Chief Thunderbird

Arnold Guerin

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1. ni’ tsun ts’lhe’mut kwthu t’it’ulum’, ’i’ ’uwu ni’us hith ’i wulh kwuyxthut tthu shwuhwa’us sis kwlhels tthu slhumuhw.
   1. I heard singing, and it was not long until the thunder started, and the rain poured down.
2. nu suw’ shtu’eewun ’u ti’i.
   1. I began to think about this.
3. nuts’im’ yuhw ’a’lu, ’ush nis xte’ ’u tthey’ tthu skweyul.
   1. I wondered why the day did what it did.
4. nus niw’ nem’ pte’mut kw’u men, “ni’ yuhw ’a’lu q’u tstamut tun’a skweyul?
   1. So, I went over to ask my father, who has now left this world, “I wonder what happened to this day?
5. ’i’ulh ’uy’ skweyul ’i’ wulh kwunthat kwthu t’it’ulum’, ’i ’uwu ni’us hith ’i’ wulh xsilthut tun’a skweyul.”
   1. The day was so nice, and someone started to sing, and it wasn’t long until the day got real mean, fierce.”
6. suw’ qwals kw’u nu men, “a-a-a nu mun’u, hwiyun’e’ ch ’u tthu nu syuthusthamu tse’.
   1. So, my father spoke, “Ah, my son, you listen to what I am about to tell you.
7. ni’ ch le’lum’ut kwthu s’eluhw hun’utum ’ukw’ Chief Thunderbird.
   1. You have seen the old man, the one that is called Chief Thunderbird.
8. nilh ni’ ts’elhum’utuhw, kwus t’it’ulum’.
   1. He is the one you heard, when he was singing.
9. ts’uhwle’ ’i’ nem’ tsam kwthu s’eluhw.
   1. Sometimes, he goes up the hills, the old man does.
10. nem’ kwa’ithut ’u tthu ts’lhhwulmuhws.
    1. He goes and stays away from his people.
11. ’u kwthu kw’in skeyul, yelhs tl’e’s wil’.
    1. [He does this] for many days, for a number of days, before he shows up again.
12. ’uwu te’ lhwet statul’stuhw ’uw’ ni’us hwtsel, ’i’ ’uw’ ste’mus kw’u ni’ syaa’yuss.
    1. No one knows where he goes, and what he works at.
13. m’i tse’ kwelh hun’tsew suw’ t’ilums nu’as ’u tthu smeent.
    1. When he gets down here, he will start singing facing that mountain.
14. tuw’ nilh wa’ suw’ ts’elhum’utewut ’u kw’u ni’ stslhiqun’ ’u tu nanu suw’ wulh xunuq’t-s, ’i’ kwuyxthut tthu shwuhwa’us, ’i’ wulh nilh ’al’ suw’ xte’s ’u tthey’ tthu skweyul.”
    1. And it seems as though, when he has heard from someone up on top of the hill, a ways up there, there will be lightning, and then the thunder will start, and the day will get like it is.”
15. tl’ul’im’ ts’ q’u ’uw’ xisul’ ’u kws ’uw’ wulh tl’ulqamthut-s tthu shwuhwa’us ni’ ’u kwthu lelum’s tthuw’ne’ullh hwulmuhw.
    1. It is really fierce when the thunder gets real bad at the home of those people.
16. stu’e ’uw’ ni’us xaamutum kwthu t’it’ulum’ suw’ wulh kw’lhels ’al’ tthu sqa’uss tthu skweyul.
    1. It is as though someone cries for the one that is singing, and the tears, the weather’s tears, start to come down from up above.
17. ni’ xte’ ’u tthey’ suw’ wulh p’aams ’al’ tthu stulta’luw’.
    1. And when it gets that way, the rivers swell.
18. ’i’ wulh nilh ’al’ suw’ hwiwuls tthu stseelhtun, sis ’uw’ ts’ulhtunnamut tthu hwulmuhw.
    1. And right away the salmon will come up the river, and the First Nations people get food.
19. n’an ts’u thulh ’uw’ tustusas ’eelhtun, ’u kws ’uwus te’s stseelhtun.
    1. But they are very badly off then, when there is no salmon.
20. ’uwu te’ shkwunnuhws kw’ s’ulhtuns.
    1. They have nowhere to get their food from.
21. tl’ulim’ kwelh ’uw’ shhw’uy’s ’eelhtun tthu slhumuhw, ’i’ nilh ts’u thulh kws tl’ulim’s ’uw’ xisul ’u kws tahws ’uw’ tl’ultl’uluqum’thut, tthu shwuhwa’us.
    1. So, the rain is very good for them, but the trouble with it is that it gets so fierce when it is really happening, the thunder.
22. ni’ ts’ q’u suli’si’ tthu stl’ul’iqulh ’i tthu slhunlheni’.
    1. The children get scared, and so do the women.
23. ha’ ts’u xunuq’t tthu swe’s shwuhwa’us, ’i tl’ul’im’ ts’u ’uw’ lexul tthu skweyul.
    1. When their thunder in that area flashes its lightning, the whole night shows up as if it was daylight.
24. ’i’ tl’ul’im’ ts’u ni’ hwthiqun kws wuw’tl’aam’s shwuhwets’ ’u tthu smunmeent shhwni’s ’eelhtun.
    1. And it’s very loud when there is the echo between the mountains at their home, at their place.
25. ’i ’iyusstum ts’u ’utl’ Chief Thunderbird kws t’it’ulum’s.
    1. But Chief Thunderbird really enjoys his singing.
26. nilh ts’ kwelh ’u kws tum’xuy’tl’s suw’ tl’ulim’s ’uw’ hwul’hwul’uq ’i’ nem’ wuqw’utum ’eelhtun ’u kws p’ip’ulum’s tthu sta’luw’s ’eelhtun.
    1. Now, when it is wintertime, they would almost be carried away by the water that comes down into their valley when it over-runs the banks of the river.
27. ’i tl’ul’im’ ts’u tthulh ’uw’ shthey’namut-s tthuw’ne’ullh ’u kws tahws ’uw’ tun’tseelhtun.
    1. But it is much to their advantage when it is salmon time.
28. suw’ quxs s’ulhtuns ’eelhtun ’i’ na’ut wulh nem’ yu s’aa’luhwthut tthu Chief Thunderbird, kwunkwun’et tthu slhumuhw, sis ’uw’ q’puthut tthu mustimuhw ’i’ xtsuthut ’uw’ tstamutus ’u kw’u tuw’ shts’iit-s ’eelhtun tthu s’eluhw, tuw’ shhwi’ult-s kws ’uy’s shqwaluwuns kwus shthey’namut-s tthu s-hul’uthut-s tthu s’ulhweens ’uulhtun.
    1. But, now, Chief Thunderbird is getting old, he who has control of the rain, so people gathered together, and they tried to make a decision as to what they would do for some way to thank the old man, to show that they are very appreciative that what their old man does for them is very much to their advantage.
29. ’uy’ kws q’puthut-s tst, ’u kw’ nuts’a’ skweyul suw’ thuyuwsum tst, ’i qw’uyilish tst, suw’ qw’ulum tst ’u kw’ stseelhtun ’i’ tl’eshut tst kwthu Chief Thunderbird.
    1. We’d better gather, get together, assemble, someday, and we will put on our best clothing, and we will dance, and we will barbeque some salmon for Chief Thunderbird, and we will invite Chief Thunderbird.
30. sis ’uw’ xtsutus ’eelhtun tthu skweyuls tse’.
    1. So, they decided on a certain day.
31. sis ’uw’ hwu saay’.
    1. Now they were ready.
32. ni’ tus ’u tthey’ skweyul sis ’uw’ thuyuwsum mukw’ sis ’uw’ q’up ’eelhtun ni’ ’u tthey’.
    1. When that day came, they all put on their best clothing, and they gathered there, at this certain spot.
33. ’uw’ wulh sq’uq’ip ’eelhtun, ’i’ wulh m’i q’a’thut tthu Chief Thunderbird.
    1. And, now, when they were all together, Chief Thunderbird came into their midst.
34. sis ’uw’ ts’iitum tthu s’eluhw kws nilhs ’ush nis hwu quw’ s’ulhtuns ’eelhtun.
    1. So, the old man was thanked that it is because of him that they have a lot of food.
35. tl’ulim’ ts’u thulh hay ’al’ ’uy’’uy’mut tthu swe’ ’utl’ Chief Thunderbird s’itth’um.
    1. But it was very, very pretty, Chief Thunderbird’s clothing.
36. qux ts’u ’eli’ stl’q’een’ kwunkwun’el’s ’u tthu swe’s s’itth’ums.
    1. There were a lot of nice feathers that were attached to his clothing.
37. kw’u ’uwu kwlh lumnum shtu’aa’luss kw’ stl’q’een, nilh ni’ st’it’iyam’ ’u tthu swe’ ’utl’ Chief Thunderbird s’itth’um ’i’ tthu yasa’qws.
    1. The colour of feathers that is never, ever seen, that is what is attached to Chief Thunderbird’s clothing and also on his headpiece.
38. suw’ xut’us ts’u tthuw’nilh s’eluhw kws ’uw’ yelhs hakwushs tunni’ ’u kwus shuqnehwus kws they’t-s.
    1. And the old man said that this was the first time he has worn it since he got through making it.
39. nilh ts’u stuw’ hwun’ stl’i’tl’qulhs ’i’ ni’ wulh they’tus tthey’ s’itth’ums.
    1. When he was quite a young man, he was already working on those clothes that he is wearing.
40. suw’ pte’mutewut ’uw’ tun’untsust-hwus tthu ’uw’ xelu ’al’ stl’ulq’een’ kwun’el’s ’u tthu him’at-s.
    1. And he was asked where he got those very, very rare feathers that were attached to his outfit.
41. ’i ’uw’ thut ts’u ’al’ kws ’uw’ wulh quxs sil’anum kws q’ept-s.
    1. All he would say was that he has been gathering them for many years.
42. sis ’uw’ thut ni’ wulh tl’am kw’unus yuthustalu ni’ wulh ’aathus kwthu le’lum’uthamsh.
    1. And he said it is now time for me to tell you folks that the one that looks after me has now called me.
43. skw’ey kwu’elh kwunus nem’ yu kwun’et tun’a nu s’itth’um.
    1. So, therefore, it is impossible for me to take these clothing with me.
44. ni’ hay kws xut’us ’u tthey’ sis ’uw’ nem’ ’u tthu lelum’s ’i’ ni’ nuw’ilum.
    1. He got through saying that and he went through his house; he went in, entered.
45. ni’ tuw’ hith ’i’ ni’ wulh ts’lhe’mutum kwus t’it’ulum’.
    1. After a while, he was heard to start singing.
46. sis tl’uw’ wulh kw’uyxthut tthu shwuhwa’us.
    1. And the clap of thunder started again.
47. tuw’ ni’ wa’ yu hum’aan’thut kwthu ni’ t’it’ulum’ ’i niw’ tth’hweluqup ’al’.
    1. It seemed as though that the person who was singing began to weaken, and the singing died down altogether.
48. sis ’uw’ xwulunuchenum tthu ni’ nem’ lemut, ni’ tus ’eelhtun, ’i’ ’uwu te’ kwthu s’eluhws ’eelhtun.
    1. And they ran, those that went to have a look, and when they got there, their old man was not there.
49. t-hway tthu s’itth’um slhelhuq’.
    1. It was only his clothing that was lying down on the floor.
50. stu’e ’uw’ ni’us ’uw’ tth’uw’ ’al’ kwthu ha’kwushulh.
    1. He seemed to just fade away, the one that was wearing that clothing.
51. ni’ huye’.
    1. He went away.
52. nem’ ’u kwthu shtunni’s kwthu ’eli’ stl’ulq’een’.
    1. He went to the place where he got his lovely feathers.
53. sis ’uw’ wil’ kws ’uw’ thu’it-s kws nilh Chief Thunderbird, kwthu s’eluhwulh.
    1. And it shows that it is true that he was Chief Thunderbird, the old man was.
54. ni’ hay.
    1. The End.