Tłı̨chǫ
Sliding Hill
Hodoòdzoo
Akwewhaà, tıch’aàdıı nechà wech’àhoèjı̨ dıı nèk’e nadè hò, nǫ̀ghacho dechı̨ goèch’oo shı̀h nechà wezhıı Hodoòdzoo wıı̀yeh, akǫ t’a done łahde ı̨̀le. Done hodoògedzoo nındè, eyıı̀ dechı̨ gıghakah t’à łagede ı̨̀le.
Yamǫǫ̀zha Hodoòdzoo ts’ǫ̀etłah eyıts’ǫ nǫ̀gha wets’ǫ dechı̨ goèch’oo shıh wezhıı naı̨̀ɂa yaɂı̨. Ts’ehwhı̨̀ą ı̨zhıı̀ hodaàzoo eyıts’ǫ eyıı̀ dechı̨ goèch’oo naı̨̀ɂa kwe nıı̀tła. Eyıtł’àxǫǫ, Yamǫǫ̀zha wı̨ghǫǫ̀ edoò ayı̨̀la xè. Wedzeè ghaako laanı̀ wegaht’ı̨ ha wets’ǫ ekwǫ̀wò ɂeh k’e yeètsoh, dechı̨ k’e weɂeh dawhehchı ayı̨ı̨̀la.
Nǫ̀gha nıı̀tła hò, Yamǫǫ̀zha ts’ehwhı̨̀ą whetı̨ deètsı̨. Łaı̨̀wo nı̨wǫ t’à, nǫ̀gha wets’ǫ k’ıtǫ necha yı̀ı̀ neyeèchı xè dekǫ̀ ts’ǫ̀ nayeègeh. Dekǫ̀ nıı̀tła hò, wèot’ı̨ gıkǫ̀ goyı̀ı kǫ̀ geèhtla. Hot’a Yamǫǫ̀zha geht’e ha ts’atà segogehɂı̨ goghàda.
Nǫ̀gha wezha, Yamǫǫ̀zha wendaà ı̨łè t’à k’eèt’ı̨ yaaɂı̨. Wetà ts’ǫ̀ hadı, Yamǫǫ̀zha ı̨ła endaà xè goghàda dıh. Nǫ̀gha wegha ehkw’ı ahodı-le. Yamǫǫ̀zha tàyeet’à ha Nǫ̀gha wets’èke Nǫ̀gha wets’ǫ satsǫ̀ mbeh necha yeghàechı. Dıı yıghàda t’à, Yamǫǫ̀zha kǫ̀ dıı̀k’ǫ ts’ǫ tsoh dıı̀k’ǫ ı̨łè neyıı̀chı. Nǫ̀gha eyıts’ǫ wets’èke nàgoı̨̀xà t’à ełak’a hodàdegehwò t’à łagı̨̀deè.
Nǫ̀gha wezha hazhǫ mǫht’aà ts’ǫ̀ tǫmoègede xè ts’ı k’e dekegı̨ı̨̀de. Nǫ̀gha wezha Yamǫǫ̀zha ghǫ nàdageètı̀, łagoı̨̀deh-le hadı. Achı̨ done ehde haà-le dıı eyıts’ǫ Yamǫǫ̀zha Nǫ̀gha kè zǫ yeehxà, eyıt’à dıı dzęę̀ k’e ts’ǫ̀ Nǫ̀gha gıke ı̨t’ǫ̀ą xè nekoò.
Eyıı̀ haanı t’a, Yamǫǫ̀zha Hodoòdzoo achı̨ done gha nezı̨ ayıı̨̀la. Dıı dzęę̀ gots’ǫ̀ Tłı̨chǫ goòt’ı̨ Hodoòdzoo k’e hodoògedzoo nındè, ı̨daa edàanı̀ gıxè hoòɂǫ ha gık’ezhǫ gedı. Ehkw’ı hodageèdzoo nındè, ı̨daa wha gots’ǫ̀ hotı nezı̨ gıxè hoòɂǫ xè whaa gots’ǫ̀ egenda ha gedı.
Gamètı̀ gots’ǫ Harry Sımpson wegondı ghaà àtł’è.
Sliding Hill
Long ago, in the days when dangerous giant animals roamed the land, a giant wolverine set up pointed stakes at the bottom of a big hill called Hodoòdzoo. When people slid down, the stakes pierced and killed them.
Yamǫǫ̀zha traveled to Hodoòdzoo and he saw the wolverine’s stakes at the bottom of the hill. He slid down slowly and stopped before he reached the stakes. Then Yamǫǫ̀zha made his nose bleed and spread the blood on his caribou skin shirt. He placed the shirt over the stake to make it look as though he’d been pierced through the heart.
When the wolverine came, he found Yamǫǫ̀zha lying still. Thinking he was dead, the wolverine placed him in his big birch bark basket and carried him home. When he got home, the wolverine’s family built a fire in their den. Yamǫǫ̀zha could see they were getting ready to cook him.
The wolverine’s son saw that Yamǫǫ̀zha had one eye open. He told his father that Yamǫǫ̀zha was alive and looking at them. The wolverine didn’t believe him. The wolverine’s wife passed the wolverine his big stone knife to cut up Yamǫǫ̀zha. Seeing this, Yamǫǫ̀zha quickly reached into the fire and grabbed a burning log. He hit wolverine and his wife on the head and they fell over dead.
The wolverine’s children ran outside and climbed up a nearby spruce tree. The son begged Yamǫǫ̀zha not to kill him. He promised not to eat people anymore and so Yamǫǫ̀zha beat only his feet, making them flat and wide like wolverines’ feet are today.
This is how Yamǫǫ̀zha made Hodoòdzoo safe for the people again. To this day Tłı̨chǫ slide down Hodoòdzoo to predict their future. If they slide straight it is said they will live a long and healthy life.
Adapted from a story told by Harry Simpson of Gamètì.
