Ruby Peter
Transcribed and translated by Ruby Peter and edited by Donna Gerdts
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- ’een’thu sti’tum’at Ruby Peter tthu s-hwunitum’a’lh nu sne.
- I’m sti’tum’at. Ruby Peter is my white name.
- tun’ni’ tsun ’utl’ kwa’mutsun.
- I’m from Quamichan.
- ni’ ts’twa’ ni’ ’u kwthu ’apun ’i’ toohw t’xumulhshe’ ’i’ kw’ lhq’etsus.
- It was in about 1965.
- ’i’ wulh qwuliil’qwul’tul’ tthu slhunlheni’, hwuhwilmuhw slhunlheni’, xatsthut.
- And the First Nations women were having discussions.
- nilh tun’ni’ ’u kwthu mother’s club
- They were from the Mother’s Club.
- ya.a.ath ’uw’ q’uq’up, q’apthut, xatsthut ’eelhtun, tstamut yuhw ’a’lu.
- They always got together and were trying to decide what they should do.
- suw’ sht’eewun’s ’uy’ kws thuythut ..thuyt-s kw’ skwoul, skwouls tthu mumun’lh stl’ul’iqulh.
- So they thought it would be good to have a kindergarten school for the little children.
- ’uwu te’ …. ’uwu te’ teacher tst, ’i tst ’uw’ xatsthut ’ul’ nilh tthu stl’ul’iqulh mumun’lh.
- We didn’t have any teachers [hw’iiw’tsunuq], but we were seriously thinking about the small children.
- ’i’ nilh ni’ shni’s tthu sqwaluwun tst kws stl’i’ tst kws yu sthuthi’s kws ts’its’usum’s [tthu stl’ul’iqulh tst].
- And were thinking of the tiny tots about what they should learn as they are growing.
- ’i tst ’uw’ ya.a.ath ’uw’ q’apthut lhuw’ qxe’luts, ’i’ ts’twa’ tskw’ush tthu slhunlheni’ mukw’ ’uw’ tsme’mun’u ’u tthu stl’ul’iqulh.
- There were about many, maybe twenty ladies, that all had children.
- ’i’ wulh xtsuthut, thut ’uy’ q’u kws skwoulstuhw tst tthu mumun’lh xu’athun lhq’etsus sil’anum.
- Then they decided that they should start a school for the 4 and 5 year olds.
- ’i’ wulh ni’ ’u kwthu yu qw’iqw’ul’us.
- And this was during the springtime.
- ’uwu te’ lutem tst, ’uwu te’ shts’e’nutstun.
- There were no tables or chairs.
- ni’ tst ’uw’ q’ept ’ul’ tthu pulipu shxul’um tst, q’ept tthu suluw’a’lum’ kwunut tthu thi’le’lhtun sutst ’uw’ thuyt.
- But we got together and gathered papers and toys, and got some sheets and we fixed them
- kwunut tthu [xthum] … nilh tthu shsun’iw’sulh tthu ’alunchus xuxithum, niilh luplaash xuxithum tthu ’alunchus.
- And we got wooden orange boxes, there used to be wooden crates for oranges.
- nilh kwu’elh ni’ tl’hwutstut nilh ni’ lutem tst, lutemstuhw tst tthu stl’ul’iqulh.
- That’s what we made into the table for the children and covered it with sheets.
- qux nuw’ ts’awutul tthu slhunlheni’ q’apthut yath.
- All the women helped one another and kept getting together.
- sus muw’ ’ewu thu na’nuts’a’ hwunitum’ tun’ni’ ’utl’ Ladysmith.
- And a lady in Ladysmith heard about us and came to help us.
- ni’ tsun mel’qt kwthu snes lhey’ si’em’, stsi’elh slheni’.
- I forgot the name of that respected lady.
- ts’ewutal’hwus ’uw’ teacher.
- She came to help us as a teacher [hwiiw’tsun’uq].
- ’i ’uwu niis tsnuwnuts kws ts’ewutal’hws, nuw’ xut’ustum’ ’ul’ volunteer.
- And she just volunteered, she never got any pay and she helped us, what’s called a volunteer.
- mukw’ tun’a lhnimulh slhunlheni’ nuw’ ts’awutul ’ul’.
- And all the mothers volunteered to help one another.
- yu xetst yu tetul’ ’u tthu ni’ yu sqwaqwul’s lhey’ (teacher) [hw’iiw’tssun’uq] ts’ets’uw’utal’hw.
- Following the instructions of that teacher that was helping us.
- sutst ’uw’ n’emustuhw ’u tthu government tthu sqwal tst kws stl’i’ tst kws ts’ewutaalt.
- Then we sent a letter to the government informing them of our wishes (for a Tiny Tot nursery) and for them to help us.
- ’uwu niis hwtulqutalum sutst hwi’ xwte’ ’u tthu newspaper.
- They never gave us any answer so we went to the newspaper.
- nilh kwu’elh hwu shxwu’atth’us ’u kwthu ….
- So there was this photograph in the ….
- ni’ ’u kwthu xut’ustum’ agriculture hall.
- We were doing this at the Agricultural Hall.
- wulh s’e.e.eluhw hall ni’ ’u kwthu …tuw’ tsuw’tsuw’ stutes ’u kwthu liloot.
- It was an old hall in the field close to the railroad.
- nuw’ ’iyus kwus wulh q’apthut tthu slhunlheni’, ’e’wust-hwus tthu me’mun’us tl’lim tst nuw’ ts’awutul ’ul’.
- The young mothers had a nice time coming together, bringing their little children to class and helping one another.
- kwthu ni’ tskaa ’i’ ni’ nem’ ’aalhst-hwus kwthu stl’ul’iqulh ’i’ kwthu slhunlheni’ m’i ’ewust-hwus.
- The ones that had cars would go and pick up the ladies that didn’t have cars and bring their children to the hall.
- ni’ kwthu ni’ m’i kwunut ’ewustuhw kwthuw’ stem ’ul’ s’ulhtun, kwoukis, tthunuw’ sht’es tthu ni’ ha’kw.
- Some of the mothers would something, food, cookies, whatever was needed.
- hay ’ul’ hith kwutst xut’e ’u they’ ’i’ yelh sus m’i tetsul tthu government m’i st’e ’u kw’uw lemutalum.
- We did this for a long time before the government paid attention to us and gave us assistance.
- niihw ’uw’ nuts’a’ sil’anum kwutst yaay’us ni’ ’u kwthey’.
- I think we were working like this for about one year.
- Not on audio: sq’uq’a’ tthu Mr. Denny niilh shhw’aqwa’s tthu shsi’em’s principals tthu Queen Margaret School m’i q’athut ’utl’ lhnimulh tsewutal’hwus kwus wulh tul’nuhwus tthu ni’ sul’uthut tst.
- Mr. Denny who was the brother of the principal of Queen Margaret School met with us to help us learn what to do.
- Not on audio: ’i tskaa tthuw’nilh sus ’uw’ hwu tl’i’tl’u’a, ’eem’uq. tl’lim’ ’ulh nan ’uw’ ’uy’ mustimuhw, kwthey’ Mr. Denny. niilh tst tl’lim ’uw’ sts’istuhw.
- Mr. Denny had a car that he loaned us. He was a very good man and we held him in high esteem.
- [suw’] kwuyxthut thunu sqe’uq, sqe’uq’ulh sus nem’ ’uw’ skwoul kwunnuhwus thu xut’ustum’ Early Childhood Certificate.
- And my late sister (Muriel Joe) went to school and got her Early Childhood certificate.
- nuw’ yu thathi’uthut kwus wulh kwunnuhwus kwthey’ sus ’uw’ hwu nilh hwu teacher.
- And she didn’t stop there, she kept getting other certificates and doing other things. And she became the teacher of the Tiny Tot nursery.
- nem’ tl’uw’ qul’et kwus’ wulh tum’qw’i’lus ’i’ nem tl’e’ wulh qul’et tha’ithut, (nem’) ni’ hwi’ tl’sqwxwa’mush hwi’ nem ’utl’ UBC kwus skwoul.
- When summer came along, she continued her education going to Vancouver to take courses at UBC.
- ’i’ yu thathi’uthut ch kwus yu kwen’nuhwus kwthu pipu kwus yu thuythut kws hwu teachers.
- You get your certificate there to become a teacher.
- ’i’ nilh tthu hulq’umi’num’ ’i’ nilh ni’ ha’kwushus kwus wulh kwunnuhwus kwthey’ pulipus.
- And then she started using the Hul’q’umi’num’ language in teaching and she received all those papers.
- hith kwus skwoukwul’stun’uq ni’ ’u kwthey’, hwun’ xut’u ’i’ ni’ wulh hwu q’eq’uwutum’.
- She was the tiny tots nursery teacher for a long time before she was paid.
- niihw si’lew’ nuts’a’ sil’anum ‘uw’ niis yuse’lu sil’anum kwus ’uw’ volunteer ’ul’ ’i’ yelh sus kwunnuhwus lhu telu.
- She did volunteer work for one or two years before she started getting paid.
- nilh lhu Florence Elliot nilh ’iilh tl’uw’ chairman ’u kwthey’.
- Florence Elliot was the chairman at the time [Tiny Tot Nursery Mother’s Club].
- hayulh nuw’ qe’is ’ul’ niilh ’uw’ nuts’a’ ’ul’ sil’anum kwunus ni’ chairman ’i’ nilh lhu Florence nilh ni’ hwu chairman.
- I was the chairman for the Tiny Tots for one year and then Florence took over.
- ni’ tst yath ’uw’ ts’its’uw’atul’ul’ tun’a lhnimulh slhunlheni’.
- We women all just helped one another.
- nuw’ qux ’ul’ kwus yu thathi’uthut tthu… yu thethi’ kwthey’ tiny tots.
- There were many things that kept improving in that Tiny Tots nursery.
- hwun’ xut’u ’i’ ni’ wulh .. ’i tst wulh kwunnuhw kwthu linguist Sheeter, sutst ’uw’ nilh ’uw’ shhwun’a’s ’ul’ m’i ta’ult tthu tuw’ sxuxul’um’ ’u tthu hul’q’umi’num’.
- And then we had a linguist come in [Eric] Sheeter, that came to us sisters to learn the Hul’q’umi’num’ writing system.
- suw’ tst ’uw’ kwuyxthut ’i’ thunu sqe’uq yu they’t tthu st’ult’ilums tthu stl’ul’iqulh hwu hul’q’umi’num’stuhw
- And as we learned the writing system, me and my sister changed many children’s songs into Hul’q’umi’num’.
- mukw’ tthu st’ult’ilum tthu skw’shem ’i’ nuw’ hwu hul’q’umi’num’st-hwus.
- All the songs were translated into Hul’q’umi’num’, the counting, the plays,
- ’iyus ’ul’ tthu stl’ul’iqulh,
- The children were happy.
- ha’ ni’ tus ’u tthu … ’u kwus wulh netulh ’i’ ’uw’ hul’q’umi’num’ tthu sqwal ni’ ha’kwushus kwus yu hw’iiw’tsustus tthu stl’ul’iqulh, tthu skw’shem, tthu sqwals, tthu ni’ sht’es.
- Every morning when the children came, she always started them out speaking Hul’q’umi’num’ and teaching them as they entered into the building, numbers, words, etc.
- ni.i.i’ squqep’st-hwus ’u tthu t’amun tthu sqwal sus ’uw’ yu huy’thustus tthu stl’ul’iqul–nilh shlhuthiinu tu’i, shtihelu tu’i.
- She stuck paper with the words on the wall, (Aand she would tell the children) this is the cupboard and this is the kettle.
- nilh ’un’shhw’akw’ust thun’ kupou tu’i.
- This is where you hang your coat up.
- nem’ ’akw’ust thun’ kupou.
- Go and hang your coat up.
- niiw’ qux ni’ yu [shhw’iiw’tsust-s]
- And many things in our language.
- ni’ ’uw’ sun’iw’ ’ul’ ’u tthey’ ni’ shni’ kwus yu hw’iiw’tsus tthu stl’ul’iqulh ’u tthuw’ mukw’ ’ul’ stem tthu shts’e’nutstun, lutem, sht’es kwthu ni’.. kwus ’i’mush.
- And she had an area set up where she had taught the children about table and chair and many things inside the classroom, how they walk.
- ’i’ thu st’ult’ilum kwus wulh krismus —’i’ hwi’ nilh lhu kwey’xum’ tintun ni [ta’ultus] ni’ hunumust-hwus.
- And there was all the little songs—when Christmas time came, she taught them the Jingle Bells.
- quxulh lhu st’ult’ilum ni’ thuytus, ni’ tst ts’awutul sutst ’uw’ hwu hul’q’umi’num’stuhw.
- There were many many songs that we fixed up translating them into Hul’q’umi’num’.
- nanulh ’uw’ ’iyustuhws kws hw’iiw’tssunuqs [kws nu sqe’uq]
- My sister just loved teaching, that was her life.
- susulh ’uw’ nem’ustum ’utl’ mutouliye’ kwus wulh tul’nuhwus tthu [hw’iiw’tssunuq] teachers, tthu tun’ni’ ’u tthu teachers, sus nem’ ’uw’ ’aatum.
- Then the leader of the teachers conference called her to go to Victoria to meet with all the teachers, and she asked me to go with her.
- suw’ thut-stam’shus “m’i ch tse’ yu q’ushin’tham’sh.
- So she told me, “You have to go along with me.
- ’uwu nu stl’i’us kwunus nem’ ’uw’ yu hay ’ul’.”
- I don’t want to be alone.”
- nus nuw’ yu huw’unus ’i’ ’uw’ ’iyus ’ul’ kwutst wulh ni’ ’u kwthey’.
- So I went with her, and it was really quite interesting.
- [nu suw’] xi’xlhe’mut kwthu hay ’ul’ qxe’luts ni’ tst ts’twa lhq’utsulhshe’ slhunlheni’ ni’ ’u kwthey’.
- I was observing a lot of teachers there, about 50 women.
- suw’ kwunutus tthu tunuqsun, (tthu) … ’i’ ni.i.i’ stth’emqst-hwus kwthu patun
- And my sister took that felt board and started the little ducks and the mother, she had all the felt cut out with the ducks
- sus ’uw’…wulh qwul’qwul, sht’es kwus yu ’i’mush kwthu tunuqsun.
- And she started telling the story how the ducks started walking
- nem’ yu…kw’in tunuqsun, tsi’tsut tunuqsun, kwus yu hwi’hwutth’een’um’.
- And they were waddling when they walked, and she was waddling, and she had all the little ducks following the mother
- ’i’ nilh ’uw’ sht’es kwus ’uw’ tl’lim ’uw’ yu tetulst-hwus tthu smustimuhws kwus yu hwi’hwutth’een’um’.
- And her body was waddling just as she was moving the ducks on the felt board.
- ’i nus ’uw’ le’lum’ut kwthey’ slhunlheni teachers ’i’ ni tl’uw’ hwi’hwutth’eenum’ ’eelhtun.
- And I was watching all the teachers and when she was waddling with the mother, and their bodies all started moving too.
- nuw’ ’iyus ’ul’ kwunus ’i xi’xlhle’mut, ’uy’stuhw ’ul kwunus ni’ le’lum’ut.
- And I was smiling as that was something to see.
- tthu teachers kwus tl’uw hwihwutth’eenum’ kwus hwihwutth’eenumst-hwus kwthu [sxwi’em’s] tunuqsun.
- And I just enjoyed the teachers waddling their bodies too.
- yu ’i’mush, yu kw’eshtus kwthu hum’e’mun’us yu tsukwul’ul’qum’.
- And she was counting the babies that were following her.
- nilh ni’ sht’es, nilh ni’ sht’es kwus st’e ’u kw’uw yu tatul’utus tthuw’ …. nemust-hwus ’u tthu hul’q’umi’num’ st’ee kw’ suw’a’lum’stuhws tthu stl’ul’iqulh, kwus yu huy’thustus.
- And that’s how she taught the children, in their language, giving them little stories like that.
- ni’ yu sht’es thu tunuqsun kwus yu le’lum’utus tthu me’mun’us sus ’uw’ yu hun’utus tthu me’mun’us [kwus] nem’ yu tsukwul’ul’qum’.
- How the mallard duck counted her babies making sure that they were following.
- ’i’ kwsus hwi’ ’ikw lhu nuts’a sus hwi’ suw’q’tus ’i’ ni’ kwunuhwus.
- And then when one little duck got lost and she had to stop and look for it and then she continued her walking after she found it.
- ’uw’ ’iyus ’ul’ kwus yu xwi’xwi’a’mus ’i’ yu hul’q’umi’num’ kwus yu xwi’xwi’a’mus.
- She had little happy stories that were translated into Hul’qumi’num’.
- qu.u.xulh ni’ sul’uthut-s kwus stl’i’s kws yu tatul’nuhws,
- She had many things that she taught them.
- yu thethi’s tthu ni’ shhw’iiw’tssun’uqs ’u tthu stl’ul’iqulh ’i’ ni’ hwi’ ni’ ’u kwthu tum’qw’i’lus ’i’ ni’ hwi’ nem’ skwoul.
- She wanted so much to succeed in many things that when summer came she wanted to continue her education so she could succeed in teaching the children.
- tl’e’ wulh kwunnuhwus thu pipus.
- And she always managed to get another certificate.
- ni’ st’ee kw’uw’ lumstunuqs kwus tl’lim’ ’uw’ yu tatul’utus tthu s-hwunitum’a’lh ’i’ nilh kwus hwu hul’q’umi’num’st-hwus.
- She took everything demonstrated by the white teachers and translated it into Hul’q’umin’um’.
- nilh ni’ hay ’ul’ shstsuw’et-s.
- And she was very clever at this.
- hay ’ul’ qux ni’ yaay’us kwus yu they’tus yu…
- And she did a lot of work, making things work..
- niilh xul’utum ’u kwthu TV ’i’ ni’ hwi’ ’ikw’ kwthey’ ’u kwthu tl’lim’ ’uw’ nuts’a’ skweyul.
- They videotaped her for the whole day and that was supposed to be for the future because she was the best.
- tthu sht’es kwus yu hw’iiw’tssunuq ’u tthu sqwal, tthu hul’q’umi’num’ sqwal u tthu ni’ sht’es ’u kwthe’ hwun’a’ ’ul’ nuw’ilum ’u tthu netulh.
- And this was to show how to teach all in Hul’q’umi’num’ language, right from the beginning of the day as they entered the classroom.
- ni’ sqwaqwul’stuhws tthu stl’ul’iqulh ni’ yu sh’iiw’tsust-s sht’es kws ’uy’s.
- what she said to them and how she taught them how to behave properly.
- ’i’ ni’ hwu tetul’ tthu stl’ul’iqulh ’u tthu hul’q’um’inum’, tthu snuw’uyulh
- And the children loved being taught the language and culture.
- ’i’ nilh tl’lim’ nuw’ yu kwun’etus tthu snuw’uyulh kwus yu hwiiw’tsustus tthu stl’ul’iqulh st’ee kw’uw yu slhq’il’st-hwus kws yu stl’atl’um’ kws yu tatul’nuhws tthu stl’ul’iqulh.
- And she always followed the native teaching of behaviour and she gave the children the positive direction for them to learn.
- niilh hay ’ul’ tl’lim’ ’uw’ …st’e ’uw’ niis ’uw’ hay ’ul’ ni’ wi’ult kwthey’ hay ’uw’ ’uy’ snuw’uyulh, shni’s tthu snuw’uyulhstewut tthu stl’ul’iqulh la’us kwus hwun’ mumun’lh ’i’ ni’ wulh ni’ tthu snuw’uyulhs ’i’ nilh niilh kwun’etus.
- She was the only one that brought out our cultural teachings and her classroom was a place wehere the cultural teaching that she held were taught to the children even though they were still little.
- qux niilh yu sul’uthut-s kwus yu ts’ets’uw’utus tthu shhwhuw’welis tthu mumun’lh stl’ul’iqulh kwus yu hw’iiw’tsustus tthu tsuli’tsut kws ’iiyusth tthu me’mun’us hwu stsuw’et ’u tthu hul’q’umi’num’.
- She did many things in helping the parents of the tiny tots, teaching them how to treat their children, how to make the children happy to learn their language.
- nilh ’uw’ yath ’uw’ stl’i’s kws hw’iiw’tssunuqs ’i’ nilh kwus wulh hwu q’aq’i’ sis ’uw’ ’unuhw.
- She wanted to keep teaching, but when she got sick she had to stop.
- skw’ey kws tl’e’s yaays ’u kwthu ni’ hay ’ul’ ’uy’st-hwus syaaysth.
- She couldn’t continue on in the work that she liked to do.
- nilh kwu’elh niilh st’e ’u kw’uw’ swi’wul’st-hwus ’u kw’un’a wulh hith lhunu sqe’uqulh kwus yu they’tus tthu hul’q’umi’num’ sqwal, ’i’ tthu snuw’uyulh,
- And this is what my late sister brought foward how doing things in the Hul’q’umi’num’ language and culture.
- ’i’ nilh st’ee ’u kw’uw yath ’uw’ nu s-he’kw’, st’ee kw’uw tetul’muteen’ ’u tun’a kweyul.
- And this is what I remember and try to follow today.
- hay tseep q’a’.
- Thank you very much.