Breakup prayer

DNM May 25, 2013

Susan Paskvan

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Athabascan Word of the Week: May 25, 2013

Arla Stickman, of Tanana, offers a prayer for a safe breakup as the ice from “Six Mile” starts flowing past. As of 4:50 p.m. Friday, per Facebook updates, there was a jam downriver below the Tozeetne, Tozeetno’ (Tozitna) River, which is 10 miles downriver.

Posted: Saturday, May 25, 2013 12:00 am

Susan Paskvan

As many of you know, the Yukon River has caused many residents in the villages to prepare for potential flooding. The cold spring slowed down the natural rotting process of the river, causing huge ice sheets to become jammed at narrow places and around bends.

As I monitored the progress of the breakup from my Facebook friends, it is evident that advance planning helped alleviate stress. In Fort Yukon, they had spotters with radios stationed at critical points. The community leaders have to prepare for safety, protecting assets and open communication. Meanwhile, many of them also have to prepare their own homes.

Although it is an exciting time, it can be scary. In 2009, I happened to have a video-conference class with our Hughes language teacher, Madeline Williams, the day the Koyukuk River started moving there. She told us that when the ice moves it is a big spirit. In our beliefs, the river has a spirit that must be respected. That is why they tell us it is “hutlaanee” to yell at the river during breakup and not to shoot guns.

In every community, there are people who willingly stay up all night to watch the river, help elders and disabled move their belongings, and check on each other. There are many prayers up and down the river. We all pray for a safe summer.

Doogh mendon oo hootaaldaakk.  The ice started running this morning.

She said that when the ice begins to move, she goes out to the bank, burns food and says a prayer in Denaakk’e:

Oghe daa’ ots’eghenaalt’aa ts’en’ noneets’enoolaan’.Next year, may we all be here to see the ice move again. 

Lit. Next year, may we all be the same number of us and see each other again.

oghe  year

daa’  next

ots’eghenaalt’aa  we are all the same number

noneets’enoolaan’  we’ll see each others again

She also prays, to the ice that the water will take care of us, we’ll have good fish this summer and that everybody will be fine.”

In a Tuesday audio class, the students asked for these translations about the ice.

oo taaldaaggee’  Did the ice go out?

oo taaldaakk. The ice went out.

Eetaadlebenh  The water started rising.

The Athabascan Word of the Week appears every Saturday on page A3 of the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner. The words are provided by Susan “K’etsoo” Paskvan of Yukon-Koyukuk School District. She is originally from the village of Koyukuk on the Yukon River in Interior Alaska. She is Tleeyegge Hut’aane, which is Koyukon Athabascan. She seeks stories and phrases from both Denaakk’e (Koyukon Athabascan) and Denak’a (Lower Tanana Athabascan), which are languages spoken in the Yukon-Koyukuk School District region. Yukon-Koyukuk School District serves the villages of Allakaket, Hughes, Huslia, Koyukuk, Nulato, Kaltag, Ruby, Manley Hot Springs and Minto. The Board of Education places a priority on teaching the Native languages within the district.