Old Apache Customs, Chiricahua Apache Text :: :: University of Virginia Library

Old Apache Customs, Chiricahua Apache Text

excerpted from Chiricahua Apache Texts, with Ethnological Notes

39. Old Apache Customs as told by Lawrence Mithlo

39.1.

Long ago, at a time long before there were many white men,

39.2.

Our grandfathers lived in the dirt, they say.

39.3.

At that time, there were only arrows.

39.4.

The slingshot was also a help, they say

39.5.

Now these were the only weapons of the Indians, they say.

39.6.

The Indians lived a hard life, they say.

39.7.

These were the only knives the Indians had, they say.

39.8.

Long ago, even fire was lacking, they say.

39.9.

Coffee was lacking, they say.

39.10.

At that time long ago, they lived poorly.

39.11.

"My child, one does not curse.

39.12.

Even when the boys [and] girls were twenty five and over,

Linguistic Notes by Harry Hoijer

Ethnological Notes Morris Opler

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Now these were the only weapons of the Indians, they say.

(39.5)[5]
K'adi díídíí dá'ákohégo nDé bik'a'ná'a.
'Indaanałíͅí goostáńdiłtałí hah'áálgo díík'ehnyá nDédáłeendasijaaí beenaał'a'áłádáͅ.
'Ágołdishndí:

"Naał'a'ánahałaaí nahí Chidikáágo hongéí doobaayándziͅda. Han k'aa nahá'ágólaaná'ań 'áńá yaayáńziͅhálí. 'Ákoo, dííjíͅ. 'indaanałíͅí 'íłtíͅ 'ił'ango daadiłtałí tsiͅníntsaazí bééshntł'izí dá'áída díík'eh ghádaaniidágo nahá'ájílaa. 'Ákoo, nahí Chidikáágo hongéí, k'aa nahá'ájílaaní 'it'ago biyeeshxahyá doołi'nahá'ánáájídlaada."

Now these were the only weapons of the Indians, they say.
You who are white men could at that time make slaves of a whole camp of Indians anywhere by means of the six-shooters you carried.
I say thus to them:

"We who are called Chiricahua are not ashamed of the fact that you made us slaves. Perhaps whoever is said to have made arrows for us is ashamed.[6] Then, today, they have made for you who are white men different kinds of guns that shoot and pierce everything, even big logs and hard metals. And, [for] we who are called Chiricahua, nothing else has been made besides the arrows that were made for us in the past."

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(39.5) Linguistic Notes

1. bik'a'ná'a '[were] their weapons'. -k'a', poss. of k'aa 'arrows, weapons'.

2. goostáńdiłtałí 'six- shooter'. goostáń 'six'. diłtał, also heard diiłtał, imp. of di-|...[si- perf.]-tał 'to burst, pop, explode' [act. intr.; di-| noise].

3. ndédáłeendasijaaí 'a whole camp of Indians ['a whole camp of People'--MEC]. ndé 'Indians' [This edition translates the term as 'People', see linguistic note to Chiricahua text 6.3, §2--MEC]; dáłeen 'just one time'; dasijaa 'a mass or clump lies upon' [3rd person si- perf. neut. with prefix d1h- 'on'].

4. beenaał'a'áłádáͅ 'you could make slaves of them by means of it at that time'. bee- 'by means of it'; naał'a 'slave, he is sent about', pass. imp. of naa-|...[si- perf.]-ł-'a 'to command, send for'; 'áłá, 2nd person dual of 'á-...[? perf.]- lá 'to do, make' [act, tr.]; -dáͅ 'at that time'.

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Ethnological Note 6
The reference is probably to the culture hero, Child of the Water.