Gesgapegiaqewei Sipu Walqwa’lugwei
Gesgapegiaqewei Sipu Walqwa’lugwei
Summary by Joe Wilmot
Edited into Listuguj orthography
This story takes place on the Gesgapegiag River a few years back. It was written by John Martin while he was taking a Mi’gmaw Literacy Course and it was previously published by the Micmac Maliseet Institute of the University of New Brunswick. The story begins the first morning of a two-day canoe trip taken during the mid-summer by John and a few friends and their adventure paddling the white waters of the Gesgapegiag (Cascapedia) river. He describes the beautiful scenery, mountains and wild life that they encounter on their journey down this great river. He recounts as one of the canoes gets swamped as they negotiate one of the turbulent white water passes and the regret felt by the group as their adventure comes to an end. They all vow to make the trip again, I wonder if they ever did?
So’sep Wilmot
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Gesgapegiaqewei Sipu Walqwa’lugwei
Story By John Martin
Me’ gatu welamu’g na sipu. Gi’s ni’n walqwa’lugwei na sipu ta’n telpita’q. Migwite’tm
na egsitpu’g apqasa’tue’g ntgwitnminal. Miaw nipg’p aq weliegsitu’pg’p. Na poqji walqwa’lugutieg ula sipu. Mu pegije’nug’p je gi’s wape’g samuqwan pemitaieg aq nigantug na pemgopi ula ni’n. Tel maqatgwig’p ta’n tami saputa’tieg nitap lpa samuqwan etlpasga’tu maw nsisgug, lpa jijuaqa telta’si siawigtapaqto’gwetesnen. Je na gneg wetnutmn wape’g samuqwan etlitg aq me pemgaqawta’q, tlapis gis saput’asin. Egel pemitaieg tel wantaqteg samuqwan sispji’jg teliulnutaqatjij aq nipi’g alaluesingig ugju’snigtug. Ne’gaw apjijgmujg eimu’tijij gatu te’s wesam gigjitaieg na wesmultijij. Te’s na me na’qeg elta’jij tlapis welgnegg iga’tij na apsgwaqsultijij ta’n tami amgweseweieg etlnemi’gt’pnig. Egel lpa suel teppaqpugultijij gmtng etuwiw ta’n pemitaieg. Na tujiw lpa tegig ugu’sn muta lpa mu na’gu’set nemiam’g. Je we’gaw gitpu’g eimu’tijig na gmtng. Na wijei na’gweg nemi’gp gitpu, amaseg’p wetnmi’g. Tel ulgamlamit wen telgnegg pi’tawg ala’sij, lpa welima’q ugju’sn. Aq elg tajigtug welamu’g. Alt pemienn pas’g atugwomg eteg, app alt pas’g apje’ji’jgl guntal aq
alt pas’g mujga’ mesgi’gl guntal. App na egel pemien paqasasgmit stoqon gi’s na piltuamugsit gmu’j nmiates. Jijuaqa na gesga’sg sipu aq pagwe’jg samuqwan pemitaieg aq jijigwa’s’g sipu aq maqapsgegl guntal pitegl lame’g samuqwanigtug. Na na’te’l elisiwape’g samuqwan muta ta’n etl jijigwe’jg na gesigawitg aq ta’n welisge’g wantaqitg.
Newte pugwei pemitaieg na matuesuwei telwi’tmi’tij. Na’te’l na welpita’q elien aq ne’gaw ms’t tami neiasgmigl ginsgwe’gl guntal. Metue’g aq nsanoqonig na’te’l saputita’mg gatu pegwatesgmeg nitap. Jijuaqa na gnegg elnisaqeg aq gesigawitg, app na alt jaqaltegl walgweg pegisinn. Newt pemitaieg telmaqatgwig’p aq tel jaqalisg’teg sipu lpa nitapinaq ugtuluow getapaqto’gweg. Tel gnegg elnisaqeg ta’n tami pemita’tijig nitapinaq lpa gesamgtjig. Nitap na pipanimit, “Nemi’jig?” Na mu pe’l me’tew tlapis nemi’gig walqwe’g pisguteg neia’tijig. Na telimg “E’e, nemi’gig gatu mu uggwitnmuow”
Na na’te’l pugtew eltueg aq etligtugunultieg. Na wapgeg egsitpu’g atoqwa’su’g wissugwaieg aq maitaieg app. Maw glu’sultijig na atoqa’su’g mujga’ pi’taw aq elg pugwelg plamu eig. Apjiw na plamu lampo’qigtug pisitew. Telt’migl na lapo’ql lpa mu wen sapputaptmugul aq tlueg gesistoqonamu’g samuqwan. Gatu mu na telamu’tnug samuqwan muta sipuitug pemien teliulnemitu’n ms’t goqwei samuqwanigtug piteg.
Maw pugwelg m’nigu’ji’tl na sipu. Mimajuinu’g na na’te’l etligtantu’titl ma’susi’l siggw. Ta’n tujiw getupgisin ta’n tami mimajuiu’g wigultitij na poqji nemitu’nl iga’taqann. Gsatmugg aq newt gis walgwa’lugweiasn na sipu tetuji ulamu’g. wegla na ta’n wije’wipnig tujiw; nitap Rene Lalagw, tepip maw ni’n aq gelu’sip ji’nm gwitnigtug.
Aq Ta’pit Storm, nnu tg’snug tleiawit. Sweetgrass telwisig ugtnnue’gatim, witapal negm Sa’n P. telwisilipnnaq Pastung tleiawip.