Donalda Louie | sluqaliye’
1928 (approximate) – 2018
Sluqaliye’1 Donalda Louie was a respected Elder and Knowledge Keeper from Quw’ustun Tribes. She was a fluent speaker of Hul’q’umi’num’ and was knowledgeable about Hul’q’umi’num’ language, traditions, and culture. During her lifetime she generously shared her knowledge with linguists and other scholars.
Sluqaliye’ was a cousin and a friend to the late Sti’tum’atul’wut | Dr. Ruby Peter. Donalda’s mother was Edna Alphonse | Tth’et-siye’ and her father was Alex Canute | Qwullhutstun. Sluqaliye’ was raised by her mother’s parents after her mother died when she was just a baby. Her grandmother, Sluqaliye’, whose name she came to hold, was a very traditional, strict person. Her grandfather, Xwulqwimut, a patient and deeply religious man, was a skilled story-teller. He regularly shared his knowledge and stories with family and friends. He was also the first in the family to work as a scholar of the language. Xwulqwimut helped the local priest to translate all aspects of the Catholic prayers, songs, and communion into Hul’q’umi’num’. His work initiated a practice of translation and linguistic work that members of the family were to become known for.
As a young teenager, Sluqaliye’ attended St. Catherine’s Indian Day School in Duncan, run by the Sisters of St. Ann. While at this school she learned English and was taught skills like sewing and embroidery meant to prepare her for marriage and employment in domestic work. As a teen she also spent two years in the Nanaimo Indian Hospital where she was treated for tuberculosis. This hospital was one of the largest segregated federal ‘Indian’ hospitals in Western Canada and primarily operated as a tuberculosis sanatorium. After recovering from her illness Sluqaliye’ returned home to the Cowichan Valley.
Like many other Coast Salish people, as a young woman Sluqaliye’ earned money in the summer months working as a berry picker. She travelled to Winslow, Washington and worked picking strawberries and other berry crops. It was here that she met her husband, Francis Louie | Xutth’xutth’uluq (1929-2003). They partnered in March 1957, marrying soon after, and were together for 50 years, until Francis passed away.2 During his lifetime, Xutth’xutth’uluq worked as a logger. He was also a skilled drum maker and was able to support the family in part by selling the drums he constructed. Together the couple raised several children including Roberta Canute, Dorothy Louie (Arnold), Frank Louie (Jackie), Carol Louie, and Mary Louie (Perry).
Both Sluqaliye’ and Xutth’xutth’uluq were skilled sluhel’ (bone game) players and they and their young children regularly traveled to sluhel’ games around southern BC and the western United States. Their travel for sluhel’ tournaments took them to many different communities including Yakima, Spokane, Muckleshoot, and Montana. Sluqaliye’ was also a skilled artisan. As a small child she was taught to knit and spin wool and she continued these crafts her whole life, eventually teaching these skills to her own children. During her lifetime she could often be found spinning, knitting, and making sweaters in the world-famous Quw’utsun style. In addition to this artistry, she was well-known for her skills as a basket maker, mat maker and weaver.
During her lifetime Sluqaliye’ generously shared her knowledge of Hul’q’umi’num’ language, culture, traditions and artistry with new learners, researchers and linguists including Donna Gerdts (SFU). We are thankful for her work to revitalize the Hul’q’umi’num’ language and ensure that her culture and traditions would live on for future generations.
Stories by Donalda Louie
- Also spelled sluquliye’. This was Ruby Peter’s grandmother’s name: her father’s mother. Donalda’s mother died when she was a baby, so Donalda was raised by her grandparents. Donalda’s mother was Ruby’s father’s younger sister. ↩︎