yu ’um’mush ‘utl’ skwutz | Hunting at Skutz Falls

Sti’tum’at | Ruby Peter

Recorded in Duncan, BC, on June 17, 2008
Transcribed, translated, and edited by Ruby Peter and Donna Gerdts
[This version Oct 14, 2025]

’een’thu sti’tum’at, nilh nu shhwuw’weli xitsilenuhw ’i’ qwulsitunaat, Basil Alphonse and Cecelia Leo.
1. I’m stit’um’at (Ruby Peter), and my parents are Basil Alphonse and Cecelia Leo.
nilh tthu …. nilh sht’es tthu ’uw’ t’at mustimuhw kws nem’s ’a’luxutus tthu s’ulhtuns, smuyuth.
1. This is about how the old people used to be a long time ago, how they used to go and gather their food, deer.
qux ni’ sht’es kwus … kws nem’s ’i’mush ’a’luxutus tthu s’ulhtuns tthu ’uw’ t’at mustimuhw tthu suw’wuy’qe’.
1. There were many different ways of catching food, and the men used to go to different places, gathering different kinds of things.
hay kwthu sun’tl’e’ nu mun’u hay nilh tthu shhwum’nikws nilh ni’ hw’uw’tsust tsumstum ’u thu smeent sus ’uw’ nem’ ’u thu statluw’.
1. With my older son, it was his uncle who brought him up the mountain to train up to a creek.
sus ’uw’ kwi’stum ’u tthu thqet shts’unets, wulh hwune’unt.
1. And then they climbed a tree and sat up on a branch, and it became evening.
ni’ hwune’unt ’i’ ni’ wulh m’i t’atuhw tthu smuyuth m’i hunum’ nem’ qaaqa’ ’u tthu qa’.
1. This was in the evening, because in the evening the deer would come down to drink water in the creek.
nilh tthuw’ shni’s tthu qa’ ’i’ nilh ’uw’ ’ulh shhwunum’s kws qaaqa’s.
1. Wherever there was a creek or water, that’s where they would go to drink water.
suw’ shts’unets ni’ ’u tthu thqet ’al’mutstus tthu smuyuth kws m’is yu t’at’uhw.
1. So they sat in the tree, waiting for the deer to come down to the creek.
sus ’uw’ hul’iq ’ul’ kwsus kwulushtus ’i’ ni’ t’ukw’st-hwus.
1. This made it really easy to shoot the deer and catch it and bring it home.
’i’ ni’ kwthu tl’uw’ nets’ kwthu … niilh xwte’ ’utl’ skwuts, kwthunu shhwuw’weli nu men ’i’ k’wunu shhwum’nikw,
1. There was one time when we went to Skutz falls—my dad and my uncle.
nu men xitsulenuhw ’i’ kw’unu shhwum’nikw swulethul’t-hw [Chris Alphonse] ’i’ kwthunu shuyulh hwuneem [Leo Alphonse].
1. My father, xitselenexw [Basil Alphonse] and my uncle swelitutxw [Chris Alphonse] and my brother xwneem [Leo Alphonse].
sutst ’uw’ huliye’ nem’ ’aalh ’u thu snuhwulh, ni’ tsun nem’ yu huw’u.
1. We traveled in the car, and I went along.
ya.a.ath tsun ’uw’ tth’itth’uhwuthut nu stl’i’ kwunus xi’xlhlem’ kws nem’ yu ’um’mush tthu [suw’wuy’qe’].
1. I always asked and begged to go along when they went hunting.
ts’uhwle’ ’i’ (ni’ tsun) hiil’xuw’e.
1. Sometimes, they would go pitlamping.
ts’uhwle’ ’i’ tl’alum’thut tsun.
1. Sometimes I would drive.
sutst ’uw’ huliye’ nem’ xwte’ ’utl’ skwuts falls.
1. So, when he left, we went to Skutz Falls.
tus ’utl’ skwuts susuw’ … wulh nem’ yu lhalhutsthut.
1. When we arrived at Skutz Falls, it was getting dark.
nusuw’ huw’ul’mun’ ’u tthu [wulh] nem’ qw’elum nem’ shaqwul ’u tthu shq’utuw’ulh, nem’ tse.etsuw’.
1. (When they were getting ready to leave), I asked to go along again; they were getting out of the car to cross over the bridge going down to the river bank (to intercept deer coming down to the water).
’uwu wulh t’a’ulxwuthelum, “’uw’ ’ula’ulh ch ’ul’ ’u thu snuhwulh. ’uwu tst tse’ nanut ’uw’ hith.”
1. And I wasn’t “You just stay in the car. We are not going to be very long,”
sus ’uw’ taanthelum.
1. And they left me by myself.
’i’ ni’ wulh nem’ yu lhalhutsthut suw’ huy’athe’ult, “uwu ch qw’iqw’um’uhw. ’uwu ch ’i’mushuhw. ’uw’ ’ula’ulh ch ’ul’ ’u thu snuhwulh.
1. It was already getting near dusk, and they were telling me, “Don’t get out of the car. Don’t walk around. You stay in the car.
’uwu tst tse’ nanut ’uw’ hith,” nilh sqwaqwul’ tthunu men.
1. We are not going to be gone very long.” that’s what my father was saying.
nusuw’ st’estuhw nu sht’eewun’ skw’ey kwunus qw’im.
1. So, I obeyed, and so I thought, “Well, I can’t get out at all.”
shun’sheen’, ’uwu te’ hulelum’, ’uwu te’ stem stutes, tl’lim’ ’uw’ shunshen’ ’ul’.
1. This was way out of the way, where there were no houses or anything close by, it was way out of the way.
’i’ nilh tthu ni’ shni’steelt kwsus ’unuhwstum thu snuhwulh, ’uw’ tuw’ ’uy’unup ’ul’ ’i’ uuum pqwutsun.
1. But where they parked the car was sort of an open space, and it was kind of sandy.
susuw’ taanthelum ni’ tsun ’uw’ t-hwhiina’nuts’a’ ’ul’, tssethelum ’uw’ lhaq’uthutun’.
1. The guys left me by myself; they told me to lie down.
’i.i.i tsun tuw’ xi’xlhem’ ’ul’ ’u tthu le’lum’ut thu s’e’tl’q.
1. But I just sat up for a while and kept looking around outside through the windows.
hwun’ xut’u ’i’ ni’ wulh lhatsthut, nus nuw’ lhaq’uthut, hwu alhelhuq’ ’i’ ni’uhw tsun ’uw’ nuqw ’u kwthuw’ qe’is ’ul’, ’i’ ni’ tsun ’uw’ nuqw ’u kwthuw’ qe’is ’ul’, ’i’ ni’ tsun tl’e’ wulh qul’et hwuy.
1. It finally got dark, so I lay down; I must have fallen asleep for a short while, and then I woke up again.
’i tsun hwuy ’i’ wulh kwey’xum’ thunu snuhwulh.
1. When I woke up, the car was moving.
nusuw’ ’umut sht’eewun’ tsun kwsus wulh tetsul tthunu shhwhuw’weli kwsus hiiw’a’lum’ste’lum’.
1. I thought my relatives were playing tricks with me.
lemut ’i’ ’uwu te’ lhwet.
1. I looked and there was nobody around.
’i’ ni’ wulh q’it’a’ thunu snuhwulh ni’ nu shhwula’ulh.
1. And the car started to swing, like the ground was moving and the car was on a swing, moving back and forth.
tl’lim’ nuw’ kweyuxum st’e ’uw’ niis q’it’a’.
1. The car really moved hard, like it was in an earthquake.
lemut tthu s’e’tl’q ’i’ ’uwu te’ lhwet.
1. I looked outside, and there was no one there.
’i.i.iw’ si’amutul’ ’i’ ni’ ’unuhw.
1. And then it slowly came to a stop.
nusuw’ sht’eewun ’iihw ’a’lu tstamut.
1. I was wondering what happened.
sht’eewun’ tsun kwsus kweyuxum tthu tumuhw.
1. I thought that it was an earthquake.
nusuw’ huy’thust tthunu shhwuw’weli nu shhwum’nikw ’i’ tthunu men kwsus wulh hun’tsew.
1. When my dad and uncle arrived, I was telling them about it, what happened to the car.
wulh m’i te’lutsul yu kwun’etus tthu [shun’tsus] skwulushs ’eelhtun smuyuth, susuw’ ’aalhstum.
1. When they arrived, they were all packing, deer, and they put it in the trunk.
nusuw’ huy’thust (kwus) kwunus ni’ si’si’, ’uwu ’ul’ kws tuw’ hwnu’iwunmutheelt, (‘uwu niis) st’e ’uw’ ’uwees ’ul’ niis ts’elhum’ ’eelhtun.
1. I kept telling them I really got scared, and they kept ignoring me, just like they didn’t hear me.
ni.i.i’ tsun tl’e’ wulh qul’et yuthust.
1. I started telling them again what happened.
suw’ thut-s tthunu men, “nilh p’e’ ’uw’ t’at tumuhw kwthu ni’ ’un’ shni’ (kwun’s ni’) kwus ’un’nehw lhu snuhwulh.
1. And then my dad said that where the car is parked is an ancient ground where the people used to camp.
nilh ’uw’ lelum’sulh kwthu yuw’en’ulh mustimuhw shni’s kws q’uq’ulum’s, shni’s kws ’i’mushs.
1. That was the home of our ancestors, where they used to camp all the time.
tsuhwle’ ’i’ ’uw’ hith kws ni’s.
1. Some of them used to stay for a long period of time.
nilh kwu’elh ni’ tsla’thut ’u kwthu ni’ kweyuxum (kwun’s)—, kwus kweyuxum lhu snuhwulhs ni’ q’it’a’st-hwus.
1. So that would be the reason why the car moved around— it was their doing—they made the car swing like it was an earthquake.
“’uwu ch p’e’ sii’si’me’tuhw. kwe’t ch ’ul’,” thut tthunu men.
1. “Don’t be scared of it; just let it go,” my dad said.
nusuw’ thu’it nuw’ kwe’t ’ul’.
1. So, I did just let it go.
nilh ni’ yuthust thunu ten ’i’ nilh ni’ tl’uw’ sqwals thunu ten:
1. And he told my mother, And my mother said the same thing t(hat my father had said):
“nilh tthuw’ t’at mustimuhw ni’ st’e ’uw’ niis (q’it’a’stuhw) [q’it’a’stum] thu mun’u tst kwsus ’ula’ulh ’u lhu snuhwulh,
1. “That was an ancient ground, and it was our ancestors that did that—they made the car move like a swing when our daughter was in there.
nilh kwthuw’ yuw’en’ulh mustimuhw.
1. That was our ancestors.
’uwu niis qulnum (nuw’) st’e ’uw’ niis ’uw’ q’it’a’stum’ ’ul’.
1. They didn’t get angry at her; they were just trying to make her realize that they were there and made the car move like an earthquake.
haalh ni’—niisulh qul shqwaluwuns kwthu yuw’en’ mustimuhw ’i’ niilh ’uw’ tstamut ’ul’ thu mun’u tst.
1. If our ancestors had been angry, something would have happened to our daughter.
’i’ ’uwu thulh ni’ ’uw’ ’uy’ ’ul’ kwthu shqwaluwuns kwsus ni’.”
1. But they had good feelings and didn’t do any harm.”
nus nuw’ kwe’t, ’uwu kwunus tl’e’ ch hwu nem’ ’u kwthey’, sht’eewun ’uw’ thu’it tthu ni’ sqwals tthunu shhwuw’weli.
1. So, I just let it go, and I never talk about that anymore, as what my parents said was very true.
[ni’ tsuw’] (nusuw’) q’ul’me’t.
1. I believe what they said.
nilh niilh sht’es tthu [s]yuw’en’ [tst] kws nem’s stseetsuw’.
1. That’s how it used to be a long time ago when our men used to hunt, and they used to intercept the deer when they were going for their water.
nem’ ’i’mush ’u tthu tsa’luqw ’i’ niilh tthu stul’atluw’, (nilh ni’) sta’luw’ shni’s tthu qa’ nilh ni’ st’ee kw’uw’ [xutsten’s].
1. When they went up the mountain, they always looked for the creeks, rivers, lakes where the deer would go; where there is water, there is going to be deer.
nilh ni’ shni’s kws ’al’mutsun’s ’u tthu smuyuth kws m’is t’at’uhw [qaaqa’ ’u tthu qa’] ’i’ nuw’ hul’iqul’ kwsus kwunnuhwus.
1. And that is where they would lay in wait for the deer to come down and drink water, and it would make it really easy to get deer.
’uweelh kws skw’ey’s tthu yuw’en’ mustimuhw.
1. Our ancestors never starved or went hungry.
yathulh ’uw’ ts’ulhtun, mukw’ stem s’ulhtuns, yu ’eeye’q, ni’ tthu stseelhtun, smuyuth, kwewe’uts, ma’uqw, tl’ekw’uxun, ni’ yu ’eeye’q kwus yu ’a’luxutus ’eelhtun qux ni’ shte’s kwus ’a’luxutus tthuw’ mukw’ stem.
1. They always had all different kinds of food—the fish, the deer, the elk, ducks, geese—all with their different ways of catching these different species and storing them.
hay tthu ma’uqw kws nilhs wulh ’aluxutum ’i’ niilh saay’stum tthu net [swultun] [st’i’am’ ’u tthu] [xwul’xwul’u] sus ’uw’ ni’ sthuthi’stum ni’ yu lhalhukw’ ’i’ ni’ hwi’ q’ulq’ ’u tthey’.
1. When they were catching the ducks, they prepared a net, and they had a way of catching them by putting it on poles—the ducks would get caught in this net.
nilh ni’ sht’es kwus kwe’nuhwus tthu ma’uqw.
1. And that’s how they used to catch the ducks.
qux niilh sht’es tthu yuw’en’ mustimuhw kws ’a’luxut-s tthu s’ulhtuns.
1. Our ancestors had many different ways of catching our food.
thu shxetl’ nilh yathulh tl’uw’ saay’stum.
1. The weir was one of the ways that was ready for the salmon.
ni’ulh tthu ni’ ’utl’ lhumlhumuluts’, qw’umi’yiqun’, kwa’mutsun, s’amuna’, nem’ tus ’utl’ quyxuletse’ tumuhw.
1. They had weirs in many places—Comiaken, Clemclem, Quamichan, Somenos, quyxule’tse’.
  [There are notations to be inserted from the back of the original notebook p8]
’i’ tthu swe’s tthunu shhwum’nikw, kwthu skwuts, Manson George [’eyuhwum ’i’ siiyimulwut niilh tuw’ tswe’ ’u lhu ’utl’ skwuts].
1. Skutz Falls, which belonged to my uncle Manson George.
nilh ’uw’ sxuluxits ’ul’ tthu tswe’ ’u lhu shxetl’ nuw’ stsun’u tthu quyxuletse’, Manson George.
1. The weirs were built by only certain families, qiqulece’.
tthu ’i’ ’utl’ s’amun’a ni’ tsun mel’q kws snunus tthunu shhwum’ne’lukw ’iilh saay’stuhw thu shxetl’
1. The one in Somenoes (Abel Joe); I forgot the names of my uncles that made the weirs in the different areas.
quxulh ni’ sht’e’ kwus saay’stum’ tthu sht’es kwun’s kwen’nuhw tthu s’ulhtun, a’luxut.
1. There were many ways of catching food.
yath nuw’ saay’ kws nem tse’ wulh xuy’tl’that, tum’xuytl’ ’i’ nuw’ saay’ ’i’ ni’ qw’i’lus.
1. They were always ready when the weather got cold in the winter and right through to the next spring.
hay ch q’a.
1. The end.