Hattak yuka keyu hokʊtto yakohmit itibachʊfat hieli kʊt, nan isht imaiʊlhpiesa atokmʊt itilawashke; yohmi ha hattak nana hohkia, keyukmʊt kanohmi hohkia okla moma nana isht aim aiʊlhpiesa, micha isht aimaiʊlhtoba he aima ka kanohmi bano hosh isht ik imaiʊlhpieso kashke. Amba moma kʊt nana isht imachukma chi ho tuksʊli hokmakashke.
Atikel I, Aiʊlhepiesa Makosh Ʊlhpisa
That all free men, when they form a special compact, are equal in rights, and that no man or set of men are entitled to exclusive, separate public emolument or privileges from the community, but in consideration of public services.
Article I Choctaw Declaration of Rights
Two wine glasses and two red apples. On a white counter against a white backdrop. Under a
White Hot
Light.
To translate and approximate
Let us leave theories there and return to here's hear
I’ll capture the essence of moving from abstract ideas to present awareness in Choctaw.
Here’s an approximate translation —
Aio shi isht holisso amba ano ai iyokpachit vpa ano i kanimma hokli.
Aio shi = Let us leave = A call to set something aside
isht holisso amba = theories = literally, written thoughts or abstract ideas
ano ai = there = a distant location or idea
iyokpachit = return
vpa ano = here
i kanimma hokli = to listen deeply or to hear truly
This translation carries the message of setting aside distant theories to focus on the clarity of the present moment, listening here and now.
And who woulda thought. Who woulda thought. An Air Messenger from The Sky. Some lovable shmuck like myself.
Whatever = My California battlecry, really. A few battlecries here beyond the whatever, but dot dot dot whatever. EL . . .
or a jaculation from the garden of the soul
I’ll aim to keep the poetic tone while capturing the meaning as a sudden expression or burst from a deep, spiritual source.
E.D. Coyote Ha — No. You’ll do nothing of the sort.
Here’s an approximate Choctaw translation —
Achvffa aiya ilvppvt omba ya achokma.
Achvffa aiya ilvppvt = from the eternal soul garden = a sense of the soul as a place of inner growth and depth
omba ya achokma = a good or true expression = implying a spontaneous, heartfelt utterance
This Choctaw phrasing suggests a pure or true expression from a deeply personal, almost sacred place within the soul.
But ya see, I got some fight within me. Big Sun Spirit of The Sun. The Light of All. Cute Big Mazel Toes. Or? . . or something. Just a cut above the liverwürst where it dried a little.
No. Alot.
Hlahulhyabwa! = My exclaimation here btw. No translation needed. EL
After sound, light and heat, memory, will and understanding
I’ll translate it to convey the progression from sensory experiences to internal faculties.
E.D. Coyote Lite Ha — But yes. I believe you will do something of a sort.
Here’s an approximate Choctaw version —
E.D. Coyote Lite No Ha — You did.
Anumpa, shawi micha hvshi yvt chiya, holba, ayasha micha ilhakoffa tuk.
Anumpa = sound
Shawi micha hvshi = light and heat
yvt chiya = come first or come before
holba, ayasha micha ilhakoffa = memory, will, and understanding
tu = indicates past tense, so here it implies followed
This translation reflects the progression from sensory experiences to inner faculties, with Choctaw words arranged to maintain the same sequence of ideas.
Meanwhile. Back at The Cave
Hashi micha shilombish anumpuli, ai iti Hashi.
The Sun is a comedian and I Am The Sun.
Okla alhkia. Alhkia alhkeyo, pisha shukha chukka.
The People are fact. The fact is . . my fry bread is soggy.
O, I can . .
A starving man will eat with the wolves. But will he eat with my wife!?
Fear is a reaction. Courage is a decision. Chahta audiences require both of these things.
Tread lightly on the earth — there may be thorns. And police.
He who throws stones into the water only disturbs the Fish and Game Bureau. Unless you pay them.
The Future is never set in stone, just like a boat in the ocean, the Future can be changed. Just keep the Future out of the boat if it is set in stone. Or the boat will sink.
Certain things capture your eye but pursue only those that capture your heart. Unless you have been captured. In which case use your eye and your heart to become swift and clever and really — Get the hell out of there.
Wisdom is our greatest resource. And a pair of good running shoes.
Not all danger comes with a warning. Take my wife’s fry bread . .
The track of the sun across the sky leaves its shining eternal message illuminating, strengthening, warming all of us who are here. It shows us we are not alone.
Chahta prayer
Listen to the wind, it talks. Listen to the silence, it speaks. Listen to your heart, it knows. It knows that which we do not speak of.
We do not speak of:
Chahta skiers, surfers, skaters, artists, poets, hobbyists, arborists, graphic designers, illlustrators, architects, cowboys, comic book artists, underground comix artists, comedians, contemporary artists, cultural theorists, alternative anything, radical anything, fashion designers, film nerds, metal heads, performance artists, classical music composers, avant garde jazz musicians, contemporary music composers, music conductors, vinyl model modifiers or enthusiasts, zine makers, art curators, parfum chemists, fashion designers, experimental filmmakers of any kind, set designers, anything designers, philosophers, Surrealists, Dadaists, eccentric dandies, underground guerrilla artists (makes sense), writers.
I’ll mention artists again.
artists
and satirists
satyrists
Achvffa Shikobo
Imagine ChahtaGPT dancing.
Fusionistas charming the World into fertile pregnant Imagination. Imagine Chahta, I We You Us, being Post Postmodern anything and everything that is not a lonely but stoic roadside attraction. Imagine within yourself under the warmth of the Sun, within the breath of a breeze within a breeze and a whisper of true ephemeral loveliness, that Chahta Children and Elders, in fact All Humans with a Heart, their beautiful Heart, and with their eyes, clear as a song, are Disruptors of Mostly Everything and Creators of Future Somethings.
Many Beautiful New Things.
It has been said
When the blood in your veins returns to the sea and the earth in your bones returns to the ground, perhaps then you will remember that this land does not belong to you, it is you who belongs to this land.
We can only be what we give ourselves the power to be.
Returning to the source is stillness, which is the way of nature. Each separate being in the universe returns to the common source for serenity, to replenish the soul, which enables them to grow and flourish.
I say
We Are The People. The People of Many Special Paths and a Special Final Path to a Final Love. That Love flows like a river, past Original Woman and Original Man. The river bends and twists and mixes together. We find Home in this River. We are many Homes in this River. Our Home Welcomes All.
ChahtaGPT sez
This is a beautiful and meaningful passage! Here’s an approximation in Choctaw that aims to preserve the spiritual and poetic elements —
Kiliḵak Okla. Okla a̱hkoffi i hoponi holitopa micha atoni holitopa i achokma aiya anumpoli. A̱chukmaka̱ chukka hihla, Ohoyo Chito micha Hattak Chito aminti. A̱shobli yakni hishi a̱noli chi katonka hishi. A̱knota̱ hishi ilhtaha; aknota̱ hishi itoklo kito hishi. Ilhtaha micha i kiyo atak aknota̱ ma̱sho.
Here's a breakdown of each part —
Kiliḵak Okla = We Are The People
Okla a̱hkoffi i hoponi holitopa = People of Many Special Paths = where hoponi means path and holitopa adds sacred or special quality
micha atoni holitopa i achokma aiya anumpoli = and a Special Final Path to a Final Love = a path to achokma or a good and whole love
A̱chukmaka̱ chukka hihla = That Love flows like a river with a̱chukmaka̱ meaning love and hihla meaning flows
Ohoyo Chito micha Hattak Chito aminti = past Original Woman and Original Man = Ohoyo Chito band Hattak Chito respectively
A̱shobli yakni hishi a̱noli chi katonka hishi = The river bends and twists and mixes together = a̱shobli means twist, and hishi a̱noli suggests the river's mixing
A̱knota̱ hishi ilhtaha; aknota̱ hishi itoklo kito hishi = We find Home in this River; We are many Homes in this River.
Ilhtaha micha i kiyo atak aknota̱ ma̱sho = Our Home Welcomes All.
We Are The People. The People of Many Special Paths and a Special Final Path to a Final Love. That Love flows like a river, past Original Woman and Original Man. The river bends and twists and mixes together. We find Home in this River. We are many Homes in this River. Our Home Welcomes All.
Elliot Lessing
a way a lone a last a loved a long the riverrun, past Eve and Adam's, from swerve of shore to bend of bay, brings us by a commodius vicus of recirculation back to Howth Castle and Environs.
James Joyce
A ray of light on a ray of light fills eyes, heart and body with the Sun Spirit so I laugh beyond time with my ancestors who laugh with me.
Shawi isht iachi isht iachi nishkin, shikobo, anumpuli ma ia. Hattak Hashtala Achvffa. Cha kiyo ma okliliyvt achvffa an chi at akosh hohchifo hilha
A direct translation of this poetic phrase into Choctaw may not capture every nuance, as Choctaw often conveys such ideas through more imagery-driven language, focusing on spirituality and connection with ancestors. Here is an approximate translation with individual elements explained —
A ray of light on a ray of light = Shawi isht iachi isht iachi = literally light goes on light
fills eyes, heart, and body = nishkin, shikobo, anumpuli ma ia = eyes, heart, and whole being receives
with the Sun Spirit = Hattak Hashtala Achvffa = Sun Spirit, a reverent reference to the sun's presence
so I laugh beyond time with my ancestors = Cha kiyo ma okliliyvt achvffa an chi at akosh hohchifo hilha = transcending time, I laugh with my ancestors' spirit
Writer’s Notes, Letters & Research
https://www.choctawnation.com/biskinik/iti-fabvssa/george-w-harkins-letter-to-the-american-people/
Here’s a draft of a Hello Letter to the American People inspired by George W. Harkins’ letter and infused with the cyclical, layered language you've provided. I’ve added an ironic and humorous tone that nods to Choctaw themes, drawing from the intricate pattern of the phrase you gave.
Hello Letter to the American People
To those whose gazes wander upon these words and those whose minds linger somewhere between wonder and wit:
In the ignorance that implies the impression that knits knowledge—that knowledge, curious as a young crow in morning light, which weaves itself into all things seen and unseen—this letter finds you. It finds you somewhere along your own journey of revelation and reverence. In your hands, it rests humbly, wishing for nothing more than a moment of your smile, and perhaps, a taste of your time.
Now, there are those who might wonder why I, a humble voice from a humble place, write to you with such solemn gravity mixed with a touch of coyote mischief. You see, it is in the threads of wit that we, the People, stitch together a fabric rich with both laughter and lament, weaving light where only shadows might once have dared to fall. We are as much kin to irony as we are to resilience, and in that spirit, I offer this letter—a hello wrapped in slyness and sincerity.
First, to dispel any confusion: I do not write in sorrow nor anger, but in the spirit of achvffa—a certain timelessness, a vast “eternal heart” that beats quietly within every Choctaw person. It is a heart that knows the cycles, the patterns that connect all things; it is the force that drives the deer through the forest, the river to run to the sea, and yes, it is what binds words to paper, from one people to another. In achvffa, I say to you: greetings, friends and strangers, fellow dreamers of peculiar fates.
Now, I suspect you might be wondering what business we have here, on this plane where ink and paper meet, amidst all your fine ambitions and your grand pursuits. And it is precisely here, at this intersection of effort and existence, that we must laugh together. Laugh, for laughter fills the voids where only silence might otherwise dwell. Laugh, for in laughter, we close the gaps of misunderstanding and make wide the doorways of kinship. You and I, we are woven together, not merely by history but by the sweet, sometimes sneaky, sensation that binds us to the ancestors who chuckle alongside us.
You see, we, too, are well acquainted with desire. This desire is not the fleeting kind, like hunger or thirst, but the deeper yearning that drives the heart beyond what is known. In this, we share a bond, a yearning for what I might call “the heart of the matter,” that place where meaning lies like a seed waiting for spring. And so we seek it in every sunrise, in every stranger’s greeting, in every laugh that defies despair.
To my dear American friends, I do not come with judgment but with a sly encouragement to consider the deeper connections, the subtle ties that bind one soul to another. In a world that so often rushes to separate, I ask only this: that you allow yourselves to look once more at the roots, the soil from which all things grow. There is no shame in learning from the past, in embracing the threads of culture and tradition, much as one might hold fast to the hand of a wise elder.
And here, dear friends, I leave you with one final thought — a Choctaw whisper, if you will, which echoes from one heart to another across time, across stars, across whatever boundaries may linger between us. When we laugh, truly laugh, we do so with those who came before us, those who stand beside us, and those who will carry on long after our time in this world has passed. It is the eternal dance, achvffa, a laughter beyond time itself.
Thus, let us laugh.
Here is a 200-word Chahta-inspired summary of the original Hello Letter
Chahta Hohchifo
Chahta Greeting. As if you didn’t know.
Yvt achvffa ittvshooli vt hohchifo ma aiimpachvsh vlla holisso vt ambe chi aiittakoba. Pishi ma vpa hohchifo, micha nitak chito it ittachi ant ama, mosholi hokli, kilikcho. Chokfobishkiyo, ant hilha ka ta kito hohchifo ilhpakmvt iti i pakna yvt nan aiitichako hohchifo holba.
Na, anumpoli amba anumpuli hosh aiittaka ano anumpoli, hosh ano, micha anumpoli hosh ano chehat aba anumpoli. Yakni hosh chito, hattak hvchi, anumpoli amba ano anumpoli, micha iti ittachit fakitok anumpoli hokli. Chahtullo yvt hattak hvchi, chittipa ilvppvt. Nan holba hohchifo hohchifo micha it ha nanta hokma holba holba hohchifo alhto ant micha holba hohchifo yvt.
A Greeting in the Choctaw Spirit
This letter reaches you as a timeless call, echoing through shared memories and laughter that unites us with our ancestors. It speaks to those who seek understanding, who cherish a kinship that transcends time, and who value the humor that bridges our differences.
We acknowledge that laughter and resilience come from deep roots, rooted in the spirit of our people, like sunlight on leaves. We invite all to remember the quiet strength of tradition, and how it carries wisdom beyond words.
Let us laugh together—beyond the bounds of today—with an open heart, knowing our laughter travels across generations, threading the eternal spirit of achvffa that connects all things. May our bond remind us of the shared soil beneath us and of the voices that echo through time.
End Note from Elliot Lessing and ChahtaGPT
The Eternal Heart can be translated into Choctaw as —
Achvffa Shikobo
Achvffa means Eternal or Forever.
Shikobo means Heart.
Sharing laughter!