Section 7.4 Hul'q'umi'num' - KW'I'KW'USHNUTS 'I' TU S'ELUHW THI SXT'EKW'
Written by: Veselin Jungic and Mark MacLean
Illustrated by: Bethani L'Heureux
Hul'q'umi'num' translation by: Delores Louie (Swustanulwut)
kw’i’kw’ushnuts tunu skwish. ’i’ yath tsun ’uw’ ni’ ’u tu tiya’hween. tu sht’un’aalhtuns ’i’ nilh tu sxt’ekw’ qwiil’qwul’ ’u tu ni’ ’u tu sqwul’qwul’.
My name is Small Number. And I am a young boy who gets into a lot of mischief. For my people, making totems poles is our way of telling and remembering stories.
tun’a sqwul’qwul’ ’i’ nilh kwu’elh tun’ni’ ’u kwthey’ s’eluhw sxt’ekw’. ’i’ nilh tu syuw’en’tstulh nilh ni’ thuyt tun’a sxt’ekw’, stutes ’u tu hulelum’s. ’i’ nan ’uw’ wulh hith kwus tun’ni’ ’u kwthu syuw’en’tst.
This is the story of the old totem pole. Built by my ancestors on a beach close to my village. that has been shared for many generations now.
nuts’a’ skweyul ’i’ wulh sew’q’ tu yuxwule’ ’u kw’ s’ulhtuns. hwun’ xut’u ’i’ wulh lumnuhwus tu hay ’ul’ thi stseelhtun ’uw’ tuw’ yu tsitsulh ni’ ’u tu qa’. sus nem’ ’uw’ lhakw’ tuw’nilh yuxwule’ ’i’ nilh tu sxun’us ni’ shkwunut-s tu stseelhtun. ’i’ nilh kwus nan ’uw’ thi tu stseelhtun, ha’ se’tus ’i’ ’uw’ ’uhwiin’ ’ul’ kwus m’i sen’hwus.
One day the eagle was looking for food. He spotted a huge salmon, just below the surface of the water. He plummeted to the river and caught the salmon with his mighty talons. But, the salmon was so big that even eagle’s strong wings could only lift the salmon just a bit above the surface of the water.
wulh teem tuw’nilh yuxwule’, “ts’ewuth! ts’ewuth! ’i tsun shtsul’ew’!”
The eagle called out, “Help me! Help me! I’m struggling, being flipped!”
wulh ts’elhum’utum ’utl’ spaal’ tu yuxwule’ kwus tuteem’, ts’e’ts’uw’te’num’. sus nem’ ’uw’ lhakw’ nem’ spaal’ sus ’uw’ lhkwatus tu stseelhtun ts’ewulhtun se’tus.
The raven heard eagle’s cry for help. So he flew down and pierced his beak into the salmon’s body.
susuw’ hwu kwun’atul’ tu yuxwule’ ’i’ spaal’ t’ut’a’thut kwus suse’tus tu thi-i-i stseelhtun. ’i’ nan ’uw’ thi tu stseelhtun ’i’ ni’ ’uw’ ’uhwiin’ ’ul’ kwus nem’ sen’hwus nem’ se’tus ’u tu tsuw’mun.
The eagle and the raven were pulling the salmon together. But the salmon was so big that they only moved the salmon just a little bit closer to the shore.
tl’e’ wulh qul’et tu yuxwule’, “ts’ewuth! ts’ewuth! ’i tst shtsul’ew’.”
Again the eagle shouted, “Help me! Help me! We are being flipped!”
wulh ts’elhum’ tu spe’uth ’u tu ni’ tuteem’. xwchenum tuw’nilh spe’uth nem’ ts’ewutus tu yuxwule’.
The bear heard the eagle’s calling. The bear ran out of forest and grabbed the eagle.
m’i hwukw’ustum’ ’utl’ spe’uth tu yuxwule’, ts’ets’uw’utus. yuxwule’ ’i’ spaal’ kwun’et tu stseelhtun kwus ts’i’ts’uw’atul’. ’i’ nilh kwus nan ’uw’ thi tu stseelhtun kwus m’i hwu stutes ’u tu tsuw’mun.
The bear was pulling the eagle, helping him. The eagle and the raven were helping each other hold the salmon. But the salmon was so big that they could only move the salmon just a little bit closer to the shore.
hwi’ nilh tu spe’uth teem, “ts’e-e-ewuth! ts’e-e-ewuth! ’i ch shtsul’ew’!”
Then the bear shouted, “Help me! Help me! We are being flipped!”
wulh ts’elhum’ tu stqeeye’ kwus tuteem’ tu spe’uth. m’i xwchenum wuplhuqw ’u tu hwthuthiqut. lhxilush sis ’uw’ nilh tu yuw’a’nus sxun’us ni’ shkwunut-s tu spe’uth.
The wolf heard the bear’s call. He came running out of the forest. He stood up and grabbed the bear with his front legs.
m’i yu hwukw’ustus tu spe’uth tu stqeeye’, ’i’ hay tu spe’eth nilh tu yuxwule’ ’i’ m’i yu hwukw’ustus. ’i’ hay tu yuxwule’ ’i’ tu spaal’ nilh tu stseelhtun ni’ m’i hwukw’ustus. ’i’ nilh kwus nan ’uw’ thi tu stseelhtun kwus m’i hwu stutes ’u tu tsuw’mun.
The wolf was pulling the bear, and the bear was pulling the eagle. The eagle and the raven were pulling the salmon. But the salmon was so big that they could only move the salmon just a little bit closer to the shore.
hwi’ nilh tu stqeeye’ ni’ teem’, “ts’ewuth! ts’ewuth! ’i tst shtsheluw!”
Then the wolf hollered, “Help me! Help me! We are being flipped!”
wulh ts’elhum’ tu sqel’uw’ ts’elhum’utus tu stqeeye’, sus m’uw’ hwiwul m’i ts’uwlhtun. sus ’uw’ kwoon’s ’u tu ni’ tuteem’.
The beaver heard wolf and he came forward to help. And he took hold of the one calling out.
yu hwukw’ustus tu squl’ew’ tu stqeeye’, ’i’ hay tu stqeeye’ nilh tu spe’uth ni’ yu shkwun’el’sth. ’i’ tu spe’uth nilh tu yuxwule’ ni’ shkwun’el’sth, ’i’ hay tu yuxwule’ ’i’ tu spaal’ nilh tu stseelhtun m’i hwukw’ustus. ’i’ nilh kwus nan ’uw’ thi tu stseelhtun kwus m’i hwu stutes ’u tu tsuw’mun.
The beaver was pulling the wolf, and the wolf was pulling the bear. And the bear was pulling the eagle, and the eagle and the raven were pulling the salmon. But the salmon was so big that they could only move the salmon just a little bit closer to the shore.
tl’e’ wulh teem hwi’ nilh tu squl’ew’ teem, “ts’ewutal’hw! ts’ewutal’hw!” ’i’ nilh tu shtl’up’i’nuts-s hwi’ ni’ lhalhuqw’utus tu qa’.
And then next it was the beaver who cried, “Help us! Help us!” And he slapped the water with his tail.
wulh ts’elhum’ tu wuxus sus m’uw’ hwiwul, sus m’uw’ ’ewu ’u tun’ni’ shni’s tu tuteem’. suw’ kwoon’s ’u tu squl’ew’ tu wuxus.
The frog heard and came forward to the where the shouting came from. And the frog took hold of the beaver.
nilh tu wuxus ’i’ kwun’el’s hwukw’ust tu squl’ew’. nilh tu squl’ew’ ni’ hwukw’ust tu stqeeye’, hay tu stqeeye’ nilh tu spe’uth ni’ hwukw’ustus tu spe’uth ni’ hwukw’ust tu yuxwule’, ’i nilh tu yuxwule’ ’i’ tu spaal’ nilh ni’ hwukw’ust tu stseelhtun. hwun’ xut’u ’i’ ni’ wulh m’i se’tus tu stseelhtun m’i ’ewust-hwus ’u tu tsuw’mun.
The frog was pulling the beaver. The beaver was pulling the wolf. As for the wolf, the bear was who he was pulling, the bear who was pulling the eagle. And the eagle and the raven were pulling the salmon.
nilh ni’ shni’s ’i’ ni’ hay.
And that is where the story ends.
ptem’: nutsim’ ’a’lu ’u shus tsts’ets’uw’te’num’ tu yuxwule’, ’i’ spaal’, ’i’ tu spe’uth, ’i’ tu stqeeye’ ’i’ tu squl’ew’? nutsim’ ’a’lu ’u shus tsts’ets’uw’te’num’ ’u tu wuxus kws m’is hwkw’astum tu stseelhtun ’ewustum ’u tu tsuw’mun?
Question: Why did the eagle, the raven, the bear, the wolf, and the beaver need help? Why did they need help from the frog to pull the salmon on to the shore?
Also, see Hul’q’umi’num’ Sxwi’em’ for more stories