| WORLD VOICES THE LANGUAGE
RAVEN GAVE US
BY JOHN E. SMELCER |
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MUSKRAT WOMAN I am reluctant to
tell you about this.
At the Head of St. Anne Lake faraway up Klutina River I saw a muskrat swimming making a wake like lightning flashing on glare ice. I approached her wearing a mask made of muskrat. Her chin was beautifully tattooed. I kissed her. When three days passed she said I should go back barefooted, keep away from bears, be happy. But I mourned three months. DZEN TS'AKAE “Muskrat Woman”
in Ahtna
Bedatnitnezelnic. Ts'iisi Bene' ben k'etl'aa 'uniidze Klu'tina sii 'aen dzen łutaniniltses tsulatdebaes ten ts'iisi. Yu'niitstas, c'enaen' nandat'aan. Yu'yida' naltats' kasunndze'. Nangalyu'. Taa'i hwneyelden yu' nii natxosdya' kets'iis 'aede, tsanni uc'a' staniyaas, neniic uyighiyaa. Sii kudyaak taa'i na'aaye'. |