Adahooniłigii. [volume], September 01, 1949, Page 8, Image 8

About Adahooniłigii. [volume] (Phoenix [Ariz.]) 1943-????

Image provided by: Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records; Phoenix, AZ

                
ALKIDAA’ *NDA K’AD
By Gladys A. Reichard
Barnard College, New York City
’Aftse dooleetii dishniigo nisin hdahgo6sh[[
shit ya’at’eehgo t’oo ’ahonohyoi ’ak’e’ otchi
nihi hane’ binaaltsoos ’AdahoonfKgn wolyeii
bikaa’. ’Ako nihi naabeehoigii bee ’ahit da
hotne’go bee ta’i woteehgo ’eiidi ’ako naaltsoos
wolta’ bike’elchi doo beedahonohsinigu ’ei bee
’ahit dahotne’go ’ako taa’attso beehozin.
Dii k’ad Naabeeho hastoi bee yati’igii bee
bich’j/ haadeesdzih biniiye bohoot’qq’. ’Ase
siihgo t’aadoo bee shaa hdaaht’ini t’aa shqqdi
t’aa ’atch’ijdigo bee honisin ’ei bqq.
’Ako Kintichii’nii Bida’ yoolyeii ’Adahoonit
igii bikaa’ yaa hoolne’igii baa jiyooznahash
’l[dqq’ dikwii shq ’awee’ danil([go ta’ daneez
nanigii t’da doo yas biih ndadzis’na’ da. Baa
jiyooznahash dahak’is hastoi daneeznanigii
’ajei yilzoiii biih daask’aazgo? T’aata’i naa
haiidqa’ hastoi taa’go sik’is danlj( nt’eq’ yas
taah ndaji’nah 1a ndi ’adadiltt’isgo biniiye ’ako
ndi dazneezna. ’Ako ’ajei yilzoiii biih daas
k’aazgo biigha.
Lq’i shinaahai Naabeeho bitaashaago bi’ii
na’ shit beehozin, naalyehe ba hooghan go
ne’ shinaanish hqlqq ht’qq’ ’ei bee shit beehoo
zin. T’aa la ’aanii teezh biyi’ t’oo baa’ihigii
holq. ’Ako t’aa ’aanii ’ats[’ bisoodi, geeso
tsesq’ bit yaa na'az’qqgo beett’e. Naalyehe
yd naazdahigii hazho’o ’abidohniigo hazho’o
hasht’e yosin dooleet ndi ’at’e. ’Akohgo dii
hanant’a’i daniliinii yinaalnishgo doo beett’ee
da. Naabeehodoo ’inda naalyehe ya sidahigii
’iiyisii bee bidahoiniih hanant’a’i daniliinii yaa
yinit’jjgo t’aadoo biniiyehegoo t’oo bit naas
hodilzhish. ’Ako hadaq’ hanant’a’i danliinii
ha’at'ii da t’datahadigo t’aadoo bit naas ho
diizhish shj[ ta’ yiyiilaa.
’Azhq ha’at’ii da t’da ’iiyisii ntsaa ndi baa
hwiint’jjgo ta’ yidzaago t’aadoo daottsqq da.
’Atk’idaq’ hastoi ’ooghqqtii doo yit’iinii doo
yee nihil halne’go. Doo bit beehozingoo binaa’
yee doo yoo’[[go doo yit’{[ da ’ei bqq. Naha
hastoi nihichxiin baa ’adahotyq niigo. ’Ako
ndi ’ahidizheehigii baa ’aholyaq doo ’anii da
yaa yooznah daats’i. ’Akohgo ’ei ’ahidijeehigii
’alaahdi t’oo baa’ih.
Tsjitkaalii ’akqq ndaat’a’ign yaa ’ayahooligo file! ’ayaa niilkaad.
8
’Ako ndi t’oo dadohshah t’oo daats’i baa
honeenigo dohshah nt’qq’ baa ntseskeesgo.
’Ako ndi naltsaahgo ’ooghaqt doo yit’iinii bit
na’diyiijoot. ’Ako kodoo ch’iyaan bik’i’iijoot.
Dotkosgo hahidohsheehgo tt’oo’goo sai biyi’j[’
’ahidohsheehgo. ’Ako ch’osh doo yit’iinii jo
honaa’ai na bittseed. ’Ako ndi johonaa’ai w -
ne’e doo yeego ’adinitdiin da. Ch’osh doo yi
t’iinii chahatheet gone’ bit ya’ahoot’eeh mq’[[
doo ch’([dii nahalingo.
Chahatheet gone’ hancha’ teezh t’oo baa
’ihgi bit ya’ahoot’eeh. teezh dabizhaango
ch’osh doo yit’iinii bqqh ’adin ’ako ndi teezh
t’oo baa’ihigii na’ajootgo ch’iyaan bik’i’iijoot
’ako dii ’ats[’ bik’i’azhjoolgo ’ei nahisootnii’go.
T’aa ’ei doo niha ya’at’eeh da bit wooyqq’go.
’£i bqq wone’ t’aadoo ’ahidijeehego. ’Ako
ch’osh doo yit’iinii doo naatniih da ’ako ’achiin
baa ’ahayanigii ’adant’[jhi bits’qq hwiinidzin
nt’qq’ ’ooghqat doo yit’iinii doo bits’qq biniiye
’adaa ’ahojilyq.
’Ako ch’osh doo yit’iinii johonaa’ai bee ’adi
ndiin nabittseed. Sei yittseiigo neezgaigo ’atdo’
nabittseed. Wone’e teeshtahgo doo nabittseed
da ’akwii t’oo ’qq dint’[[h ’ako t’aa nihi ’anoh
t’eego naalyehe yd sidahi bit hazho’o ’adaah
t’qgo doo nihihodeetnii da dooleet ndi ’at’e.
K’ad nich’iyaan tsesq’ bit yaa nininiit bidohni.
Eish bit nantt’ah doo. Naalyehe yd sidahi yd
naalnishigii dilkosgo ’atdo’ bahadzid ch’iyaan
neijaahgo. Naanata’ bits’qqdoo yinaadi’doot
nah.
’Ako dii t’aa ’atahjj’ bee ’adaa«’adahotyq.
Ch’([dii taa bit ’aheett’eego bahadzid. Ch’osh
doo yit’iinii doo daneeznaa da haala daneez
naanii bqq holq mq’[[ ’ddaat'ehegii jeeshoo’
’aaddo t’oo badahoo’ihgoo t’aa ’attsogo holq.
T’aa nihi naalyehe yd sidahi bika ’oohjeeh.
T’dadoo ni’jj’ ’adahidohsheehi da’ahidohni.
’Ako naalyehe yd sidahi hasht’e hdsin doo.
Akot’eego dii bee bidiilgo niha naas honit’i’
doo ’akohgo doo k’izr’ak’i yeiidoohgeet da.
THEN AND NOW
First of all I want to say how pleased I am that so
many of you Navajo are writing for your newspaper
Adahoonitign. The Navajo can cooperate only if they can
communicate. This can be done only if you know how to
read and write.
In order to talk with the old Navajo I have learned
their language. If I make mistakes do not hold it against
me (but) excuse it because I do not know very much.
I am writing in answer to a man called Kinfichii'nii
Bida' who writes about the traders and tuberculosis (Vol.
4. June, 1949). Has he forgotten how many infants in the
past of which he writes died before they had a chance to
roll in the snow? Has he forgotten his friends, the old men
who died of pneumonia? In a single winter not long ago
three of my old Navajo friends, who in their boyhood had
rolled in the snow to harden themselves, died of
pneumonia.
After spending many years among the Navajo I know
how they live. I worked at a trading post and I know
something' of the traders' problems. It is true that dust
may carry disease. It is also true that meat, bacon, and
cheese should be covered. It is likely that the traders
would be willing to cover such foods if you ask them. It
is not a job your Council can do. The traders are
responsible people and for this reason the Council will
put off the matter. When in the past has the Council
accomplished anything for you without long delay?
There is however a very serious matter you have not
considered. In the past when teaching was in the hands
of the old men they did not say anything to you about
germs. They did not know about them because they
cannot be seen with the naked eye. Your old men tell
you to take care of nihichxiin (a word we do not have in
English). But probably they did not say that saliva was a
part of this. It can be bad because it carries these bad
things called germs.
I think that many of you spit just for fun. Then these
germs dry out, blow about and settle on things, food, for
instance. If someone really has a cough he should step
outside and spit in the sand. The sun can kill these germs,
but the sun cannot shine very strongly inside the house
or store. Germs, like coyote and ghosts, love the dark.
In the darkness inside a building germs bfeed if it is
dirty. Dust alone does not carry disease, but if dust
containing germs settles on the food you buy, that may
carry disease. It is not good to eat such food. Therefore
you should never spit inside a building. So germs would
not give you disease if you would take care of nihichxiin,
just as you used to do to protect yourselves from imagined
witchcraft.
Sunrays will kill germs. Dry,hot sand will also kill them.
But they cannot kill germs in the dirt inside and such
germs will thrive. So if you work with your trader properly
to do this you will not get disease from his place. Also
ask him to cover the food. This should not be much
trouble for him. The clerk who coughs is also danger
because he handles food. Someone may contract disease
from him.
Consequently you should take care of these things for
yourselves at all times. They are just as dangerous as
ghosts. Germs are not dead things, but like coyote and
buzzard, they live on all kinds of bad things.
So try to help yourselves by telling each other not to
spit on the floor. Try to have your trader clean things
up. Thus you can go forging ahead and you will not be
kidding yourselves.
(I wish to thank Frank C. Harper for his help in trans
lating this article. G.A.R.)
"Kojigo naa’iishkot nt’ee’ tsin bich'qqh ’u’dago biniinaa t’oo tsin ba
binika’nishmiT."