Beth Patote is an enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation. Piatote is devoted to the study of her heritage language of Nez Perce and is an Indigenous language revitalization activist. She is currently an associate professor of English and Comparative Literature at the University of California, Berkeley.
Because our roots are in rivers, not Latin
hilé·w’ce – it is (still) in winter
(e.g., fish) is resting in deep water*
Consider this translation:
Not that winter
is the root of hibernation
but that rest
the stillness of fish
is the core
of the season
hilé·w’ce
fish rests in deep water
to speak the language of rivers
to survive winter’s cold
hilé·w’ce
become fish, and move
toward darkness, muscle away
from light
and ice
sway
to rest
in deepest water, suspend
effort, reaction
become only heart, and essence—
Footnote: From the verb lé·w’ to be winter, to hibernate. hi- (prefix) third person singular + -lé·w’- (possibly lé·w- [fish] + ‘í [verb] to lie, lie down, be lying down) + -ce (suffix) present tense
