Bill Seward: Snake Island

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SNAKE ISLAND – hw’ulhqi’um

Bill Seward

  1. I will tell you a story about Snake Island. It’s been passed down to our people for thousands of years, which I’ve learned from my Elders. And we used to call that place hw’ulhqi’um.
  2. ni’ulh ’uw’ hwun’ ni’ ’utl’ stl’iilnup tu hwulmuhw, snuneymuhw hwulmuhw.
    1. When the First Nations people, the Snuneymuhw First Peoples, resided at Stl’iilnup.
  3. nilhulh shni’s tu hwulmuhw tst.
    1. That used to where our First Peoples were.
  4. ’i’ nuts’a’ slheni’ ’i’ thu yath nem’ ’uw’ tsakwum ni’ ’u tu tsa’luqw.
    1. One young lady was always going up the mountain.
  5. suw’ xut’ustum’ ’u tu s’ul’eluhw, “ni’ ch ’a’lu hwtsakwul’thut?”
    1. So the Elders said to her, “Where are you going?”
  6. “ni’ tsun p’e’ hiiw’a’lum’ ’u tun’a stl’ul’iqulh.”
    1. “I’m in fact playing those children.”
  7. sus nem’ ’uw’ tseeltum ’u tu s’ul’eluhw yu le’lum’utum’ kwus wulh nem’ tsam.
    1. So the Elders followed her when they saw her going up the mountain.
  8. ’i’ ’e’uth hiiw’a’lum’ ’u tu ’ulhqi’.
    1. There she was playing with snakes.
  9. sus m’iw’ t’akw’ suw’ yuthustum ’u tu s’uleluhw,
    1. She came down from the mountains, and the Elders told her,
  10. “ ’uwu tseep tum’tem ’i’ nem’ hiw’a’lum’ ’u thu ’ulhqi’.
    1. “You are never ever going to play with snakes.
  11. hay tseep.”
    1. You will stop.”
  12. ’i’ ’uwu niis yu hay they’ slheni’.
    1. But that young girl didn’t stop.
  13. kweyul ’i’ tl’e’ wulh nem’ tsam hiiw’a’lum’ ’u tu ’ulhqi’.
    1. The next day she again when up the mountain to play with the snakes.
  14. susuw’ ’aalhstum ’u tu s’ul’eluhw ’u tu snuhwulh
    1. The elders had her go one board a canoe
  15. nem’ numustum ’u thu skwthe’.
    1. and transported her to an island.
  16. “nilh tse’ ’u(n’) shhw’i’ tun’a.
    1. “This is the place where you will be.
  17. ’uwu ch niihw st’ee kw’uw’ ts’i’ts’elhum’ ’utl’ lhnimulh.
    1. You will not be hearing for us.
  18. nem’ ch kwu’elh nem’ ’u tey’, ’i’ ni’ ch ’ul’ ’u’ tey’ skwthe’.”
    1. There you will stay at this little island.”
  19. xut’ust-hwus tu s’ul’eluhw hw’ulhqi’um.
    1. The elders call this island Snake Island.
  20. niilh tsun ’uw’ ts’i’ts’elhum’ ’u’ tunu s’ul’eluhw
    1. I did hear my Elders talk about it.
  21. kw’unus nem’ kw’oukw’i’ukw nem’ ’u tey’ skwthe’.
    1. At that time I used to go fishing at that island.
  22. nilh shni’s tey’ tu qux ’ulhqi’.
    1. They said that there were many snakes
  23. ni’ tsmun’u they’ slheni’ ’u tu qux ’ulhqi’.
    1. And that the woman gave birth to alot of snakes.
  24. ’i’ ’uwu kwunus q’el’, nus ni’ nem’ ’uw’ nem’ ’u they’,
    1. I never believed them, so I went to investigate,
  25. ’i’ ni’ tsun lumnuhw tu qux ’ulhqi’.
    1. and I did see alot of snakes.
  26. st’ut’iqw’ mukw’ tu shtl’up’i’s’nutss.
    1. All their tails were chopped off.
  27. ’i’ nilh nuw’ sht’es kwus yuthustham’shus kwthu s’ul’eluhw.
    1. That is the way it was told to me by our elders.
  28. nilh kwu’elh ’uw’ thu’it sht’es kwthey’ tu s’ul’eluhwulh kws sht’es ni’nuw’ut-s tu mustimuhw ’i’ ’uwu kws ts’elhum’s.
    1. It is so true, when lectured and you do not hear, when disciplined by your ancestors.
  29. nilh kwu’elh shus ni’ ’u tey’ tu hw’ulhqi’um, tey’ shhw’ulhqi’um,
    1. This is the consequence of this island, Snake Island,
  30. xut’ust-hwus tu hwulmuhw hw’ulhqi’um.
    1. what the First Peoples call hw’ulhqi’um.
  31. niilh nemustum thu slheni’,
    1. That where they took the lady,
  32. ’i’ yathulh ’uw’ siw’a’lum’, siw’a’lum’ ’uw’ yath ’u thu ’ulhqi’.
    1. because she always played with the snakes.
  33. ’i’ ’uwu niis tsi’’ts’elhum’ ’u tu s’ul’eluhws
    1. She never heard her Elders
  34. kws tuw’ lhe’lhuq’utum’ tu snuw’uyulh.
    1. whenever the teachers were presented to her.
  35. nilh kwu’elh shus ni ’u tey’ tun’a kweyul
    1. That is the reason why today
  36. ’i’ na’ut hwu neetus tu Snake Island.
    1. the white people call it Snake Island.
  37. ni’ hay.
    1. The end.

Story told by Bill Seward.
Transcribed by Theresa Thorne and Donna Gerdts.
Translated by Bill Seward and Donna Gerdts.
Filmed by Chris Bouris
Audio and video post-production by Chris Bouris, Sean Milliken, and Zoey Peterson.
Titles by Donna Gerdts.