Post by Okwes on Jan 13, 2008 17:59:14 GMT -5
Fish - Innu
An Innu person went fishing but he never caught any fish. Soon he began to
starve. He set his hooks under the ice, but when he went to check them, he
hadn't caught any fish.
He said to his wife, "I will use our son for bait."
"All right," she replied. "But I'm sure you're gonna kill him."
The Innu man replied, "No, I will not kill him."
And he went to the ice again, and he made a great big hole. Then, he used
his son for bait. He put his son under the water. And the fish, when they
swam by, they saw the little boy.
The fish told each other, "An Innu is under the water."
The pike said, "I will go to see him. I'll go over there."
And the pike went over to see the Innu boy. He cut the line and took the
little boy away.
When the Innu man went back to check his hook, he saw that it had been cut
and that his son was gone. He turned back to his home and he said to his
wife, "I'm sure I'm killing our son. He's gone. Someone broke the line. Come
with me. Come with me to the ice."
They went over to where they had lost their son. The Innu man made the
fishing hole even bigger.
"Stand there," he said to his wife. "Stand here and keep the frost from
freezing over the hole."
The Innu man walked into the water. He went down under the water and started
to look for his son. He saw many fish camps under the water, and he went to
each one looking for his son. Each camp he visited, he couldn't find his
son. He went to many fish camps, but still he could not find his son.
Finally, he saw a camp in the weeds. He swam over to the camp, and when he
went in, he saw his son. He grabbed his son and swam back toward the hole.
The pike saw them escape and shouted, "He's taking the boy! Swim after him!
He's taken his son away. Go after him!" The fish went after the man and his
son.
The Innu man saw the hole and swam toward it with his son. The fish were
right behind him. The man swam very fast, and jumped out of the hole. The
fish came out at the same time and landed on the ice. The Innu man, when he
came out of the hole at full speed, the water came out too, and the fish
went with the water and landed on the ice.
The man said to his wife, "All right, now hit the fish on their heads. Kill
them."
And they went home. The man saved the life of his son, and they had some
fish to eat as well.
Note: the transcript of this story currently resides in the collection of
the Laboratoire d'anthropologie amérindienne in Montreal.
As told by Joe Rich, Utshimassit. Summer 1967
Translated by Matthew Rich
An Innu person went fishing but he never caught any fish. Soon he began to
starve. He set his hooks under the ice, but when he went to check them, he
hadn't caught any fish.
He said to his wife, "I will use our son for bait."
"All right," she replied. "But I'm sure you're gonna kill him."
The Innu man replied, "No, I will not kill him."
And he went to the ice again, and he made a great big hole. Then, he used
his son for bait. He put his son under the water. And the fish, when they
swam by, they saw the little boy.
The fish told each other, "An Innu is under the water."
The pike said, "I will go to see him. I'll go over there."
And the pike went over to see the Innu boy. He cut the line and took the
little boy away.
When the Innu man went back to check his hook, he saw that it had been cut
and that his son was gone. He turned back to his home and he said to his
wife, "I'm sure I'm killing our son. He's gone. Someone broke the line. Come
with me. Come with me to the ice."
They went over to where they had lost their son. The Innu man made the
fishing hole even bigger.
"Stand there," he said to his wife. "Stand here and keep the frost from
freezing over the hole."
The Innu man walked into the water. He went down under the water and started
to look for his son. He saw many fish camps under the water, and he went to
each one looking for his son. Each camp he visited, he couldn't find his
son. He went to many fish camps, but still he could not find his son.
Finally, he saw a camp in the weeds. He swam over to the camp, and when he
went in, he saw his son. He grabbed his son and swam back toward the hole.
The pike saw them escape and shouted, "He's taking the boy! Swim after him!
He's taken his son away. Go after him!" The fish went after the man and his
son.
The Innu man saw the hole and swam toward it with his son. The fish were
right behind him. The man swam very fast, and jumped out of the hole. The
fish came out at the same time and landed on the ice. The Innu man, when he
came out of the hole at full speed, the water came out too, and the fish
went with the water and landed on the ice.
The man said to his wife, "All right, now hit the fish on their heads. Kill
them."
And they went home. The man saved the life of his son, and they had some
fish to eat as well.
Note: the transcript of this story currently resides in the collection of
the Laboratoire d'anthropologie amérindienne in Montreal.
As told by Joe Rich, Utshimassit. Summer 1967
Translated by Matthew Rich