How do you say ‘Happy Valentine’s Day’ in Hupa language?

By Muriel Ammon

“We didn’t have a word for Valentine’s Day,” Verdena likes to tell us. “So I guess you have to make a name for it and say ‘Yikyun-sa’a:n xehł ya’ułchwe je:nis.‘ That’s the day they send out hearts.”

Over the past few years, Valentine’s Day has been a source of inspiration for my Hupa language work. I just think it’s adorable. I want to sit around the table with my friends decorating cards, talking in our language. I want to bake cookies and ice them with cute messages like ting niwhyo’ and niwhdin <3 .

I appreciate my teachers for hopping on board. I think it’s fun for them too. One year, I pulled out the Taylor Swift lyrics. Verdena was too cute, giggling at our questions and defintely having some flashbacks to her own love story, with her partner Otis sitting next to her. But these transcriptions are some of my most precious posessions.

This year, I was inspired by my sister, long time Hupa language meme maker, and all the other crafty Indigenous meme accounts that bless my FYP. I do believe this is some of the most cutting-edge work in Indigenous language revitalization. All the language documentation that’s ever been done cannot make me laugh as much as a sexy Twilight meme asking Bella, ‘Daydi-ding ningyay, Loca?’ Here are some of her master pieces:

“Where the hell have you been, Loca?” “You were a beautiful baby”.

Years have passed since I asked Verdena how to sing Taylor Swift in our language. That happens in language work. We need time. This year, it was just was I was looking for. I had an absolute blast checking my transcriptions to bring about these Taylor Swift memes, my dream come true. Enjoy & Happy Valentine’s!