This is Lingít Word of the Week. Each week, we feature a Lingít word voiced by master speakers. Lingít has been spoken throughout present-day Southeast Alaska and parts of Canada for over 10,000 years.
Gunalchéesh to X̱’unei Lance Twitchell, Goldbelt Heritage Foundation and the University of Alaska Southeast for sharing the recorded audio for this series.
This week’s word is laax̱, or red cedar. Listen to the audio below to learn how to say laax̱.
The following transcript is meant to help illustrate the words and sentences.
Keihéenák’w John Martin: Laax̱.
That means red cedar.
Here are some sentences:
Keihéenák’w John Martin: Kootéeyaa aan dulyeix̱ yaa laax̱.
They make totem poles with red cedar.
Keiyishí Bessie Cooley: Laax̱ haawú litsʼáa.
Red cedar branches smell good.
Kooshdáakʼu Bill Fawcett: Deikeenaa aasí laax̱, ḵúnáx áwé xʼalitseen hé naakéexʼ.
It is a Haida tree, red cedar, it is really valuable here in the north
Ḵaakal.áat Florence Marks Sheakley: Ldakát át aan yéi daadunéi yá laax̱.
People work on red cedar for everything.
Kaxwaan Éesh George Davis: Laax̱ dax̱ dulyéix̱.
People use red cedar.
You can hear each installment of Lingít Word of the Week on the radio throughout the week.
Additional language resources:
Find biographies for the master speakers included in this lesson here.
Learn more about why we use Lingít instead of Tlingit here.
