William Bright: "Speech to Karuk Tribal Council" (2004)
Primary participant: William Bright (speaker)
Date: 2004
Project identifier: WB-01
Publication details: Unpublished (Recorded by Susan Gehr on February 26th, 2004)
Audio: Play
Note: A video of Bright's speech is available here. Bright states that Vina Smith and Violet Super helped him compose this speech.
Text display mode: paragraph | sentence | word | word components
[1] |
ayukîi nanífyiivshas. púxich tá ná'aachichha, pa'ôok tá níkrii panámniik, pa'ôok kóovan nu'áraarahiti. pi'êep, paniyáan'iiftihanhaak, pa'ôok káruk veethívthaaneen pishîich ni'úumhaak, papanámniik pishîich ni'úumhaak, naa vúra xakitrahyar káru yítha hárinay kích tá níkrii. naa vúra púfaat na'aapúnmutiharahanik! kúna vúra pa'ararakéevriikshas, pa'ararapihnîichas, pananikáruk va'araréefyiivshas koovúra neepsháravrik. kári xás chaka'îimich ni'apúnmiik pa'araráhih, pa'ararákuupha, pa'ararapíkvah. payêem námpaan vúra pihnîich, xakinivkihitráhyar káru itroopahárinay tá níkrii. kúna vúra kúkuum ôok tá ni'uum, pananífyiivshas nimúsarukti, kári vúra pakáruk váhi ni'aapúnmiikti. koovúra panani'araréefyiivshas naa kíipeentihap, " yôotva, púxich taná'aachichha!" |
Hello, my friends. I'm very happy that I'm here in Orleans, that I'm here with all of you. Long ago, when I was young, when I first came to Karuk country, when I first came to Orleans, I was only 21 years old. I didn't know anything! But the Karuk old women, the Karuk old men, my Karuk friends, they all helped me. And so I slowly learned the Indian language, the Indian customs, the Indian stories. Now I myself am an old man, I'm 75 years old. But I've come back here again, I'm visiting my friends, and I'm still learning the Karuk language. To all my Indian friends, I'm saying, "Thank you, I'm very glad!" |