nuts’a’! yuse’lu! — One! Two!

kwus yu’i’shul’ nilh kwthu ni’ ’i’le’uq ni’ hwiilasmut kwthu snuhwulhs, yutl’ulim’tus.
kwus wulh saay’ kws ts’ultsusth ’i’ ni’ kwetsum kwthu skipper “thaythut!”
sis ’uw’ yukw’eshum’ ’eelhtun “nuts’a’! yuse’lu!” sis ’uw’ ts’ultsus.
’i’ skw’ey kwun’s kwun’els ’u kwthu snuhwulh…ni’ st’e ’u kw’u ’ayum.
ni’ ch hwu’ayum ’uw’ niihw ts’ultsus.
ni’ ch hwusqul’i’mut ’u kwthut … ’u kwun’s ni’ yu’i’shul’.
’i’ ’uw’ nilh shtu’esulh kwthu s’ul’eluhwtstulh.

When you are paddling, the one in the back (the skipper) will keep the canoe aligned.
When they are ready to switch, the skipper will call out “ready”, so they are counting “One! Two!” and then they switch.
You can’t hang on to the side the canoe or it will slow you down, it will slow you down when you switch.
And it interferes with your paddling.
And that’s the way our Elders did it.

Wayne Charlie — Pulxwuletse’
Kwa’mutsun, Quw’utsun’