Photo: The Yavapai language is related to Kumeyaay language; Yavapai Museum of Geology, Grand Canyon, AZ, taken by Michael Quinn, National Park Service, Wikimedia Commons
by Vincent McCarthy: mvc16@aol.com
On a recent roadtrip to northern Arizona, I found myself in what I thought was a dramatically different landscape from my southern California home, only to stuble upon similarity after similarity. Most striking was when, while visiting historical monuments at the border of Yavapai territory, I learned that the Yavapai word for “water” is “a-ha”, and the word for “rock” is “wi”—Almost identical to their Kumeyaay equivalents, “‘ehaa” and “wii”. I was hardly surprised, knowing these languages belong to the Yuman language family, but seeing their connection in person still brought a sense of amazement at how the same words could carry so far and for so long. The Kumeyaay and Yavapai languages of today are part of a greater history of Yuman peoples scattered across the Southwest. The oral histories that survive tell of migration, interaction, and separation, but the details of language divergence and the stories of countless individuals who lived and thrived on this terrain have unfortunately not been documented as in other parts of the globe. That leaves, however, plenty of room for indigenous people of today to create a body of indigenous language literature that can educate and inspire generations to come. If you have a story to tell or a message to share, I hope you take this opportunity.
Pily chiipam, nya’talych ‘emat wehaym ewuuwhlly war. ‘Ewaa kwenyur kwa’stik ‘ehin, Cottonwood wiich chuuhiim chehepils, Arisoon ketuullvi yaqs. Puum waahlly war. ‘Enyaach pweebl peyaa ‘emat uumallvi ewuuwch ‘akekwiis, “‘Uuch puy ‘ema’wipha?” Nurh umaaws. Pes ‘ematvech Sedona helyepaym ‘ewuuwch ‘iis, “Hoo, mu’yuum umaawa?” Nyaapum ‘enaas, kunuwvu ‘echaayihch ‘uunyaa kway’kuu chephuukm ‘enyaakm ‘enaams. Matetayvu ‘enehekaych ‘emtaar ‘enekehaps. Mes-haraay kunkun ‘enepekwilly, Kuchaan Kukupaa nyechemaat nya’enepekwillych nyaapum Yumavi ‘epechhuukwiipch ‘esan ekwach ta’urpem ‘esuws.
Pily Kalifoorrn ‘echaamch ‘emat ‘ehini ‘enekhaps. ‘Enyaaklly kuuyum nyamaam, matetay uuhurm mehekay. Matetay peyapch werraaw: ‘ekwiych nyii chehwaarh umaaw. Nyuk matekun yiirvi, hahpaa kwa’maay ‘ewups, Sandyeegvi ‘enychewiich umaaw. Nyata’naach Gila Bend ‘enehekays, nyaapum Phoenix ‘enekemichech puy ketuull ‘eneyumch ‘enaam. Phoenix ketuullvi, yuuhuy nya’hwin rewiis, ‘emat llapellap. Nyaapum matetaych ‘ichekwiis. ‘Enyaa tuukaa mu’yum nyapekwillym ‘epechhuukwiip stikm ‘enakch. ‘Epechhuukwiipvi ‘emtaar nyaapum matetay kway’kuu ‘ewups. ‘Um ‘estikm nyaapum helyepaym ‘ewuuws. ‘Ily kwa’stik ‘ehin tewaam ‘ewuuwhlly ‘ar; purp, pes ‘uuyaawvu rewiis. Helyepay ‘eyiwch ‘ewuuwch ‘apesiiw: ‘ehwapches. ‘Enurh ‘emaaws ‘ehwapch Arisoonvi hemiivu. Iinuypvek ‘emat peyaach purpch apesiiwh umaaw, ‘iichachvu, ‘uuchuch nyuk ‘enurvu peyii ‘echehepilh.
‘Iiwaarm nyatenaym ‘emtaar ‘ehin ‘enekemich, puu etuy Cottonwood yaqs. ‘Ewaa kwenyur peyaa chehich weyuuw halampuulaamp hemiiy puy kunyewayvek. ‘Iipayvech ‘emat ‘ehin nyechewiich chehich nya’hwin nyewich: Ha’a, kewaakvi, ‘Epenyaay nyematvi (Tiipay Aam halampuulaamp “ha’a” wiich chuuhii). ‘Emat hewaki halampuulaamp ‘ehmiiych hetemiis. ‘Ily peyaach nyumvey ‘ehaa helyepay hemiis, ‘ehmiiym wesiich. ‘Iipay nyematvi ‘ehaach ‘estik perewiis, puknaach halampuulaampvech ‘elyemis, ‘ehmiiyh umaaw. Peyii, ‘emat ‘ewuuwvi, ‘ehaach wenuwch matwaam wehapm halampuulaampvech ‘ichekwii hetemiiches.
Nyakumetnyaally ‘ewikm ‘enaam matetay ‘enekull. Matetay sekap ‘emaay, ‘ewaach nyeway, Jerome wiich chuuhii. Puy heyaay ‘iipaych ‘ewily wehwaall. ‘Ewaa ‘ehmiiych tenyeway, nyahunnm uutullvech ‘ichewaalp ‘emtaarvi. Nya’enetepurch matetayvu, kunuw ‘echaam matetay yiirm ‘ewamps. ‘Eyaakm ‘emtaar ‘ums, nyaapum matetay ‘ekurm, ‘ewily ‘ehwatt. ‘Emat peyaach saay, pes ‘ily ‘esemay ‘ehmiiys. ‘Iipallm weraaws, pes ‘ekwiy kweyiwch ‘uuchuch nyaamat etaaharch uusich. Nya’aam, hiichurch nyuk chepam, aalap stikm ‘emati nyim tuuyaqs. ‘Ilyvu ‘ewuuws: ‘erpuu kwa’maay ‘ehmiiy, nyaapum matetay yiirvi, ‘ily ‘ehini ‘ewuuws, peyaach ‘estik: ‘ehwiiwches. ‘Ily peyaa pa’yurch hewakch aayaap hemiis. ‘Ur ‘elyemism nyewich; eyachech ‘ichekwii. Eyachvu ‘emull ‘etemaa pes nya’etuupaam nyaamatech welliich. Nyimvey ‘ehechalyp ‘echehepilch, ‘ily peyaach meheyayp pukenaach. ‘Ehwiiwvu ‘Iipayvech uumiirrp, heyaay ‘ekurm naam huumaayph wiich. Eyachvech ‘esuw ‘ehanch chemenyaays. ‘Enyewaaypvi, ‘ehwiiwch nyaam matsay kwa’kurvi hetemii. Pes ‘ehwiiw peyaach ‘iipay ‘emtaar kunychewayp nyii ‘ekurh umaawi. Nyata’waach ‘iichaas, heyaay ‘iipay ‘emtaar puu kupaayvech matetay peyaa wekuull ‘ehwiiw peyap wemuullch, nyaapum nyechewaam aakewayk checheyiwkuh.
Kway ‘iiwaarpem ‘enechanch ‘emtaarm ‘enekewayks ‘emat ‘ehini ‘ewupch. ‘Ewaa kwenyuuy kwapesiiw haanuw yiirvi ‘ewups, puully heyaay ‘iipaych ‘emat kumeyay ‘ukuwaay ‘ewaa wechaawch nyechewayp. ‘Ewaa peyaa ‘ewily ‘ematm wechuw, Millychishvech “Montezuma Castle” wiich chuuhii. Peyii heyaay ‘iipaych nyechewayp matwaam wehap: tiiyach, chewuuw marway nyuully etehaamii, puknaach nyii naamhlly ewaarph umaaw. Nyatenamch ‘aaskay, tehiilly wechaawch ‘iipay marway achhuukaayp; ‘ehaan nyechewaypkuh. Pes ‘iiwaarm hemuuch naam nyechewaa nyaamat wechaam. Mu’yuum naam nurh umaaw; iinuypvek ‘esuw matt ‘ehaach nesoom. Nyaapum ‘iipay tekunyewayvech ‘emat ‘ehini tenyewayh umaaw; ‘Iipayvu retewii nyumvey puuk puwk ‘ekurm naam tenam ‘esuw huumaaypch.
Heyaay ‘iipay nya’hwinch matekun ‘emaay helyepay nyechewaypches. ‘Ewaa peyap ‘ewilym wechaawch: heyaay nyuk wennam, pes matwaam shahuk shahuk emak nyinyuy sekap wechaawch. Pily kupilly “Tuzigoot” wiich chuuhiim, ‘ewaa emily ‘iiwalps. ‘Ewaa peyap ‘ehapch uumall ‘ematvu kenaap tenyewaym ‘ewuuws. ‘Enurs chehichvech wiis, “‘ehaa tellekukp”. ‘Emat peyii Yavapay nyawihch Apache nyechewaypches: chehich nya’hwin ‘ematvu wiinys, aa “‘ehaa” nyewich. Yavapay Aam uumallm ‘ewuuws, aa “A-ha” weyuuws. ‘Iipay Aa perewiis! Aa hewakch aa nya’hwin nyechewiich: ‘Iipay Aam “‘ehaa”, Yavapay Aam “a-ha”ches. Nyaapum nyemich ‘ewuuws. Wiich kenaaps heyaay ‘iipaych ‘ewily wehwaallch achhuukaayps, kwellyhiiw rewii. Yavapayvech kwellyhiiw (nyaruu) nyawihch ‘ewily ‘uuchuch nya’hwin wiich chuuhii: “wi”. Nyinyuy, ‘Iipay Aam perewiis. Tiipay Aam, ‘ewilyvu “‘ewii” matt “wi” wiich chuuhiis.
Kiicha’ keyipna, ‘ellyemekatt ‘apesiiws. Peyii ta’waas, ‘Iipay nyemat ‘aakurch apesiiw, ‘enyaa haakaay kunuwm ‘aa ta’yiws peyaam ‘epamch, nyimvey ‘Iipay Aavu ‘ewuuw ta’yuuw. ‘Eyiiwch tuuhwimh umaaw, aa “‘ehaa” nyaapum “wii” Yavapay Aam ‘Iipay Aam nya’hwinches. ‘Emat nya’hwin kupaaykuh. Heyaay kwapesiiw, ‘Iipay Yavapayvech ‘iipay ‘ehin tenyewaykuhs. Mu’yum ‘entuu-urph umaawa? Maayk neyiwa, kumyum mat wechaam, ‘uuch ‘ellypiiwarp llya’ama? ‘Aaknach nyaamat nyii kumyum ‘eyewiph umaawh. Pes ‘uuchuch stikm ‘ichuuwaalph, aavu ‘entuu-urpvek.
