smuqw’uts | Point Roberts

Samuel Tom | sulchilum

Recorded at Malahat by Wayne Suttles in 1962, when Samuel Tom was 102 years old.

Transcribed and edited by Ruby Peter and Donna Gerdts. (This version Oct 2, 2025)

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1. ni’ kwthu smuqw’a’ (??) kws ni’s hwu smeent.
   1. There is the blue heron that was turned into a rock.
2. ni’ kwthu smuqw’uts m’i ts’ulq’ustum tthu sheshuq’um’.
   1. It was Smuqw’uts who threw rocks with a handsling at “Open Mouth” (in Sansum Narrows).
      
      That’s the story that one.
      
3. ni’ kwthu smuqw’uts m’i ts’ulq’ustum tthu sheshuq’um’.
   1. It was Smuqw’uts who threw rocks with a handsling at “Open Mouth” (in Sansum Narrows).
4. ni’ nilh shis ’uw’ mukw’ ’untsu shni’s thu smeent—
   1. That is why there are boulders everywhere there—
5. ni’ ’utl’ p’q’al’s, ni’ ’utl’ ts’ulhwiin, ni’ ’utl’ qeye’, ni’ ni’ ’utl’ me’luxulh kwthu nuts’a’.
   1. at White Rock, at ts’ulhwiin (???), at Cherry Point; and at Malahat, that’s one of them.
6. sew’q’tum tthu sheshuq’um’, kws tstl’i’s kws q’uynuhws tthu smuqw’uts.
   1. Searching for the Open Mouth because he wants to kill him, that Smuqw’uts.
7. sis ’uw’ ts’isum, m’i ts’isum tthu q’ise’q.
   1. Then he grew up, became grown up, the q’ise’q,
8. q’ise’q kw’ snes.
   1. q’ise’q was his name.
9. sis ’uw’ kw’uy’utum’ ’u thu tens, ’uwees nem’us hunum’nusum tthu sheshuq’um’.
   1. He was forbidden by his mother to ever go after him, this “Open Mouth”.
10. sis miw’ hwu s’eluhw tthuw’nilh q’ise’q, sis ’uw’ nem’ nu’umnusus.
    1. When he became older, this fellow q’ise’q, then he did go after him.
11. suw’ yu t’ut’e’t-s tthuw’ mukw’ stem.
    1. And he kept trying everything.
12. yu hul’kwutus, suw’ yu qw’aqw’uqwut-s tthuw’ mukw’ stem, ’i’ ’uwu niis ’uy’.
    1. He kept breaking them, and he was clubbing everything, but they were not good.
13. ’i’ niw’lh tus ’u tthu qethulhp ’i’ yelhs ni’s hwu ’uy’, yelhs stu’es ’u kw’ shuptun kwus ’iya’th.
    1. And he got to the Ocean Spray before he found it satisfactory, before it became like a knife, its sharpness.
14. sis ’uw’ nem’ nem’ tthu q’ise’q ’utl’ sheshuq’um’.
    1. And he went, he went, that q’ise’q, to sheshuq’um’.
15. sis ’uw’ wil’ tthu yu ’i’shul’ nem’ yu shnu’a’th,
    1. And someone came into view, paddling along, going along the other shore,
16. ’utl’ xwaaqw’um, kwus yu ’i’shul’.
    1. Burgoyne Bay (on Salt Spring Island) is where he was paddling along.
17. ’i’ niiw lhikw’utus ’u tthu tuhwthulhs, tthu q’aytus tthuw’nilh sheshuq’um’.
    1. But he would hook it/him with his tongue, the one he wants to kill, he himself, sheshuq’um’.
18. ni’ lhey’xtus tthu nem’ yu ’i’shul’.
    1. He eats those that go paddling by.
19. sis ’uw’ t’qw’atum, qw’aqwutum ’utl’ q’ise’q tthu tuhwthulh ’utl’ sheshuq’um’.
    1. So, it was cut off by q’ise’q, the tongue of sheshuq’um’.
20. siis ’uw’ hwu shaqwul kwus q’ul’q’thut.
    1. It went across the pass when it curled itself.
21. sis ’uw’ xwchenum tthuw’nilh q’ise’q lhew’, m’i ts’a’luts ’u tthu quw’utsun’ smeent.
    1. And q’ise’q run, fleeing and he came over Cowichan mountain.
22. sis ’uw’ hwu’alum’ tthu tuhwthulhs, tuhwthulh ’utl’ sheshuq’um’.
    1. Then it went back, his tongue, that tongue belonging to sheshuq’um’.
23. sis ’uw’ tseeltum ’u tthu ni’ shnem’s.
    1. And he was followed to where he went.
24. tthuw’ shnem’s kwus yu puy’pi’uthut tthuw’nilh q’ise’q, ’i’ niw’ nem’ tthuw’nilh tuhwthulh ’utl’ sheshuq’um’.
    1. Wherever he went as he was zigzagging, q’ise’q, it also went along, that thing, the tongue of sheshuq’um’.
25. sis ’uw’ ’ewu ’u tthu xinupsum m’i ’eey’ ’suw’ tuyul.
    1. He came to Green Point, and he continued coming upriver.
26. sis ’uw’ nem’ ’utl’ siilathun.
    1. And he went to siilathun (??).
27. sis ’uw’ tuyul tthuw’nilh sis ’uw’ yu puy’pi’uthut.
    1. And he travelled upriver, that one himself, and he was zigzagging.
28. ni’ kwu’elh ’uw’ yu stu’e, ’uw’ yu puy’pi’uthut tthu ni’ shyulhun’es tthey’ q’ise’q.
    1. Now it is that way, it is zigzagging, the way he traveled, q’ise’q.
29. sis ’uw’ tus ’u tthu xatsa’, ’i’ ni’ ’ikw’.
    1. And he reached a certain lake and became lost.
30. ni’ nem’ taal tthuw’nilh ’u tthu xatsa’.
    1. He went out onto the water, he did, of the lake.
31. suw’ skw’eys tl’e’ kws tulnuhwus tthu tuhwthulh kwthu ni’ shnem’ ’utl’ q’ise’q.
    1. It became impossible for it, the tongue, ever to know where he went to, q’ise’q.
32. nilh ni’ shni’s ’i’ ni’ ’ikw’.
    1. That is where he got lost.