PDF (Lo-Res) - Smithsonian Institution Libraries

leaning over. I would go with my grandmother,
looking for scaly lentinus mushrooms. I had my net
when I went along with my grandmother. Me, I
would climb up the leaning pines. I climbed up to
pick the lentinus mushrooms. I went with my grandmother
as the poked along with her walking stick.
The lake never flooded.
I reached manhood. The squatters of the owner of
Yaleb Taiv [Where Frost Falls] went in and cut
down the heavy forest. Long ago it was never
touched. The old trees, the heavy forest, wasn't ever
touched. That would have been [like] asking for the
water to appear there [in the sink]. The owner
granted permission. The old trees fell.
Now the rivulets flowed [carrying] the sediment.
The sink hole was stopped up, the way it's been ever
since. It hasn't been fixed. There is water, a lake, a
large lake. Once what is now the edge of the lake
used to be tall grass, pines, yellow pines, corn fields,
beans. Yes, it's true, it was long ago. [The corn] turns
brown right away now. You can't get any [corn]
anymore. It's just lake now. Me, I saw it myself. I
still saw all the hu—ge trees where there are now
meadows, meadows. I once saw the great pines, long
ago. Me, I was born long ago.
Where do you see woods there? Where do you see
pine trees? There's just a lake. The people who used
XUN VASKIS
FIGURE 5.—Naben Chauk, 1971 (photo by Frank Cancian).
•'•t-iz: •;---.:
127
jchi7uk jun jnuti7, vo7one chba jchi7in jmuk'ta me7,
vo7on chimuy ta ba k'atal toj chimuy jtuch' i
tajchuche, xpajpon snam-te7 jmuk'ta me7 chba
jchi7in.
Bweno, muk' bu xnoj nab.
Bweno, 7ijta vinikal 7i yajval Yalem Taive che7e,
7i7och yajbaltio 7istz'et ti montanyae, ti vo7ne
che7e, muk' bu chpike, muk' bu chpike mol te7tike,
montanya tzk'an tal vo7 Ie7e, 7iyak' permiso li
7ajvalile, 7ilom i mol te7tike.
7Ora, 7ibat ti balak' vo7e li tz'ubal lume, 7imak i
yochobe li x7elan k'al tana 7une, mu xa smeltzaj 7un,
vo7, nab, muk'ta nab, vo7ne che7e ti7ti7 nab ya7el
lavi x7elan Ie7e, muk'tik jobel, tojtik, 7ajan tojtik,
chobtik, chenek', ja7 tyempo melel xk'anub ta 7ora
lavie 7une, mu xa bu xata 7un, naka xa nab, vo7one
jk'el vo7one che7e 7oy to kil muk'tik te7—tik ta
j-mek te yo7 stentejtike stentejtik, muk'tik tojtik kil
to 7ox i vo7one, vo7one vo7ne jch'iel xa.
Bweno, 7a Ie7e bu chavil te7tik, bu xavil tojtik
naka nab 7oy, mak krixchano che7e, 7o to 7ox nakal