they’thut kwun’s pi’atulh | Preparing yourself for hunting

by

Eugene Harry

Recorded on November 3, 2012
Transcribed and translated by Donna Gerdts

  1. hwun’a.a.a’ tus tu skweyul, xu’athun skweyul ’i’ nem’ tst hunum’ ’u tu skweyul
    1. When the day first arrives, for four days we get up for the daybreak.
  2. ’i’ p’up’ukw tu sum’shathut ’i’ ni’ ch shashukw’um’, tl’lim’ ’uw’ shkw’am’kw’um’ kwun’s ni’ tse’ yu pi’atulh.
    1. When the sun first shows up, and you go for your bath—taking a bath asking for power for your hunting.
  3. xu’athun skweyul [’i’] tth’xwat tu qul, ni’ ts’twa’ thuyt tthun’ shxutsten sutst ’uw’ yu thuthi’.
    1. By cleansing yourself from any evil that is on you, your prepare your being so you’ll be okay.
  4. xu’athun skweyul ’i’ ni’ ch nem’ ’i’mush.
    1. Then on the fourth day, you’ll go hunting.
  5. lemut hwiine’ ’u tu spuhels, hwiine’ ’u tu sqw’ulesh.
    1. And then you have to listen to the wind, listen to the birds.
  6. tu sqw’ulesh yuthust tu smuyuth, ’i’ yu ’e’wu whistle, yu ’e’wu tu qul mustimuhw; whistle ’i’ yu ’e’wu tu qul mustimuhw.
    1. And is the birds that will warn the deer by whistling their song: there’s a bad person coming along, there’s a bad person coming along.
  7. lemut ch tu sqw’ulesh, hwisut tu sqw’ulesh suw’ nem’.
    1. And when you look at the bird, the bird will just shake itself and go.
  8. lemut ch tu ’i sht’es tu spuhels, ni’ ’untsu, ’untsu, ’untsu tu spuhels kwus yu ’i.
    1. Then it’s best to study where the wind is coming from—where is it coming from, you study it.
  9. lemut ch kwu’elh sus ’uw’ hwisut tu sqw’ulesh sus suw’ nem’ tsam.
    1. You look at the bird, and it will just shake itself, and then it will fly up the mountain.
  10. ’i’ nem’ ch sul’ts’, ni’ ch se.e.w’q’ ’i’ ni’ ’al’mutsun’, hwiine’ ’u tu sqw’ulesh ’i’ ni’ yuthustum.
    1. Then we can circle around—then we always have to be aware of the birds, that the birds are warning.
  11. i’ tsun huye’ suw’ kweel, kweel, hwiiyune’ ts’uhwle’ hwiine’ ’u tu thqet ’i’ ni’ tst… hwiiyuneem’ kwus ni’ xwan’chunum’ tu smuyuth.
    1. Then we go hide, hide, and we do a lot of listening—sometimes we listen to the rustle of the trees, and you can hear the sound of the deer running.
  12. ts’uhwle’ ’i’ ni’ ch huqwuhw kwus yu ’e’wu tu spuhels.
    1. Sometimes you can smell them when the wind turns on you.
  13. kwun’s ni’ yuw’e.e.en’ kwunnuhw tu smuyuth, ni’ ch qa’qa’t tu thethi’un.
    1. The first deer that you catch, you drink the blood.
  14. ni’ tst qa’qa’t tu thethi’un ts’uyulhnamut tuhim ’u tu skweyul.
    1. You drink the blood; this is to give thanks for the day that you caught the deer.
  15. hay ch q’a ts’uyulhnamut ’u tu skweyul.
    1. Thanking for that day.
  16. ’i’ ni’ ch lhits’ut ’i’ nem’ ch lhit’ut ’u tu mu.u.ukw tu s’uls’ul-hween.
    1. And you have to divide the deer and give it away, to all the elders.
  17. ni’ ch hwun’ kwun’et ’i’ nem’ ch nem’ ’u tu siiye’yu shhwulum’nikw.
    1. Whatever there is that you have left from the elders, you bring it to your uncles and aunts.
  18. sutst ’uw’ yu thuthi’ tse’ tu sqwals tu s’ul’eluhwulh
    1. This will set goals for the future for your hunting, and this is the teaching of the elders.
  19. tl’l’i.i.m’ ’uw’ ts’ii’ulh kwus ni’ thuytus.
    1. They are really grateful for what they do.
  20. wawa’ nilhus tu sqwals tu s’ul’eluhw, hiiw’usunuq, hiiw’usunuq, hiiw’usunuq.
    1. That the teachings of the elders, distributing honouring gifts.
  21. ni’ ch tus ’u tu hiiw’usunuq ’i’ ni’ q’lhunum ’utl’ nuwu tu ha.a.y ’ul’ ’uy’mat tun’ni’ ’u tun’ mu.u.ukw’ ’u tun’ siiye’yu, tu s’uls’ul-hween, tu shhwulum’nikw.
    1. When you get with the person that is giving the gifts, they will go in front of you—you would be the most beautiful person that would give gifts to the elders and your uncles.
  22. [In English:] hiiw’usunuq It will always come to you; the kindness, the blessing, will come from the elders to you, in all the days that are coming. And it spoils it with the big money.
  23. ’i’ ni’ qul’qul’iil’s tu telu kwutst ni’ hwayum ’u tu stseelhtun ’i’ tu smuyuth.
    1. And it’s the money that has spoiled everything, by selling the fish and the deer.
  24. kwunus ni’ ni’ ts’um’um, kwunus ni’ luplithut tunu swe’ nu stsuwtelh—ni’ q’lhunum.
    1. When I first accepted to become a minister, my in-laws went in front of me and told me:
  25. “’uwu ch tum’temuhw ’i’ nem’ pi’atulh.
    1. “Don’t ever go duck hunting.
  26. ’uwu ch tum’temuhw ’i’ nem’ kw’oukw’iyukw.
    1. Don’t ever go fishing,
  27. ’uwu ch tum’temuhw ’i’ q’aq’i’ut kw’ stemus ts’twa’.
    1. Don’t ever kill anything.
  28. tl’liim’ ch ’uw’ kwoun’s ’u tu hulitun.”
    1. You have to hold onto life.”