Eka tapue! Ekute innu nanitam inniuipan, ekute pakassiuipan, ekute minashkuat nanitam tapan.
Absolutely! That's where the Innu have always lived, it's where they've eaten, they've always been out in the bush.
Shash a tshin tshitshi kushpin euassiuin?
Did you ever go stay out on the land when you were young?
Miam a tshin? Tshimishta-atussen a?
Are you doing well? Are you working a lot?
Nitshissituten ashit, nitshitapamati nimushum etusseti pessish patshuianitshuapit. Utanapia uaueshieu, tashkaimiteu. Minuatamupanat anite etataui nutshimit.
I also remember watching my grandfather as he worked near the tent. He would mend his fishing net, he would split wood. They liked being out on the land.
Ma nita tshitshishkutamakaun tshetshi tutaman pashteu-uiash?
Were you taught how to make dried meat (jerky)?
Nimitshetitan kie ninan kueshpiati. Nimushum mak nukum anite tapanat. Nimishta-minuatatiat anitshenat, mitshet tshekuannu nitshishkutamakutiat.
There were a lot of us too, when we went out on the land. My grandfather and grandmother were there. I loved them very much, they taught me a lot.
Eshe, nikanishat nuitsheuatiat. Nishtesh, nimishat kie nishimat ashit tapanat.
Yes, with my family, my parents. My older brother, older sisters, and younger siblings were there.
Kapi mukᵘ tshiam nipa minashapan pitama. Shiueniani nika natueniten tshekuan.
I'll just have a coffee to start. If I get hungry, I'll order something.
Eshe! Animan ushkat tshetshi eka natamikᵘ itishaman tshia?
Yes! It's hard at first not to cut the meat haphazardly, isn't it?
Nukum an nitshishkutamakuti tshetshi tutuak kaianauakauakanit. Pitama nimushum tutamupan kutuannu ekue tshishautshishauet.
It was my grandmother who taught me how to make bannock cooked in the sand. My grandfather first made the outdoor fireplace, then he heated the sand.
Nanitam, apu nita shukᵘ punian. Nanitam ne tshekuan ka-takuanua tshetshi tutaman.
Always, I rarely stop. There is always something that I have to finish.
Tshekuan ua minin? Kapi, nipishapui? Ma tshui mitshin tshekuan?
What do you want to drink? Coffee, tea? Do you want to eat something?
Eshe! Nipakuenitenan!
Yes! We can't wait!
Ekᵘ ninan, nukum mak nishimat, ninatshi-mamushatshinetan mita, akuaunissitakua.
During this time, me and my grandmother, we went to collect wood, small driftwood.
Ne kanapua uet kukuetshimitan, nui kushpinan takuatshiki, auassat nui tshitutananat. Tshetshi kanapua nishtuapatahk ka ishinniunanunit ueshkat.
The reason I'm asking is that we want to go out on the land next fall, we want to bring the kids. So that they too can know the old way of life.
Eukuan ma kie tshika minuatamuat. Minupaniti kie ninan, eukuan tshe tutamat.
They will love it so much. If it works out, we will do that too.
Eukuan utin eshinakuak, auassat kenuenimataui anu mishau atushkan.
That's how it goes, especially when you have kids, there's a lot of work.
