Edeníl¿a
(Self Reliance)

Veronica Tobac
Dene
1. "My story goes back to a time when my friends, relatives and I lived at Clear Lake. I was just a teenager at the time and attended the Beauval Indian Residential School. We stayed at school for ten months and by spring time we were anxious to go home. Our parents would come to pick us up in Buffalo Narrows. We were waiting there for them. They would pick us up and take us home by boat. Then, when we got back to Clear Lake everybody was getting ready to go on a fishing trip that would last for the whole summer. 1. Sehonié yanísü hoghq sü t'ahhú sets'énü ú, selot'iné héli Eghézé Tón®¿a nárághídé t'u. Et'ereke hesøü n® t'ahhú Beauval ts'én sekui hónelten kðp yodás®ltü. Honéna sa hha naghíde nü eyer, øuk'é nónüdher dé, nuheyú¿ç walíle nuhkðp ts'én naídéli hha. Hokochoge ts'én nuhtihkui nuhkánadíø øínü, eyer hots'ü tøests'i yé nuhkðp ts'én naídéø øínü nuhtihkui hobehhéø. Eghézé Tón®¿a nenídeø dé, sine k'étø'á tabíø k'enáts'edé øínü.
2. Everybody would be busy helping one another getting things ready, like making dry fish and smoked meat and in the evenings, mending tents. The teenaged girls would look after the children. We would take them all over with us, keeping them playing so we wouldn't be in the way of our parents. People would be rushing from one person's place to another lending each other stuff needed to prepare for the journey. If somebody was short of paint for their boat they would go and find somebody that had some, so their boat would be ready; because knew they needed it for the whole summer. 2. Hotárelyç dene eøts'éradi øínü sine k'étl'á asíe k'enáts'edé, eøddháy hoøé ú, egané tth'i dáøtsi ú, tth'i náhé¿q dé, nübáli nádánaldä øínü. T'q ts'ékuaze et'ereke dälü sí, edinü sekuaze haróønü øínü äønedhi eghádálaghena hoyághe. Dene hotié eøts'érádi øínü, dene asíe hedináltí dé, asíe dene tø'ónedígh øínü. Üøäta bet'á asíe héredleri bets'ü dé, betø'ónedígh øínü bet'sié héreøeri hha.
3. There was a big fishing boat that came from Buffalo Narrows. Once ready, everybody would tie their boats to this boat. There was a barge already tied to the fishing boat; with the Hudson's Bay store on it. They'd have supplies on board to sell. The old guy's name was Magloire Morin and his wife was Alexie Morin. They were the ones that used to look after the store. 3. Hokochoghe hots'ü ts'ichogh nakúth øínü. Yadózéjá dé, deneyu bets'ié ts'ichogh héráøcheth øínü. T'aøtthe ts'ichogh nánük'é, Hudson's Bay húlye, eyer hots'ü asíe yek'e theøa øínü náraníghi hha. T'q enékui yek'e eghálaghenay Maglorie Morin húlye nü, kú bets'äkuié Alexie Morin húlye nü. Edinü náhült'e nánük'é yehuweønü nü.
4. Everybody would tie their boats behind the barge, one after another. It was like that for anyone who didn't have a motor. Anyone with boat motors would travel alongside the ones with their boats tied to the barge and fishing boat. Then we'd get to the first camp where the men were going to start fishing. On the way people would get hungry. If we couldn't stop, people would share food and if somebody didn't have any, they'd just pass it from one boat to the other, sharing this food with the kids and everyone. It was like one big family travelling together. People enjoyed themselves. I remember it was a very good time because I was part of a big family. It made me feel good because I knew at the time, I had seen my future. I would never be alone. I had the feeling there would always be somebody there, whenever I needed help. 4. Hotárelyç dene bets'íe héráøcheth øínü ediri ts'ichogh t'azü. T'q tøests'i bet'sü¿íle sí' ts'ichogh t'azü bets'ié héráøcheth øínü. T'ahhúk'e tabíø darátø'ç hasí, eyer nübáli nárátthi ú, deneyu tabíø darátø'ç k'idéø øínü. Koz® ts'edéø hoyághe dene øq bérbade øínü. Ts'i yé ts'edél hoyághe dene eødhádáredi øínü, t'qt'i honení losí, hotárelyç dene shéøyü øínü. Hotárelyç dene üøáh kðp láhçt'e øínü. Dene hedánölü øínü. Sitth'i henésøü øínü, yanadhé t'ahçt'e hha k'óshyq øät'e nü. Üøáhkóli thene walí¿íle k'óshyq. Asíe hedünástí dé, k'óshyq üøäta sets'énü hha.
5. When we got to the fishing camp people helped, even if it was late at night. The young boys would help the elders pitch their tents. Then everything would settle down. The next day when we woke up it looked like a big fishing camp. There were tents all over. In the morning people would be laughing, chopping wood and getting breakfast ready. You could smell bacon, eggs, whatever people had to cook and you could hear the kids laughing and babies crying. It was a really good feeling and a good sound in the morning and was a good feeling I grew up with. This good feeling kept up from one place to another all summer long. 5. Tetø'e néts'üdeø dékólú, dene ts'édi øínü. T'q chelekui dälü sí ttheri dené hhéø nübáli nárátthi øínü. Eyer hots'ü ts'etés øínü. K'ab® dé, dene øq øínü. Hotárelyç k'e nübáli náráthe¿a øínü. Dene hedánölü øínü kón nádárelzús ú, bérkádárelt éth øínü. Eghézé hhéø guhgúsh het'edhi thetsen ú, sekui dlóghé dárítth'agh ú, tth'i t'ahhq täøtsi¿aze hetsagh tth'i dítth'agh øínü. Ekónt'i horestth'q hhéø niyq sí, seba horélya nü. Sine k'étø'á ekðhçt'e øín® t'ahhúk'e tabíø darátø'ç sí.
6. The first fishing camp was at a place we called Matsins Island. From there we'd go sometimes to Jackpine and then to a place with the flat stone, where we'd then end up at the rapids. We would go through the rapids to come to Turnor Lake and then from there people also used to fish at Wasakemew, Turnor and Little Turnor Lake. They used to take the fish down the rapids. There was lots of fish and they got a good price for it too. 6. T'aøtthe t'ahhúk'e tabíø darátø'ç hadé Matsín benuhé húlye nü. Eyer hots'ü Jackpine (Ganü) ts'én ú, kóødç nqde t'ahhúk'e tthekálé the¿q, eyer tthebayághe náráídé øínü. Tthebayághe hóthídél øínü K'it'ádhüka nídél ts'én t'ú. K'it'ádhüka ninídel dé, eyer hots'ü dene tabíø k'enárádé øínü Wasakemew chú Little Turnor Lake ts'én. Øue dánaheli øínü tthebayághe. Øue øq hhéø tth'i tsäba nezú øínü.
7. All summer long people would hunt and fish. The women made dry fish. Kids did our own thing, like enjoying helping out with wood, hauling water and washing clothes. We made our own games. We made swings. We went swimming and played ball. We even made balls out of moose hide. We'd stuff the moose hide with rags and grass, pack it really good and sew it up. Then we made bats and played ball. We did everything. We also made tents. But the best part of it was everybody enjoyed themselves all summer long. 7. Sine k'étøá dene tabíø k'enárádé ú, tth'i deníe ka nárálzé øínü. Ts'ékui eøddháye dáøtsi ú, sekui senárádé ú, t'ahhq sekui nuhts'áránü øínü tu taráthílyé húto, t'ahhq tth'i yú k'enáráíltsil á húto. Sq dáíltsi øínü. Húbili tth'i dáíltsi øínü. Deníe dhéth beyé yú ch'élé hhéø tø'ogh beyílye øínü. Kóødç bedárílkä øínü. Dzoø hháø tth'i thíltsü dé, dzóø á senáídé øínü. Hotárelyç asíe dáíltsi øínü. Nübáli tth'i dáíltsi øínü. Sine k'étø'á dene hedänölü ú, nádé øínü.
8. People enjoyed what they were doing and when one person was making moose hide others helped out. When people saw someone having a difficult time they helped out, and if a moose was killed and somebody went and asked for meat they'd give meat to that person. Even when you went to visit a woman who had dry meat or dry fish hanging up on a rack you'd just help yourself and nobody never said anything about; never gave it a second thought. That was the way life was in those days. 8. Üøäta deníe dhéth heøtsi dé, eøts'éráts'edi øínü. Dene beba horená dé, üøäta yets'énü øínü. Deníe heøk'éth dé, dene eødháredi øínü. Yanísü dene beghq hçta y®dígh dé, eøddháye húto egané dathela dé, hílchu øínü, dene tth'i yeghq asódi¿íle øínü. Yanísü ekóhçt'e øínü.
9. In those days we helped out and we worked to get the things we needed. If we needed something we‘d ask the person who had it. They'd make us haul water, haul wood or even help with laundry. It was fun for us, even washing clothes. We young girls would have competitions to see who would wash their clothes the fastest; who would haul and warm the water first and put the clothes on the clothes line. When it was time to cook bannock, we would see who could make the best bannock and find different ways to cook it quickly. 9. Yanísü asíe hoøé honédí dé, hoøé øínü. Asíe hedünótí dé, t'q asíe bets'ü sí bets'ozeké øínü. Tu tathílye ú, tth'i kón dárílye øínü. Nuhha súghá øínü, yú k'enáltsil kóli. T'q et'ereke dälü sí, eønáreldél øínü t'q ho¿äz® náltøa sí yú k'enáøtsili. Yú tø'ulé k'e yú daøye, eyi koli eønáríldél øínü. Øés dáílt'éth dé, eyer tth'i eønárildél øí, t'q ho¿äzí sí, tth'i t'q ho¿äz® øést'éth thekam heøt'éth si.
10. Yes, we did all sorts of things. We tried all sort of ways to see who was good at doing things. Even when we made camp we would see who could haul the biggest bag of spruce boughs. We'd laugh at one another because a lot of times the younger ones would try and compete with us and they would have a hard time. And we would climb trees. We would even have competitions with boys; and we'd play-fight with spruce cones. The boys would try to chase us away. We just kept on fighting them. We would make bows and arrows and slingshots. Yes, it was lots of fun. 10. Hotárelyç asíe k'enáráídé øínü. T'ät'i hólí losí, dáíltsi øínü. T'ahhúk'e nübáli nátthi sí, eyi hha el lá kedóril¿ü øínü. T'q ho¿äz® naøchéth nechá nügü sí hha. Súghá øínü. T'qt'i losí dechen k'e dathíl¿ís øínü. Eyer tth'i chelakuaze nuhenáreldél øínü. El näjúle á dáøowílyúl øínü. Chelakuaze dzédánuheneyu øínü. Nunü tthi bek'enáráídé øínü. K'á chu üøtín ú, tth'i the eteøtísi hhéø senáídé øínü.
11. People had a hard time making a living but nobody ever had hard feelings about it. Nobody took time to be miserable. They just did what they had to - to make the best of everything. If anything happened in those days, as kids we were never involved in it. Even when the older adults were telling stories they didn't want us to hear, they would tell us to go and play or do something. 11. Yanísü dene estodánét'®le kólú dene hedánölü øínü. Dene asíe ghq eøts'órólch'ogh¿íle øínü. Äønedhi asíe ghq dáyaøti dé, sekui yadóreøtth'q hha hadórél¿ü¿íle dé, sekui d®dél øínü.
12. Today, there are so many things said in front of kids and they take it all in. Kids get all that anger within themselves and that's what they grow up with. In those days we never grew up that way. The older people took care of things and kids weren't involved. That is why as young children we learned to have more fun. We enjoyed nature. I remember going out sometimes with just a blanket. I would go along the shore to find a good spot, a beautiful spot where I could lay back and listen to the birds or look at clouds. It was so amazing for me. I was only about ten or eleven years old at the time." 12. Duhç sekui benabü øq asóhodi, eyi ät'e sü sekui dábeti¿íle. Asíe øq ghq dólch'ogh. Yanísü ekónt'ú dánéthíjq¿íle nü. Äønedhi dené hotié sekui haróønü øínü. Hedánídlü ú, dánéthíjq, eyi ät'e sü dánuhetie. Yedáríye t'qt'i nuhðn®nigh sí, bek'ésorídli sü. T'ahhq taga ts'éré deschúth dé, nestí ú, eyer üyeze ú, tth'i k'oth nes¿ü ghq thitü øínü. Beghqnorésha øínü. Eyer kú hoyághe honénq húto üøághe ch'adhel seghayé nü.

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Dene/Cree ElderSpeak: Tales from the Heart and Spirit

Edeníl¿a
(Self Reliance)
Dene Yatié
{Stories}
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