Catholic upbringing and becoming a speaker for funerals

Wayne Charlie | pul-hwuletse’
Recorded 2026/04/15 in Duncan, BC.
Transcribed and translated by Donna Gerdts

1. ’een’thu pul-hwuletse’, ’uw’ tun’ni’ ’utl’ kwa’mutsun.
   1. My name is pul-hwuletse’ from Quamichan.
2. nilh lhunu si’lu, qwulqwulxumaat ni’ kwa’mutham’sh.
   1. I was raised by my grandmother, qwulqwulxumaat.
3. ni’ tsun tuw’ yu he’kw’me’t kwunus hwun’ ’uhwiin’ ’i’ yath tst ’uw’ yu hunum’ut tthu ni’ hun’utum’ St. Ann’s t’i’w’i’uw’t-hw.
   1. I’m remembering when I was still little and I was always goting to St. Ann’s Church.
4. ni’ tsun kwu’elh ’uw’ le’lum’nuhw kwthu nu shhwum’ne’lukw.
   1. And I was always seeing my Uncles there.
5. yathulh ’uw’ ni’ shmukw’uthut—nilh ni’ ’imushst-hwus tthu hun’utum’ organ, kwun’atul’ ’utl’ Abner Thorne.
   1. Abel Joe was always there—he was the one who played the organ, together with Abner Thorne.
6. Mary Underwood, nu shhw’aqw’a’, tuni’ ’u tthey’, ni’ tsun tuw’ tul’tul’nuhw tthu st’ilum ni’ ha’kwushus ni’ kwthu High Mass.
   1. Mary Underwood, my sibling, was there, and I learned the songs that they were using in the High Mass.
7. kwunus yath ’uw’ sq’uq’a’ ’u thunu si’lu yath tst ’uw’ yu hunum’, t’ut’a’thut ’eelhtun.
   1. I was always going along with my grandmother learning them.
8. yu tatul’utus kwthu Our Father, tthu Hail Mary, Glory Be.
   1. They taught us the Our Father, Hail Mary Glory Be.
9. yuse’lu st’ilum tthu ni’ nem’ hunum’ustum’ ’u tthu High Mass.
   1. There were two songs that they used for the High Mass.
10. ni’ulh tst hay kwutst yu tatul’ut kwthey’ st’ilum ’i’ ni’ ’uye’q wi’lutum tthey’ yuse’lu st’ilum ni’ hakw’ushus ’u kwus qewumstum tthu siiye’yu tst.
    1. We were learning the songs and there were two songs that were changed up to use for putting our loved ones to rest.
11. hay kwthu nuts’a’ st’ilum yu hunum’ustum’ kwus ‘uw’ sts’uts’e’ tthu muquye’ hwuw’e ni’ tl’pilustum.
    1. One song that is sung is when they close the casket when it’s ready to lower.
12. ’i ch hay tthu nuts’a’ st’ilum ’i’ tus ’u tthu lhi’a’qwt st’ilum ’i’ nilh ni’ wil’ kwutst ni’ yu lhelhuq’t tthu ni’ yu taalnalum.
    1. And when you are done with that song, then there’s a song that follows for when you are laying down the one that has left us behind into the grave.
13. nanulh ’uw’ xe’xe’stum kwutst qewumstum tthu siiye’yu tst.
    1. It is very sacred work to be laying your relatives to rest.
14. yathulh ’uw’ yu ha’kwushum’ tthu st’ilum, st’ilumulh tthu t’atulh s’ul’eluhw.
    1. And the songs that come from the ancestors are always used.
15. nilh kwu’elh thunu shuyulh q’atxumaat ni’ tl’uw’ yu sq’uq’a’ ni’ tsukwilum ’uw’ niis ni’ ts’twa’ ’untsu.
    1. So when my old sister Myra Charlie, q’atxumaat, traveled far and I would travel along with her everywhere.
16. kwus nem’ huye’ skwoulstum kwus nilh tse’ ’imushstuhw tthu st’i’wi’ulh ’uw’ niis ’uwu te’ kwthu luplit tst.
    1. They sent her away to school so that she could learn the prayers, as we had no priest.
17. nusuw’ yu q’ushin’t thunu shuyulh ’uw’ mukw’ ’untsu ni’ yu shhwunum’s thunu shuyulh q’atxumaat kwus yu ’imushst-hwus tthu st’i’wi’ulh kwus yu qewumstum tthu siiye’yu tst.
    1. I accompanied my elder sister, q’atxumaat, everywhere she was doing the prayers to lay our relatives to rest.
18. ts’hwule’ ’i’ ni’ tst tus ’utl’ snuneymuhw, hwu’a’lum’ tetsul ’u tun’a quw’utsun’.
    1. Sometimes we would go to Snuneymuxw, and then return to Quw’utsun.
19. ts’hwule’ ’i’ ni’ tst tus ’utl’ shts’alhulhp kw’un’elh kwutst ni’ ni’ ’utl’ shts’alhulhp.
    1. Sometimes we would go to Tsartlip, various times we went there.
20. nuts’ehw kwutst ni’ tus ’utl’ sa’ukw, siiye’yu tst tun’ni’ ’utl’ sa’ukw ’imushstuhw tthu st’i’wi’ulh.
    1. Once we went to Sooke, to do the prayers for our relatives there in Sooke.
21. tl’uw’ tus ’utl’ ch’i’enuhw, t’ut’al’nuhw tthu siiye’yu tst ’utl’ ch’i’enuhw.
    1. Also we went to Beecher Bay, helping our relatives there.
22. thimat syaays ni’ ’imushst-hwus thunu shuyulh.
    1. My older sister did very important work.
23. ni’ wulh ’unuhw ’u tun’a kweyul.
    1. She has now stopped her work today.
24. nan ’uw’ tl’uxw kws ’i’mushs tsukwilum, ’imushst-hwus tthu snuhwulh ’i’ ni’ kwu’elh ’un’nehw ’u tun’a st’e ’u kwthey’.
    1. It was very hard for her to travel so far, traveling in the car, and so she had to stop doing the work.
25. hay tu’unthu kwus ni’ yu tatul’ut kwthey’ st’ilums tthu St. Ann’s Church.
    1. And I was learning the songs from St. Ann’s church.
26. ’i’ ni’ tuw’ ’uye’q nu shhwum’ne’lukw yathulh ’uw’ shqwi’qwal’ hwiyulasmut tthu ni’ te’wuqun’.
    1. And my uncles were always the public speakers looking after the ones who were grieving.
27. hay tsun ’uw’ yu tsukwul’ul’qum’ ’ul’ ’uw’ hwiyuneem’ ’u tthunu shhwum’ne’lukw, swe’s shqwultuns.
    1. And I followed them along listening to my uncles’ speeches.
28. ’uwu niis hith ’i’ nilh lhxilushstelum, “stl’atl’um’ kwus nuwu qwal.
    1. And it wasn’t long before they stood me up saying, “It would be good for you to speak.
29. hay chuw’ statul’stuhw tthu sqwals kwthu s’ul’eluhw tst.”
    1. You know the wordings of our elders.”
30. sisuw’ yu lhxilushstelum ts’twa’ kw’in sil’anum kwunus ’i yu ts’ets’uw’ut tthunu shhwum’ne’lukw.
    1. And they stood me up for several years going around helping my uncles.
31. qwul’qwul’ tthunu shhum’ne’lukw, “nuwu yuhw kwu’elh ’uye’qtal’hw.
    1. Then my uncles were saying, “You might be ready to switch in for us.
32. nuwu ch tse’ hwiyulasmut tthunu siiye’yu tst.
    1. You will be the one to take care of your relatives.
33. nuwu ch tse’ ’uw’ ’amut ’ul’.”
    1. You’ll be the one to stay home.”
34. nu shhwum’ne’lukw yathulh ’uw’ tskwilum, hunum’ ’utl’ sqwxwa’mush, ts’uhwle’ ’i’ hunum’ ’utl’ pestun, ts’ets’uw’utus tthu siiye’yus kwus te’wuqun’.
    1. My uncles always travelled far, going to Vancouver, and sometimes to the United States, helping their relatives who were grieving.
35. hay tun’a ’unthu nuw’ yu ’a’mut ’ul’.
    1. As for me, I would stay home.
36. tus ’u tun’a shhwun’a’ nu skweyul kwunus hwiyulasmut tuw’ mukw’ kwthu siiye’yu tst—’uw’ tun’ni’ ’utl’ snuneymuhw–
    1. And the first day arrived when I needed to take care of all my relatives—the ones from Snuneymuxw–
37. mu.u.ukw’ tthu siiye’yu tst—xulel’t-hw, snuneymuhw, pun’e’luxutth’, quw’utsun’, me’luxulh, tus ’utl’ hwsenuts, s-hwimelhulh, tus ’utl’ sa’ukw ’i’ ch’i’enuhw.
    1. all of our relatives–Halalt, Snuneymuxw, Peneluxut, Quw’utsun, Meluxulh, and over at Saanich, Esquimault, over at Sooke and Beecher Bay.
38. nilh kwu’elh ni’ nu syaaysteelt ’u tthunu shhwum’ne’lukw .. shhwum’ne’lukwulh.
    1. And my late uncles had me doing the work.
39. ’i’ nuts’a’ skweyul ’i’ ni’ qwal tthunu shhwum’nikw huy’thusthe’lum’ ’u kwthu ni’ ha’kwusheen’ kwunus yu ts’iit tthu siiye’yu tst.
    1. And then one day my uncle spoke, telling me what I would use when I’m thanking our relatives.
40. qux tthu ni’ st’e ’ukw’ ’uw’ yu ts’ets’uw’tham’shusus ‘uw’.. kwunus shqwi’qwal’.
    1. Many of them helped me when I was public speaking.
41. ni’ kwu’elh qwal kwthu nuts’a’ skweyul, “’i ch wa’wu ’uw’ tl’i’ tl’e wulh nutsim’us sutst yath ’uw’ ’amusthamu ’u kwthu shqwultuns kwthu s’ul’eluhw tst.”
    1. And one day one of them said, “You would probably want to know why we are always sharing the elders’ wordings with you.”
42. nus nuw’ hwtulqut, “’uw’ thu’it. ’uw’ tl’lim’ tsun ’uw’ st’e kw’u tth’uy’kw’t, tth’uykw’thut ’ul’ ‘uw’ yu ts’e’ts’uw’utham’sh ’amustham’sh ’u kwthey’ ’uy’ shqwultun.”
    1. And I answered, “It’s true. I’m really astonished that you are helping me and giving me the proper wordings.”
43. “nilh kwu’elh ni’ yu ’amustalum ’u thun’ swe’ ’un’ si’lu’ulh qwulqwulxumaat.”
    1. “It’s because we were given them by your own grandmother, qwulqwulxumaat.”
44. nilh ni’.. nilh yuhw ni’ ts’ets’uw’ut tthunu shhwum’ne’lukw kwus yuw’en’ qwi’qwal’.
    1. She must have been helping my uncles when they first started public-speaking.
45. niilh putum’ut tthunu shhwum’ne’lukw ni’ tthu lelum’s thunu si’lu’eelh qwulqwulxumaat.
    1. My uncles went asking questions at my late grandmother’s house.
46. tun’ni’ ’u kwthey’ ’i’ tl’lim’ ’uw’ hi’lukw’ tthunu shqwaluwun st’e ’uw’ niis ’uw’ yu ’amusthelum hwu’a’lum’stum tthu ’uy’ shqwaluwun niilh yu wi’wul’utus thunu si’lu, si’lu’eelh.
    1. From then on, I was really happy that they gave the wordings to me, giving back what my late grandmother had brought out.
47. nilh ’uw’ thimat syaaysth tthu sqwi’qwal’ mustimuhw.
    1. The work of the public speakers is very important.
48. ’e’ut wulh wi’wul’ tthu qe’is ’i’ ni’ tst tuw’ yath ’uw’ tuw’ yu q’a’thut ts’ets’uw’ut tthu qe’is ni’ shqwi’qwal’ ’u tun’a kweyul.
    1. The new ones have come forward, and we are always meeting to help the new public speakers of today.
49. ’i’ hi’lukw’ tthunu shqwaluwun kwunus ni’ yu ts’elhum’ut tthunu shhw’a’luqw’a’ ’i’ tthunu stutiwun, qwi’qwaal’ ’u tun’a kweyul.
    1. And I’m happy to hear my cousins and my nephew speaking today.
50. hay ch q’a’. ’uhwiin’ tuni’ tuw’ nu sqwal ’u tun’a kweyul.
    1. Thank you. That’s my little speech for today.