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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Our grandfathers lived in the dirt, they say.

(39.2)[2]
Daanahitsóyéí dáłeezhíighe'yá daahindáná'a.
Dátł'ohná beekooghaͅshíͅ dá'ádaa'ílaa.
Tł'oh bégoos'eelyá naasjé.

Ch'ide yá'édiͅ.
Beekooghaní yá'édiͅ.
Dooha'shíͅ ła'jóláhát'éda.
'Iban 'ádaat'éí gotł'aazhiͅ k'édaadeesdizná'a.

Naagołtiͅgo, tóí gok'izhiͅ nkeedanlíͅ.
Zas naałtiͅgo, zasí gokázhiͅ naadaałtiͅ.
Hago, dákoͅoͅná daagoch'ide.

Our grandfathers lived in the dirt, they say.
Their houses were made only of grass.[1]
They lay on grass that had been spread out.
There were no blankets.[2]
There were no tents.
None could be secured anywhere.
Things like deerskin were wrapped about them, they say.
When it rained, the water flowed down upon them.
When it snowed, the snow fell on them.
In the winter, only the fire was their blanket.

[_]

(39.2) Linguistic Notes

1. bégoos'eelyá 'that had been spread out'. pass. perf. of 0é-go- ...[si- perf.]-'oł 'to spread out' [act. with go- place object ?].

2. 'iban 'ádaat'éí 'things like deerskin'. -ban 'tanned skin'. Distrib. 3rd person of 'á-ni-...-t'é 'to be so' [imp. neut. intr.].

3. nkeedanlíͅ 'it flowed down'. nkee- 'down'; da- > daa- distrib.; nlíͅ '[water] flows' should read ńlíͅ [ni- perf. neut. intr.].

4. zas naałtiͅgo 'when it snowed'. zas 'snow' plus naałti 'it rains' [imp, neut. intr. with prefix naa- 'down'].

5. hago 'in the winter'. ha 'winter'.

[_]

Ethnological Note 1
The Chiricahua home was of the wickiup type, often thatched with grass.

[_]

Ethnological Note 2
The informant is alluding to the cotton and woolen blankets sold by the white men today. Of course, the Chiricahua used robes of animal skin before white contact. [See the third sentence following.]