The Love Shack (Hupa language)

By Muriel Ammon

Translated in part by Verdena Parker

Voiced by Danny and Muriel Ammon

‘E:wa:k whita’. De: do:ng nahx no:nundila:t. Xong-’e:n’, hay no:nila:t do:-ch’iwehsyo’.

My poor dad, he hates February.

Łe:lding Xo’osday “Oh no, nahx no:nila:t xola:n. ‘Ijibeh.”

Xosa:k’ “Xwe:di ma:n nilgit?”

Łe:lding Xo’osday “Xoljeh yehya:winde’tł’-tehł.”

Xosa:k’ “Duxwe:d? Daydi ding yehya:winde’tł’-te hay xoljeh?”

Łe:lding Xo’osday “Ya:ye’ilyo’ whi-me’-k’iste:n-me’ sa’a:ding me:w. Nahx no:nila:t, ya:de:lts’e’.”

Łe:lding Xo’osday “Whi-me’-k’iste:n-me’ na: me:w ‘a:xwe:’iłchwing ting nikya:w. Do:-we:syo nahx no:nila:t. Whikyulah-’a:kidyaw.”

“Oh no, it’s February!”

“Why are you afraid?”

“The skunks. They’re coming.”

“What? Where are they coming?”

“Under my bedroom. They love it there. Every February it’s the same.”

“In my room, the smell is unbearable. I can’t stand the month of February.”

Xosa:k’ “‘Ulush. Mił-yiłkit no:nung’awh!”

Łe:lding Xo’osday “Xo’ch wung-na:se:ya’…”

Xosa:k’ “Do:tah k’itintse me:dindin?”

Łe:lding Xo’osday “Ła’ me:nundiyay dung k’itintse sehłchwe’n, tse: mił-wilchwe:n xontah mina:t. Ła:n na:lte’.”

“Eew. Maybe you should put some traps out?”

“I tried…”

“Maybe a fence?”

“I did, one year. I put rocks all around the house. It was a lot of work.”

Xosa:k’ “Mitis ya:winde:tł’?”

Łe:lding Xo’osday “Da:w. Nin’-me:w xola:n hayah k’e:w.”

“They got over it?”

“Nope. They got under it. Then they hid down there.”

Xosa:k’ “Hayal ‘e:n xowh-do:ng ni-me’-k’iste:n-me’ me:w yehya:dil. Do:-xolung ‘iłtsis.”

Łe:lding Xo’osday “Do:-’e’iwhtsis ‘e:n, ‘a:xwe:’iłchwing-ts’iw.”

Łe:lding Xo’osday “Hayi xoshdo:ng hayał mije’e:din-ya:k’iłchwe-hit. Hayi xowh do:ng ya:wilchwe:n whixonta:w me:w niwho:ng silin-te xwe:-xwe:y, ma: ya:k’iłchwe-ding. Hayał ‘a:xwe:’iłchwing.”

“Well at least they’re under your room, not in it.”

“I may not see them, but I sure smell them.”

“It’s their mating season. I guess they decided under my room would be the Love
Shack. They spray the place up.”

Xosa:k’ “Do:-’a:yne:se’n hay de:d which’ing’ xiningye:wh. ‘A:xołchwe:n do:-ts’iw.”

Łe:lding Xo’osday “Xontah mina:t ‘e:n niwho:ng, xunding wha:ne ‘a:xwe:’iłchwing.”

Xosa:k’ Ts’ehdiyah whi-me’-k’iste:n-me’ miłsah-ch.

Łe:lding Xo’osday “Do:-nije:y’-na:wit’a’ni-heh. Nawhme kina’chixixe:l-nehwa:n-mito’ mił.

“How did I never know this? I never even smelled them.”

“It’s not so bad on the other side of the house.”

“I’m glad that’s not my room.”

“Nothing a little tomato paste bath can’t fix.”