Aitinanuipan shashish
The old way of life
– Ne ishpimit ka tat, Ka Tipenitak eukuan tshe uitshitakᵘ, eka ui uni-tshissi, nitikuti nana nukum.
"The one who is up above, the one who guides us, s/he will help us, do not forget it," my grandmother used to tell me.
Tshipakassiunnan kie tshimeshkanaminan tshinashatenan itakanuat auassat.
It is our livelihood and our path that we pursue, they say to the children.
Ka nashipet innu, uapameu nenua papekupenua taukam.
When the Innu [man] returns to the seaside, he sees it [the seal] coming out of the water, offshore.
– Takuan nitipenitamun nutshimit, eka ui metuatshe, nitikuti nimushum.
"I have my domain inland, do not play [gamble, take risks] with it," my grandfather used to tell me.
Eukuannu aitipanat nananat nimushuminanat.
That's what our grandfathers did.
Minuenitamᵘ nenu ka itak, ui ashteieshkushiu.
He is pleased by what I tell him, he wants to rest.
Nin, nitati mashten ka uapamak: « Tshe nakatamuin tshitshissenitamun, nika shaputuepan nin tshitatusseun. »
I said to him the last time I saw him: "You will leave me your knowledge, and I will continue your work."
Menushkaminiti, eshkᵘ anutshish mitshet innuat nutatshikueuat, tanite atshikua mitshetinua ute uinipekut.
When it's the start of summer, still today many Innu go hunting for seals, because there are many seals here in the coastal region.
Mukᵘ ipanat uinuau, aishkat apu tshika ut tshissinuapamikut innu utauassima, aianishkat tshe petuteniti.
But they said, when speaking of the Innu, that his child will not follow in his footsteps, those who will be there later.
Nete nutshimit ututeu nimushum, namesha e uinnuniti ui mueu uin; aueshish shash tshimakateu itakanu.
My grandfather arrives from inland, he wants to eat very fatty fish; [inland] the animal is already thin, they say.
Pitshenik tshika shetshishuat tshetshi unitaht utinnu-aitunuau.
They will begin to fear losing their Innu culture.
Tshika tutamᵘ pitama uashuakanashkua, tshe ui nipaiat utshashumekua, tshika apashtau ushkuai-utinu uashuati.
First he will make harpoons, then he will want to kill salmon, he will use a bark canoe when he goes spear fishing at night.
Tanite mitshetuau animiu, mitshetuau peikussu.
Because he has known misery many times, he has been alone many times.
Kassinu ute tekuak tshekuan, nipi, nekau, shakaikana, tipenitamᵘ nenu.
All that is here, the water, the sand, the lakes, it is s/he who owns them.
Mishta-minu-tshishikashu, natuapamakanuat pineshuat, utshishtuna ui mishkakanua.
It is beautiful out, we go in search of large birds, we want to find nests.
Minekashish tshika ishpanuat mitshiminu.
They will have food for a long time.
Tapue, uinuau innuat itenitakushuat ka minuatahk nutshimit.
It's true, those Innu, they're the types to love the inland [region].
Tshi nipaiati peikᵘ kie ma nishᵘ, tshe pashak uiashinu, tshika naikamᵘ uikuaiatshikunu tshe pitatshet piminu tshetshi mitshiht pimiatshikunu.
When he has killed one or two of them, he will dry the meat, he will clean the seal's stomach and he will add fat to it so they can eat seal blubber.
– Pitshau anite uetuteiakᵘ, ipan nimushum.
"We've come a very long way," my grandfather used to say.
