Interview · North Dakota · Mary Gachupin · NDNAEU 2 · NDNAEU 4
Themes: Land & stewardship, Language & revitalization, Kinship & family, Storytelling & oral tradition, Education & learning, Values & generosity, Listening & observation, Children & young people, Humor & play
Learn About questions
What are the differences and similarities in how Mary tells this story in both English and Hidatsa? How does her expression and way of telling it change in each version?
Why is it not possible to translate this story into English in a way that will completely keep the same humor and meaning?
What are some examples of words Mary shares that are not able to be translated effectively?
Why might young people be encouraged to learn Hidatsa to know these stories?
Learn From questions
Do I have a story I like to tell about learning a lesson when I was growing up? Does it mean more or is it funnier when told to family members who “knew me when” rather than friends?
Are there other family stories that teach lessons or are very important to be passed on in my family? What makes them important?
Are there stories I have been told that I wasn’t present for, but I remember like I was there because of how often it was told?
Are there certain words my family uses that have much more meaning or description when certain people use them than others?
Transcripts
NDNAEU 2 & 4 Flying Gravel with Mary Gachupin
Watch this interview on YouTubeWhen he was driving he was supposed to be home babysitting the little partying little brother and his parents left and said don’t go anywhere he said and he found the keys to the car that was there and he said yeah I think I’ll take this car for a test drive car is kind of beat up and took the keys out and checked it and started up and say hey it started you know I think I’ll take for him take it for a little ride got in a car he said I really didn’t know how to drive that well but I’ll take it for a ride so he got in start it and he just took off and going down the road he of course this was all dirt gravel road he remembered he was supposed to be babysitting there was he said I remembered I was supposed to be babies I just turned around and went right back and ran back in and there was a little brother sitting there playing where he left him and he said all that time I was gracing back and I was thinking geologists almost giving myself a heart attack getting back to him with and hoping he didn’t get in trouble and oh my god home walked in and there he was playing just weren’t the way I left him and he said I had gone like five ten miles down the road and I remembered him came back to get him and never knew I was gone but you tell this story in and hit on so he was you know it really there’s a lot more description where he turns around and you and then he says I stopped short when I remembered and I spun around when you could just see that the dirt flying and when he stopped short I don’t she came all that means like he just stopped short and you could just about see all that you know dirt gravel flying so now I’m gonna tell it the way he the way it was told in hit on sir know what’s out what so could we get Geisha cards you know oh my dip it down our hearts our hey Ricky walk what we’ll go a croco we have had a casual cool you know we’re a douche killer gawky hey what condition he was worried as a little Samara Marty able conditionally what a weirdo he did yes okey dokey well can we go on Christian we get cash water we could with our care key the key article 61 okay what do is you know what I wanna Kolkata we’re have more communication cars well walk deal ahead so coccyx one who would answer got a favor you got a fish - okay maybe but that caucus could we get a key no I’m with Taurus go ahead here I thought didn’t ya go on sort of hit the spot so walk I walk what do don’t walk oh she can is one key what I thought it he cause he knew kids are usual kawakatsu well did he ever get a gritty Molly Walker we get case well I gotta go to we have a big gun make it good he wanted the keys hoping I wanna cook walk well can we get games okay there’s no other person as it is o’clock when we can we worried I can’t what at the keys will be that good said what’s good yeah that’s that’s it’s kind of like and amuq the way he tells that he’s just like panicking my tummy my eated talk you know but we say scared it doesn’t mean that you don’t see that scared in him the way he says it you know me why did that what did the King my heart was just like skipping a beat he says but when you say that in English you know you don’t see that skipping a beat or you don’t see that his like his feelings with what he’s feeling but when you say it and hit on sir he wanted to get akathisia you know that’s how he said it and those two words like my heart was just skipping a beat when you say my heart skips a beat that doesn’t mean anything but when you see it in and to hit on some language you could just about see him being so scared that he’s just panicking or whatever you know and he’s feeding back he what do Asia and when you say he’s rushing back you don’t see that he would do he’s young that word he’s really just assuming by or something that’s all that means you know so he’s coming just zooming back to the house and he’s just panicking it walks into the house and MA got a cooter you know he just calm playing like nothing happened or he didn’t even realize that my brother was gone so those you know to abuse you are told that story in Hadassah it has that lot of description descriptive words in it that you just don’t see it in English like I just turned around and came back when he says you know let go when he turned around the way he says it is just like he spun around and just rushed back speed it back or something that’s kind of all its told but when you save in English you know I turned around in a rush back that’s it but when you see it ahead on so you could just about see him spinning around and just speeding back key what do you I wanted is you know so there was those kinds of words in Indian language really are more descriptive you know and you have almost a visionary thing with listening to somebody tell stories like that and it’s always so funny when we tell stories like that and it’s something that really uplifts our spirits when we talk like that and you know we share and it’s always things like this we reminisce that at home and we all laugh together it really makes everybody feel good that we’re there laughing together but remembering all these kinds of stories you know but that’s kind of like one of the things that I’m thankful that we still speak the language and we still can share these things with the younger generation you know and maybe that would give them a reason to maybe want to learn to speak the language or keep the language
Resource text
NDNAEU Alignment:
Source materials
Supplied transcript documents. Text and transcription uncertainties are preserved as supplied.