Letter PDF - Dinak`i | Upper Kuskokwim

Dilja
Squirrel
Dilja
Squirrel
An original story
told in Deg Hit’an Athabaskan
by John Paul
Translated into Upper Kuskokwim Athabaskan
by Betty Petruska
Illustrated by Cindy Davis
Iditarod Area School District
McGrath, Alaska
1990
Dilja ts’ima diloy dwh dizdo.
Dilodighusja iyonh.
A squirrel was up at the top of a tree.
It was eating spruce cones.
3
Lone dił’anh.
Hwshti yitoyeł.
Hwshti ghinet nenoyilyash.
He was gathering a lot of them.
He was going to eat them in the winter.
He was storing them nicely for the winter.
4
Hwldon’ti in dimama’ uhdenish.
Sometimes he would use up all of his food.
5
“Mada ghwla’ sich’in’esh.”
“Someone is stealing from me.”
6
“Eda’ nich’i’in.
Ts’ima ko’ dilodighusja lonh.”
“It’s all right.
There are still a lot of spruce cones on the trees.”
7
“Ch’in’eyinh dikayih noytolyash.
Eyt tighisyeł.
Hwshti da’ hutozruł.”
“The one who is stealing them will take them to his house.
I can eat them there.
It will be a good winter.”
8