Description:
A singular collection of stories published in Tsuut'ina, a critically endangered language
With fewer than 20 speakers, Tsuut'ina is a critically endangered language. Isúh Áníi / As Grandmother Said brings together nine traditional narratives and historical accounts in the Tsuut'ina language, originally narrated by Elders Dátl'ìshí Ts'ìká Bessie Meguinis (1883-1987) and Ninàghá Tsìtl'á Willie Little Bear (1912-1989). At once an act of language preservation and a learning resource, each story is retold in Tsuut'ina by Dit'óní Didlíshí Dr. Bruce Starlight and is presented with English translations and a Tsuut'ina-to-English glossary. The narratives included in this collection cover considerable ground, ranging from the creation of the world in the caring hands of Xàlítsa-tsii and his animal helpers, to accounts of separation, migration, and cross-cultural contact that mark major turning points in Tsuut'ina history, and to important cultural and ceremonial items and practices that the Tsuut'ina Nation maintains to this day. These stories will be of lasting value to Tsuut'ina language learners and teachers, and will share the legacy of Elders Bessie Meguinis and Willie Little Bear with generations of Tsuut'ina to come.Brief description: Dátl'ìshí Ts'ìká Elizabeth (Bessie) Meguinis (1883-1987) was a matriarch and knowledge keeper of the Tsuut'ina Nation who was widely known for taking care of many people at Tsuut'ina when they were ill. She led a rich life of knowledge and was a first-hand witness to many of the significant events in Tsuut'ina history that took place during the late 19th and 20th centuries. This collection presents a small selection of the traditional Tsuut'ina narratives and histories that she shared with others throughout her lifetime.