Traditions of the Thompson River Indians (cont.)

Notes.

277. Wind-breaker, person who constantly breaks wind.

278. Some say his belly.

279. Some say he also brought back her soul.

280. Some say that the Wind was never seen until caught in this manner; then it was found that he was a man with a very large head, and a body so thin and light that it fluttered about and could not remain on the ground.

281. See note 283. In this case the stsûq was a small piece of birch-bark with figures on it.

282. Compare Tylor, Early History of Mankind, p. 346 ff.

283. Stsûq means a mark or picture of any kind. Some Indians say that the stsûq in this story was probably a mark or picture on birch-bark. Such, when made by a person gifted in magic, had supernatural powers. Some rock paintings are also "mystery," and have not been made in any ordinary way. Some of them have not been made by the hand of man. The Indians at the present day call the white man's writing and pictures stsûq. They also call paper stsûq.

284. Indian version: -

SPATA'KLS HA MA'XETEN.
HIS MYTH     THE            MOON

Ha ma'xeten Losqa'yux axa' n'alawa'nus   xoi'atêm  Loas tse'as tüs tse'a tc'ä'l.
The       moon           Indian         that        formerly     transformed   him    like       as    like       now.

Naux      êks n mamau'sts   tu    tci'us,   tsitseu's lon    ha sqo’kwas,a têmus Eks pêtak's,
Very much  was bright faced he  from  long ago   like face   then to the        sun,       if      not     was   superior

aL  hai'mska tc'äL, Lo a'wi          hêtcê'tcas    qax nmitcakû'stEm  ku'tLo   tcü'us tc'ä't.
and thus perhaps now,  then because his younger sister who  sitting on his face  therefore rather    now

nlîplîpu's.  Ua'x  Lo  tc’äL stcitx  pêl         tcê'tcas.      A xui's wuxt, Loa's tci'txems
dark-faced.    He was then   now    housed  with  his younger sister. If it will   snow    then he makes house

aL haim a taklma'menus  ha temö'x.  Ki'a tik  nmanxa'p, tu'a tcîni'l stcus ha
and thus   if  it is going to rain  the weather.    First this   smoker,       from    him    grows the

kwo'i, axa xaa'tcts  tu    ntsaqo'etctens. Ua'xska   teka'kua ha temö'x,  n    ez
clouds,  that  his smoke from          his pipe.           It is perhaps     clear       the weather,  just when

ma'nxems ha ma'xeten Loas'  kwo'is.  Tata' pista' eks la'kstems hentsaqo’etctens,
 he smokes   the       moon       then    its clouds.   Not       when   does    he lets go             his pipe,

Lakami'x sqwôksts.  A'wi    Ku'tLo  wi'ktêm tc'äl ha ma'xeten sqwokem ta
always            he holds it.  Because therefore    we see     now  the     moon            holding     the

ntsaqo'etctEn aL xui'tsa wi'ktem ta     tsia's;  axa x·komutemênami'ns.
           pipe           and     more       we see   the his basket; that      he uses it as a hat.
 

285. According to others, he carries it on his back.

286. Indian version : -

SPAT A'KLS HA MA'XETEN PEL TCE'TCAS.

HIS MYTH THE MOON AND HIS YOUNGER SISTER

losqa'yux ha ma'xeten n'alawa'nus,      ihu's tik losqa'yux stpêku's    oko'.   Ha
  An Indian  the       moon          formerly,        handsome the      Indian    white-faced  it is said.  The

nkoku'cen axa' hêsnukanu'kas ta'kemus.   Stcê'tcaoko'           ta skukei'tc. Ua'x
       stars        that        his friends                   all.         Younger sister it is said the hare.             He was

Loa's wa'was ha nxeu's  al xui'tsa ta'kem ha siö'xEl ta snukanu'kas; pa tata'ks
then     he called the Pleiades and   more       all        the others   the      his friends;     but    not

nests     ha siö’xel tcuk Lo   smôq  ta nkokü'cen qax  kite   qax neti'ex    tik nxeu's,
they went the   others,   only then grouped the      stars          who arrived whom they name the Pleiades,

zu’mLo  masi'p hêtci'txs, tata' n'Ek mi'tcakus ha siö'xel ta s'ai'tkEnEmux. Tcuk Eks
yet then   crowded   his house,  not where          to sit        the   others  the        people.                Finished

zara’ps ha s'ai'tkEnEmux, Loa's skui'kuêsts     hêtcê'tcas      uL qo.   Loa's skua'nz
among     the            people            then    he sent her       his younger sister for water. Then    she took

hêhaxaiê'qas hêtcê'tcas,   Loa's kôtci'exs. Tata’ks xinz aLLaqal mînauzsa'kst
her buckets      his younger sister, then     she left.           Not         long and she came  both hands

hêxaiê'qas.   Laq       uL    Loa's tcuts, "Tata'nek mi'tcakuen." Loa’s tcu’ntem
her buckets. She came   inside  then   she said, "Not where      I may sit ."      Then     he said to her

     hêkatsks     "Mitcaka ena' n ensklüs, tcuk Lo axa'  yoyâ'."    NuxEnte's tEs
her elder brother,       "Sit           here on my face,     only then that empty space" She believed that

LêxEtEm, Loa’s ka'zexs    uL sklüsts     hêkatsks.    Têskataks    Lê'kês     hêtcê'tcas
he joked,     then     she jumped on   his face  her elder brother.  If perhaps not  he joked  his younger sister

e’skaks mama's tik    naux   to'äl ha     ma'xEtEen, Lo   a'wi     xa qax LîpLîptstê'mus.
probably      bright     the  very much now  the             moon,       then  because she who     darkens him.

Wêswa'z tc'äL ha smu'latc smitcaqu'stem skwokwôkem ta haxaieka, aL a’wi     tês
   Visible      now   the  woman       sitting on his face         holding         the   buckets,    and because that

kitco  s'o'eyus n ha tcini'L ha nxeu's, ku'tLos mu'qus tc'äl, aL, ua'x     sxuasi't
arrived gathered   to the    him    the Pleiades, therefore grouped   now,   and they are travelling

snukao'es     axa' ha maxeten.
his real friends that    the    moon.

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