Section 4.4 Hul'q'umi'num' - SUW'A'LUM' SILUMSHUN SHQ'UTUW'ULH 'I' KWI'KWUSHNUTS
Written by: Veselin Jungic and Mark MacLean
Illustrated by: Simon Roy
Hul'q'umi'num' translation, transcription, and editing by: Sti'tum'at | Ruby Peter, Donna Gerdts, and Randeana Peter
Funding for Hul'q’umi'mum' translation: First Peoples' Cultural Council
yath 'uw' ni' 'u tthu ti'ya'xween tthu kwi'kwushnuts.
Small Number is always getting into a lot of mischief.
ni' thu lelum's 'eelhtun 'u tthu thi-i-i tl'tawun kwuna'tul' 'u thu tens, 'i' thu shuyulhs, stl'atl'um' kwushnuts.
He lives in a big city with his mother and his older sister Perfect Number.
mukw' sxuxulhnet yul'ew' tahw skweyul 'i' wulh yaays tthu kwi'kwushnuts 'u tthu m'i ta'tukw'st-hwus kwus skwoukwul'.
Every Sunday afternoon, Small Number does his math homework.
yath 'uw' ts'uts'uw'te'num' 'u thu shuyulhs 'u kwsus 'uwu kwlh tul'nuhwus tthu syaays 'u tthu xeetth'.
He always asks his sister for help if he doesn't understand his math homework, he always asks his sister for help.
ni' 'u tthey' suxulhnet 'i' ni' wulh kwunnuhwus kwthu tl'uxw xeetth', syaays.
This Sunday he has a very difficult geometry problem.
'i' 'uwu kwus tul'nuhwus.
And he doesn't understand it.
suw' qwulst-hwus tthu shhwaqw'a's, xeeth'tun, hay ni' skwoukwul' ni' 'u tthu university, 'i' stsuw'et 'u tthu yath 'uw' tatul'utus tthu xeetth'.
So he speaks to his cousin, Angle, who is studying at the university and he is very smart at understanding math.
kwsus wulh tus ttthu xeetth'tun m'i hunuw' 'u tthu shelh, suw' kwunutus tthu silumshun luplaashs t'unutus 'u tthu t'amun.
When Angle comes in the door, he leans his skateboard against the wall.
sis nem' 'uw' nem' 'u thu shhwum'nikws, qwumtsustus.
And he goes over and gives his aunt a hug.
sis 'uw' hwtl'ut 'ul' hwutl'ul'tl'ul'mutum' 'utl' kwi'kwushnuts tthu silumshun luplaash.
Small Number eyes the brightly painted skateboard.
sus 'uw' lemutum 'utl' xeetth'tun tthu ni' tl'i'stum 'utl' kwi'kwushnuts, sis 'uw' hwyunumus.
Angle looks at Small Number's problem and smiles.
“nan tsun 'uw' 'uy'stuhw tun'a xeetth'.”
“I love geometry!”
suw' hwqw'ap'usum kwi'kwushnuts putum', “stem kwu'elh kw' shhw'uy' tun'a xeetth'.”
Small Number frowns and asks: “What is geometry good for?”
suw' hwsuwq'us tthu xeetth'tun 'u tthu ni' shsun'iw's, wulh lumnuhwus tthu wulh p'ulq'nuhwus tthu ni' s'a'kw'us, pthunuptun, swe's thu s'eluhws ni' s'a'kw'us 'u tthu t'amun.
Angle looks around the room and spots a rug belonging to their elder hanging on the wall.
suw' 'i'wustum 'utl' xeetth'tun, suw' thut-stum kwi'kwushnuts, “lemut lhu tu'inulh!”
He points at it and says to Small Number: “Look at that!”
“'e'ut sxuluxil' st'i'am' 'u tthu pthunuptun 'utl' si'lu.”
“A lot of shapes are in Grandma's rug.”
“ni' ch yu le'lum'ut tthu ni' sxuluxil' tuw' mukw' stl'its 'i' ni' ni' 'u tthu sxuy'usth.”
“She was able to see those shapes and patterns in her head.”
“'i' nilh ni' hakwushus kwus 'u tthu stl'itss.”
“And she used them in her designs.”
“sis 'uw' hwu'uy'uy'mut kwus ni' 'u tthu pthunuptun.”
“And the rug came out really beautiful.”
“nanulh yuhw 'uw' stsuw'et 'u tthu xeetth'.”
“She must have been very good at geometry!”
suw' hwi' thut tthu kwi'kwushnuts, “wuwa' ni' tsun tse' 'uw' hwu'uy'stuhw tun'a xut'ustum' xeetth'.”
Then Small Number said, “Well, maybe I like that kind of geometry.”
'uwu niis hwtulqutum 'utl' xeetth'tun tthu kwi'kwushnuts 'u tthu ni' shststl'iitl'us, hwu nilh kwus pi'ptem'utum' 'u tthu ni' syaay'usth.
Full Angle doesn't give Small Number the answer to the problem, but starts asking him questions about his work instead.
kwus 'uw' hwuna' lemutus yaays 'i' 'uwu niis yu tul'num 'utl' kwi'kwushnuts 'uw' niis stsekwul' 'uw' niis tse' tstamut.
When Small Number is first looking at the work, he doesn't understand how it's going to turn out.
'i' ni' nem' tuw' hith 'i' ni' wulh nem' tul'nuhwus tthu ni' sqwaqwul' 'utl' xeetth'tun.
But after a while, he sees that he understood what Angle was saying.
sis nem' 'uw' st'ee kw'uw' yu tatul'nuhwus tthu ni' ta'ultus yu tatul'utus.
Her questions helped him understand what he needed to know.
kwus wulh xul'utus tthu ni' yu tatul'nuhwus sis hwi' tstl'um, thut, “may, ni' tsun 'uw' thu'it 'uw' tul'nuhw!”
When Small Number writes down the final answer, he jumps up and shouts: “Wow! I did it!”
ts'iitum 'utl' xeetth'tun tthu kwi'kwushnuts kwus yu tl'ul'im' tthu syaaysth.
Angle congratulates Small Number on getting his work correct.
wulh hun'nuw' stl'atl'um' skw'shem, suw' qwulstuhws tthu shhw'aqw'a's, pte'mutus, “'iich 'uw' hwun' ha'kwush kwthu silumshun luplaash, 'a xeetth'tun?”
Perfect Number comes in to greet her cousin, and asks, “Are you still skateboarding, Angle?”
“'i tsun,” thut xeetth'tun.
“Yes,” says Angle.
“nu stl'i' kw'unus tl'lim' 'uw' yu stl'atl'um' yu sthuthi' 'uw' niis tse' tus 'u kwthu shpe'ptitul' 'u tthuw' mukw' nults'al'muhw ni' 'u kwthu luplaash, silumshun.”
“I want to be good enough to compete at the All Nations Skateboard Contest!”
“'i tsun wulh yu hunum' 'u kwthu nu shni' kwunus tatul'ut 'i' 'i temuthelum 'utl' kwi'kwushnuts, 'aatham'shus.”
“I was just heading out to practice when Small Number called me.”
“'uwee kwu'elh 'un' stl'i'us kwun's m'i yu huw'u 'i' kwi'kwushnuts nem' 'u kwthu silumshun luplaash shhwiiw'a'lum' stutes 'u kwthu hiiye'yu lelum'?”
“Would you and Small Number like to come to the skateboard park near the Friendship Centre?”
“'uy'!” thut stl'atl'um' kwushnuts 'i' kwi'kwushnuts, 'uw' yey'sul'u kwus teem.
“Sure!” both Perfect Number and Small Number shout together.
kwus wulh yu hunum' 'u kwthu silumshun luplaash shhwiiw'a'lum', 'i' wulh qwul'qwul' tthu xeetth'tun 'u tthu ni' tse' sul'uthuts ni' 'u kwthu silumshun luplaashs.
As they head to the skateboard park, Angle starts talking about the things he can do on his skateboard.
suw' thut-s, “xwum tsun 'i' 'uw' xt'e 'u kwthu lhihw nets'uw'uts 'i' kw' t'xumulhshe' 'i' kwthu tth'a'kwus nets'uw'uts 'i' kw' tskw'ush.”
He says, “I can do a 360 and a 720.”
suw' q'ul'q'ul'xs kwi'kwushnuts, suw' ptem's, “stem 'a'lu tthu xut'ustum' lhihw nets'uw'uts 'i' kw' t'xumulhshe' 'i' kwthu tth'a'kwus nets'uw'uts 'i' kw' tskw'ush.”
Small Number looks confused and asks, “What's a 360 and a 720?”
“'i tst wulh tetsul. lumstamuun tse' p'e'.”
“We are here now. I will show you.”
'i'wust tthu xeetth'tun 'u tthu yuse'lu shq'utuw'ulh silumshun luplaash, 'i' uw' sul'iq'tul', 'i' nilh kwus nuts'tul' tthu ni' shsaay's.
Full Angle points to two ramps that are the same height, but different shapes.
nuts'a' tthuw' sthuthekw' 'ul' 'i' nuts'a' tthu spapi' st'e 'u tthu sun'iw' 'u tthu snuhwulh.
One is flat, and the other is curved like the inside of a canoe.
“lumstamu tsun tse' 'u kwthu tth'a'kwus nets'uw'uts 'i' kw' tskw'ush.”
“I'll show you a 720.”
sus 'uw' tstl'um 'aalh 'u tthu silumshun luplaashs 'i' nem' na'usum 'u tthu yuse'lu shq'utuw'ulh.
He hops on his skateboard and heads for one of the ramps.
ni' wulh nem' timuthut kwus yu xwan'chunum'.
And he tries to build up a lot of speed.
kwus wulh nem' yulhtsitsulh ni' wulh yul'ew' 'u tthu shq'utuw'ulh, 'i' ni' kwunutus tthu silumshuns sus 'uw' xul'ts'thut 'u tthu thume'.
As the front of his board comes off the ramp, he grabs it and spins around fully two times.
'i' yelh sus tiqw' 'u tthu 'i' tahw nuw' yu lhxi'lush kws wulh tiqw' 'u tthu tumuhw.
And then he lands standing straight up when he hits the ground!
kwi'kwushnuts 'i' stl'atl'um' kwushnuts hay 'ul' ts'uq' kwus tthu ni' lumnuhwus sis 'uw' tstl'um 'eelhtun, suw' tsetl'um' 'eelhtun.
Small Number and Perfect Number are amazed at what they say and start jumping up and down.
thut-s kwi'kwushnuts, “nu stl'i' kw'unus tl'uw' tul'nuhw kwunus xt'e 'u tthey'.”
Small Number says, “I want to learn to do that too!”
“lemut, kwi'kwushnuts, nilh kwu'elh shus stl'atl'um' kw'un's ta'ult tthu xeetth'!”
“Well, Small Number, then you better be ready to learn some geometry!”
“nilh hay 'ul' yuw'en' kw'un's ta'ult tthu xut'ustum' lhihw nets'uw'uts 'i' kw' t'xumulhshe',” thut-stum 'utl' stl'atl'um' kwushnuts, hwya'num'us kwus le'lum'utus tthu sqe'uqs.
“You will have to learn to do a 360 first,” Full Angle says, smiling at his cousin.
ni' hay.
The end.
sptem' tu'i: ni' stsekwul' kwus statul'stum 'utl' xeeth'tun 'uw' nilhus tthu 'untsu ni' shnem's …. kwus stl'at'um' kwus xul'ts'thut 'u kwthu thume' 'i' yelh sus tiqw' 'u tthu tumuhw?
Question: How did Angle know which ramp to choose in order to have enough time in the air to spin around twice before landing?
