tseelhtun | Salmon

by

Eugene Harry

Recorded on October 6, 2012
Transcribed and translated by Donna Gerdts

  1. stth’aqwi’ nilh tu hay ’ul’ tskwim nilh hay ’ul’ ’uy’ kwus ’i yu ’i.
    1. Spring salmon, when it’s fresh, is kind of reddish pink.
  2. ni’ ch ts’ ch’kwaxt, ni’ ch he’yum, tl’uw’ ’uy’mat tu kw’a’luhw kwun’s ni’ ts’uy’hwt.
    1. You fry it and bake it, and the dog salmon is also good for drying.
  3. kwun’s ts’uy’hwt lhenuqwum ’u tu ts’uy’hwnuts ’i’ ni’ ’uy’mat kwus ni’ yu ha’kwush tu kw’a’luhw.
    1. And you can dry them for using anytime, and they are beautiful when you are using them.
  4. hay ’ul’ ’uy’mat tu stth’aqwi’, nilh tskwim nilh hay ’ul’ q’et’um kw’un’s yu t’en’hw.
    1. Spring salmon is nice; when they are red, they taste very sweet.
  5. nilh tu kw’a’luhw nilh ni’ shamustuhw.
    1. The dog salmon are the ones that are half-smoked.
  6. tu stth’aqwi’ hay ’ul’ ’uy’ kwus ni’ hakwush yuw’en’.
    1. Spring salmon is good if you use it right away.
  7. le’sh tu kw’a’luhw, ni’ ch hul’ush tu kw’a’luhw.
    1. The dog salmon are the ones that you store.
  8. tu slhap’, tl’lim’ ’uw’ ’uy’mat tu stth’aqwi’ kwun’s yu ha’kwush tu slhap’.
    1. And the spring salmon are very nice when you use them for soup.
  9. mukw’ stem ni’ y uha’kwush, tu sxuy’uss ’i’ tu smustimuhws tu stth’aqwi’.
    1. You use everything, the head and the body of the spring salmon.
  10. tu yuw’en’ … ni’ ni’ wulh ni’ tsam nilh wulh hay, ni’ wulh hay tu stth’aqwi’ ni’ wulh ’uw’kw’.
    1. They are the first—the spring salmon come up, and they are finished.
  11. ni’ yu ’e’wu hwun’ yu ’e’wu tu kw’a’luhw.
    1. Then the dog salmon will be coming in.
  12. ni’ tus tu slhumuhw ’i’ ni’ ni’ tsam ’u tu sta’luw’ tu kw’a’luhw.
    1. The rains arrive, and then the dog salmon come up the river.
  13. ’i tst hwun’ ’al’mutsun’, ’i tst hwun’ ’al’mutsun’, ’al’mutsun’ ’u tu kw’a’luhw kwus m’i yu ’e’wu.
    1. And we would be waiting for the dog salmon to come.
  14. ni’ kwunutum ni’ ’u tu swultun ni ’u tu kw’oukw’iyukw, kw’oukw’iyukw.
    1. They are caught by gill net and by hooking them.
  15. ’i ts’uhwle’ ’i ni’ ’akw’utum ’ul’ ’u tu sts’esht, ’akw’utum.
    1. And sometimes they make hooks out of branches and hook them.
  16. ’i’ tu kw’a’luhw ’i’ tl’uw’ yu ha’kwushum’ tu lhultun, tl’uw’ tus ’u tu me’muq’el’s, me’muq’el’s.
    1. And the dog salmon you used the bailer (scooper), and you also spear them.
  17. qux kwus yu ha’kwush kwus ni’ kwunnuhw tl’uw’ yu ha’kwushum’ tu kw’oukw’iyukw.
    1. You catch salmon in many different ways, including hooking them.
  18. hay ’ul’ stsuw’et tu stl’ul’iqulh kwus yu mi’muq’ul’s, mi’muq’ul’s ’u tu tl’e.e.eqt ’i’ ni’ wenshum.
    1. The young boys are very smart when they speared the salmon with a long (pole), and they would throw them.
  19. ’i’ ni’ wulh tus tu s’ule’luhw nilh ha’kwushus tu ’uxwten kwus yu kwunnuhwus tu kw’a’luhw.
    1. The old people would get there and use the dipnet to catch the dog salmon.
  20. hay ’ul’ thi tu kw’a’luhw, hay ’ul’ thi, tl’lim’ ’uw’ thi.
    1. Dog salmon are the largest—they are the largest, really large.
  21. ’e’uhwin’ tu’inulh ’i’ tl’lim’ ’uw’ xwumxwum, xwumxwum tu’inulh.
    1. Those ones are really small, and they are really fast—those ones are fast.
  22. ’i’ thi tu’i kwutst yu ha’kwush.
    1. And there’s a big one here that we use.
  23. tl’lim’ ’uw’ tum’xuytl’ kwus ni’ ’imush ni’ st’ee ’uw’ niihw tus hilum tu meqe’ yelhs tsam tey’ sxuw’q’um.
    1. When it gets really cold and there’s snow, then those steelhead come in.