‘Emat Wemirr, Mat Uuyaaw (‘Iipay Aa)Love the Land, Know Yourself (in Kumeyaay)

Photo: Ramona Hills, San Diego County, taken by Matt Howard, Wikimedia Commons

‘Emat Wemirr, Mat Uuyaaw (‘Iipay Aa)

Love the Land, Know Yourself

by Vincent McCarthy:  jmvc16@aol.com

The ‘Iipay verb “yip (yewip)” means, “hears, listens, feels, senses, thinks”. We learn best and remember most clearly when we “yip”—watch and listen, attentively. My childhood memories are dominated by times spent out in nature. Whenever I am bored at my desk, it is there I think of and long to return. To me, that is the best place to “yip”—simply perceive fully. Perhaps there are things beyond words that only nature can show us, if we listen.

‘Aastik nyata’waach ‘ewaachemuyuuw ‘ehap nyata’aam, ‘iiwaarm ‘elymash marwayvech nyewupch wipches, “Peyaach wal wiich nur. Hellytaach mewalypkuh.” ‘Iichachvu ‘aaypch ‘apesiiwh ‘emaaw, pukenaach wal ‘iich ‘enur. ‘Elymash marwayvu ‘ewuuw: kwaachemuyuuwvech nyawaaypem, pupch mat ucheniwch uchewayp tenyewaych wiivu nyii yewiph umaaw. ‘Enyaach hwally ‘iich ‘eshepechaa ta’waa; ‘epa’wiich ‘enurs. Nyaapum ‘enur: meyipvek, ‘uuchuch ‘ehmiiym wal miik menurh. ‘Iipay Aavi, nyaam hemaallm yiph umaaw. Esallym yip, eyaym yip, emaat nyaamatm yip llya’am.

Heyally stikm ‘eyay sakesak wii. Kupilly nyaamat nya’hwin rewii: Maaykaam tarchachm ‘iihallyp ‘aa. ‘Ewaa kway’kuu ‘ehapch puully ta’waach ‘enyaa ‘ehap. Ta’urpem ‘echepakvek, yaaypch weshah, ‘ematvech taketak. ‘Uuyuk nyii ‘uuchuch kwa’shash umaaw ewuuwvu. ‘Iipaych ‘ematvu chepitt nesoom, ‘ewaa ‘uunyaa nyechewiichm. ‘Uuchuch nyaamat hemull rewii; ‘emat peyaa ‘ewily kuhmullm wechuwches. ‘Uuchuch melaayks. ‘Iipaych pu’yuuch nyechewayph umaawhm tuuyuuw.

 ‘Uuch paam ‘enurs, ‘ewuuwch. Nya’aastikm matetaym, matsaym nya-aams. Mataahway ‘enyewaa kuhwakches. ‘Emat ‘emaayk ‘amp ta’aa, ta’aa. Nyahunnm ‘emati ‘epelyakch kwenmesaap ‘ukuwaayk, hantak wemichm ‘eyewipch nya’epehemach. Maaykallym ‘aashaach chuuyaaym hatepullch ‘ily chechetochm ‘ehuuchaapch ‘enyaach chepakm ‘ewupms. ‘Iichaas ‘emannch ‘esemay kwa’harvi, ‘iitaay ‘ehapch ‘ily ‘ukuwaay ‘ekwak echitt ‘eyaawch ‘esaaws. ‘Emat nya’talyvech ‘uuchuch ‘ehmiiym nyiny; nyaamatvu ‘echechaaph ‘ellypechewar.

 Maaykallym yaaypch hechuur, pes wehays. Meyaask may’patt meyiph. ‘Enyaach nyapekwillym ‘ehellytaa ‘emaay, ‘enyaawapch ‘emat kunkun ‘emaay ‘enepekwilly, ‘uunyaa kwa’stik ‘akechewiich. Nya’ar ‘epehkwii ‘esnyaaw kway’kuu ‘ewuuwch, matt hesill kunykuuy ‘ehin. ‘Uuchuch nyaamat ‘eshash: ‘ily hemal kuhepshiw, ‘emaay ‘ehaa kwettak, ‘emat kwa’kwasekwaas mes-haraaym aayay. ‘Eyiiwch kuutuyps nyaewupch. Peyaach ‘enyewaa perewii.

 Hiichurm, weraawh nyamaawm, matsaym ‘enaas. ‘Emat peyaa ‘ewayches, Hellytaa Hewak wiich chuuhiim. Puy ‘ehaastik ‘ehinch tuuyaqs matetay kumeyay ‘eyaak. Matetay peyap ‘ewilym wechaawch; ‘eyaak ‘ewilyvech ‘elyemis; ‘emaaym ‘ewily kwa’chekwii ‘enekull ‘uumiirrpvech tenyeways. Nya’enekemichech ‘ewaa ‘echaawch nya’entewaattm, nyaapum ‘enyaach ‘ekunycheway ‘ehiinkem ‘uuteyumpem matetay ‘enekull. ‘Oorr ‘ehmiiym matetayvu ‘enekull ta’nam. Kwathemiivech ‘eyaakvi nyii nyewuph llyepechewar. ‘Ewilyvelly ‘entepachms.

 Matetay nyamekullch, mekwarkwarh mellypuuwars. Memily mesallych maaym naahvu mewuuwhlly mars; umaawvek, metehenyirrk menallh. ‘Emaaym maahvem mumh memaawvek, metuuhwillpk metekewanphlly marh. Mekull nyatemaach, ‘uuchuch marway nyaamat memaaykiiwayks. ‘Ewily ‘ehinm mewuuw, ‘ewilyvu mehenyaa, meyips. Iillyuw ‘ehini ‘ewilyvu muuyaawh. ‘Ewilyvech munyewayches, mehaawinns. Maach nyaam mepekwilly temaas puu ‘iipatt kwa’kull kwapesiiwvi. Peyaa nyamiichaam, meyaaych mehellytaavelly hwally wiis.

 ‘Emtaarvi nyata’waach, ‘enurvech ‘estikm ‘ewuuwches. Wetaph peyaa, chewuuw peyaa ‘ewuuwch ‘uuch weyuu nyii ‘enurh ‘emaaw. ‘Ily peyaa, ‘ewily peyaach matwaam mu’yum tenyeway keyinemi. Kway’kuuches ‘Emaay ‘Ehaa wechuwvu. Matetay puu nya’etepurch, kwa’kurm ‘um; ‘enyaach kwa’hwatt kwehapvech ‘alypaayem wettuw pa’yuuws matekun ‘ewilym kutehillypvi. ‘Enyaa ‘esallym ‘ewuuws; puy ‘ill ‘ehinch wetaph kwa’stik ‘ehin tehepallp pa’waas. Nyuully pily kuhunn tewaak nemesaph. Helyepaym ‘ewuuwvek, ‘ekurm ‘ewuuwvek, ‘uuchuch nyaamat ‘ewuuwvech ‘eshash perewii. ‘Uuchuch ‘ehinm ‘uuyaaws: NyeKuphaawvech pu’yuuch wechuwches. ‘Uuchuch nyaamat ‘eshashm wechuws; peyii ‘enychewayphm tuuyuuw. Peyaa ‘ewaa wechuwch nyinyches. Peyaak ‘eneyiws ‘enyaamatech. Nyawihch peyaam kupilly ‘ehin ‘enekewaykhs.

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