Theresa Rice: All Wrinkled Up

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slhul’p’iws | All Wrinkled Up

Theresa Jack (Rice) from Stz’uminus First Nation

Theresa was born July 7, 1937. Her parents were Edna Stogan (nee Sampson) and father was Fritz Jack, from Chemainus Bay, and she was raised by her mother at Shell Beach, as she elaborates below.

Hul’q’umi’num’ transcription and English translation by Theresa Thorne and Donna Gerdts.
Funding from Canada Heritage, First Peoples’ Foundation, SSHRC, and SFU.

  1. ’een’thu ts’ul’simiye’.
    1. I am Ts’ul’simiye’.
  2. ni’ ’utl’ thuq’min kwunus ’i kwan.
    1. I am from Shell Beach, where I was born.
  3. mukw’ulh kwunu sul’si’lu ’uw’ tun’ni’ ’u tun’a,
    1. My grandparents are all from here
  4. thuq’min ’i’ shts’uminus.
    1. Shell Beach and Chemainus.
  5. nilh ’uw’ nu shhw’i tun’a
    1. This was where I was
  6. kwunus ’i ts’isum ni’ ’u tu s’ulqsun.
    1. when I was growing up on the point.
  7. nilh ni’ nush ni’ lhunu si’lu’ulh ts’ul’simiye’.
    1. I stayed with my grandmother Ts’ul’simiye’.
  8. nilh ’uw’ kw’umutham’sh ni’ ’u tun’a.
    1. She raised me here.
  9. ni’ ’i’mushsta’lum’ ’i ’u tun’a
    1. We were taking around here
  10. kws kwunut tst tu s’ulhtuntst.
    1. and gathered our food.
  11. ’uweelh kws nem’ tst ’u tu shhwiimelu.
    1. We never went to the store.
  12. tu s’ulhtuntst tun’ni’ ’u tu tsetsuw’.
    1. We got our food from down on the beach.
  13. tu stth’oom nem’ tst ’i’mush q’ept in the summertime.
    1. We went and picked berries in the summertime.
  14. mukw’ stem q’eptusulh lhunu si’lu’ulh
    1. My late grandmother picked everything
  15. ’i ’u tun’a—stth’oom, ’apuls, plums.
    1. here—berries, apples, plums.
  16. nilh tschemstalut.
    1. She would make jam for us.
  17. nilh’ulh s’aa’lh s’ulhtuntst kws ’i tst ’u tun’a.
    1. That was our food back then.
  18. quxulh sxwi’em’s kwunu si’lu’ulh ’i ’u tun’a.
    1. My grandmother told us a lot of stories.
  19. nilh wa’lu s’aa’lhulh radio TV.
    1. That was our radio and TV.
  20. mukw’ skweyul kws hwune’unt-s ’u kwsus wulh xlhas tst
    1. Every day in the evening after we ate,
  21. ’i’ wulh yuthusta’lum’ ’u tu stories.
    1. they would tell us stories.
  22. tl’e’ nush ’i qwiil’qwul’ ’u tun’a kweyul
    1. I was just speaking today
  23. qe’is tsun he’kw’
    1. earlier, I was remembering
  24. huy’thust kwunu me’mun’u
    1. telling my children
  25. one sxwi’em’—slhul’p’iws.
    1. one story I remember—“All Wrinkled Up.”
  26. xut’ustuhw kwunu me’mun’u
    1. I was explaining to my children
  27. ’uy’ulh kws le’lum’ute’wut tu slhunlheni’ ’u tu s’ul’eluhw.
    1. our ancestors took really good care of the young ladies.
  28. shnem’ustamut kws tsta’lusstamut.
    1. So they would go select our husbands for us.
  29. ’uweelh kws ’uw’ ’eey’s ’ul’ tu stl’ul’iqulh.
    1. The children would not just do it.
  30. suw’ huy’thust ’u kwey’ slhul’p’iws m’i ’imush tstsehwum.
    1. As I was telling them, this one guy Slhul’p’iws decided to go courting.
  31. ’i’ quleetum — qulstum — quliima’ wa’lu lhul’p’iws.
    1. But everyone was mean to him, didn’t like him,
      I guess because of his ugly wrinkles.
  32. qulstum ’u tu
    1. shhw’a’luqw’a’s thu q’e’mi’.
  33. ’a’mut ni’ ’u tu shelh.
    1. He sat outside the door.
  34. ’i’ nem’ yu’e’tl’qul tu swaw’lus ’i’ lume’tum.
    1. Whenever the boys went out, they would kick him.
  35. mukw’ sni’s lume’tum ’i’ ni’ wuq’t’ux
    1. Every time they kicked him, he would make a cracking sound
  36. ni’ ste’ ’uw’ niis yakw’um.
    1. like he was breaking.
  37. yuhw four days kwus ’al’mutsun’
    1. He must have waited four days
  38. ’i’ yelh wa’la shus hwtulqutum.
    1. before they responded to him.
  39. suw’ nuw’ushum tu slhul’p’iws.
    1. Then they brought Wrinkled Up inside.
  40. hun’uw’ suw’ me’shus tey’ slhul’p’iws
    1. He entered and started taking off his wrinkles
  41. a-a-a hay ’ul’ ’uy’ swiw’lus si’em’.
    1. Oh, he turned out to be a respectable young man.
  42. nilh kwu’elh shni’s
    • This then is what he had
  43. kws kwun’et-s tey’ ni’ wuq’t’ux nilh swe’s tu sxwuyxwi’.
    • so what seemed to be breaking was his own mask dance (rattles).
  44. ni’ ’uw’ huy ’ul’ si’em’.
    • He turned out to be very respectable.
  45. nilh kwu’elh nushni’ he’kw’,
    • That then is how I remember
  46. kwey’ nusni’ ’uw’ huy’thust kwunu me’mun’u.
    • what I was telling my children.
  47. nilh kwu’elh ’uw’ sht’es ’ul’ nu sqwal ’u tun’a kweyul.
    • That is all I am going to say today.
  48. hay ch q’a’.
    • Thank you.