Waves Of Wisdom

Ready? Who are you in English? Helen. And in Yup’ik? Narr’aq. And you’re from Napakiak? (Yes.) And were you born here? (Yes.) When were you born? When was it again? My baptism record is in there. October? October 1. I’m not sure when in the 1900’s. My baptism record is in there. And you have four children? Yes. Yes, four. And you have eleven grandchildren? And eleven great-grandchildren? Back when you were growing up when they fished long ago before Western fishing rods appeared

What did they use instead of Western gill nets or those fishing rods? Back then, I used to see non-Western fishing lines with hoods, and they had little nails fastened to the heads. Some that spun would let the fish escape. Little pieces of ivory, and, you know, caribou antlers, I used to see tham used for fishing hooks. And they would make fishing hoods out of spoons, some spoons, by shaving down their handles to use as fastening on the heads. They made old-fashoined fish hooks out of those things that could sink. Fishing lines and hooks came recently.

What did you see or hear about in your early childhood? Well, I wasn’t born in time to see those who lived extremely hard lives back then. And I observed a time with Caucasians like this. And I grew up here with Caucasians, with one among us whom we called Kass’all’er. That was him. There were also Caucasians upriver. But even though that’s the case I want to talk about our traditional wisdom about how people should live well like this. But bad things, when they didn’t hear about the Bible like this, or about religions I recall now some of the traditional wisdom they passed down to me or that I heard.

But I can’t always speak about them, only to those who are willing. And, you know, I tell especially you guys how you should live well. Only a person who adheres to the traditional wisdom passed down to him like this lives a good life. However, he who does not adhere to the traditional wisdom passed down to him lives a short life, or he who adheres to them lives a longer life. They used to say this long ago: "A person who adheres to the traditional wisdom passed down to him lives to see another day. "However, he who disobeys traditional wisdom only lives until the end of the day." And young people these days, you young people have become different from what we used to see back then.

And even though I am bad like this, I knew and remembered the traditional wisdom passed down to me. And these days, people have become very different. It seems there’s no more sensible people, or they’ve become unobservant of anything. And it seems they are starting to live as blind people these days. And the traditional wisdom, I do hear about traditional wisdom through KYUK here as well even though I don’t always listen in. But it seems many do not hear them. It seems that young people especially do not hear about them. And now, they don’t hear about how to live well or to treat their parents wells, living in obedience to their parents.

We only hear about wisdom in church. That’s why we who have reached this age that must teach our grandchildren or our children We must talk to them about these things we’ve heard or the traditional wisdom passed down to us. You see, girls especially had traditional wisdom concerning them, and boys had separate wisdom concerning them. A girl had this instruction To keep boys who had not had women living carefully Because it says this: "A woman leads to death."

I also used to fear this when I was young, people we feared it when we didn’t see many people dying And I feared them when I saw death since a long time. I feared it since I thought that would happen. They told them to be careful with unmarried boys or unmarried girls. They said that a girl would bring death upon a boy. And some now are certainly like that. These were the traditional wisdom passed down to us. They also especially told us not to bear illegitimate children. That was very shameful to us.

And these days, it’s become irrelevant and without shame. It’s also because it says this in the Bible: "Nothing will become shameful anymore." The world has changed like this now. That’s why we must be careful. They escpecially told boys to be careful with themselves. Before he had a woman, they told him not to be around girls. They told them not to be with girls like that. They said that she would lead a boy to death even if she doesn’t actively murder him. But even a very long time ago, a boy would not be perfect. They called it "pretending to have wives," and girls "pretending to have husbands." We don’t see anyone doing that these days.

But I used to hear about them back then. That’s why the people who lived back then especially admonished their people like this. I also used to hear this: "Some people look at having children is all fun." I also remember that with this people. And because we don’t have anywhere else to go like this when we go to church When they leave their children behind and they are alone like this, I remember that old piece of traditional wisdom. They say that some people act like having children is all fun without teaching them, and do not say anything even when they do dangerous things. But we must talk to them.

I also speak to those whom I must teach about what I know, even if some of them don’t seem to want to listen, or to other children. These are the things that are only to help people live well. Even though we hear gossip like this, I also hear some too, but we must talk about the traditional wisdom that helps people live good lives To the people of our descendants. They probably remember how to live good lives as they go. And now, it truly seems that the traditional wisdom has moved. It’s said that obedient people will someday live in paradise. These are desirable. Even though it’s not a lot, I’ve said this.

Okay, is that all? Yes, I’ve spoken about this. Can you speak on one more thing? (Yes.) Now, you know, my superior told me about what we hear about today About how children are hurt by adults, or, you know, some are beaten, molested, or other things by adults. Back when you were young, did you see children being molested or hurt? I never saw those, or those who were molested. Back when I was young, it seems that I never heard about those who were molested or beaten. People back then were not like now.

I also used to see some with sod houses like this. And in their houses, they didn’t have a lot of things, almost nothing Except for bedding like this, what little they had. I don’t think I heard of anything, especially about children abused like that, even though people lived hard lives. But I didn’t hear about them mistreating them, doing bad things to them, or beating them. It’s that only recently, only very recently to me, I’ve started hearing about those who are molested and beaten. Children are no longer how they were like long ago, long ago compared to today.

Yes, you know, I’ve just said that people these days have changed. The children these days have also changed. I never used to see children like this back then. That’s why a child will not live like these because we are Yup’ik, and even if they are trying to live a Western life. That’s why they should speak to their children only in Yup’ik. A long time ago, because we, at least I, didn’t know Western things and since I don’t know English All of us here, and probably those up north, would only speak to their children in Yup’ik. That’s why I remember that these days.

That’s why a child who learn only in English cannot understand traditional wisdom and admonishments anymore these days. That’s why people, including children, have changed especially today. Yes, that’s enough now. Is that all? Oh, yes. They also asked me to [?] like this You know, your life back then, I mean... You know, they asked for funny stories from when you first saw planes or those kinds of things... We used to be amazed by them, yes, when there weren’t many planes, but there were planes upriver.

Back then at that time, Taqay’aq was the most prominent pilot over in Nanglleq. When that plane approached, I’m not sure how big we were, and this village, you know, wasn’t heavily populated; there were few of us. And then, it was probably we children, every single one of us would go down here to the bluff and have fun watching that plane. Even these adults would be amazed. They also used to be amazed wondering how planes flew. They had a lot of, you know, fun, including us. Taqay’aq was the main one who came here. I think that was the first time that I saw that plane at the time.

Okay, now if you don’t have anything else to add... About what? (Giants.) I don’t know about those giants. But I also heard about them. I’ve forgotten about them now. I also... But in my mind, I think these pieces of traditional wisdom about how people should live well are important. And everything, you know, required hard work like this. But our short lives seem to require hard work. It seems that it requires hard work to those who try to do good. But the reward, the reward for a person who does good is great, how a person should live well.

These days, as you just asked, even adults seem to have changed. Their mischievous ways have especially caused them to change These mischievous ways. Those who go after them do not live well. It seems that they are born envying those around them these days. It seems his mischievous ways deprive him of that. He is not like those who do well. That’s why he should not do those things.

If a person learns what is admonished against or what brings misfortune and does not do them, he will help himself. Okay, that’s it. Thank you.