Ulu Mik'lengermi akngirnarquq
A tongue hurts, even though small

Cali aug'na uum nuliacungama qanellra piciuqapiaralria ava i aipam tungiinun ikia naluumasqevkenaku, wall'u unani uitavimini qanmiknun `gguun nep'ngevkarillerkaq. Tauna tua i piciuqapiarluni maa i taringumaluku ernerni atullrat.

And what my female cousin said is very true, not to bring up the shortcomings of one's spouse or how one could cause controversy in one's village with one's mouth. That is extremely true, and we understand it because they are living by it these days.

--Paul John, Toksook Bay

Iruk gguq nanengaituk
One's legs will not wear out

Ava i wanirpak llu niitarput tegumpangramta alerquallruitkut kevgartualuta tegumpangramta pingnatuktalria tangerqumteggu cirliqualuni, peggluki tegumiaput ullagluki ikayuqilaut. Ca talligka nanilikanirngaituk irugka nanilikainirngaituk. Qaqiskan tauna ukut aqvaluki ataam tekiutevsiarciqaput.

We have heard today to help others, even when we are carrying a load in our arms, to drop the things we are holding and help others when we see them struggling. Our arms will not shorten, our legs will not shorten. When we are done assisting them, we may return to what we were doing and pick up the load and continue on.

--Sophie Nicholas, Kasigluk

Qessam angtua
He gets consent from sloth

Piyugngaurluta ellimerciuqumta, nangteqenrilkumta egmian niitesqelluta. Qessaluni gguq uitavakalria qessam angtua, kemga llu piniarulluni, unaqiarulluni. Qessam gguq tua i tauna angerluku. Uitang'ermi tua i canrilngermi qessaluni; qessaurangluni. Makut maa i wangkutnun alingcetaarutkellrit.

We were told to always get up and do what we were asked to do right away if we weren't sick. They say if a person sat idle for too long, that person gets approval from sloth. His body would become weak and flimsy. He would feel listless even though he was fine, and he would begin to feel lethargic all the time. These were some of the things they told us to get our attention.

--Theresa Moses, Toksook Bay

Maani gguq nunam qaingani aka'arnun nangerngaciqukut
They said we would stand on this land for a longer time

Tua i taugaam alerquutem qaneryaram elluarrluku pillerkaa akqutkellruarput wangkuta. Maani gguq nunam qaingani aka'arnun nangengqaqerciquq. Maaten tang murilkua ilumuullinilria tua i ilumuupiarluni.

We were promised a better life if we adhered to the teachings. A person was told that he would live a longer life. By observing I've realized that this teaching is true.

--Wassilie Berlin, Kasigluk

Imutun tuarpiaq waniwa teguviirutqatakacagarluku
It seems as though you have caught the Yup'ik way of life

Tua i ll' maa i wiinga quyakeqapqapiarala'arqa elpeci waten man'a ciuliat caciryarallrat kangiitulangavciu, wii tamana quyatekqapqapiararqa cakneq. Maa i ciuliaput wangkuta iquggiqaumastaini aug'um nangqapigteksailamta. Imutun tuarpiaq waniwa teguviirutqatakacagarluku, ca igteqatarluku teguq'aqsi tuarpiaq yuuyaraat Yupiit, apqaungarrluci mat'umek nutem ciuliat qaill' yuucillratnek.

Wiinga qunukenritqapiararqa yuuyararput man'a nutemllarput kalikarmun eklerkaa qunukenritqapiararqa tape recorder aanun llu call' eklerkaa qunukenritqapiarluku unguvaurngailamta, kingumteni tamakut igautelci qanelput llu kingumteni tape anelkuneng kinguliamtenun meqsulrianun, yuucirkamek meqsulrianun mer'utkelarciqngatki, yuucirkamek meqsulriit.

And today I am extremely grateful that you are starting to ask about our ancestors' way of life. Those few of us who experienced the lives of the last generation are still here. It seems as though you have caught the Yup'ik way of life that was about to fall as you started to ask about the traditional way of life of our ancestors.
I am not stingy with putting our way of life in books whatsoever, and I am not stingy with putting it in tape recorders because we will not always be alive, because if they are in tapes they can give the things that you wrote and the things that we said to our young people who are thirsty to learn our way of life.

--Paul John, Toksook Bay