Section 5.4 Hul'q'umi'num' - KWI'KW'USHNUTS 'I' TTHU TSETSUL'UL'ULHTUN'
Written by: Veselin Jungic and Mark MacLean
Illustrated by: Simon Roy and Jess Pollard
Hul'q'umi'num' translation by: Ruby Peter (Sti’tum’aat)
stl’i’tl’qulh tthu kw’i’kw’ushnuts, ’i’ ya-a-ath ’uw’ ni’ ’u tthu ti’ya’xween. ni’ tthu lelum’s tthu shhwuw’welis ni’ ’u tthu tsuwmuns tthu sta’luw’. ni’ wulh nem’ yuxay’tl’thut. suw’ ts’ets’uw’utum’ ’utl’ kw’i’kw’ushnuts tthu mens, they’tus thu swultuns. nilh tse’ hakw ’uw’ kweyulus kws nem’s ’aluxutus kw’ stseelhtun.
Small Number is a young boy who gets into a lot of mischief. His parents’ house is at the beach by the river. The weather is getting cold. And Small Number is helping his father to fix the nets. They will be used tomorrow for when they go harvest some salmon.
“hay ’ul’ qux hwihwuwul’ stseelhtun ni’ ’u kwthu tsuwmun. ni’ stl’atl’um’ kws nem’ tst thuyt kwthu swultun kwus hwun’ netulh, kwus hwun’ sul’lits’ thu kw’atl’kwu qa’,” thut tthu men ’utl’ kw’i’kw’ushnuts. ni’ tl’lim’ ’uw’ yelhs yuhuw’as tthu kw’i’kw’ushnuts ’u tthu mens kws nem’s tseelhtun tthu tsi’tsut. ’i’ hay ’ul’ qux ni’ stl’i’s kws tul’nuhws.
“A lot of salmon are arriving at the beach. We need to set our net in the morning while the tide is still high,” says Small Number’s father. It’s the very first time that Small Number is going to catch salmon with his father. And he has many questions.
“nutsim’ ’a’lu ’u shus st’i’am’ tthu smul’em’nut ’u tthu lhq’een’ ’i’ hay tthu xpey’ ni’ ni’ ’u tthu nuts’a’ lhq’een’ ’u thu swultun? stem kwu’elh kw’ shhwakwushs tthu yuse’lu thithus smunmeent? ’i’ ni’ stsekwul’ kws hwutusth tthu mumun’lh smul’em’nut? ’i’ stsekwul’ kws tsakwtuls tse’? nutsim’ kwu’elh shus sxut’xut’ekw’ tthu xpey’? stsekwul’ kws tl’eqt-s thu swultun? stsekwul’ kws tl’ups thu swultun?”
“Why are there little rocks on one side on this side of the net and pieces of cedar on the other side? What do they use those two big rocks for? What is the weight of those little rocks? How far apart are they? Why are the pieces of cedar carved in this shape? How long is the net? How deep is the net?”
“si’amut ch ’ul’, kw’i’kw’ushnuts! ni’ ch tse’ p’uw’ tul’nuhw ’uw’ kweyulus,” hwyunumus tthu tsi’tsut. “nem’ lhu xwchenum nem’ ’u kwthun’ si’lu ’i’ kwthun’ shhwum’nikw. yuthust ch kwsus wulh hwusaay’ thu swultun. ’i’ stl’atl’um’ kws m’is ’i ’u tthu tsetsuw’ kws hwuw’es q’iltus.”
“Calm down, Small Number! You will learn about it tomorrow,” smiles Father. “Now run to your grandfather and your uncle. Tell them that the net is ready. And that they should be at our beach before mid-morning!”
hay ’ul’ siil’ukw kw’i’kw’ushnuts ’u tthu ni’ yutatul’nuhwus. kwus wulh ’itut tthuw’nilh, suw’ hwi’ qul’qul’uthun’ kwus m’i tstl’um tthu stseelhtun ’utl’qul ’u tthu qa’. ’i’ ni’ tl’uw’ hwi’ hwu’alum’ tstl’um’ nuw’ilum ’u tthu qa’.
Small Number is very excited about what he is learning. When he finally gets to sleep, he dreams about a big salmon jumping out of the water. And then it jumps back into the water.
“hwuythut, kw’i’kw’ushnuts! hwuythut! ni’ wulh ni’ ’u tthu tsetsuw’ kwthun’ men,” yuthustum ’u thu tens tthu kwi’kw’ushnuts.
“Wake up, Small Number! Wake up! Your father is already down at the beach,” Small Number’s mom tells him.
kwus wulh nem’ ’utl’qul, ’i’ ’unuhw kw’i’kw’ushnuts suw’ hwsuw’q’us. suw’ lumnuhws tthu hay ’ul’ thithu smunmunut xwte’ ’u tthu tun’tsa’luqw. suw’ ts’elhum’utus tthu ha’yul’uq qa’ ’i’ tthu qwuni ni’ ’u tthu tsetsuw’.
When he steps outside, Small Number stops and looks around. He sees big mountain peaks toward the wilderness. He hears the big waves and the seagulls at the beach.
lumnum ’utl’ kw’i’kw’ushnuts tthu ni’ ’u tthu tsetsuw’ qux suw’wuy’qe’. sus ’uw’ xwchenum’ nem’ numnusus. xwum kwus yuxwan’chunum’. “tahw ch ’uw’ yustl’atl’um’ kw’i’kw’ushnuts,” thut-stum ’u tthu si’lus, p’aytl’ustum tthuw’nilh. “’i’ tst wulh hwus’aalhule’ts ’u thu swultun, tthu le’tsus, ’i tst wulh saay’ kws huye’ tst.”
Small Number sees a group of men. And he runs towards them. He’s a fast runner. “Right on time, Small Number,” says his grandfather, giving him a hug. “Our canoes are loaded with nets and baskets and we are ready to go.”
kwus wulh tus ’u kwthu tsuwmun, tthu si’lu ’utl’ kw’i’kw’ushnuts ’i’ tthu shhwum’nikws ni’ nem’ hwkw’ast thu snuhwulh nem’ tsumst-hwus ’u tthu tsuwmun. nuw’ ’ula’ulh ’ul’ ’u tthu snuhwulh kw’i’kw’ushnuts ’i’ tthu mens. sus nem’ ’uw’ hw’umtsustus tthu si’lus ’u thu swultun. sus nem’ ’uw’ ’ushul kw’i’kw’ushnuts nem’ taal tun’ni’ ’u tthu tsuwmun. ’i’ hay tthu tsi’tsut, hay ’i’ yutelht thu swultun.
When they arrive at the beach, Small Number’s grandfather and uncle pull their canoe up onto the beach. Small Number and his father stay in their canoe. And they pass the ends of the net lines to his grandfather. Small Number paddles away from the beach. Father continues to play out the net.
kwus wulh ’usup’ thu swultun, sus nem’ ’uw’ thuytus tthu snuhwulhs stutes ’u tthu tsuwmun. suw’ hwi’ wenshus tthu tsi’tsut tthu thithus smeent, ni’ st’i’am’ ’u thu swultun sus ’uw’ nuw’ushum ’u tthu qa’. thut-st-hwus tthu mun’us tthu tsi’tsut, “tu’i nilh tse’ ni’ ’un’nehwstuhw thu swultun kws ’uwus kweyuxumus.” “a-a-a ni’ tsun tul’nuhw,” teems kw’i’kw’ushnuts. “tu’i smunmeent, nilh tse’ ni’ yust’i’am’ ’u tthu swultun, nilh tse’ ni’ tl’itl’up ’u tthu qa’. ’i’ hay tthu xpey’ nilh tse’ ni’ m’i kw’i’stuhw tthu lhq’een’s tthu swultun, sus ’uw’ hwustutilh thu swultun.”
When the net is finished, they align the canoe so it’s close to the beach. And Father throws a big rock that is attached to the net into the water. And Father says to Small Number, “This will hold the net in place so it won’t move.” “Oh, I see,” yells Small Number. “These little rocks here will be stuck to the net deep down in the water. And the pieces of cedar will keep the other edge of the net on the surface and that will open up the net!”
lumnum ’utl’ kw’i’kw’ushnuts tthu qu-u-ux stseelhtun wulh m’i lheel. ’i’ m’i yuhwihwuwul’ yusq’uq’a’ kwus yuququmul’ thu qa’. le’lum’utus kwus hay ’ul’ thithu tthu stseelhtun. suw’ tul’nuhwus kwus xwumthat kwus kw’etxum’ tthu ts’xemuns. sht’es kwus hay ’ul’ kw’alum’kw’um’ ’i’ kwus hay ’ul’ ’uli’uy’mut tthu stseelhtun.
Small Number sees a lot of salmon coming toward the shore. They are coming to shore with the incoming tide. He sees how big the salmon are. And he realizes that his chest is pounding fast. The salmon are really strong and really beautiful.
qwsunutun tthu ni’ st’i’am’ ’u tthu lhq’een’s tthu swultun. kw’i’kw’ushnuts ni’ nem’ thuyt thu snuhwulh nem’ qwsutus ’u tthu tsuwmun, ni’ shni’s tthu mens. sus ’uw’ hw’umtsustus tthu mens ’u tthu xwi’lum’s thu swultun, nemust-hwus ’u tthu shhwum’nikw ’utl’ kw’i’kw’ushnuts.
An anchor is attached to the end of the net. Small Number turns the canoe towards the beach where his father is. His father passes the net lines to Small Number’s uncle.
ni’ wulh m’i hwkw’astus tthu tsi’tsut tthu snuhwulh nem’ tsumst hwus ’utl’qtus ’u tthu qa’. suw’ putum’s kw’i’kw’ushnuts, “kw’in tse’ stseelhtun kw’u ni’ shun’tsu tst ’u tun’a kweyul? ni’ tse’ kw’elh stsekwul’ kws thuluqtul tst ’u tthu stseelhtun, ’u tthu ts’lhhwulmuhw tst? ni’ ’u tse’ kwu’elh ’uw’ st’atl’um’ ’u tthuw’ mukw’ lhwet? ni’ tse’ kwu’elh stsekwul’ kws m’is hwu’alum’ tse’ qul’et tthu stseelhtun?”
Father pulls the canoe up on the beach out of the water. Small Numbers asks, “How many salmon will we catch today? How are we going to divide the salmon among our families? Will there be enough for everybody? How do we know that the salmon will come back?”
“ni’ p’uw’ ni’ kwthu ni’ sht’e tst,” thut-stum ’u tthu mens. “’uw’ ’i ch ’ul’ kwu’elh ’u tu’i ts’ewut ch tthun’ shhwum’nikw kws m’is hwkw’atus tthu xwi’lum’s tthu swultun. nem’ tsun tse’ ts’ewut tthun’ si’lu.”
“We have our ways,” his father says to him. “Now, you stay here to help your uncle pull on the net lines. I’m going to help your grandfather.”
sus m’uw’ulh hwkw’atus ’ul’ tthu swultun. le’lum’utum’ ’utl’ kw’i’kw’ushnuts kwus mukw’ tthu stseelhtun ni’ ’u tthu tsetsuw’, mukw’ nuw’ hwusun’iw’ ’u tthu swultun. suw’ thut-stuhws tthu shhwhum’nikws, “’uy’ kwutst m’i ’ewu ’u tun’a kwus sul’lits’ thu qa’. ha’ulh ’i stth’etth’um thu qa’, ’i’ wuwa’ skw’eyulh kws kwunnuhw tst kw’ stseelhtun. nan ’uw’ ’uy’ tthu ni’ sht’e tst.”
They start hauling in the net. Small Number sees that fish are all at the beach, all inside the net. And he says to his uncle, “It’s good that we came during high tide. If the tide had been low, maybe we wouldn’t have caught any salmon. Our ways are good!”
suw’ ptem’, “nutsim’ shus sht’eewun’ tthu kw’i’kw’ushnuts kws ha’s ni’ stth’etth’um thu qa’ ’i’ skw’ey kws kwunnuhws kw’ qux stseelhtun?”
Question: Why did Small Number think that during a low tide the catch would have been much smaller?
