Reminiscences. No.2. By Mrs. Mary Stafford
(Kwapa Texts, Jan., 1894)

1)

When I was a little girl, I always bathed like that, in the water, in a spring, creek, or river.

aⁿ-zhiⁿ-ka-ti ni ko-i-kʰe

ąžįkátti ní kóikʰe

I small, I young/at, by, in/water, liquid, stream, lake, river/that remote singular, lying, visible object

e-koⁿ i-da-hi-bda a-ta-pa-xti

ekǫ́ idáhibdá áttapaxtí

that sort, like, thus, like that, so/I bathe or swim in it/too, great, exceeding, often, always/very, real, fully = always, off and on, at regular intervals

* Maude Supernaw said the same thing, no matter what the weather, they always went to the water and bathed daily, sometimes having to break the ice to do so in the winter, she attributed her long life and lack of arthritis due to bathing in the cold spring water daily

2)

Just those back then did that, a long time ago, they bathed in the water daily, because of that I was able to grow old.

ti-aⁿ-ti-taⁿ e-koⁿ naⁿ hi-we

ttiąttítą ekǫ́ ną hí-we

in the olden times, old time/when/that sort, like, thus, like that, so/only, just, alone/very/pluralizer

taⁿ-ha e-shoⁿ-xti aⁿ-naⁿ-haⁿ

tą́ha ešǫ́xti ą́nąhą́

because/then, at length, and/very, real, fully/I old, grown up, mature, raised

3)

At length, I bathed in the water as a young girl, I bathed in the water until I was grown.

e-shoⁿ aⁿ-mi-zhi-ka taⁿ-hi a-hi-bda

ešǫ́ ąmížiká tąhí ahíbda

then, at length, and/I girl, young girl, unmarried female/yet, though/I bathe or swim

shoⁿ-hi aⁿ-naⁿ-haⁿ

šǫ́hi ą́nąhą́

till, until/I old, grown up, mature, raised

4)

Therefore, I was very active back then, when my older sister and I went to pick pecans, at that time, there were many turkeys and I would chase them and I would catch them, I didn’t have to go very far to catch one.

ko-i-shoⁿ-taⁿ aⁿ-si-si a-ta-ha taⁿ

kóišǫ́ttą ąsísi attahá tą

then, thus, accordingly, in that way, therefore/I active, energetic, well, healthy/too, exceedingly, much/when

wa-ta-sto-ta ba-hi aⁿ-ka-hi taⁿ wi-zhoⁿ-de e-naⁿ-pa

watástotta bahí ąkáhi tą wižǫ́de enąpá

pecan nuts/to pick, select, gather, collect/we arrived, reached there/when/my elder sister (female speaking)/that one too; both, also, too

si-ka taⁿ-ka zho-hi hi to-ke-taⁿ wa-bdi-xe a-taⁿ wa-bdi-ze,

síkka ttą́ka žóhi hí tokétą wabdíxe attą́ wábdize,

chicken/big, large = turkey/much, many/very/those plural standing or scattered/when = they were there then, at that time/I chase, pursue them/when, and/I get, take, seize them

ko-zhi da-zhi hi bdi-ze

kkóži dáži hi bdíze

far away, far off/to not go/very/I get, take, seize

5)

So that is how they did, they say.

ko-i-shoⁿ pa naⁿ i-ya-we.

kóišǫ ppá ną iyáwe.

so or of that sort/3^rd person plural, they moving/habitual, regularly; past sign, when = so they did in the past/they say

6)

The young girls always bathed, they say.

mi-zhi-ka hi-da a-ta-ha pa naⁿ i-ya-we.

mižíka hidá attahá ppá ną iyáwe.

girl, young girl, unmarried female/bathe, swim/too, exceedingly, much = always/3^rd person plural, they moving/habitual, regularly; past sign, when/they say

7)

They were always very active, they say.

si-si a-ta-ha pa naⁿ i-ya-we

sisí attahá ppá ną iyáwe

active, energetic, well, healthy/too, exceedingly, much/3^rd person plural, they moving/habitual, regularly; past sign, when/they say

8)

So that is the way they were long ago, they say.

ti-aⁿ-ti e-koⁿ pa naⁿ i-ya-we.

ttiąttí ekǫ́ ppá ną iyáwe.

in the olden times, old time/that sort, like, thus, like that, so/3^rd person plural, they moving/habitual, regularly; past sign, when = so they did in the past/they say

9)

Catching turkey, they say.

si-ka di-ze naⁿ i-ya-we

síkka dizé ną iyáwe

chicken/get, take, seize/habitual, regularly; past sign, when/they say

* síkka, ‘chicken, this is the original word for turkey prior to the introduction of chickens, domesticated fowl’

10)

I chased and caught turkey.

si-ka bdi-x[e] a-taⁿ bdi-ze

síkka bdíx[e] attą́ bdizé

chicken/I chase, pursue/when, and/I get, take, seize

11)

The men too, they always bathed, they were always active back then.

ni-ka i-niⁿ-ha hi-da a-ta-pa pa naⁿ

níkka inįhá hidá áttappa ppá ną

man/too/bathe, swim/too, great, exceeding, often, always/3^rd person plural, they moving/habitual, regularly; past sign, when

si-si a-ta-pa pa naⁿ e-ti

sisí áttappa ppá ną ettí

active, energetic, well, healthy/too, great, exceeding, often, always/3^rd person plural, they moving/habitual, regularly; past sign, when/there, then

12)

Now, I am not active because I am always in poor health.

iⁿ-chʰoⁿ taⁿ aⁿ-si-si-zhi,

įčʰǫ́ tą ąsísiží,

now, right now, at this moment/when/I not active, energetic, well, healthy

haⁿ-t’e shtaⁿ a-ta-ha taⁿ

hątʔé štą attahá tą

sick, ill, not healthy/habitual, all the time, incessantly/too, exceedingly, much/when = because

13)

The food too, they only ate corn.

wa-naⁿ-bde tʰe i-niⁿ-ha

waną́bde tʰe inįhá

eat, eat a meal, dine; food/the singular standing or collection; the past act/too

wa-tʰaⁿ-zi naⁿ-hi da-tʰe pa naⁿ

watʰą́zi nąhí datʰé ppa ną

corn/only, just, alone/very, intensifier/to eat/3^rd person plural, they moving/habitual, regularly; past sign, when

14)

Coffee, it too, they did not drink it, although now they are drinking it.

ma-kaⁿ sha [e]-hoⁿ da-taⁿ-wa-zhi e-niⁿ-te

makką-ša [e]hǫ dattą́waží énįtte į

medicine/dark = coffee/it too, he too, she too/they drink not/although, though

iⁿ-chʰoⁿ taⁿ da-taⁿ pa

įčʰǫ́ tą dattą́ ppa

now, right now, at this moment/when/to drink/3^rd person plural, they moving = they are drinking it, they drink it

15)

Long ago I was eating that food then.

wi-e ti-aⁿ-ti taⁿ wa-naⁿ-bde ko-i

wíe ttią́ttí tą waną́bde kói

I, me/in the olden times, old time/when/eat, eat a meal, dine; food/that

bda-tʰe e-shoⁿ a-ni-he

bdatʰé ešǫ́ aníhe

I eat/then, at length, and/1^st person singular moving

16)

Using a mortar and pestle, I made bread, and I ate it.

a-pʰe a-taⁿ wa-ske pa-x[e] a-taⁿ bda-tʰe e-shoⁿ a-ni-he

ápʰe áttą wáske ppáγ[e] áttą bdatʰé ešǫ́ aníhe

I pound something in a mortar/when, and/bread/I make/when, and/I eat/then, at length, and/1^st person singular moving

17)

I mixed in beans with the bread, and I used to eat it.

ho-bniⁿ-ke i-da-ka-hi a-taⁿ bda-tʰe aⁿ-maⁿ

hobnį́ke idákahi áttą bdatʰé ąmą́

beans/I mix with, I mix ingredients/when, and/I eat/I used to = I used to eat

18)

Just those back then did that, a long time ago, they only ate like that.

ti-aⁿ-ti e-koⁿ naⁿ

ttią́ttí ekǫ́ ną

in the olden times, old time/that sort, like, thus, like that, so/only, just, alone

da-tʰe pa naⁿ

datʰé ppa ną

to eat/3^rd person plural, they moving/habitual, regularly; past sign, when

19)

Only the children of my elder sister and elder brother remain, they are all that are left, I am all alone, I am the oldest one living from back then.

wi-zhoⁿ-de wi-ti-to i-niⁿ-ha

wižǫ́de wittítto inįhá

my elder sister (female speaking)/my elder brother (female speaking)/too

shi-zhi-ka e-ta-we e-naⁿ-hi o-shte ke,

šižíka ettáwe enąhí ošté ke,

child, baby/their, theirs/only that, him, her, it/very, intensifier/remain, be left over/those plural standing or scattered

wi-e naⁿ-hi naⁿ-haⁿ e-ti miⁿ-kʰe

wíe nąhí nąhą́ ettí mįkʰé

I, me/only, just, alone/very, intensifier/old, grown up, mature, raised/there, then/1^st person singular sitting