Search
Search Term

Spine Index

The piece runs from east to west with a spine of words down the middle. This index follows those spine words in the order they run through the piece. To find the reference associated with a specific line, first find the spine word and go to that section to find the line. As some spine words repeat multiple times throughout the piece you can further orient yourself by the nearest line of the Kumeyaay poem, Yeechesh Cha’alk, that is interspersed through the piece. Due to its sheer size we are providing a map of the piece in PDF format.

STEP

STEP

NOW

WE WERE BORN OF HER YAS CREATED FROM THE LANDS THAT INTERSECT WITH HER DEEP HASILTH SACRED ARE THE HA FROM WHERE WE CAME WE WERE DRAWN FROM

NOW

WE WERE DRAWN FROM THE HASILTH BEYOND TO HER MOUNTAINS AND HER DESERTS THAT ALWAYS UUSÁWA OUR NYA'WARR SPIRITS SACRED IS THE MUT HERE

THEN

SACRED IS THE MUT HERE FROM WHERE WE CAME SHE CALLS TO ME FROM THE EWIK HER VOICE IS THE WILD EEYIPE THAT BRUSHES PAST MY MAAT AND

TIME

WHIPS MY HELMU NAAP AROUND SACRED ARE THE EEYIPE I WILL WAMP THE SAME PATH TO HER FOR MY FEET AND MAATHOW KNOW THE WAY

TIME

DAYS

AND

JUST AS THE ANCESTORS BEFORE ME SACRED ARE THE KWAMAYHEEYE WHEN I FIND HER IN THE WII UUHA SHE WILL SPEAK OF THE

SPEAK OF THE STRENGTH UUYAW KWA'TAAY FOR MYHASHAAN I WILL DESCEND INTO THE KWELLHUP FOR I AM NOT ALONE THERE 'IIKUUYCH APESIIW ARE OUR MYHASHAAN MY

WIND

MY AHWAT IS SACRED THE SHLA NEWH SHOWS ME MY POWER I KNOW IT IS TIME TO HONOR MY SPACE 'EHMAAT IS SACRED JUST AS THE LAND I WEAR THE WREATHS THE ANCESTORS

WIND

I WEAR THE WREATHS THE ANCESTORS WORE AROUND MY HEAD SHALLY AND MIL TO GUIDE ME THROUGH MY MAATHOW BURNS BRIGHT AND STRONG 'EHCHAA THE SACRED

SACRED SAND PAINTINGS KAHNOP I HEAR THE CHA'ALK SINGING AND MOVING LIKE THE BEAUTIFUL ASHAA THE SACRED HUMPACHOKA AND MESH HA LEEAPA

WAVE

AND

THEIR MELODIES OF FLUTTER WAIL FOR ME 'IIKUUYCH APESIIW ARE OUR SONGS THEY HAVE HEALED MANY I SMELL THE SWEET PELTYE

THE SWEET PELTYE AND TOPSCH BURNING OVER THE WII 'IIPAT GLOWING UNDER THE MOONLIGHT COVERED IN MY

RABBIT-SKIN BLANKET WITH SWEAT AT MY BROW I WILL LAY IN THE KWELHUP AND MALAY THERE SACRED IS HER

LINE

LINE

SACRED IS HER MEDICINE I GAZE AT THE KWASHLOP THEY ARE OUR WATCHERS I AM HONORED BY THEIR WISDOM

LINE

AND

WHEN I EMERGE THE 'ELMUM IS LEFT BEHIND AND THE NEW ONE SHALL LEAD I NOW HAVE THE MARKS OF A CHA'ALK

BLUE

THE MARKS OF A CHA'ALK ON MY CHIN AND BODY 'IIKUUYCH APESIIW ARE OUR CHA'ALK SHE IS KWAHMAY SHE IS

BLUE

SHE IS 'ELMUM SHE IS 'ESHASHCHES VIEWED IN ALL FORMS FROM THE BEGINNING OF TIME GREAT-GRANDMOTHER

SINYAHOW HEAR ME CHIO TO YOU FILL MY LUNGS JUST AS YOU DID FOR MY ANCESTORS GREAT-GRANDMOTHER

REVOLUTIONS

SINYAHOW SEE ME EEMA FOR YOU BLESS THE EARTH BELOW MY FEET FOR THEY HAVE DANCED HERE BEFORE

WITH

SACRED IS THE LAND ONE OF THE FIRST ANCESTORS GREAT-GRANDMOTHER SINYAHOW KNOW THAT THIS IS DONE

WITH

DONE IN YOUR HONOR AND I HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN YOU MAY YOUR SUN SHINE DOWN UPON MY SKIN IT IS AHUN

HOPE

IT IS AHUN MEDICINE MAY I HARVEST PLANTS UNDER YOUR FULL MOON IN THE AHUN WAY THEY REMEMBER THE

AND

GATHERING SONGS AS I DO WITH GREAT CARE I PLACE MY HAND AND FOREHEAD ON THE HALASII I ASK PERMISSION

DARK

TO TAKE FOR MY SHEYOULTH HER MAATHOW IS WITHIN IT I AM GUIDED BY THE SACRED PRESENCE OF AHWAT AND

AND

AND NYILTH' AND THE AWII WHO HELPED US ALL THE HASILTH DRAWS ME IN AS THE ESHPUNK SING THEIR SONG

LIFE

WITH

IN GREETING WITH A GRACEFUL DISPLAY OF EEMA I GATHER HERE AS THE CHA'ALK DID BEFORE ME I KOOLASOW

WITH

LIFE

MY YEECHESH MAAT AND MAATHOW DIPPED IN HER HA AS MY WET HILLTAH SHINES IN THE WARM ENYA MY MAAT

WORD

MY MAAT IS ADORNED WITH HAYAK BEADS AND SACRED ACK GIFTS FROM THE HASILTH AND THE OLD ONES I RAISE

WORD

AND

I RAISE MY ARMS WITH OFFERINGS TO YOU MY TUMUUL FILLED WITH SACRED HA AND THE WILD OOP FOR I KNOW

FAST

AND

SLOW

TO GIVE BACK TO YOU SACRED IS THE HA MY NYAPUME KWI I SING TO THE LAND AS SHE RESTORES MY WEARY MAAT

SLOW

THAT

MY WEARY MAAT TIRED SHAMOO AND DIM MAATHOW I WILL STAND SUPUR AND THINK QUICK AS MY AH-OW BURNS

THAT

AND

THIS

MY AH-OW BURNS BRIGHT INSIDE OVERFLOWING WITH UUWAY I KNOW NOW MYHA ALWAYS REMINDS ME OF THE

THIS

MYHA ALWAYS REMINDS ME OF THE JOURNEYS MY PEOPLE WAMP AND ROOT THE CHA'ALK SONGS IN MY MEMORY

AND

OVER

CHA'ALK SONGS SHOW US THE DIRECTION I REMEMBER ENYA YEECHESH EEYAY AHUN AS PEACE WASHES OVER ME

OVER

AND

OVER

TO BE A WAH I CHOOSE FREELY TO BE A CHA'ALK I CHOOSE ME PLEASE WATCH OVER ME AS I BOW MY SHAMOO

OVER

LONG

DAYS

AND

WATCH OVER ME AS I BOW MY SHAMOO IN HONOR AND EEYAY AHUN MYHA WATCHES OVER ALL BLESSINGS TO THE

AND

MANY

BLESSINGS TO THE HECHANE SIN TO THE EL MUM SIN TO THE CHA'ALK SHE IS ALL OF US WE ARE BORN OF HER YAS