Jane Stelkia
Jane Stelkia is the eldest Osoyoos Indian Band member that resides in Oliver, BC. She is a fluent language speaker
Religion
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nun̓xʷinaʔ...q̓sápiʔ iʔ “government” cnir̓mis iʔ sxʷmama̓yaʔm alaʔ, uɬ iʔ q̓ʷʕaylqs, iʔ k̓l̓ sql̓xʷulaʔxʷ...uɬ cnir̓mis iʔ snun̓xʷinaʔ uł yayʕat swit ksxʷuyaʔx iʔ k̓l̓ snk̓ʕamn.(00:24)
uɬ ixiʔ…ixiʔ taʔli yir̓misəlx…yir̓misəlx iʔ… iʔ “government” yir̓misəlx ixiʔ iʔ snun̓xʷinaʔ uɬ taɬt iʔ sqilxʷ iʔ snun̓xʷinaʔs uɬ ixiʔ nixʷ ah…(00:40)
uɬ ixiʔ iʔ mnimɬtət iʔ snun̓xʷinaʔtət nɬiptmsəlx.* taɬt nun̓xʷinaʔmsəlx ixiʔ tl̓ q̓sapiʔ.(00:52)
Translation:
Long time ago the government pushed teachers here and priests to the rez...and pushed religion and everyone to go to church.
And they really pushed it...The government pushed the religion and the people really believed and also...
Our beliefs were forgotten. **They were very strong in the religion long ago.
Notes:
At beginning it sounds like “just..just”
*Jane wanted to add, “anqilxʷcən”
**Jane added, “They really believed in Catholic religion” while reviewing audio and transcription.
Returning from school
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łə wismama̓yaʔməlx mɬ əłcyaʕpəlx, way̓ cɬwnikstmntməlx iʔ tl̓ snmama̓yaʔtn. ła ɬtcyaʕpəlx lut stim t̓a cmistisəlx t̓i…(0:13)
t̓i tałt qsapiʔ…kʷa.. lut iʔ ɬə xʷuyyəlx iʔ k̓l̓ snmama̓yaʔtn uɬ əcmistisəlx yʕat iʔ sk̓ʷulm, iʔ taɬt iʔ sk̓ʷck̓ʷacts iʔ t̓ sck̓ʷul uɬ iʔ yayʕatəlx cmistisəlx, yayʕat iʔ sqilxʷ əcmistisəlx iʔ…(0:37)
iʔ sxʷt̓xt̓sqax̌aʔməlx yayʕat, iʔ st̓mʕalt uɬ iʔ k̓l̓ snkɬc̓aʔsqax̌aʔ uɬ iʔ k̓l̓ sw̓pulaʔxʷ, ixi yʕat əck̓ʷulstsəlx, ʕapnaʔ lut t̓a cmistisəlx. way̓ ʕapnaʔ ck̓ɬc̓spmixəlx. (00:55)
Translation:
When they finished school and they returned, they were released from school. When they returned they didn’t know anything.
That was a really long time ago...kwa... they didn't go to school yet and they knew a lot about work, really hard work and they all knew how,
All the people were ranchers with cows, horses and haying. They worked it all. Now they don't know any of it. Now they're all disappearing.
Vocabulary:
səxʷt̓xt̓sqax̌aʔməlx They who care for livestock
ck̓ɬc̓spmixəlx They are disappearing
Whisky
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qsápiʔ iʔ sqilxʷ lut t̓a csaʔsiw̓stəlx iʔ t… "whisky" iʔ samaʔ ʔum̓səlx “whisky”, mł ah…tałt yayʕat ixiʔ iʔ l̓ cilkɬupnkst ki iʔ sckicx iʔ sastil-iʔ saʔstiltəlx uł ixiʔ tałt ixiʔ nx̌ʷuskʷ, iʔ whisky uł aʔ nx̌ʷuskʷ uɬ ixiʔ aʔ csaʔsiwstsəlx uł ixi.(00:40)
x̌ast iʔ skʷliw̓tsəlx uł ixiʔ sastil…saʔstiltəlx uł ixiʔ iʔ mł qʷaʕqʷaʕəlx nsl̓sl̓pqinəlx mɬ ka ɬa titiyakʷtəlx mł… ixiʔ iʔ siwłkʷ taɬt nx̌acin k̓ast. uł ixiʔ ah… cianut tali ixiʔ lut x̌minks ixiʔ iʔ siwłkʷ, uł ixiʔ clk̓lk̓stis iʔ sqʷsqʷa̓siyaʔs.(01:22)
t̓a niʔayp ixiʔ cut “lut ixiʔ t̓ə x̌ast”. ixiʔ cianut, ixiʔ cianut… ixiʔ ql̓ql̓wilx ła kɬlʔiw, uł ixiʔ tałt t̓a niʕayp lut t̓ x̌minks iʔ siwłkʷ alaʔ iʔ l̓̓ sqlxʷulaʔxʷ uł caʔkʷ ʕapnaʔ iliʔ ki kscx̌̓ił itiʔ, caʔkʷ x̌ʷil̓stsəlx iʔ siwłkʷ uł tałt caʔkʷ iʔ sqilxʷ, tałt uł, iʔ ksclmlimtsəlx. (1:55)
Translation:
Long time ago the people didn’t drink whisky, the white people called it whisky. Then all of that came in the 50’s, people wanted to drink. All that beer, whisky and beer, and they drank then.
They had nice houses and there they wanted to drink. They got drunk, they staggered around, they fought. That drink is really bad. And Batiste George really didn't want alcohol and he jailed his kids.
He always said “that stuff is not good” That Batiste George, Narcisse’s dad, and he always didn't want alcohol on the reserve and now it should be the same here. They should throw away the alcohol and then, darn it, the people will be very happy.
Vocabulary:
saʔstiltəlx They, the ones who want to drink
cianut Chief Batiste George
ql̓ql̓wilx Narcisse Baptiste
taliʔ ka l̓kʷut iʔ snmama̓yaʔtn
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iʔ sqilxʷ taliʔ k̓ʷlk̓ʷlułəlx, yayaʕtəlx, tałt yayaʕtəlx k̓ʷlk̓ʷlułəlx, nix iʔ k̓l̓ scəcm̓a̓laʔ ł ck̓ʷlməlx mł xi..ah..iʔ "Government" x̌minks iʔ sccm̓a̓laʔ kskw̓smama̓yaʔxelx uł əcʷuyyəlx...(00:44)
ixi km̓łtiməlx iʔ...iʔ tl̓ ƛ̓x̌əx̌ƛ̓x̌a̓psəlx iʔ scəcm̓a̓laʔ, uł iʔ xuyyəlx uł iʔ kl snmama̓yaʔtn uł iliʔ tali q̓sápiʔ iliʔəlx...ah mat ah…*t̓aq́mkst x̌əx̌əyałnxʷ mat km mat ksxan iʔ siliʔsəlx mł əłcxʷuyyəlx uł mł cuntəməlx lut t̓ ksəcnqilxcnmp ti niʕayp əcn̓samaʔcnmp ła łyʕap m...mł əłkmn̓timəlx ixi əłxʷuystməlx iʔ k̓̓l̓ snmaʔma̓yaʔtn mł iʔ nixʷ iliʔ...(1:35)
əłiliʔəlx mł əł kʷl...k̓l k̓ʷnxspin̓tk mł ixi łə łxʷapelx iʔ tl' snmaʔma̓yaʔtn mł əł łkaʔkicntməlx mł tałt ƛ̓xʷəntiməlx, pulstməlx mł...mł...lakin lut t̓a əłtcyapəlx tałt iʔ sxʷʔits iʔ sccm̓a̓laʔ(2:05)
lut **t̓ə yʕapəlx iʔ k̓l̓ sniliʔtnsəlx, ixi yʕat əcq̓ay ʕapnaʔ, ixiʔ yʕat incaʔ cwikstn ixiʔ ***(əcq̓ay lut t'a cxiʔxiʔstiməlx t cxʷuyəlx uł taliʔ t xʷaʔxʷʔit iʔ scəcmalaʔ uł iliʔ ƛ̓axʷtəlx km ʔuxʷtəlx ła łtcxʷuy) taliʔ xʷʔit iʔ ƛaxʷt uł ixi lut t̓a cqʷlqʷilmsts iʔ "government" uł caʔkʷ inca...inca lut kn t̓...lut kn t̓...(2:35)
uł ła ť cyʕaplx lut stim t'a cmistisəlx iʔ k̓l sk̓ʷulmp, way kʷu cusəlx ixi łə xʷuyyəlx iʔ scəcm̓a̓laʔ cm ixiʔ ła əłcyʕapəlx ł ƛ̓əx̌əƛ̓x̌a̓p...łə ƛ̓x̌x̌ƛ̓x̌a̓pəlx mł lut ksəcmistisəlx stim iʔ sck̓ʷul (3:00)
xiʔ cm yʕat səl̓t uł ta unixʷ səcunixʷəxʷ uł ixiʔ yʕat səl̓t...ixiʔ isəsiʔ kʷu cus cm łcyʕapəlx t̓i xiʔ iʔ nsamaʔcn mi əcmistisəlx mł lut iʔ sk̓ʷulmp. uł way̓ ixiʔ unixʷ.(3:17)
Translation:
The people were hard workers, all of them, really all of them were hard workers, even to the kids they worked then the government wants the kids should go to school and they came
and then they took them away from their elders, the kids and then they went to school and then for a long time they were there... maybe 6 months, maybe longer, they stayed there and then they came back and then they were told not to speak our language only English all the time when they got back and then they were taken again and then they took them back to school
and again they stayed there. How many years they were there then they would escape from the school and then they were found again and they were beaten, beaten almost to death sometimes many kids didn't come home.
Many kids they didn't reach their homes. All of that is written now and all of that I saw. It's written that they weren't taken care of on the way and a really lot of kids died or they froze on the way. A lot died and that the government doesn’t talk about and I didn't..I didn't…
and when they get back they don't know anything about how to work and they told me when they went, the kids, then when they get back they’ll grow up and they won't know anything about work.
There they will be all lost for sure, the truth and here they're all lost... that's what my Uncle told me when they get back they will only know English and they won't know work. That's the way it is. Truth.
Vocabulary:
k̓ʷlk̓ʷlu̓łəlx Hard workers
ksk̓w̓smamayaʔxəlx They are going to go to school
kmłtiməlx They took them away
cxiʔxiʔstiməlx They take care of them (paid attention to)
xʷaxʔxʷʔit Lots
səcunixʷəxʷ For real
ʔuxʷtəlx Frozen; frostbitten
Notes:
*When Jane says, " t̓aq́mkst x̌əx̌əyałnxʷ" she later corrects it to be 8 months," upnkst x̌əyałnxʷ".
**Jane commented at this point in the audio that it could be, “...ta cyʕapəlx”, “...didn’t come home.”
*** Audio became too loud and was edited out, however the bracketed sentence was discernible. This portion is available separately.
