nem’ ’utl’ tl’palus tu Sam | Sam goes to Cowichan Bay

 

nem’ ’utl’ tl’palus tu Sam | Sam goes to Cowichan Bay

’een’thu p’e’ Sulihul’tun, Samuel Jones, tun’ni’ tsun ’utl’ Snuneymuhw.
Hello my name is Samuel Jones (sulilhultun) and I am from Snuneymuxw.

tun’a kweyul ’i’ nem tst ’u kwthu stey ni’ ’utl’ tl’palus.
Today we are going to Cowichan bay races.

nilh tumuhws tu Quw’utsun’ mustuyuhw.
This is the land of the Cowichan people.

sus ’uw’ tl’eshutus kwthuw’ mukw’ tun’unutsu kws nem’s ’uwatul’ tey.
They have invited people from everywhere for the canoes races.

’uy’stuhw tsun kwunus hunum’ ’u tu stey, nan ’uw’ qux ’un’ sul’uthut ’i’ ni’ tsun tl’e’ ’uw’ lumnuhw tthunu siiye’yu.
I love going to the races. There is so much to do t and I also get to see my relatives.

’aaah! na’ut shni’s tu ts’lhhwulmuhw tst kwus q’uq’ulum. ’i tst tse’ ’uw’ hwu sq’uq’ip ’u tu hwsteli.
Oh look! There is our family is camping. We are all here together with the canoe pullers.

yath ’uw’ xut’uste’lum’ ’u tu shhwum’nikw, “yath ch ’uw’ ’i ’ul’ ’u tu shhw’i tst kws q’uq’ulum’ tst skw’ey kwun’s nem’ tuyti’qul’ ne’nuts’uw’t-hwum.”
My uncle always tells me, “You have to stay in camp area and can’t wander around to other camps.”

ni’ tsun kwu’elh [’uw’] stutes ’ul’ kwunus hiiw’a’lum’tul’ ’u kwthunu s’a’luqw’a, ni’ ’u kwthu tuw’ hwthuthiqut.”
So I stay close by, playing with my cousins in the bushes.

nii! lemut tu sunihwulh yul’a’ulh ’u tu tluk.
Hey, look at those canoes on top of the trucks.

nilh swe’s kwthunu shhwum’nikw, Paul, tu snuhwulh.
That’s my uncle Paul’s canoe.

’i’ hay tu nets’uhwulh swe’s kwthu na’nuts’a’ nu shhwum’nikw Mike. hunutum’ tu snuhwulh ’ukw’ “Lil Brave.”
And there’s Uncle Mike’s canoe, called Li’l Brave.

may! lemut lhu tu sunihwulh! ’e’ut ’i ’u tun’a kweyul, tl’lim’ nan ’uw’ qux. Wow, look at all canoes here today. There are lots.

mukw’ tun’unutsu tu ’i m’i tetutsul’ ’u tun’a kweyul.
People from all over have come here today.

ni’ lhihw skweyul tun’a ’i’watul ’i’ hay ’ul’ qux kwsus nuts’tul tu s’uwatul’.
The races last for three whole days and there are all kinds of races.

ni’ ’u kwthu hwun’a skweyul ni’ ’u kwthu slhq’etsusth ’i’ nilh kwthu stl’ul’iqulh xut’ustum’ “munchies”.
On the first day, Friday, are the “munchies”.

yelhs tusth ’u kwthu hwun’un’uts’a’ ’i’ kwthu hwyusyey’sul’u.
First come singles and then the doubles.

hay ’i’ hwi nilh kwthu yu t’uxum suw’wuyqe’ ’i’ kwthu yu t’uxum’ slhunlheni’.
And then next ae the men’s six-man canoes and then the ladies’ six.

lemut! ’i’lhu nem’ ’u tu tsuwmun qux ts’twa’ lumnuhwut ni’ ’u tu tsetsuw’.
Oh look! Let’s go down to the shore, where there are lots of good things for us to look at down on the beach.

’uy’stuhw tsun kwunus le’lum’ut tu pqwutsun ’i’ tu q’uy’mun, ’i’ tu smeent ’i’ tu qux ’uli’ey’x.
I like looking at the sand, shells, rocks, and little crabs.

’aaah na’ut wulh huye’ tthu ’apun ’i’ kw’ na’nuts’a’ munchis sunihwulh. tl’hwu’nuqs lhu ’ul’ lhunu sqe’uq.
Oh look! There goes the 11-man munchies. I sure hope sister wins!

“yeey,” thut tu shqwiiqwel’, “tl’hwunuq thu Warpath.”
“Yay!” says the announcer. “Warpath wins!”

hwi’ nilh kwu’elh kwthunu shuyulh nem’ ’uwatul’ ’u kwthu hwnunuts’a’.
Now my older cousin is going to race a single.

nem’ tsun tse’ xlhe’mut, ’i’ ha’ tsun tse’ ts’isum ’i nilh tse’ nu shtel.
I will watch her race so I can be like her when I get bigger.

’uwu niis tl’hwunuq lhunu shuyulh. nilh kwthu shthemuhwulhs ni’ shtl’hwunuqs, ni’ thulh ’uw’ ’uy’ shqwaluwuns.
Sister didn’t win. She came in second, but she is happy.

yath p’e’ ’uw’ hwstey tthunu shtun’naalhtun, kw’unu si’lu, lhunu si’lu, thunu ten, tthunu men ’i’ thunu shhw’aqw’a’.
Our family has always been canoe padlers. Grandpa, Grandma, Mom, Dad, and Sister.

’i’ tl’e’ kwu’elh ’uw’ nu stl’i’ kwunus ’uy’ kws ’ushul.
I also want to be a good paddler.

’i’ nilh thulh tun’a st’e ’u tthey’ ’i’ ’uy’stuhw tsun kwunus xi’xlhem’ ’i’ kwunus hii’wa’lum’, nilh ni’ stl’atl’um’st-hween’.
Until then, for now watching and playing is good enough for me.

ni’ hay. hey’ewulh’i’ hay ch q’a’.
The End. Goodbye and thank you.

Story and Voice by Thomas Jones
Hul’q’umi’num’ translation by Ruby Peter
Edited by Donna Gerdts