sniw’s lhunu tenulh | Teachings of My Mother

Story by Delores Louie

  1. ’een’thu swustanulwut; tthunu s-hwulmuhwa’lh nu sne.
    1. I’m Swustanulwut; that’s my native name.
  2. tun’ni’ tsun ’utl’ quw’utsun’ thunu sne tun’ni’ ’u lhunu ten, swuswasulwut. 
    1. I’m from Cowichan; my name came from my mom, Swuswasulwut.
  3. nilh shtun’ni’s tthunu sne, swuswasulwut. 
    1. That is where my name, Swustanulwut, came from. 
  4. s-hwunitum’a’lh sne Delores Louie.
    1. My white man’s name is Delores Louie.
  5. [tthu] tun’ni’ ’utl’ shts’um’inus kwunus ni’ hwu sme’luyi’. 
    1. That is where I am married, in Chemainus.
  6. nilh kwu’elh tthu snuw’uyulh nilh tse’ nu shhwunem’, ’uhwin’ ’ul’ ’uhwiin’ ’ul’ nu sqwal. 
    1. I’m going to talk about some teachings, the short little speeches.
  7. tthu shtuhim’s tthu snuw’uyulh kws huy’thusthe’ult ’u lhunu ten.
    1. I am telling you about what my mother taught me.
  8. “hay ch sni’nuw’, ’uwu ch ’uw’ qwaqwul’uhw ’ul’.
    1. “If you really have the teachings, you can’t be just talking.
  9. si’amut ch, si’amut ch kw’un’s qwaqwul’.” 
    1. Don’t say any old thing, and be careful with your wordings.”
  10. suw’ yaths ’uw xut’u lhunu ten, “’uwu ch tum’temuhw ’i’ yaw’thut.” 
    1. Mother always stressed, “Don’t ever be bragging.”
  11. ha’ ch sni’nuw’ ’i’ nilh tthun’ sqwal nilh ni’ hay ’ul’ [… niihw ch ’uw’ xut’u,] tl’i’, tl’i’ tthun’ sqwal. 
    1. So, if you have the teachings or the wordings, it will be very important.
  12. kws xut’us lhunu ten, yath ’uw’ huy’thustham’shus, “[’i ch…] ’i’yet tthun’ siiye’yu ’i’ tl’e’ tsuw’ ’i’yethaam. 
    1. So, my mother always stressed, “Respect your friends, and they will respect you back.
  13. ’uwu ch hakwushuhw tthu hw’a’hwthqun sqwal.”
    1. Never use a harsh voice [sarcasm].”
  14. nilh yath ’uw’ shhwunum’sulh. 
    1. Her wordings always come back.
  15. [’i’ kwthey’ yath…] yath nuw’ hwu’alum’ ’utl’ ’een’thu kw’un’s ’uwu ch yaw’thutuhw; nilh tthu ’un’ sqwal nilh tse’ shni’s ’i’ ni’ yu wi’wul’ tthun’ shtu’e.
    1. The way you speak shows what you are like.
  16. mukw’ na’nuts’a’ kwun’et tthu snuw’uyulh, kws yaths ’uw’ huy’uthusthe’ult ’u lhunu tenulh.
    1. Every person has their own teachings; that’s what our mom always told us.
  17. nilh shxut’us kws ’uwu skw’eys kw’un’s nem’ ’uw’ lhay’hwul’s ’ul’. 
    1. She said that it’s impossible that you are waffling with your wordings.
  18. hwiiyunem’ ch ’u kws qwaqwul’s tthu ’un’ siiye’yu. 
    1. Listen to the words of your friend [individual].
  19. ’i’ ’uwu ch mi’mun’uhw, ’uwu ch mi’mun’utuhw kw’ na’nuts’a’ kw’un’s ni’ ts’elhum’ ’u tthu swe’s snuw’uyulhs.  
    1. Never criticize, never criticize another person’s teachings.
  20. [tthu … uuu ni’ t’en.]
  21. [ni’ hay.]
  22. huy ch q’u.
    1. Thank you.

Delores Louie