Klallam Language: The Flood

The Flood
Told by Edward Sampson, Sr., c̕ac̕maʔcút

Many of the late Klallam elders such as Ed Sampson, Martha John, and Anna Bennett have told this story. They all have expressed its great importance as part of the foundation of the Klallam nation. It is the first and one of the longest stories recorded by Ed Sampson. The various versions differ only very little in detail. In some versions it is mím̕xʷtən, the sleeping lady mountain that the people tie their canoe up to. In this version the cedar rope is tied to what is called today Mt. Olympus. Many of the surrounding tribes have similar stories. The Saanich, for example, tied up to ɬéwəlŋəxʷ, Mt. Newton, on Vancouver Island.

There are many ways that this story can be used in learning the Klallam language. One good way to begin is simply to listen and relisten to the sound recording while following along reading the Klallam column. This will help you train your ear in hearing the rhythms and sounds of the language, and at the same time you will be getting used to seeing the way the words are written. After listening and reading the story in Klallam a number of times, you can begin looking back and forth between the columns finding the meanings to particular Klallam words. You can put the mouse pointer over particular Klallam words to confirm your guesses. You can use the red numbers at the beginnings of paragraphs to find a particular place in the story. The numbers indicate the length of time into the recording. The entire story is 21 minutes and 41 seconds long.

	I want to try to tell it right from the beginning in Noah's days too. That's the same time this thing happened.
ʔaʔ kʷi st̕áy̕əŋt̕əŋs yaʔ tiə sčaʔyətə́ŋxʷən ƛ̕áy ʔuʔ níɬ ʔaʔ kʷi st̕áy̕əŋt̕əŋs yaʔ kʷi yíy̕ sčtə́ŋxʷən. naʔc̕áʔuŋxʷ sčtə́ŋxʷən.	When the flood went all over these lands here, that flood also went over that far-away land. Foreign land.
qʷin̕ə́kʷitəŋ ʔaʔ či cícɬ siʔám̕ kʷi čnaʔátəŋ ʔaʔ či snə́wəs. ʔə́y̕ ʔəcɬtáyŋxʷ; ʔə́y̕ xʷanítəm. nəxʷst̕éʔwiʔəɬ.	The one that was called Noah was spoken to by God. He was a good person; he was a good white man. He was religious.
0:51 ʔiʔ x̣ən̕átəŋ kʷi nə́wə, "yéʔkʷsəŋ! čáy ʔaʔ či čə́q sčaʔkʷaʔyúɬ.'' x̣ən̕átəŋ kʷi nə́wə, "yéʔkʷsəŋ! t̕áyəŋt̕əŋ caʔ tiə sčaʔitə́ŋxʷən ʔiʔ ʔáwənə caʔ hiyí. ʔuʔ húy či ʔən̕skʷáʔ ʔən̕ʔəcɬtáyŋəxʷ húy caʔ ʔuʔ hiyinúŋət kʷaʔ ʔánəɬs ʔaʔ či nsqʷáqʷi ʔi ʔu ʔánəɬ cə ŋə́nŋənaʔ ʔaʔ nə́wə.	Noah was told, "Get ready! Build a large ship.'' Noah was told, "Get ready! These lands will be flooded. No one is going to live. Only your own people will be the ones who will live if you obey what I say.'' And so the children of Noah obeyed.
1:43 suʔ x̣ən̕átəŋ ʔaʔ nə́wə, "čáy ʔaʔ či čə́q sčaʔkʷaʔyúɬ. čáy ʔaʔ či čə́q sčaʔkʷaʔyúɬ.'' su ʔánəɬ ʔaʔ nə́wə. ččáts canu sčaʔkʷaʔyúɬs.	Noah told them, "Build a big ship, an ark.'' They obeyed Noah. They built their ark.
2:11 čáy kʷi nə́wə ʔaʔ cə sčaʔkʷaʔyúɬs ʔiʔ qʷiŋíts t ʔuʔ x̣ə́n̕ xʷanítəm kʷaʔ ʔánəɬs ʔaʔ či sqʷáqʷis ʔaʔ či cícɬ siʔám̕ hiʔ níɬ caʔ suʔ hiyinúŋəts či ʔánəɬ "ʔiʔ húʔ cxʷ ʔáwətxʷ ʔánəɬ ʔiʔ kʷán caʔ cxʷ,'' ʔuʔ qʷiŋíts cə ʔəcɬtáyŋxʷ xʷiyanítəm.	Noah worked on the ark, and he talked to all the white people telling them to obey the word of God so that they will live if they obey. "And if you do not obey, you will be lost,'' he told the white people.
2:55 ʔiʔ húy ti suʔ sqaʔx̣qíŋ̕s. snaʔniʔtiʔúʔəŋ̕. húy ti suʔ sqaʔx̣qíŋ̕s kʷi nə́wə ʔaʔ ti snaʔniʔtiʔúʔəŋ̕ ʔi ʔu ʔáwə c stáŋənə nə́wə cə sqaʔx̣qíŋ̕. ʔuʔ sə́ɬəŋ ʔuʔ čaʔčáʔts cə sčaʔkʷaʔyúɬs.	They just made fun of him. They were laughing at him. They just made fun of Noah by laughing at him. But Noah paid no attention to the ones who were mocking him. He kept on building his boat.
3:35 níɬ suʔ húynəxʷs čáʔčts. níɬ suʔ q̕pə́ts suʔ x̣ə́ˑˑˑn̕əs stáŋ či čə́saʔ swə́y̕qaʔ ʔiʔ ti sɬániʔ. ʔuʔ x̣ən̕ínəkʷ taʔtáʔciŋəxʷ ʔiʔ ʔənʔá ʔiʔ ʔúyɬ ʔaʔ cə sčaʔkʷaʔyúɬ.	He finally finished working on it. So then he gathered together everything in twos, male and female. All of the creatures came aboard the ark.
4:15 nəxʷtqə́təŋ. nəxʷtqə́ts cə súɬ, cə sčaʔkʷaʔyúɬs ʔaʔ kʷi skʷɬʔúyɬs či ʔuʔ x̣ən̕ínkʷ taʔtáʔciŋəxʷ ʔiʔ či ŋə́nŋənəʔs ʔiʔ či ɬənɬániʔs ʔiʔ či ʔəŋʔíŋcs. ʔúyɬ ʔaʔ cə sčaʔkʷaʔyúɬ.	It was closed. He shut the door, his ark, when he had boarded all the animals and his children and their wives and his grandchildren. They got aboard the ark.
4:42 ʔiʔ níɬ suʔ ŋaʔk̕ʷaʔcúts ʔuʔ ʔiʔáʔiɬ. ʔáwənə nəsx̣čít kʷaʔ k̕ʷínəs skʷáči či ŋaʔk̕ʷaʔcúts. ʔiʔ ŋaʔk̕ʷaʔcút cə ŋə́nŋənaʔs.	And then they waited aboard the ark. I don't know how many days they waited. He waited with his children.
5:05 ʔiʔáʔiɬ ʔaʔ cə sčaʔkʷaʔyúɬ. níɬ suʔ ɬə́məxʷs. ʔənʔáˑˑˑ ɬə́məxʷ. c̕úʔkʷs skʷáči c sɬə́m̕xʷs. níɬ suʔ tə́ss kʷi c̕úʔkʷs skʷáči. níɬ su ʔənʔás cə qʷúʔ. ʔənʔá t̕áyəŋ̕t̕əŋ̕ tə sčtə́ŋxʷən.	They were aboard the ark, then it rained. The rains came. It rained for seven days. Then it got to the seventh day. Then the water came. The earth was flooded.
5:35 ʔiʔ níɬ su ʔənʔás c̕əyəc̕íŋi. ʔənʔá cə sqaʔx̣qíŋ̕ yaʔ cə snaʔniʔtiʔúʔəŋ̕̕. ʔənʔá kʷaʔkʷə́čəŋ "ʔúyɬtuŋɬ! ʔúyɬtuŋɬ! ... ʔúyɬtuŋɬ!'' ʔiʔ ʔáwə kʷaʔ. ʔáwə c ʔánəɬ kʷi nə́wə.	Then some came up near the ark. The ones who mocked and laughed at him came. They came hollering, "Put us aboard! Let us get on! Let us get on!'' but he did didn't. Noah did not comply with their demands.
6:05 ʔənʔáˑˑ kʷaʔčaʔɬ cə qʷúʔ. níɬ su ʔənʔás ʔiʔ p̕ákʷəŋ cə sčaʔkʷaʔyúɬs. p̕ákʷəŋ ʔiʔ kʷi st̕áy̕əŋt̕əŋs cə sčaʔyətə́ŋxʷən ʔuʔ-... cə ʔáwə c q̕ʷáq̕ʷiʔ, sx̣əyáʔəs xʷiyanítəm q̕ʷúy kʷaʔ. x̣ʷáˑˑy cə ʔuʔ x̣ə́n̕ stáŋ ʔiʔ či taʔtáʔciŋəxʷ ʔiʔ či ʔuʔ nuʔ x̣ən̕ínəkʷ ʔaʔ tə sčtə́ŋxʷən. x̣ʷáy kʷə ʔuʔ x̣ə́n̕ yaʔ xʷiyanítəm.	The water came up. It came and the ark floated. It floated, and when all lands flooded those that did not believe, the evil white people,died. Everything and all the animals perished. And every living creature on the land. All the white people perished.
7:00 níˑˑɬ ʔuʔ p̕ákʷəŋ cə sčaʔkʷaʔyúɬ. ʔənʔáˑˑ kʷə kʷi qʷúʔ. ʔiʔ tə́s c sx̣aʔikʷuʔyéʔč sŋiyánt. c̕ɬp̕iyéʔqʷ. c̕ɬp̕iyéʔqʷ ʔuʔ ɬə́ŋ. ʔu ʔáwənə ʔəx̣ín ʔaʔ kʷi sxʷʔiyá ʔaʔ nə́wə či sčtə́ŋxʷən ʔəsʔéʔnəŋ̕. ʔiʔ níˑˑɬ suʔ x̣ʷə́y̕q̕ʷs kʷsə sčaʔkʷaʔyúɬs ʔiʔáʔiɬ kʷi nə́wə.	So the ark floated. That water came. It came to the craggy mountains. They got covered completely. There was no land showing where Noah came from. The ark that Noah was aboard drifted.
8:00 ŋə́n̕ skʷáči či sx̣ʷə́y̕q̕ʷs. ŋəsɬšáʔ. ŋəsɬšáʔ cə sx̣ʷə́y̕q̕ʷs ʔiʔ čaʔ ƛ̕áy həwíyŋ cə qʷúʔ. t̕áqʷi. t̕áqʷi. níɬ suʔ-... níɬ suʔ hiyáˑˑʔs kʷi qʷúʔ t̕áqʷi ƛ̕áy. st̕ə́ŋ cə sčaʔkʷaʔyúɬ ʔaʔ tə sčtə́ŋxʷən. x̣ʷáˑˑy kʷi sq̕ʷayáʔšəns cə ʔaʔyəcɬtáyŋxʷs.	They drifted many days. Forty. They drifted forty days and the water started going back. The water receded. It receded. So... So the water went back again. The ark settled on the earth. All the people's companions perished.
9:00	Now that's what happened where Noah built his ark. Now I come to over here. And that were the same flood that were flood over there. There's Indians that used to live along this coast here. I don't know, I forget how many days. How many days the people start noticing their drinking water was changing--getting salty.
9:55 kʷiə ʔaʔyəcɬtáyŋxʷ nəxʷsƛ̕áy̕əm̕. ʔuʔ x̣ən̕ínkʷ ʔəcɬtáyŋxʷ. níɬ suʔ náʔc̕uʔ. náʔc̕uʔ kʷɬčə́q. čx̣čŋín ʔiʔ níɬ suʔ qʷáyŋts c ʔəcɬtáyŋxʷ, "yéʔkʷsəŋ! yéʔkʷsəŋ! q̕pə́t či sʔíɬən. yəc̕ə́t či n̕sxʷqʷəyaʔčáy ʔaʔ či qʷúʔ!'' níɬ suʔ-... kʷi kʷɬčə́q ʔiʔ... x̣ən̕áts tə ʔəcɬtáyŋxʷ kʷaʔ yéʔkʷsəŋs. "q̕pə́t či n̕sʔíɬən či n̕qʷúʔ. ʔiʔ ʔúyɬ ʔaʔ či ʔən̕sčaʔkʷaʔyúɬ. ʔiʔ ʔúyɬ či ʔən̕skʷáʔ ʔən̕ŋə́nŋənaʔ ʔiʔ či n̕ʔəŋʔíŋc. ʔúyɬ ʔaʔ či n̕sčaʔkʷaʔyúɬ.''	This was Klallam people. All the Indians. There was one person. One old person. He was wise, and he was the one who told the Indians, "Get ready! Get ready! Gather food! Fill your jugs with water!'' So... old and... He told the people to get ready. Gather your food, your water. Board your boat. Board your children and your grandchildren. Board your boat.''
11:22 níɬ kʷaʔ k̕ʷíns yaʔ čtə skʷáči ʔiʔ ʔənʔá cə qʷúʔ. ʔənʔáˑˑ ʔiʔ cə sqaʔx̣qíŋ̕ ʔaʔ cə kʷɬčə́q ʔaʔ kʷi sk̕ʷə́snəqs qʷiŋíts či ʔəcɬtáyŋxʷ kʷaʔ yéʔkʷsəŋs, ʔúyɬ ʔaʔ cə sčaʔkʷaʔyúɬs ʔiʔ ʔáwənə sʔíɬəns. ʔáwənə qʷúʔs. ʔáwə c ʔánəɬ ʔaʔ kʷi saʔátəŋs ʔaʔ cə kʷɬčə́q kʷaʔ yéʔkʷsəŋs.	It was so many days and the water came. It came and the ones that mocked the old man's preaching telling the people to get ready, boarded their boats but had no food. They had no water. They did not obey the orders of the old man to get ready.
12:05 ʔənʔáˑˑˑ kʷaʔčaʔɬ cə qʷúʔ! ʔuʔ x̣áˑˑn̕ cə ʔəcɬtáyŋxʷ ʔuʔ ʔúyɬ ʔaʔ či sčaʔkʷaʔyúɬs ʔuʔútx̣s. níɬ suʔ hiyáˑˑʔs. tə́s ʔaʔ cə sx̣aʔikʷuʔyéʔč ʔiʔ t̕ə́ŋ̕. cə́xʷ kʷɬaʔ kʷi cə sx̣aʔikʷuʔyéʔč sŋiyánt. t̕áyəŋt̕əŋ.	The water came! All the Indians boarded their canoes. So they went. It got to the mountains and flooded them. The craggy mountains disappeared. They were flooded.
12:45 níɬ suʔ čə́saʔ cə ʔiyáˑˑ ʔaʔ tə sq̕tayéʔqʷs cə sŋiyánt. čə́saʔ. x̣ʷənáŋ ʔaʔ kʷɬə. níɬ suʔ tə́ss ʔiʔ t̕áyəŋt̕əŋ cə sŋiyánt ʔiʔ šə́wi cə čə́saʔ! ʔənʔá šə́wi! ʔiʔ níɬ suʔ hiyáʔs cə qʷúʔ ʔiʔ níɬ suʔ šə́wis kʷə sčə́saʔs. sq̕tayéʔqʷs cə sŋiyánt.	There are two peaks there in the mountains. Two. Just like that. It was there they arrived when the mountains were flooded. And the two grew! They grew up! And so the water went and the two peaks kept growing. They are the peaks of the mountains.
13:30	When the water reached the mountains it covered them up, those two peaks right up here up above the Elwha River. I don't know what you call that mountain. There are two peaks like that. When the flood reached, covered the mountain and the higher goes them two peaks grow tall.
14:06 ʔiʔ níɬ suʔ tə́ss ʔaʔ tə sx̣aʔikʷuʔyéʔč ʔiʔ čáy cə ʔaʔyəcɬtáyŋxʷ ʔaʔ cə x̣ʷéʔləms. ʔi ʔuʔ q̕tawyéˑˑʔ canu čə́saʔ. níɬ suʔ t̕áyəŋt̕əŋ cə sxʷʔiyás cə sčáʔis x̣ʷéʔləm. ʔiʔ ɬaʔníct cə x̣ʷaʔx̣ʷáʔiɬ x̣ʷéʔləm. ʔiʔ níɬ suʔ ʔiyáˑˑs. ʔiʔ c̕ɬə́p̕i kʷaʔ cə čə́saʔ. níɬ suʔ ʔiyás ɬaʔnícts canu ʔaʔyəcɬtáyŋxʷ. 15:10 ʔiyáˑˑ kʷaʔčaʔɬ ʔiʔáʔiɬ ʔaʔ cə sčaʔkʷaʔyúɬ ʔuʔútx̣s ʔiʔ ŋaʔk̕ʷaʔcút ʔaʔ cə ƛ̕áyuc̕i cə st̕áy̕əŋt̕əŋs.	And so they reached the mountains and the Indians worked with their rope. They wrapped it around those two. It was where they were working on the rope. They tied up the thin rope. And the two were submerged. So that's where the Indians tied it up. So they were there aboard their canoe waiting for the rising of the water to stop.
15:30	And I forget how many days they tied up there on those two peaks. The one peak, anyway had the rope. The Indians when they reached up there the water was coming up and they reached up there and they made a big rope out of roots made enough to go around that peak. And that's what they tied on when that flood covered those two peaks. And they stayed up there for many days.
16:15 ʔiʔ níɬ suʔ t̕áqʷis. t̕áqʷi cə qʷúʔ. həwíyŋ. níɬ suʔ ƛ̕áys ʔínəŋ cə sŋiyánt sx̣aʔikʷuʔyéʔč. níɬ suʔ yəx̣ʷás cə x̣ʷéʔləms suʔ sɬéʔɬən̕s yaʔ cə sčaʔkʷaʔyúɬs ʔiʔ ʔənʔá həwíyŋ ʔiʔ néʔts ʔiʔ kʷinu čx̣čŋín kʷɬčə́q ʔiʔ cə ʔánəɬs.	And then it dried up. The water receded. It went back. Then the mountain peaks appeared again. So they untied the rope that had tied up the canoe. So they returned and they were left remaining with the wise old man and those that obeyed him.
17:10 ʔənʔáˑˑ ʔiʔwáʔwaʔ ʔaʔ cə qʷúʔ ʔaʔ kʷi st̕áʔqʷis. néʔ kʷi ʔáwə c... kʷi ʔáwə c ʔánəɬ ʔaʔ kʷi sx̣ən̕átəŋs ʔaʔ cə kʷɬčə́q kʷaʔ q̕pə́ts či sʔíɬəns ʔiʔ či qʷúʔs kʷi sŋaʔk̕ʷaʔcúts ʔaʔ ʔəsɬéʔɬən̕ ʔaʔ canu tə skʷáʔs ŋə́nŋənaʔs ʔiʔ ti ʔəŋʔíŋcs. ʔu ʔáwənaʔ sʔéʔɬəns. ʔáwə c ʔánəɬ ʔaʔ kʷi ssaʔátəŋs ʔaʔ q̕pə́t či sʔíɬəns ʔiʔ či qʷúʔ. čɬqə́nəxʷ. šáʔš.	It came back and they were there, that wise old one and those that obeyed him. They came along with the water as it was receding. There were those that didn't... that didn't obey what they were told by the old man to do, to gather their food, their water when waiting tied up to that... with his own children and grandchildren. They had no food, those that didn't obey his orders to gather food and water. They starved. They were thirsty.
18:10 níɬ suʔ-... níɬ suʔ ʔa... čɬqə́nxʷs ʔiʔ níɬ suʔ ʔaʔčšítis ʔaʔ cə q̕áyaʔŋis ŋə́nŋənaʔs. ʔaʔčšíti ʔaʔ či sʔíɬən.	Then... So then... They were starving, so they traded their daughters. They exchanged them for food.
18:33 níɬ su ʔənʔáˑˑs ʔiʔ t̕áʔqʷi cə qʷúʔ. ʔənʔá kʷaʔčaʔɬ səwáʔ cə ʔəcɬtáyŋxʷ ʔiʔáʔiɬ ʔaʔ tə snə́xʷɬs. níɬ su ʔənʔáˑˑs ʔiʔ t̕áʔqʷi cə qʷúʔ. ʔənʔá cíq ʔaʔ ti sq̕tayéʔqʷs cə sqiyáyŋxʷ ʔiʔ kʷə́y̕kʷi ʔiʔ x̣ʷáy.	So the water came receding. The people aboard their canoes came along. So the water came receding. They were poked by the tops of the trees, capsized, and perished.
19:05	Just like what happened with Noah, they, just those that didn't obey, they all died. They were coming down; some of them the trees hit the bottom of their canoes, they tipped over, and they all died, the unbelievers.
19:34 níɬ su ʔənʔáˑˑs t̕áqʷi ʔiʔ ŋə́n̕ néʔ kʷi ʔəcɬtáyŋxʷ x̣ʷə́yəq̕ʷ ʔiʔ txʷaʔnáč̕ sčtə́ŋxʷən. níɬ kʷaʔčaʔɬ sxʷnéʔs či ʔəcɬtáyŋxʷ kʷə yíy̕ ʔiyá ʔaʔ či naʔc̕áʔuŋxʷ sčtə́ŋxʷən nəxʷsƛ̕ay̕əm̕úcən. níɬ kʷaʔčaʔɬ sxʷnéʔ či ʔəcɬtáyŋxʷ ʔiyá ʔaʔ či naʔc̕áʔuŋxʷ sčtə́ŋxʷən. nəxʷsƛ̕ay̕əm̕úcən ʔəɬ qʷáqʷis.	Then it came receding and there were many Indians that drifted away to different lands. That is why there are Indians in far away foreign lands speaking the Klallam language. That's why there are Indians in foreign lands. Their language is Klallam.
20:24 či xʷanítəm ʔaʔ tiə ʔáynəkʷ, ʔáx̣əŋ ʔaʔ či sʔáwɬ tiə ɬníŋɬ ʔəcɬtáyŋxʷ čaʔáɬaʔ čaʔyíy̕ c ʔənʔá x̣ʷə́yəq̕ʷ.	The white people of today,they say that we Indians did not come from here but drifted from far away.
20:45	Some of the white people of today, they claim that there were no Indians here before the flood. They said that we drifted from other countries, foreign countries. I guess they're trying to cover up what they're doing now taking our lands away.
21:16 qaʔyáx̣ct či xʷanítəm. qáyəx̣. cút kʷaʔ ʔáwəs c qʷaʔnítəŋ ʔaʔ či sč̕aʔy... č̕aʔyáʔnəqs ʔaʔ tiə sčtə́ŋxʷən.	The whiteman is lying to us. He's lying. They said that they weren't talking about taking. They are taking away this land.