Translation of COVID phrases in Secwepemctsin
By Dr. Marianne Ignace
The following phrases relating to the COVID-19 epidemic and how we traditionally and in the present should look after one another were prepared by the following Secwepemc Elders on June 2, 2020. We took inspiration from a number of phrases that First Peoples鈥� Cultural Council sent around with a request for translation. The following Elders worked together to do this:
- Daniel Calhoun and Leona Calhoun (Skeetchestn)
- Christine Simon (Skeetchestn)
- Mona Jules (Skeetchestn and Simpcw)
- Marianne Ignace and Ron Ignace (Skeetchestn)
- Charli Fortier (Simpcw) also helped us out
碍耻办飞蝉迟蝉别虂迟蝉别濒辫!
We connected via video-link, the Elders each having help from a family member in their households, and projected the phrases sent by FPCC, and then everyone chimed in, speaking Secwepemctsin and thinking of how we would say this, coming to agreement and knucwentwe虂cw (helping each other). Marianne Ignace was the 鈥渟cribe鈥� writing out the sentences on the video-conference (zoom) whiteboard as they watched, suggested, corrected and fine-tuned the sentences.
This was a historic moment in our Secwepemctsin documentation work, since we were able to connect via video link on the iPad tablets that Skeetchestn Indian band and 911吃瓜 kindly had purchased for the Elders. We also thank FPCC and the BC Languages Initiative grant for helping to enable the Elders鈥� work.
- Taking care of one another. Me7 yecwmentwe虂cw-kt.
- Taking care of ourselves. Me7 yecwmenstsu虂t-kt, kwemtu虂s yeri7 re syecwmenstsu虂t-kt.
- Cleaning our workplaces, homes. tikwemtu虂s me7 scts虛e虂wellcw-kt ne c7elkste虂n虛-kt ell ne tsetsi虂tcw-kt!
- Social distancing or staying apart. Ta7 me7 smimeyentwe虂cw-kt.
- Small gatherings. Ta7 put k scwete7u虂ys tek qelmu虂cw me7 melk虛wilc-et. Ta7 me7 ste虂wenmentwecw-kt pyin.
- Protecting our Elders or knowledge keepers from sicknes. Me7 yecwemi虂ntem re stet虛ex7e虂m-kt es ta7s es k7eps.
- A time of illness. Tsq虛ente虂m re qelmu虂cw te t虛i虂cwell te xexe虂7 te sk7ep.
- Washing our hands. Ta7 me7 slle虂pentem es ts虛e虂wkstem-kt tikwemtu虂s. Ta7 us k slle虂pentp re ts虛e虂wsten m-ts虛e虂wkstemep. Me7 xwu虂sentp re kelke虂lc-emp.
- Connecting with people so we don鈥檛 feel alone. Me7 wektwe虂cw-kt ne cts虛emqi虂n虛ten, ell me7 qwel7e虂yentwe虂cw-kt ne cqwelte虂lkweten es ta7s es cmup-kt (literally: Let鈥榮 see one another on our computing devices, and let鈥榮 talk by phone so we will not be lonely).
- Be safe, be calm, be kind. Me7 yecwestsu虂t-kp, me7 qemqe虂m-kt, me7 le7stwe虂cw-kt!
Additional phrases, as suggested:
- Ta7us k stsgeyu虂s-kp, (stsp虛iyu虂s = ready to cry) me7 kwemtu虂ses ke7 sqwit虛s.s. Don鈥榯 be angry-faced, always have a smile!
- Ta7 us ke7 smimu虂ytsnem. Don鈥榯 yourself cry 鈥� in other words, put a brave face on it.
- Tsu虂ntels es yecwmenstwe虂cw-kt es ta7s es k7ep-kt nek sllwe虂lsten. We need to look after one another so we will not get sick this fall!