The Passing of the K'ixinay
told by Senaxon
December, 1902
Hoopa Valley, California
Transcribed by Pliny Earle Goddard
Source: Hupa Texts (UCPAAE vol. 1, no. 2), p. 215
- xon'-ch'iwilaw
- he painted
- mila'-kin'-tah
- his wrists.
- mila'-kin'-tah
- His wrists
- xon'-ch'iwilaw-hit
- when he had painted
- yineh ch'iwiłte:n-e:y
- he put him in the ground.
He painted the wrists of the boy and then buried him.
- ma:
- For it
- no:na[']k'ining'un-te:
- one should leave
- hay
- that
- k'iwinya'nya:n
- Indians
We must leave that which the Indians will do."
*For a general description of this dance and the places here mentioned see Life and Culture of the Hupa, pp. 82-3 and the map.
- me'dil
- canoe
- ch'iswchwe'n
- he made.
- q'ut ch'itehslay
- they started by boat.
Then they made a canoe and went up the river.
- me'dilding
- Medilding
- me:na'nilay
- they landed.
They landed above Medilding on the opposite side of the river.
- hayah
- there
- xong'-'a'diwilaw
- they painted themselves
- nin'ts'isde:tł'*
- they danced.
- ch'idiwilye'
- They danced
- ła'
- one
- xutł'e'
- night.
They painted themselves and danced there one night.
*An old-fashioned word. The recent form is nin-is-deL.
- xoda'wilay
- they came down.
- tse:mit'ah
- Tsemita
- me:na'nilay
- they landed.
Then they came down landing at Tsemita.
- hayahujit
- And then
- na'diwilye'-hit
- when they had danced again
- 'a:diq'it
- themselves on
- no[']nilay
- they put (regalia).
- me'dil
- canoe
- yehch'ite:de:tł'
- they went in.
The next day when they had danced they dressed themselves and got into the canoe.
- xoda:ngxe:n
- they floated down.
- hijit
- Then
- me'-nints'isde:tł'
- in it they danced.
Then as they floated down, they danced.
- hayahujit
- And then
- xoda:nxe:n
- they floated down.
- misq'it
- Miskut
- yima:n'ch'ing'
- opposite
- me'nilay
- they landed.
When they had floated down opposite Miskut they approached the shore.
- yima:n
- across
- no:nundixe:n
- they floated to shore.
Ten times they came up to the shore and went back again.
- hayah
- there
- k'iye:
- again
- ch'idiwilye'
- they danced.
- yisxa:n
- Until day
- ch'idilye:-xw
- they danced.
- xutł'e'-dung'
- In the morning
- k'iye:
- again
- na'diwilye'
- they danced.
Finally landing, they danced there that evening and again in the morning.
- hijit
- Then
- xoda'wilay
- they went down
- k'iye:
- again.
- ts'ilunding
- Tselunding
- hayah
- there
- k'iye:
- again
- ch'idiwilye'
- they danced.
- k'iye:
- again
- na'diwilye'
- they danced.
- hijit
- Then
- yinuq
- up river
- ch'e'indiqot'-ding
- Tceindi:qo:tding
- miyeh
- under
- me:na'nilay-e:
- they landed.
- hayah
- there
- k'iye:
- again
- ła'
- one
- xutł'e'
- night
- ch'idiwilye'
- they danced.
After dancing the next morning, they went up the river and landed close to Tceindi:qotding, where they danced that evening.
- xutł'e'-dung'
- next morning
- xoda'wilay
- they went down.
- me'isdiłding
- MeisdiLding
- me'nilay-e:
- they landed.
The next morning they went down to MeisdiLding.
- hayah
- There
- ła'
- one
- xutł'e'
- night
- k'iye:
- again
- ch'idiwilye'
- they danced.
- xutł'e'-dung'
- in the morning
- na'diwilye'
- they danced again.
There they danced one afternoon and one morning.
- dinung
- facing
- na'niwint'iky'
- they formed a line.
- digyung
- Here
- na'niwint'iky'
- they lined up.
Then it was they lined up facing the northwest.
- me:lah
- Some
- digyung
- here
- tahsyay-e:
- they went,
- me:lah
- some
- digyung
- here
- yinuqi-yima:n-ch'ing'
- south across
- tahsyay-e:
- they went,
- me:lah
- some
- digyun
- here
- yinuqi-yiduq-ch'ing
- southeast
- tahsyay-e:
- they went,
- me:lah
- some
- de:-nohq'it-ch'ing'
- above us
- tahsyay-e:
- went away,
- me:lah
- some
- tahsyay-e:
- went away.
Some of them went across the ocean toward the north. Others went across the ocean to the south. Still others went to the southwest. Some went to the world above us. And others went to the northeast.
- k'iwinya'n-ya:n
- Indians
- na:na:nde'tł'-te:
- when they become,
- 'a:k'ił'in-te:
- when it happens
- k'iwinya'n-ya:n
- Indians
- na:na:nde'tł'-te:
- when they become.
"This is the way Indians will do when they come.
- 'a:ch'ondehsne'
- He thought,
- keh
- "Well,
- na'dehłts'e:
- are living
- ye:
- instead
- k'ixinay
- Kixunai."
"Let me see where the Ki:xunai are who were living about here," he thought.
- sa:k'iding 'ungya'
- He was surprised
- łing'
- dog
- whung
- only
- ch'iltsa:n
- he found
- q'ayliwh
- willows
He was surprised to see only a dog among the willows.
- xowung
- to him
- ch'iningyay
- he came.
- 'a:xołch'ide:ne'
- He said to him,
- niwung
- "From you
- sahwinde'n
- they have gone."
He came up to him and the dog said, "They have gone away and left you."
- xine:yehwh-te:
- "I am going to talk.
- de:t
- This time
- wha:ne:
- only
- xine:yehwh-te:
- I will talk.
- xa'
- Well,
- whe:
- I
- de:t
- this era
- me:q'
- in
- q'ina'
- too
- k'iwinya'n-ya:n
- Indians
- me:na:yliwh-te:
- I will watch.
"I am going to talk just this once," said the dog, "I am going to live around here and watch the Indians."
- łah-xw
- But
- k'iwinya'n-ya:n
- Indians
- na:na:nde'tł'-te:
- when they become
- midiłwa:
- then
- do:-xoling
- no more
- xiniwhye:wh
- I will talk.
When the Indians come, I will not talk again.
- xine:yehwh-de'
- If I talk
- k'iwinya'n-ya:n
- Indians
- do:-xowile:lił-te:
- will be no more.
If I should talk the Indians would be no more.
- duxo:' 'ung' 'ahdiyah-te:
- They will die."
They would die."
- me'isła:t-e:y
- he ran up.
- ch'e:miningyo:t-e:
- He drove out a deer.
Then the dog ran up the hill and drove a deer out of the brush into the river.
- tahna:'iswa:tł'-e:
- he threw it out of the water.
- haya:ł
- And
- tahna:'iste:n-e:
- he had taken it out
- mił
- then
- 'e:ng'
- it was
- q'ina'
- too
- 'a'de:ne'
- said,
- whe:
- "I
- q'ina'
- also
- na:whiwehstsung-whung
- must not be seen again."
The Ki:xunai threw the deer out of the water and then he said, "I shall not be seen again either."