Bill Seward: Respecting the Cedar

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  1. ’a.a.a! sii’em’ nu siiye’yu.
    1. Oh, my most honoured friends, 
  2. yuthustalu tsun tse’ ’u tu thqet.
    1. I will tell you about the tree.
  3. sii’em’, nan ’uw’ xe’xe’ thqet tu xpey’.
    1. My most honoured friends, it is very sacred, the cedar tree
  4. nilh ha’kwushut ’u tthu stheew’t-hw.
    1. It is used in the longhouse.
  5. nilh ha’kwushut ’u tu snuhwulh, s’itth’umsulh kwthu s’ul’eluhw tst.
    1. It is also used in making canoes and clothing by our ancestors.
  6. kw’us nem’ ha’kwush …. kwus nem’ ’u tthu tsa’luqw,
    1. And used when they go up to the mountains,
  7. nilh st’e ’u kw’uw’ (’us)  ha’kwushuhw tl’e’ kw’us st’e ’u kw’uw’ thuythut, ’a’puthut.
    1. tt was used in bathing, preparing themsleves, brushing off. 
  8. nilh ha’kwushusulh kwthu s’ul’eluhw tst ’i’ tuw’ kw’us nem’ kw’uwyukw.
    1. It was also used by our ancestors for when they went fishing.
  9. nilh st’e’ulh ’u kwuw’ snunu’wuyulhsulh kwthu s’ul’eluhw tst ’uw’ hay ’ul’ tuw’ hay ha’kwushuhw.
    1. It is our teaching by our ancestors only take what you need.
  10. ’uwu tseep nanuhw ’uw’ qux kw’un’s m’i ’aluxut.
    1. Do not over pick when you go when picking.
  11. nilhulh snuw’uyulhsulh kwthu s’ul’eluhw tst.
    1. That was the teaching by our elders.
  12. ’i’ tun’a kweyul ’i’ ni’ hwu nets’
    1. Today it is different.
  13. ha’ tsun nem’ tuw’ qux kwunus nem’ ’aluxut,
    1. If I did pick more than enough,
  14. ’i’ wulh yuthusthelum ’u kw’unu men, nu ten,
    1. my father and mother would tell me, 
  15. “nem ch ’amust tu s’ul’eluhw ’i’ ’uwu ch tsunuw’nutstuhw.
    1. “Go and give some to the elders and do not ask for money.
  16. ’uw’ ’amust ch ’ul’.”
    1. Just give to them.”
  17. nilh snuw’uyulhs, nilh sht’esulh kws ts’uts’uwatul’s tthu mustimuhw, ’i’tal’.
    1. That was the teaching for people  to help one anothe and be good to one another.
  18. tun’a kweyul ’i’ ni’ tst hwu nets’.
    1. Today it is differen.
  19. tu xpey’ ‘u kws wulh nem’s yeq’utum, niilh nem’ kwthu s’eluhw,
    1. The cedar tree, when you cut it down, the elder would go, 
  20. ni’ tsun nus lumnuhw kwthunu si’lu kws nem’ yeq’utus kws wulh yaays ’u tu snuhwulh.
    1. I saw my my grandfather when he started to work [on a canoe].
  21. yuw’en’ kws yu ts’iit-s tthu tsitsulh si’em’ men tst
    1. He prayed first thanking the Lord our Father
  22. ’i’ yelh ts’iit-s. t’i’wi’ulhtus tu xpey’ yelhs yeq’ut-s.
    1. and then thanked the cedar tree before he felled the tree.
  23. ’uwu kws ’uw’ yeq’ut-s ’ul’.
    1. You do not just cut it down.
  24. ’uw’ hay ’ukws nem’s qwul’qwul’st-hwus ’i’ yelhs yeq’ut-s.
    1. You pray and talk to the tree first before cutting it down.
  25. nilh sht’esulh kwthu snuw’uyulhsulh kwthu s’ul’eluhw tst,
    1. This is the teaching of our ancestors,
  26. ts’iitus tu xpey’ ’i’ yelhs m’is lheq’utus.
    1. they thanked the cedar before cutting it down.
  27. nilhulh sht’es kwthu s’ul’eluhw tst.
    1. That is the teaching of our elders.
  28. ’i’ wulh yaays tse’ kwu’elh ’u tu snuhwulh,
    1. Now he will work on the canoe,
  29. ’i’ tl’uw’ st’e ’ul’ tu snuw’uyulhs.
    1. and it is the same thing – the teaching.
  30. ’uwus qulus tun’ shqwaluwun kwus yaay’us, kwus yaays ’u tu snuhwulh.
    1. Do not have a bad mind when working on the canoe.
  31. ha’ ch tse’ ni’ tuw’ skw’ey tees-hw ’uwu ch niihw tuw’ skw’ey.
    1. If you are in a bad state of mind, and you can’t get your mind straight,
  32. ’i’ ’uwu ch yaay’usmutuhw ’u tu snuhwulh.
    1. do not be working on the canoe.
  33. nilhulh snuw’uyulh kwthu s’ul’eluhw tst huli tey’ xpey’.
    1. That is the teaching of our ancestors, the cedar is alive.
  34. nilh sht’es ’u kw’uw’ qwul’qwul’stum’ yuw’en’ yelhs yeq’utums.
    1. That is the way you will talk to it before felling it.
  35. ni’ tse’ kwu’elh hwu snuhwulh ’i’ ni’ tl’uw’ st’e ’ul’ tthu snuw’uyulhs.
    1. After the canoe is finished, the teaching is also the same.
  36. ’uwu ch ’a’ulhuhw ’u tu snuhwulh ’u kwun’s ni’ tuw’ skw’ey, qul te’ ’un’ shqwaluwun.
    1. Do not board the canoe with a bad state of mind.
  37. ’uw’ hay ’u kw’us tl’lim’ ’uw’ sthuthi’ ’i’ yelhus ’aalh ’u tu snuhwulh.
    1. You have to be in a very good mood before boarding a canoe.
  38. nilhulh st’e ’u kw’uw’ snuw’uyulhs tu s’ul’eluhwulh.
    1. That is the teaching of the elders. 
  39. tun’a kweyul ’i’ ni st’e ’u kw’uw’ hwul’hwul’uq ’i’ ’ikw’ tey’ snuw’uyulhulh.
    1. Today it is changing and we are almost losing our teaching.
  40. niilh tsun teti’, pe’ptitul’.
    1. I did go canoe pulling and competing.
  41. ’i’ nilh ’uw’ snuw’uyulhstam’shusulh kwthu s’ul’eluhw tst, la’lum’uthut ch.
    1. And that was how they, my elders, taught me, look after yourself.
  42. suw’ ’aalh ’u tey’ snuhwulh, ’i’ ’uwu ch qelnuhwuhw te’ shpe’ptitul’.
    1. If you go on a canoe, do not be angry at your competitors.
  43. ’i’tal’ tseep.
    1. Look after one another.
  44. tun’a kweyul ’i’ ni’ hwu nets’.
    1. Today it has changed.
  45. tth’ihwumee nu stl’ul’iqulh,
    1. Please, my dear children,
  46. ’i’ st’e ’u kw’uw’ wil’ut tthu st’eelh ’u kw’uw’ si’em’ snuw’uyulhsulh
    1. bring back and show the beautiful most honoured teaching
  47. kwthu s’ul’eluhw ni’ taantal’hw.
    1. from our ancestors that have left us.
  48. m’is lhe’ hwu’alum’stuhw m’is lhe’ qun’qinustuhw kwthu snuw’uyulhulh.
    1. I do hope you will bring it back, return to the old teachings.
  49. ’uw’ hay ’ul’ nu sqwal sii’em’ nu stl’ul’iqulh ’uw’ st’e ’ul’ ’u tey’.
    1. That is all I will talk about on that, dear children.
  50. hay tseep q’a.
    1. Thank you. 
  51. ni’ hay.
    1. The end.