Bill Seward: The Man Who Was Turned Into A Rock

by

xewtl’uqs | The man who was turned into a rock

by Bill Seward

  1. I’m going to tell you a story about xewtl’uqs, that’s in Nanaimo, the lighthouse. The man was turned into a rock.
  2. kwunus hwun’ stl’i’tl’qulh,
    1. When I was a young child,
  3. ’i’ sq’uqa’ tsun ’u tu s’ul’eluhw, skw’oukw’iyukwum’s ni’ ’u tey’.
    1. I went along with the elders fishing (with a rod and reel) there.
  4. ’i’ huy’thustham’shus tu s’ul’eluhw ’u tu shtuhims tey’ wetus kwey’.
    1. And the Elders told me all about it, who that was.
  5. qululh ts’u mustimuhw.
    1. He was said to have been a bad person.
  6. ’i’ ni’ yuhw wulh qulnum ’u tu xut’ustum’ tsitsulh si’em’ tst.
    1. And so he must have been punished by what’s called our Lord.
  7. ’uwu kws ’uy’yet-s tu hwulmuhws.
    1. He wasn’t nice to his First Nations people.
  8. susuw’ ’iye’qtum na’ut hwu smeent, na’ut hwu tl’uts’a’.
    1. so he was turned to rock, turned to rock.
  9. nilhulh quxulh mustimuhw st’e ’u kw’uw’ qule’tus.
    1. There were many people that he had mistreated.
  10. nilh kwu’elh shus st’e ’uw’ ’iye’qetum.
    1. That is the reason he was transformed.
  11. na’ut hwu smeent, na’ut hwu tl’uts’a’.
    1. He was turned into a rock.
  12. nusuw’ kw’oukw’iyukw sq’uq’a’ tu s’ul’eluhw kws kw’oukw’iyukwum’ shni’ ’u tey’.
    1. So, I was with the Elders fishing over at that spot.
  13. hiiw’a’lum’ tu swaaw’lus,
    1. The young men were playing,
  14. ’i’ na’ut wulh qw’aqwatum tey’ xuwtl’uqs, nilh skwishs xuwtl’uqs.
    1. and they whacked that rock named xuwtl’uqs.
  15. na’ut qw’qwiwstum ’u tu swaaw’lus.
    1. The boys whacked the rock.
  16. susuw’ qw’qwiwstum wi’wul’ nilh ’uw’ xutl’that-s hwu xetl’ ’uw’ yath.
    1. Whenever they whipped it, the weather turned stormy, very windy.
  17. ’i’ qulst-hwusulh tu s’ul’eluhw, “kwe’t set’q’t tey’ tl’uts’a’.
    1. The Elders didn’t like that, “Quit disturbing that rock.
  18. ’uwu ’uw’ tl’uhwla’usus ’ul’, niilh musteyuhw.”
    1. Don’t be insensitive, as it was at one time a human being.”
  19. xut’u tu s’ul’eluhw, “’i’ ni’ tseep xuxuy’ut, mukw’s xuy’ute’wut, ’i’ wulh nilh suw’ xatl’thut-s.”
    1. The Elders say, “And if you whip it, everytime you beat it, it will become stormy.”
  20. ’i’ na’ut qulst-hwus tu s’ul’eluhw na’ut putum’,
    1. This is the reason the Elders get angry and ask,
  21. “wet ’a’lu kw’u ni’ xuxuy’ut tu xuwtl’uqs?
    1. “Who is beating xuwtl’uqs?
  22. wet kw’u ni’ xuxuy’ut?
    1. Who was beating him?
  23. wet kw’u ni’ hwqw’qwiwst?”
    1. Who whipped him?”
  24. ’i’ ’uwu kws yuthust-s tu s’ul’eluhw
    1. But no one would respond to the Elders.
  25. “nilh kwu’elh shus st’e ’u kw’uw’ yath ’uw’ xuxetl’.
    1. “This is the reason it has been stormy.
  26. ni’ tseep qul’et’ tey’ tl’uts’a’.
    1. Because you have not treated that rock respectfully.
  27. ’uwu tseep tsekwust-hwuhw.
    1. Do not be doing whatever to it.
  28. niilh mustimuhw niilh musteyuhw ’u kw’un’a wulh hithulh.
    1. At one time it was a human being – a person.
  29. ’i’ ni’ tseep qul’et.
    1. And you are mistreating it.
  30. ’uwu, ’uy’yet tseep.”
    1. No, treat it gently.”
  31. nilh sht’esulh tuw’ t’at mustimuhw ’uy’iyatul’.
    1. This is how our ancestors were long ago – treating each other with respect.
  32. ’i ’uwu niis ’iy’atusulh tu mustimuhw.
    1. He never treated the people respectfully.
  33. nilh kwu’elh shus hwuni’ ’u tey’ ni’ ’uwu skw’ey kws ’imushs.
    1. That is the reason he is there and no longer able to walk (on the earth).
  34. ’uwu tseep kwu’elh st’e ’u tey’ ’u kwthu ni’ sht’esulh kwthey’.
    1. Don’t be like that one, the way that one used to be.
  35. kwus nilh kwu’elh shus hwu tl’uts’a’.
    1. That is the reason is a rock now.
  36. ’uy’yathut tseep, q’a’elh mustimuhw,
    1. Be good to one another, dear people,
  37. nilhulh shqwaqwul’s tu s’ul’eluhw.
    1. according to how the Elders lectured.
  38. ’i’ ni’ tsun ’uw’ ts’i’ts’elhum’ulh
    1. I used to hear that.
  39. nilh kwu’elh nush ni’ statul’stuhw tey’.
    1. That is what I know about that.
  40. ni’ st’e ’u kw’uw’ sxwi’em’sulh ’i’ ’uw’ thu’it sxwi’em’sulh kwthu s’ul’eluhw ni’ wulh hith taantal’hw.
    1. It’s like a story, but it’s a true story from the Elders who left us long ago.
  41. nilh ’uw’ sht’es ’ul’ tey’ sii’em’ s’ul’eluhw.
    1. That is the way of the respected Elders.
  42. 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.