Sliammon Texts
"Picking Blackberries" as told by Mary George (1998)
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This paper presents a Tla’amin (Sliammon) text narrated by the late Mrs. Mary George in 1998. A morphological analysis, glosses, and an English translation are provided for each line in the original Sliammon. The content is about how she picked blackberries with her daughter.
Publication data: Watanabe, Honore. 2025. "Picking Blackberries: A Sliammon Text Told by Mary George." Asian and African Languages and Linguistics 19. Fuchu: Research Institute for Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies. pp.165–185. https://doi.org/10.15026/0002001079
"Making Dugout Canoes" as told by Agnes McGee (2001)
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This paper presents a Tla’amin (Sliammon) text narrated by the late Mrs. Agnes McGee in 2001. A morphological analysis, glosses, and an English translation are provided for each line in the original Sliammon. The content is about the traditional way of making dugout canoes from cedar trees.
Publication data: Watanabe, Honore. 2023. Making Dugout Canoes: A Sliammon Text Told by Agnes McGee. Asian and African Languages and Linguistics 17 (2023), pp. 89–103. https://doi.org/10.15026/122477.
"Blackfish" as told by Mary George (1993)
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This paper presents a Tla’amin (Sliammon) text narrated by the late Mrs. Mary George in 1993. A morphological analysis, glosses, and an English translation are provided for each line in the original Sliammon. The content is about the traditional belief that when people die, they become blackfish (killer whales). Other blackfish teach the newly deceased ones how to swim, and they come back to the shore in front of where they used to live.
Publication data: Watanabe, Honore. 2022. A Sliammon Text: "Blackfish", as Told by Mary George. Asian and African Languages and Linguistics 16 (2022), pp. 309–328. https://www.doi.org/10.15026/117167
"First Pregnancy" as told by Mary George (1995)
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This paper presents a Tla’amin (Sliammon) text narrated by the late Mrs. Mary George in 1995. A morphological analysis, glosses, and an English translation are provided for each line in the original Sliammon. The content is about how women should take care of their children, especially the first child, and about the traditional belief among the Sliammon people that pregnant women should avoid looking at animals, lest the baby will be born looking like that animal.
Publication data: Watanabe, Honore. 2021. A Sliammon Text: "First Pregnancy", as told by Mary George. Asian and African Languages and Linguistics 15, pp. 93–103. https://doi.org/10.15026/99898
"When Coming Out of the Woods" as told by Mary George (1997)
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This paper presents a Tla’amin (Sliammon) text narrated by the late Mrs. Mary George in 1997. She talked about the traditional practice of what people used to do after spending time in the woods to gather wood or pick berries.
Publication data: Watanabe, Honore. 2020. "A Sliammon Text: 'When Coming Out of the Woods,' as told by Mary George." Northern Language Studies 10, Japan Association of Northern Language Studies. pp. 275–294. https://doi.org/10.14943/93121
"Birds and Rain" as told by Mary George (1996)
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This paper presents a Tla’amin (Sliammon) text narrated by the late Mrs. Mary George in 1996. In this text, Mrs. Mary George talks about a certain kind of bird that calls for rain to come when it chirps. It is not clear from this text, however, which species of bird is being referred to.
Publication data: Watanabe, Honore. 2019. "A Sliammon Text: 'Birds and Rain,' as told by Mary George." Northern Language Studies 9, Japan Association of Northern Language Studies. pp. 123–130. https://doi.org/10.14943/88225