In Our Languages: Owens Valley Paiute
In Our Languages
Owens Valley Paiute
Tabahwa-uu Ini’itugu Tükwadzi-na Watsigüpüga (How Bear Lost His Tail)
Story by Norma Nelson
Transcription, translation, and preparation by Glenn Nelson and Jared Coleman
Müasuka unadüniddoo’ipü-uu Tabawhaya’-uu üdügu kwadziga meipüga. Ono’ohoya’ uhu isha’-oka ubuniti.
Pagwinooteipü awagu.
Ono’oho uhu udübingüti isha’-oka,
“Hani’ituguwa’ üü ‘awakida’agu tünooteipü,” mii ‘itaw̃ati.
Yeishi isha’-uu mii ünit, “Nüü dei igwadzi-neika payawae ia adügüsi ono’oho pagwi-uu agünoosiuka ono’oho nüü uzapudupati igwadzimaika.”
“Unihibü’?”
“Haa’ -tüa nüü tükagaawei.”
“Tüa amiadabi”
Tabahwa-uu yeishi uhubünu’ mii süneiti, “nüü büü igwadzi-neika uwae bünu’ tübadügügaawei pinahei uhu dühawu awakida’agu tünooteipü.
Tügooiteikutuhasiuka pagwi-noka mii süneishi
Yeishi uhu tükwadzi-noka payawae’uka udügüti.
Ono’ohoya’ uhu aanaha katutü’ü katütü’ü.
Yeishi uhu katüniuka paya-ii müha tüwoobü-ii üdzü’üdü-ii paya-noka udü’asügünooti. Yeishi uhu kumiduagaani “hiino’osowa’ nüü pagwi-neika azapudupawei” Yeish uhu “nüü büü miawei.”
Yeish uhu tükwadzi-noka uzamahanakusiuka uhu tsügwüdasu tükwadzi-noka wüüsi ono’oho uzatsibuhamanakati.
Yeishi uhu ukwadzi-uu uwaesu maniteiku.
Tü’asüteiku uwaetugu ono’oho uhu kadu’ hani’itugu tükwadzi-noka uzatsibuhabini. Yeishi uhu uitümaatati uwae.
Ono’oho unituguhu uhu tabahwa-uu kadu’ugu kwadziga bünu’.
Pinahei uhu uwama pagwigasiuka tü’asüteiku ukwadzi-uu payawaetugusiuka. Maano’oho
Around that time, he saw Coyote carrying many fish.
So he asked Coyote “How did you get so many?”
“I place my tail there in the water, and when the fish bite down on it, I pull them out with my tail,” Coyote replied.
“Is that right?” asked Bear.
“Yes,” said Coyote.
“Well, I’ll go eat then,” Bear said.
“Hurry up, then,” said Coyote.
Then Bear thought, “As for me, I’ll place my tail in the water just as he did since he caught so many.”
So he placed his tail in the water and remained sitting there for some time. As he sat there, the cold earth froze the water.
Then, as he was getting tired, he said, “Anytime now, I’ll pull out a fish.”
Then he thought, “I’d better go.”
Once he was ready to give up, he grabbed his tail hard and tried to pull it out. But his tail remained there, frozen.
There was no way to pull it out, so he left it there.
And that’s why Bear doesn’t have much of a tail.
Because he tried to use it to catch fish, and it froze in the water.
The end.
Key Words
Isha’: Coyote; trickster in many OVP stories
Tabahwa: Bear; literally translates to “our paternal aunt”
pagwi: fish
kwadzi: tail
tüwoobü: Earth
