Tellings from Our Elders: Lushootseed syeyehub | Volume 1: Snohomish Texts 1

Rich in cultural and linguistic information, the traditional stories of the Coast Salish people contain the keys to cultural revitalization. Tellings from Our Elders presents eighteen stories in Snohomish, a dialect of Lushootseed, the language of the Indigenous peoples who live on the southern and eastern shores of Puget Sound, as told by members of the last generation to claim the language as their mother tongue. Many of these stories – or syeyehub – were recorded decades ago, but few were transcribed, and even fewer analyzed. Deep understanding of the structure and logic of these texts has eluded linguists and younger generations. In this landmark study, David Beck and Thom Hess examine the structure of the language, the richness of the grammar, and the narrative stylistics of these important texts. With English translations, full morpheme-by-morpheme glosses, and a glossary of specialized terminology, this book is certain to be both an invaluable resource for scholars and a tool for those who want to ensure that Lushootseed is used by generations to come. This collection will be of interest not only to linguists, typologists, and students of oral narrative but also to speakers and learners of Lushootseed and other Coast Salishan languages. Cover Copyright Dedication Contents Foreword Abbreviations and Symbols Introduction Language Texts Transcription and analysis Transcription practices Presentation Acknowledgments 1 – səswix̌ab Martha Williams Lamont c. 1880–1973 Pheasant and Raven The Brothers of Pheasant’s Wife Changer Owl Lives There Little Diver Is the Wife of Heron Crow Is Sick (First Telling) Crow Is Sick (Second Telling) Basket Ogress Mink and Tutyika (First Telling) Mink and Tutyika (Second Telling) Coyote and His Daughter Coyote’s Son Had Two Wives 2 – Elizabeth Charles (Charley) Krise 1875-1969 Lady Louse First Version Second Version 3 – sʔadacut Edward “Hagan” Sam 1907-1973 Black Bear and Ant Black Bear and Fish Hawk Coyote and the Big Rock Mink and Tutyika 4 – lalacut Agnes Jules James 1889-1971 Basket Ogress Glossary of Terms References Rich in cultural and linguistic information, the traditional stories of the Coast Salish contain the keys to cultural revitalization. This book presents eighteen stories in Snohomish, a dialect of Lushootseed, the language of the Indigenous peoples who live in the Puget Sound basin, as told by the last generation to learn the language as its mother tongue. Many of these stories – or syeyehub – were recorded decades ago, but few were transcribed, and even fewer analyzed. Deep understanding of the structure and logic of these texts has eluded linguists. This landmark study provides this analysis, helping to ensure that the language will live on for future generations. This invaluable analysis of eighteen Lushootseed traditional stories includes interlinear grammatical analyses.