The Ozette Prairies of Olympic National Park - Natural Resources ...

We never left it to waste. Them old people was like that. (Powell, NB 1969:1:33)
According to Mr. Woodruff, the traditional Quileute sense of dokwlita (to waste something by taking
more than one will use) was an offense to the spirits rather than an upset to the balance of nature. Although
we are attempting to clarify a historic, traditional perspective, we are lucky to have other extant
statements that give us insights into this aboriginal worldview. For example, when the linguist Manuel
Andrade visited LaPush in 1928, Jack Ward offered to dictate a speech with a message to non-Indians if
Andrade would publish it in his book. The speech, called “Don’t Spoil the Country” seems to use this
talaykila (old-time Quileute) perspective. However, Andrade had had little exposure to Quileute culture
and he provides a translation that uses the perspective of Western scientific environmentalism rather
than viewing Ward’s statements from the viewpoint of the traditional Quileute worldview. The following
excerpts from Mr. Ward’s speech are provided with Andrade’s translation and an interpretive comment
by Eleanor Wheeler (a Quileute woman with an extremely traditional viewpoint), that gives us an insight
into the Quileute traditional perspective, which she presumed Ward would’ve been using.
(Jack Ward original) ItcaqLasqalo sa’a luwo hat’citaLetili tcaqLaqalou kiya’atilawociL xe’ itsaqpaqetik
hequ xo’o yix ot’oqu t’ot’sa luba’ po’oq. (2) Tso’ot’e sa’a xaba t’atca xe’ t’sixa xwa’
itcaqayilakiLt’oqu kiyaxat tciali xe’ xabat’so’ oxo’o yix tas t’siqati yix hetca’wa taxu helokiL. Xe’
tciLqwatoqu hexat xwa’ tsiLqa’axw xwa’ tsiLqwat’oqu... (3) Itso La dakiL taxu wait’coli s yokiL
wa’alici uxwat’so’ o xe’ qabaLuwat qale xe’ k’eki: hawayicka hexat s xabat’so’ o xe’ qabaLuwat…
(4) ALa dakiL yix hokwat’ qaxayootaqwa …pawa- Lakskeda LaxuLe toqowa xwa’ t’Laatilayaxu xwa’
t’Laxataqwayo’.
(Andrade translation) Thus, we bring this message of good-will to you, wishing to be of service to you in
whatever work you undertake in this land where we Indians were born and raised. (2) That is the reason
we all should know the right way to act, helping each other to observe conservancy of the products of
land, as it belongs to our children as well as to our children’s children. (3) Otherwise, all the animals of
the woods may disappear, such as the elk, deer, and others. (4) But, you White people are wasteful…acting
wantonly, persisting in breaking the laws of the lawgivers [ed. i.e. the lawmakers of the state game
laws and game wardens].
(Wheeler interpretive comment) He [Ward] says to the Whitemen, “So I’m giving you the good word so
you can be successful because, unless the spirits like you, things never work out; and we were born and
raised here, so we know what the spirits don’t like and what wins them over.” (2) And he says, “So I’m
helping you know how to survive around here, because the spirits can make it really tough if you take
more than you need and waste it.” That’s what he’s saying. Don’t waste the things T’siq’ati gives you or
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