Bill Seward: Old Style Weddings

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  1. ’a.a.a, sii’em’ nu siiye’yu, yuthustalu tsun tse’ ’u kwthu sht’esulh tthuw’ t’at mustimuhw ’u kws mulyituls.
    1. Oh! My most honoured friends, I will tell you how it was in yesteryears, how our ancestors set up weddings.
  2. ’uwu nuwees nem’ xtsut ’uw’ wetus tse’ kw’u un’ sq’a’ kw’us ’i’mush ’i’ ’u tun’a s’ul’ewe’ tumuhw tst.
    1. You will not choose your partner whom you will walk with in forelorn earth.
  3. nilh tu s’ul’eluhw nilh ’uw’ si’em’.
    1. It is the elders who are the boss.
  4. nilh tu s’ul’eluhw tse’ nem’ kwunutus ’uw’ wetus tse’ kwun’ sq’a’,
    1. It will be the elders who go choose who will be your mate,
  5. ’uw’ wetus tse’ kwun’ hwu sta’lus.
    1. who will become your spouse.
  6. ni’ tsun ’uw’ lumnuhw kwthu sht’esulh kwthu s’ul’eluhw.
    1. I did witness the ways of our ancestors.
  7. ni’ tsun ’uw’ lumnuhw kw’unu shuyulhulhnilh nuw’ hwu sht’es.
    1. I saw my brother, my older brother was like that.
  8. nilh tthu s’ul’eluhw ni’ xtsut.
    1. It was the the elders who decided.
  9. nilh tu s’ul’eluhw nem’, nem’ qwal t’iitus they’ slheni’ kws m’is hwu ’e’wu statul’us tse’.
    1. The elders were the ones to go speak to the lady to come stay with him to be his wife.
  10. ts’uhwlhe’ ’i’ nuts’a’, lhihw, xu’athun skweyul, yelhs tse’s wil’s yelhs ’aanlhs.
    1. Sometimes it will take three to four days for their decision.
  11. ’i’ yath ’uw’ s’utl’qal’we’lh ’ul’s’e’tl’q ’u tthu shelh kws ’a’mut-s ’ul’mutsun’.
    1. In the meantime he will remain outside by the door, sitting outside waiting.
  12. nilh tse’ suw’ ’aanlhewut kws m’i tse’ kwunutum hwu sta’luss ’i’ yelh tse’s nem’s nuw’ilum.
    1. They have to agree that she will be his wife before he can come in.
  13. skw’ey kws nem’s nuw’ilum kws hwun’ qwaqwul’s ’ul’.
    1. He cannot see her when they are in the stages of proposal.
  14. nilh sht’esulh tu s’ul’eluhw.
    1. That was the ways of the ancestors.
  15. ’i’ ’uweelh kws huytuls.
    1. There never were any separations.
  16. niw’ sq’uq’s’ ’ul’ ’i’ ni’ ’uw’ ’ikw’ ’ul’ kw’suw’ yey’sul’us.
    1. The two stayed together until death.
  17. nilhulh sht’es tthu s’ul’eluhw, nilhulh snuw’uyulh.
    1. That was it was with the elders, that was the teaching.
  18. tun’a snuw’uyulh nuw’ kw’in ’ul’ sil’anum ’i’ na’ut wulh kwukwa’tul’.
    1. Today’s teachings it’s only a few years and they are already divorced.
  19. nilh ni’ hwu sht’es kws ni’ tst hwu skw’ey ’u tun’a kweyul.
    1. This is the big problem today.
  20. ’uwu te’ ni’ hwu st’e ’u kw’uw’ hwu s’i’kw’ kwthu snuw’uyulh tu s’ul’eluhw tst.
    1. It’s like the teaching of our elders has been lost.
  21. tu s’ul’eluhw tstulh ’i’ nan ’uw’ tl’i’.
    1. Our elders are very precious.
  22. na’ut hwu s’i’kw’ tey’. st’e ’u kw’uw’ snuw’uyulhsulh kwthu s’ul’eluhw tst.
    1. It has gotten lost, that teaching of our elders.
  23. ’i’ tun’a kweyul ’uwu ni’us st’e ’u kw’uw’ hwu sthutthi’ nilh tthu stl’ul’iqulh tst.
    1. And today it is not good with the young people.
  24. ni’ st’e ’u kw’uw’ hwu skw’ey ’u tun’a kweyul.
    1. It’s a rocky road for them today.
  25. tth’ihwumee lhu stl’ul’iqulh ’i’ st’e ’u kw’uw’ nemustuhw kwthu snuw’uyulhsulh kwthu s’ul’eluhw.
    1. We are asking you children to please listen and bring back the teaching of our elders.
  26. ’uw’ st’e ’ul’ ’u tey’ kwunus tssetalu.
    1. That is all on that that I will say to you.
  27. hay tseep q’a, sii’em’, hay tseep q’a.
    1. Thank you, respected ones, thank you.
  28. ni’ hay.
    1. The end.