By Chief William T. Cranmer, Chairman of the U’mista Cultural Society

The Story Box/Nuya̱mat̓si

The U’mista Cultural Centre recognizes and thanks Aaron Glass and the Bard Graduate Center for production of The Story Box. The work of Aaron and all those who assisted is a continuation of the work that Franz Boas and my great-grandfather George Hunt did in collecting the artifacts and the stories connected to those artifacts between the 1890s and 1930s. The Story Box now makes it easier to access the historical information. Before George Hunt died in 1933, Franz Boas asked my father, Dan Cranmer, to work with him as an advisor and interpreter in 1931. He worked with Franz Boas until 1942 and provided him with other historical information about our people, including songs. When Franz Boas found it difficult to travel because of his health, he asked my father to go to New York and work with him and live with his family while he was there. My father’s first trip to New York was in November 1938, a month after I was born. Boas and his family wanted my father to stay longer but he returned before Christmas, 1938, to be with the newborn son. My father continued to work with Boas by correspondence. He travelled again to New York in 1941 to work with Franz Boas while living with his family. After returning home, there was a little more correspondence until Boas died. I feel very close to this work, to The Story Box, as I do with the Potlatch Collection at U’mista, because of our family connection to both. A huge “Thank You” to Aaron Glass and all those who worked to make The Story Box.                          

La̱mux̱w da U’mistax̱ duḵwa̱la dłu gilakas x̱a x̱ux̱ Aaron Glass dłuwida Bard Graduate Center ḵa̱ eda eyax̱inayi Ḵa̱ ox̱da “Nuya̱mat̓si” yex̱. La̱mux̱w eyax̱ine yex̱s Aaron dłuwida aługwa̱la oa̱m ha̱yuła̱la mas x̱a eyax̱ine yas Franz Boas dłuwa̱n g̱a̱g̱as ’wa̱łen George Hunt le ḵ̓a̱pe x̱a ’naxwa a̱x̱ała lax̱a hamała̱la dłuwida nuya̱m mes lax̱a ḵwisała ’nala 1890 laga lax̱ 1930. La̱mux̱da ’Nuya̱mat̓si yex̱ huła̱mgila ḵa̱eda ḵaḵista x̱a̱ns nuya̱mbalis. Isa̱m y̓axidi George Hunt lax̱ 1933 le hili Franz Boas x̱a̱n Ump, Dan Cranmer, ḵa gi’wales a̱yusaliła̱la x̱a̱ns yaḵa̱ndas dłu’wida nuya̱m’balis se sa̱ns lil’ḵwa̱latłe. La̱ a̱m ga̱lba̱n eyax̱ala ḵa̱’e Franz Boas lax̱ 1931. La̱’mis eyax̱a̱la̱n ump ḵa̱’e Franz Boas laga lax̱ 1942 ’niła̱la x̱is ḵ’odła̱ł lax̱a̱ns ’nuya̱mbalis dła̱wida ḵ̓a̱ḵ̓a̱mda̱m. Le waya’t̓so’xidi Franz Boas lax̱a ḵwis’ga̱tła’la ’noxwa la̱’mis dak̓ala ḵa la̱es gukwa̱la̱n Ump dłu’wi lax̱ New York, ḵa hemes la eya̱’x̱a̱li. La̱’ma̱n Ump lax New York laxa G̱wax̱sam 1938 ała g̱awe lega̱n ’mayu’dła̱m lax̱a Ma̱gwa’boyi 1938. A̱x̱ex̱s da a̱m Franz Boas dłu’wi wi’wa̱okwes ka g̱a’gełes san Ump eya’x̱a̱la lax̱ New York, o’mis ’nik ka̱n Ump la̱’ex̱ste ne’nakwa ḵa eda ała̱m mayu’dła̱ma. La̱ ’mis ne’nakw le a̱laḵ Kis’misa. La̱ a̱m ha̱yu’ła̱la eya’x̱a̱la̱n Ump dłu’wi Franz Boas a̱x̱a̱la sa k̓ada̱kw. La’a̱m it̓id dakali Franz Boas ḵa la̱’es a̱’edaḵa̱n Ump lax̱ New York. La̱ a̱m a̱’edaḵa̱n Ump lax̱a wa’ya̱nx̱ 1941. O’a̱m itid eyax̱a̱la sa kada̱kw gax̱e ne’nakwa is’me ’yaxidi Boas. La̱ ’mux̱w ola k̓ala ’na̱xwała lax̱a̱n noḵay’i ya̱x̱ux̱da Nuya̱mat̓si yex̱ dłu’wux̱da gix’ga̱ełex̱ la x̱a U’mista ḵa g̱we łases dła̱wa̱n ḵ̓wa̱ls’ḵ̓wa̱l’yakw. ’Walas gilakas xa x̱ux̱ Aaron Glass dłuwida ’naxwa eya’x̱a̱la ḵa ox̱da ’Nuya̱mat̓si yex̱.