by Ann Fienup-Riordan
The following is a brief passage featuring elder Albertina Cingyukan Dull of Nightmute talking about the 1918 flu epidemic that she heard about when she was young. “In our work with elders they have said very little about the 1918 flu epidemic,” writes Ann Fienup-Riordan, an Anthropologist for the Calista Elders Council. “We recorded it as part of CEC’s Yuuyaraq project, and it’s included in our book, Yuuyaraq/The Yup’ik Way of Being.”
Thank you!
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Caagglugmi tuquluni/He died during an epidemic
Albertina Dull of Nightmute, April 2016
Cingyukan/Albertina Dull:
Augna Panigarkaq aatangqerrluni cali angalkuulriamek Yus’ugmek. Tamaa-i caaggluan tuqullrulria; caagglugmi tuquluni. Nalluvkenaku tuqullerkani. Iciw’ Kuigpak, Kusquqvak tan’geriluni.
Panigarkaq’s father, Yus’uk, was also a shaman. He died when there was caaggluk [an epidemic], he died during caaggluk. He knew that he was going to die. You know the Yukon River, the Kuskokwim River got dark.
Tan’geriluni. Tan’geq-gguq agiirtellria. Yuum-gguq amllerem anenritaa.
It got dark. He said the darkness was approaching. He said many did not come out of it.
Elliin-llu-gguq anenrilnganaku. Cunawa-gguq ilumun.
And he said it seemed like he wouldn’t come out of it either. It turned out to be true.
Tuquq taman’ tan’geruluni….
That death appeared as darkness…
Caagglugmek wa taugaam qanemcitullrulriit angayuqaput. Caaggluk-gguq tamana tamaa-i-gguq Cauyam arnaan aanatullrani, wiinga atemnek, aanama anelgutkellinikii, alqaqlikii-wa.
Our parents told stories about caaggluk [sickness, epidemic]. They said that caaggluk, when Cauyaq’s mother was with child, taking care of my namesake, she was apparently my mother’s sibling, perhaps she was her older sister.
Miisaq/Mark John:
Cingyukan?
Cingyukan/Albertina Dull: Mm-m. Yus’uk-wa tua-i tauna angalkuq angutii. Tua-i Cauyam arnaanek irniangluni. Tua-i-gguq tamaa-i uksuarpak, waten uksuarmi kanani-am tua-i Kaviarmiunassaagni qavarluteng. Tupakuneng-gguq qanerciquq Yus’uk Kuskuqviim-gguq kangia tan’geriuq, Kuigpiim-llu, tan’geriluni. Yuum-gguq, yuum-gguq amllerem anenritaa tamana tan’geq. Yug’ amlleq tan’germi anevkenani. Cunaw’ caaggluk-gguq. Elliin-llu-gguq waniwa anenritaa. Alaa, angalkuungami nalluvkenaku. Tua-i tamaa-i caagglugmi tamakut tuquallrullinilriit.
Yes. Yus’uk, that shaman, was her husband. She gave birth to Cauyaq’s mother. They say all fall, in fall time, down there at Kaviarmiut, they were sleeping. They say after waking up Yus’uk would say that the headwaters of the Kuskokwim River were getting dark, as well as the Yukon River, that it was getting dark. He said many people did not come out of that darkness. Many people did not go out of the darkness. It so happens it was caaggluk. And he said that he, too, didn’t go out of it. Goodness, he knew what it was because he was a shaman. A lot of people apparently died during caaggluk.
Miisaq/Mark John: Maavet tekilluni?
Did it arrive here [on Nelson Island]?”
Cingyukan/Albertina Dull: Mmm. Caaggluk. Agaani-wa Kaviarmiuni tauna tua-i Yus’uk; mat’umek aanama apertuutellrukiinga, iciw’ nevumi tua-i man’a caquan menglii alaunani.
Yes. Caaggluk. Across at Kaviarmiut, that Yus’uk; my mother pointed out to me, you know in the ground, the edge of his coffin was showing.
Tauna tua-i. Iciw’ Yuguayiim arnaan-llu aatangqellria Chevak-armiumek. Kiimi tua-i cali, aling tamaa-lli tang tuqullrullinivaa. Tuall’ Yuguayiim arnaan kiirraraurlumi cali yuuluni. Taugken tua-i augna Yus’uk tuquan Kumagmek aipanglliniluni. Tua-i Ap’akegtaaraankuk Qaillukayak-llu yuurrlutek.
It was that person. You know how Yuguayak’s mother had a father who was from Chevak. Being the only one left, gee so many people died back then. Then poor Yuguayak’s mother was the only one left [among her family]. But when Yus’uk passed away, Kumag became her partner. And then Ap’akegtaar and Qaillukayak were born.
Quyana.
