say	âasara	úxanee

And she said, "âasara úxanee."

(Bright: "These words are distortions of ásar 'watery' and úux 'bitter'.")

[18]	púyava	paaxíich	yiivári	tu'íipma	xás	tóo	pviraxsîip
	you.see	when.the.child	rather.far	she.went.back	then	she.did	lick.it.back.up

Then when the child went away, she licked it up.

---

[19]

kári

xás

kúkuum

vúra

vaa

tóo

kuupha

tutátuyshiprimtih

xás

tóo

yvêesh

paxuun

then

then

again

Intensive

that

she.did

do

she.was.sweeping.up

then

she.did

pour.out

the.acorn.soup

So she did that way again, she swept up, then she poured the acorn soup down.

[20]	âasara	úxanee
	âasara	úxanee

"âasara úxanee."

[21]	xás	tóo	pviraxsîip
	then	she.did	lick.it.back.up

Then she licked it up.

---

[22]

púyava

xás

paaxíich

upêer

pamútaat

úma

kachakâach

vaa

ukupítih

kachakáach

uyveeshrîihvuti

paxuun

you.see

then

the.child

she.told.her

her.mother

emphatic(?)

bluejay

that

she.is.doing

bluejay

she.is.pouring.it.out

the.acorn.soup

So the child told its mother, "Blue Jay is doing that, Blue Jay is pouring the acorn soup down."

---

[23]	kári	xás	pa'ípat	upiip	chími	man	nupiyâarami
	then	then	the.doe	she.said	soon	why...	let's.go.back

And Doe said, "Come on, let's leave."

[24]	xás	vúra	pu'aapúnma	húukava	pátu'uum
	then	Intensive	they.didn't.know	to.somewhere	where.she.had.gone

Then (people) didn't know where she'd gone.

[25]

púyava

kári

xás

koovúra

kumakeemishatunvêechas

tá

kunxúrihinaa

aayâach

púfaat

papúufich

ôok

kumeethívthaaneen

you.see

then

then

all

kinds.of.little.wild.animals

PERF

they.were.hungry

it.was.because

nothing

the.deer.meat

here

its.world

So then all the little wild animals were hungry, it was because there was no deer meat in this world.

[26]	kári	xás	ikmaháchraam	kun'úrurimva
	then	then	sweathouse	they.lay

And they lay in the sweathouse.

---

[27]	kári	xás	akvíishich	ukvit-hayâaha
	then	then	wildcat	he.had.a.good.dream

Then Wildcat had a good dream.

[28]	kári	xás	u'árihship
	then	then	he.jumped.up

And he jumped up.

[29]	xás	upakúriihva	áta	naa	kûufayu	áta	naa	kêeshisha
	then	he.sang	maybe	1sg.	kûufayu	maybe	1sg.	kêeshisha

And he sang, "áta naa kûufayu, áta naa kêeshisha."

(Bright: "áta 'perhaps,' naa 'I'; the other words are meaningless.")

---

[30]	kári	xás	upíip	pihnêefich	hûut	ti'iin
	then	then	he.said	coyote	how	it.is.the.matter.with.you

And Coyote said, "What's the matter with you?

[31]	nuu	tá	nuxúrihinaa	káru	tá	núkviitha
	we	PERF	we.are.hungry	also	PERF	we.are.sleeping

We're hungry and we're sleeping.

[32]	fâat	kúth	peepakurîihvutih
	what	because.of	you.are.singing

Why are you singing?"

---

[33]	xás	vúra	húukava	u'uum	akvíishich
	then	Intensive	to.somewhere	he.went	wildcat

Then Wildcat went somewhere.

[34]	chavúra	xára	usínmoo
	finally	long.time	he.was.gone

Finally he was gone a long time.

[35]	pakáan	kun'axúpruuprihvuti	papúufich	tóo	mtaapha	káru	tuxahavíkaha
	where	they.were.putting.dressed.deer.meat.in.through	the.deermeat	it.was	dusty	also	it.was.cobwebby

(The part of the house) where they put in the dressed deer meat was dusty and cobwebby.

[36]	kári	xás	axmáy	vúra	káan	úxak
	then	then	suddenly	Intensive	there	it.made.a.noise

And suddenly there was a noise there.

[37]	kári	xás	kun'ifúksiiprin
	then	then	they.got.up

And they got up.

[38]	kári	xás	kunítvuutih
	then	then	they.were.looking.toward.there

And they looked there.

[39]	ee	axmáy	áxup	úkyiimnuprih
	oh!	suddenly	dressed.deermeat	it.fell.in.through.it

Oh! Suddenly dressed deer meat fell in.

[40]	hínupa	akvíishich	hôoyva	pufích'anamahach	tóo	pêethuk
	surprise	wildcat	somewhere	a.little.deer	he.had	brought.back

There Wildcat had brought a little deer from somewhere.

[41]	kári	xás	upiip	tá	nikvit-hayâaha
	then	then	he.said	PERF	I.had.a.good.dream

And he said, "I had a good dream.

[42]	yakún	tá	ni'aapúnma
	you.see	PERF	I.found.out

You see, I found out.

[43]	páy nanu'ávahkam	kúuk	tá	kun'íipma	papúufich	káru	pamú'aramah
	sky	to	PERF	they.went.back	the.deer	also	her.child

Deer and her child have gone to the sky.

[44]	víri	tuyêeripa
	so	she.has.menstruated.for.the.first.time

(The child) is having her first menses.

[45]	u'ihukárahitih	veeshura'ípan	pakuntâatathunatih
	there.is.a.flower.dance	horn.end	that.they.are.tossing.her.around.with

They're having a puberty dance, they're tossing her around on the ends of their horns."

---

[46]	kári	xás	kun'áv	papúufich	niinamíchmahich	kun'av	ipa	u'áxupfurukat
	then	then	they.ate	the.deer	a.little.bit.of.each	they.ate	PAST	he.brought.dressed.deermeat.inside

Then they ate the deer, they ate a little bit of each, which he had brought in dressed.

[47]	xás	kunpiip	chimi	nupíkaan	chimi	ôok	kumeethívthaaneen	nupípasramnihi
	then	they.said	soon	let's.go.get.her	soon	here	its.world	let's.bring.her.back.in

And they said, "Let's go get her, let's bring her back into this world!"

[48]	kári	xás	kunpiip	hûut	nukupa'írunaavish
	then	then	they.said	how	how.we.will.go

And they said, "How shall we go?"

[49]	kári	xás	kunpiip	chimi	nuparíshriihvi	chimi	aan	nukyav
	then	then	they.said	soon	let's.twine	soon	string	we.make.it

And they said, "Let's twine, let's make string!

[50]	kári	xasík	nukuníhuraavish
	then	then.(future)	we.will.shoot.it.up

Then we can shoot it up."

---

[51]	kári	xás	pihnêefich	vúra	uum	táay	tá	pamú'aan
	then	then	coyote	Intensive	3.SG	much	PERF	his.string

And Coyote had a lot of string.

[52]	káakum	upthapákpak	xás	upaxyápithva
	some	he.chewed.it.up	then	he.threw.it.around

He chewed up some of it and threw it away.

[53]	púyava	koovúra	paxah	koovúra	mukún'aan	kuníkyav
	you.see	all	the.spiders	all	their.string	they.made.it

And all the spiders, all made their string.

[54]	púyava	tá	kunpíkyaar
	you.see	PERF	they.finished

Then they finished.

[55]	chémi	chôora
	all.right	let's.go

"All right, let's go!"

[56]	kári	xás	pihnêefich	mú'aan	píshiich	kunkuníhuraa
	then	then	coyote	his.string	first	they.shot.it.up

And they shot Coyote's string up first.

[57]	yiimúsich	kúna	uum	táma	upikyívunih
	little.ways.off	in.addition	3.SG	then	it.fell.back.down

But it fell down again just a little ways off.

[58]	koovúra	paxáh	tá	kunkuníhuraa	pamukún'aan
	all	the.spiders	PERF	they.shot.it.up	their.string

All the spiders shot up their string.

[59]	yiimúsich	ník	tu'uum	kári	tupikyívunih
	little.ways.off	a.little	it.went	then	it.fell.back.down

It went a little ways, then it fell down again.

[60]	kári	xás	xahamíchmiich	kári	xás	u'êethraa	pamú'aan
	then	then	spider.sp	then	then	he.brought.it.up	his.string

Then (the spider called) xahamíchmiich brought up his string.

[61]	xás	vúra	nîinamich	pooyrúhahiti	pamú'aan
	then	Intensive	little	that.it.was.coiled	his.string

And his string was coiled just small.

[62]	kári	xás	upíip	pihnêefich	yee	hûut	inísheesh	pamí'aan	húuk	paathmi
	then	then	he.said	coyote	well	how	you.will.do.with.it	your.string	to.where	throw.it.to

And Coyote said, "Hey, what are you going to do with your string, throw it (away) some place!

[63]	pukáru	vúra	hûut	kóo	ípanheeshara
	not.also	Intensive	how	as.much.as	it.won't.reach

It won't reach that far either.

[64]	húuk	kích	paathmi
	to.where	only	throw.it.to

Just throw it (away) someplace!"

---

[65]	kári	xás	upiip	pûuhara
	then	then	he.said	no

And he said, "No.

[66]	xâatik	vúra	nukyaavárihva
	it's.better	Intensive	we.try

Let's try."

[67]	ta'ítam	kunkuníhuraaheen
	so	they.shot.it.up

So they shot it up.

[68]	yóo	sákriivha
	visibly.it	be.hard

They saw it was (stuck) tight.

---

[69]	ta'ítam	vaa	kun'irunaakíraheen
	so	that	they.went.on.it

So they went up on it.

[70]	kári	xás	akvíishich	upiip	naa	píshiich
	then	then	wildcat	he.said	1sg.	first

And Wildcat said, "Me first.

[71]	naa	ni'aapúnmuti	pahóoy
	1sg.	I.know	where

I know where."

---

[72]	ta'ítam	upêethkeeheen
	so	they.took.her.back.out

So they took her away.

[73]	kári	xás	úkvip
	then	then	he.ran

And he ran.

[74]	xás	yitheekúna	tóo	thári	peeshnanichtâapas
	then	next.one	he.did	pass.to	the.fastest

Then he passed her to the next fastest one.

[75]	xás	kaanvári	kunihmárava	yánava	ukrámkaam	u'íithra
	then	in.that.direction	they.ran.there	visible	big.lake	it.lay

Then they ran there, they saw a big lake lying.

[76]	xás	yánava	xanchíifich	káan	úkrii
	then	visible	frog	there	he.sat

And they saw Frog sitting there.

[77]	xás	upiip	tâak	naa	kanathárihi
	then	he.said	give.me!	1sg.	pass.her.to.me

And he said, "Here, pass her to me!"

---

[78]	xás	kunpiip	pûuhara	hôoy	íf	ikvípeesh
	then	they.said	no	where	truly	you.could.run

And they said, "No, you can't run."

---

[79]	xás	upiip	pûuhara	vúra	kanathárihi	chí	kiipáhariithuneeshap
	then	he.said	no	Intensive	pass.her.to.me	soon	they.will.catch.up.with.you

And he said, "No, pass her to me, they're about to catch up with you."

[80]	kári	xás	kunthárih
	then	then	they.passed.her.to.him

So they passed her to him.

[81]	kári	xás	apmáan	úyuunvar
	then	then	mouth	he.put.her.inside

Then he put her in his mouth.

[82]	xás	upámchak
	then	he.closed.his.mouth

And he closed his mouth.

[83]	kári	xás	u'iipkúri	póokraam
	then	then	he.dove.in	the.lake

And he dived into the lake.

[84]	púyava	ôok	upípasramnihanik	papúufich
	you.see	here	he.once.brought.her.back.in	the.deer

So he brought Deer back here.

---

[85]	kári	xás	ikmaháchraam	kúuk	kunípasmanik
	then	then	sweathouse	to	they.brought.her.once

Then they brought her to the sweathouse.

[86]	xás	kunpiip	puraanmásva	númuustih
	then	they.said	by.turns	we.are.watching.her

And they said, "Let's watch her by turns."

---

[87]	kári	xás	chishíi	ifuchtîimich
	then	then	dog	last.one

And Dog was last.

[88]	kári	xás	uxús	páchishii	hôoy	íf	vaa	páy	pánukupheesh
	then	then	he.thought	the.dog	where	truly	that	this	that.we.will.do

And Dog thought, "We can't do it like this."

[89]	kári	xás	aah	mûuk	koovúra	u'aahkóonaa	pamukunfíthi	pakuníkviit-hinaa
	then	then	fire	with.(by.means.of)	all	he.burned.them	their.feet	while.they.slept

So he burned all their feet with fire while they slept.

[90]	víri	vaa	kúth	chishíi	fâat	vúra	vaa	uthíramtih
	so	that	because.of	dog	what	Intensive	so	he.is.tracking

For that reason Dog can track anything that way.