snxÊ·meneÊ” nqÊ·lqÊ·eltn
6190 Agency Loop Road
PO Box 100
Wellpinit, WA 99040
Spokane Tribe Language and Culture
509-258-4222
ƛ̓uxʷ šey̓ lʔe n šiyulexʷ We have always walked this land
Albert Sam
snʔer̓sikʷm̓
Turtle Lake Legend
Told by Daisy Moses Abrahamson
Transcribed by Pauline Flett
Illustrated by Frank Campbell
Narrated by Derek Piaso
Å‚i cÌŒnaqs sqlÌ“timixÊ· Å‚uÊ” n nÊ”erÌ“sikÊ· hu x̣ʷaÊ” cÌ“sÌŒcÌŒeni, lsÌŒeÊ” hu emcnetkÊ· hi kÊ·enÌ“t hu wicÌŒis Å‚iÊ” kÊ·tu··· nt spÌ“rÌ“kÌ“Ê·aqs cÌ“nes. cxÊ·u···ymis hu čʕacsÌŒntes, nte···â€‹
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This one man there on Turtle Lake and whats he doing, there he sat on the shore. Suddenly he saw this huge turtle coming towards him it came, stood in front of him did the turtle. He went to him he tied him on the foot, he thought…
"ho·y, hi qeʔł xÊ·uym!" Å‚i nÌ“e n šʔit hu čʕacsÌŒntes, č̓ Ê”e heÅ‚ Å‚aqsÌŒls.​
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“Bo..y, I’m taking this one home!” After he had first tied him up by the foot, over to here again sat down.
hu sewneÊ” Å‚uÊ” t nƛ̓xÌ£cin, cÌ“xÌ£iÅ‚ t stÌ“rÌ“tÌ“rÌ“eÊ”m! hu t acÌ“xÌ£is· · · Å‚i Å‚uÊ” snÊ”iwlm··· teÊ”cÌŒenÌ“!
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And he heard something very loud. Just like it was thunder! And he looked at the sound that wave…it was humongous!
łuʔ s nwist łuʔ snʔiwlm, hu c̓nes! hu kʷen̓t wičis łuʔ snčłc̓aʔsqax̣eʔ lšeʔ hu hec aw̓tpałq. hi q̓ʷay łuʔ snčłc̓aʔsqa! šey̓ hu psap łuʔ sql̓tmixʷ
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So very high was the wave, and coming toward the man and then he saw it the horse right behind and it was following the huge wave. It was black the horse! That’s when overcome was the man
xÊ·tÌ“tÌ“pnÌ“umÌ“t, Å‚uÊ” č̓ sÌŒrtmus, Å‚uÊ” xÊ·tÌ“ip! xÊ·tÌ“i···p, č̓ lkÊ·u··t hu ƛ̓lip. heÅ‚ acÌ“xÌ£···
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he jumped up quickly, and to the steep hill he did run! He ran, to far away and stopped. He looked back
č̓uw! č̓uw Å‚uÊ” snÊ”iwlm··č̓uw Å‚uÊ” snč̓łcÌ“aÊ”sqa! hoy, emu··t hu heÅ‚ cxÊ·uymis Å‚uÊ” sÊ•acsqaxÌ£eÊ”s---č̓uw nexÊ· č̓uw Å‚uÊ” sÊ•aclÌ“aÊ”xÊ·sqaxÌ£eÊ”s Å‚uÊ” spÌ“rÌ“kÌ“Ê·aqs.
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Gone! Gone was the wave.. gone was the horse! There he sat and again Went to see about his staked out animal gone! Also gone was the tied up animal, the turtle!