Synopsis: I spend almost all my time on Kumeyaay territory. On the occasions I get to leave the city, where nearly every trace of what once was has been erased, nature ignites my imagination as I wonder what it must have been like for generations past to live in intimate connection with and reliance upon the land. My attention is always captured by our mountains, whose humble majesty is ever a source of inspiration. Though not the tallest or most dramatic by any means, each face and peak is beautiful and unique, exuding a sort of dignity as it stands. How can one not be moved at their sight? How much more must they have meant to the people who relied for sustenance on the forests, valleys, and streams these mountains created? The full significance of our mountains and other unique geographical features to the Kumeyaay, I have hardly begun to understand. But you need not always know the history to recognize when what you see before you is something worth protecting. (Part 1 of 2)
Heyally ‘enyaach ‘enyekondaad ‘ehekay ta’aas. Wiiches ‘emat peyaach purpch apesiiw, nyapekwillym. Pukenaach peyii ‘enyewaayp ‘echemenyaays: ‘ehaasilly, matetay, matsay ‘ewuuwhlly ‘arvek, ‘ekurh umaaw. Nyaamatvu kupilly nya’hwini ‘ewuuwh, ‘arvek. ‘Ematvech purps, puknaach wiis ‘emat peyaach ‘esemay ‘ehatt ‘emat nyaamat ‘ehmiiym nyewichm. Heyaay ‘Iipayvech ‘emat peyaa nyaamat nehekaych ‘uuchuch nyaamat peyii chehepilvem ewip ucheyuuwps. ‘Aaknachvu muuyaaws: kupiihaawm matetaym naas ‘ehwiiw, kuphaall, ‘esnyaaw wemuullch. Chiipamem matsaym naaches ‘emally ‘aakuull huumaaypch. ‘Emtaar, kwillp, matetay chekullk, ‘ehaa kwenuw nyaamatvu netuu-urpkuh; ‘esemay, wetaph, ‘aashaa, ‘ehatt nyaamatvu chehich wiinys. Maapch pily kupilly ‘ematvu pu’yuuch uuyaawa? Pupch ‘ehinch ‘emat peyaam nyechewayp netuu-urp, nyii ‘uuchuch ‘emat ‘ehinek ewaarph umaaw. Peyii pily menyewaaypvek, memeyuuch pup miichaah memaawa, peyii haylly kunychewaypvu, ‘emat winyvem kway’paattvu?
‘Enyaa Kweyuuw Huumarr ‘ehin ‘enyaakm ‘aam ‘esan ‘ewuuwch. Semaan kwa’kullch pilyvey pekwilly, nyawihch matsay ‘ehap hemir, ‘uuyuk stikm ta’waahlly ‘arches. Hellykaay ‘Emtaar emak, Matt Hay eyuk, ‘Uunyaa Kway’kuu Chephuukvech eyewiikm telewikch kewaaklly kuuyumch, nyawim ‘emat yiir kuuchutt nyapekwillych nyaapum ‘emtaar kuhepshiw wehaps. Puy ‘uunyaavu ‘echepamch ‘epehkwiis: ‘Emat ‘ehemayvu Millychish Aam ‘Ewaa ‘Esuw Wechuw Kuttap ‘Ehaasaall wiich chuuhii. Nyepily ‘uunyaa kway’kuuvech ‘ehaa kwenuw kuhmoll kway’kuu rewii ‘emtaar peyaa tuuchalls. ‘Iipay ‘ewaa kwenuwlly kupkwillyvech ‘emtaar ‘eshashvu ewupkuh, ‘enyaach nya’umch, ‘ewuuws ‘esuw: ‘esnyaaw kwa’chekwii, kesarkm eyewiikm, ‘emtaar ‘eyaakvi. Heyaay ‘Iipayvech ‘emtaar peyaa uumiirrpkuh. ‘Enyaa mu’yum peyii tenyeway wemuull weraawch kinemi. Pily ‘eshashvek, iinuypvek haylly ‘eshash ‘ehan. Kupiihaawm, matetayvu nyimvey ‘esemay kuhepshiwch chepitt tewaa, nyawihch halampuulaamp kuttap haaykaay tekuwachvech ‘ekwas stikm ‘emtaarvu acheyaays. Matetay nyaamat ‘ewuuwvu, ‘etepurhlly ‘ar. Heyaay ‘Iipay nyemach tetepuura?
‘Oorr ‘ehin ‘ekull nyata’aach nyaapum ‘echanch kuttaplly ‘ehap ta’aas. Kuttapvech saays; ‘ehaastik ‘ehiinkch pamch. ‘Ewily kwa’chekwii tenyeway, ‘ehaa wenuwvi heleqays. ‘Emat ‘ehini, mes-haraay kunemshap tuuyaq. Tekull ‘emaaym ‘umch ‘iitaayvi aahiirp ‘ewuuws, ‘uunyaa kwa’stikvech matetay yiir pekwillyvi, nyii nya’kwar ‘ewuuwh ‘emaaw. ‘Itt wii tewaa. Halampuulaamp kuliklik kuwach ‘ukuwaay ‘enakch wetaph kwa’hwatt kwa’elymis nyuully nyewaym ‘ewuuwch, nyaapum ‘eyiiw ‘eshuupitt. ‘Enyaa nyemach rii ‘ii. Nya’enakch ‘iichaas, heyaay ‘Iipayvech matetay yiir peyii ‘ekurm tenyewayh umaawkuh, pes ‘iichachvu kuttap peyaam weyiwkuh ‘ehaa weyaawchech, ‘esuw wechaawchech. Nyatenyewaych, uchewaypch apesiiwh umaawvek, pup nyemach rii wiivu yewipkuh. Peyaa ‘iipattvech rewiihm tuuyuuw: memily ‘ukuwaay ‘emat, mehellytaa ‘emaay ‘emaay ‘ehaa, ‘emat mepehkwiivek menyesuw.
‘Epuwkch ‘enyewaa kwenuw nya’epamch nyinyuy ‘enyaakm nya’aamch, matetay ‘ehmiiy ‘ekully ‘arvu ‘ewuuws. Marwaych helyepay, marwaych ‘ekur, ‘ehmiiych ‘emaaych ‘ewily ‘ehmiiym nyechewiiches. Nya’aach ‘iichaas: matetay ta’ur nyip ‘ema’wiik ‘epamha? Kumyum maapch nya’way tepura? Wekullvech ‘ewirchu? Nya’etepurk ‘uuchuch purpm ‘eyipha? ‘Ekurm ‘umha? ‘Ewaa kwenuwvelly nya’aamch, ‘uuyaaws ‘epeshuwhlly ‘arch. ‘Uuchuch ‘ehmiiym ‘enurhlly ‘ar, ‘eyullphlly ‘ar, matetay pup ‘ekull hemir. Pes kupilly ‘ehin ‘emat peyaa ‘aasequph ‘iik ‘epuwkh, ‘emaally ‘ukenaas. Matetay pup ‘emaaykiiwaykh ‘emaawh. (Peyaach waahlly sekayh…)
Human Generated
