Willie Seymour: Cultural Teachings (Hul’q’umi’num’)

by

Speaker:  Willie Seymour – qwulthuts’tun

Filmed in 1998
Transcribed and translated by Theresa Thorne and Donna Gerdts

  1. kwu ni’ yu hunum’nuseen’ xwte’ ’u thu stl’ul’iqulh ’i’ nan ’uw’ thu’it.
    1. What I just said in regards to our children is how we need to educate society so that there will be a balance, to overcome assimilation is very true.
  2. nilh thu snuw’uyulh sqwals tu s’ule’luhw, sqwals thu tl’lim’ ’uw’ ’un’ swe’ s’ule’luhw.
    1. teachings of our Elders – your Elders.
  3. nilh tl’lim’ ’uw’ ’un’ swe’ ’un’ s’ulhween.
    1. They are your very own Elders. 
  4. kws yu’hiyam’utha’mut, ’uwu ch ’uw’ slhelhuq’uhw ’ul’.
    1. They always warned us not to just lay around at home.
  5. netulh ’i’ ’umut ch,  xwchenum, yaays ’u kw’ stem ’ul’.
    1. In the morning, get out of bed, go run,  and get to work at something. 
  6. ’uwu ch ’uw’ slhelhuq’uhw ’ul’.
    1. Don’t be laying around.
  7. tsyalh, ’ixwuthutstuhw thun’ shhw’a’mut.
    1. Get the firewood, sweep floors, etc. 
  8. suw’ tl’ulims tun’ shqwaluwun, shhwi’ihw tun’ shqwaluwun.
    1. You will have a better perspective about yourself and have an open mind.
  9. ha ’uwu shhwi’ihws thun’ shqwaluwun ’i’ ’uwute’ ’ul ni’ tuw’ tulnuhwuhw ’u tu nuts’a’ skweyul.
    1. If you do not do this, you will never accomplish anything.
  10. ’i’ ’uwu nilhus tu skw’ey ’ul’ ni’ kwun’utuhw.
    1. Do not become involved with drugs or alcohol.
  11. ni’ tu tuw’ qwul ’i’ tuw’ t’e’t’uyuq’ ’ul ’u kw tu qwals.
    1. There are some that do not listen and they are always mad.
  12. ni’ tu tuw’ xeem’ tu shqwaluwuns, ’uwu kws thuynam’ut-s
    1. There are those who are always remorseful.
  13. ’i’ hiy’amulh tu s’ule’luhw ’u tu st’e ’u tey’.
    1. Our Elders warned us about that too.
  14. ’i tsun hekw’ kwus tssetham’shus lhu nu si’lu ’uw’ nem’ ’un’ ’i’mush q’ta’thut ’u thu tsetsuw’
    1. I remember when my grandmother told me to go walk along the bay shore
  15. kwunus ni’ t’e’yuq’.
    1. because I was angry and mad. 
  16. qul thu st’e’yuq’, seyum thu sqwal, hu tsh yu t’et’yuq’ ’i’ qwal
    1. Anger or madness is very unacceptable, especially if you make a speech when angry.
  17. ’i’ tsuqwnehw ch tse’ ’un’ sye’yu ’un’ shhwaqw’a’ ’un’ mun’u.
    1. You will hurt a relative or child with a sharp tongue.
  18. hwi’ na’nuluthut ch ’i’ hwi’ skw’ey kws hwu’a’lumstuhw tu ni’ ’un’ sqwal.
    1. You will regret it, but it will be too late.  You cannot change what you have already said.
  19. nilh sqwa’qwul’ lhunu s’e’luhw.
    1. This is what my grandmother told me.
  20. nem’ tsun ’i’mush yu tse’tsuw, yu t’e’t’iyuq’.
    1. I did go walk by the sea shore and was very angry.
  21. suw’ yu qwa’qwul’s lhunu si’lu
    1. She walked behind me for a short time, telling me
  22. “’uwu ch m’i’uhw yu st’e ’ul kwus mi’ hwu’alum’,
    1. “Do not take the same route when you come back.
  23. m’i ch  shts’i’lum kwus m’i yu ’i’mush.
    1. Come back through the bushes.
  24. suw’ hwu sthuthi’ tse’ s’aalh tse’ tun’ shqwaluwun ’uw’ m’i’uhw hun’um’ut
    1. When you come back you will be feeling a lot better
  25. ’i’ hwu ’iyus ch ’ul’.”
    1. and you will become happier.”
  26. ’i’ tl’lim’ ’uw’ thu’it tu st’e’ ’u tthey’.
    1. It is true, how much happier I was.
  27. ha’ nilh tu snuw’uyulh xe’xe’ sqwals tu s’ule’luhw ulh kwun’utut
    1. If we take this sacred teaching from our Elders
  28. ’i’ wuw’u thu’it-s ’uw’ thishe’num’na’mut.
    1. we will become proud Nations.
  29. ’i’ ’uwu thulh ’uw’ huyus ’ul’ tun’a kweyul.
    1. It is not only for today.
  30. thu s-hwunitum’a’lh sqwal nilh nan tl’luw’ thimaat ’u tun’a kweyul.
    1. The White education words are very broad today.
  31. skw’ey kwus kwunnuhw tu syaays ’uw’ we’uhw hunum’ustuhw tu s-hwunitum’a’lh sqwal, snuw’uyulh.
    1. You cannot find work without your education , the White society’s teachings.
  32. thi hwuykwus kw’us hwulmuhw mustiimuhw.  ni’ tst t’ut’a’thut kws tu’talut-s tst tu s-hwunitum’a’lh sht’e.
    1. We are trying very hard to follow through with the education and the white way of life.
  33. ’i’ ni’ tst hwi’ hweluq ’i’ ’ukw’nuhw tu snuw’uyulh sht’es tu hwulmuhw.
    1. In this respect we almost lost who we are and our traditions as First Nations.
  34. ’i’ stl’atl’um’ kwu’elh kws na’usum ’u tu sqwals tu s’ule’luhw tstulh.
    1. It is about time we went back toward our Elders’ teachings
  35. kws yutatul’at tst thu sht’e’s ’i’ yu s’aa’lh kws  hwulmuhw mustiimuhw.
    1. and learned the ways of our Elders as First Nations people.
  36. suw’ yuta’tul’at tst thu s-hwun’i’tumalh sqwal
    1. As we proceed in our education, 
  37. ni’ sqwa’qwuls thu ni’ st’e’ ’uw’ yulhe’lhuq’ut tuw’ shtu’e’s ’i’ tl’ul’im ch.
    1. the words that are put before us will help us go forward in the correct way.
  38. nan ’uw’ qux.
    1. There are numerous ways.
  39. xut’u tu s’ule’luhw ’uw’ q’eel’um ’ul’ kwus qwa’qwuls.  tuw’ sht’es thuw’ mukw’ stem sn’uw’uyulh, hwu we’ ch kwanuhw.
    1. Our Elders expressed that they are trying their best by talking or lecturing us in everything and teaching us even before we are born.
  40. ’i’ wulh yu slhe’lhuq’ tu sqwal.
    1. There are sacred teachings.
  41. swuy’qe’ wulh qw’uqw’un’eem ’i’ tl’e’ wulh lheq’ thu qul’et sqwal.
    1. The coming of man or age also has sacred teachings.
  42. mukw’ ’ul’ skweyul ’i’ ’uw’ yu lhe’lhu’q’utum thu siy’ams.
    1. It was every day that the teaching was put before you, warnings, by our Elders.
  43. kwus tus ’u thu skweyul kwus lhuq’enthamut ’u thun’ sne, tun’ shtun’ni’ ni’ lheq’utum tu sn’uw’uyulh.
    1. That day comes when we receive our name.  Before you are given the name, there is a process to be followed through.
  44. ni’ lheq’utum tu snuw’uyulh.
    1. Lectures are given.
  45. ts’uhwle’ ’i’ ni’ hwu sq’uq’u ’u thu thew’t-hw.
    1. Then, maybe you will be initiated into the longhouse.
  46. ’i’ tl’luw’ qux sn’uw’uyulh.
    1. There are many sacred teachings to be followed through 
  47. ni’ ch hwu we’num tantham ’u tun’ shhwuw’we.
    1. You become orphaned.  Your parents leave you.
  48. ’i’ tl’uw’ qux snuw’uyulh.  
  49. mukw’ stem ’a’luxut ch thu slhexun’ ’i’ ’uwu ch ’uw’ ’a’luxutuhw ul’.
    1. There are many teachings such as when harvesting the medicine, you do not just pick.
  50. yu ts’iyulh ch na’mut ’i’ yelh ’un’ s’a’luxut.
    1. You will pray to our Lord and thank him first, before picking.
  51. ’a’luxut tsh thun’ s’ulhtun ’i’ tl’uw’ st’e ’ul’ skw’ey kws ’uw’ ha’kwush ’ul’.
    1. When harvesting food it is the same.  You do not just pick.
  52. kws yus’alhstuhw thuw’ mukw’ stem ’u thuw’ mukw’ skweyul.
    1. You treat everything with respect every day.
  53. hwun ne’tulhul ’i’ wulh tiim ch ’u tun ts’uwtun
    1. As soon as you wake up early in the morning you pray for help for that day
  54. ’i’ yu s’aa’lh ch tse’ ’u tu nuts’a’ skweyul, t’ut’i’wi’ulh.
    1. and you will be blessed and things will turn out better.
  55. nilh thim’at ’u tu s’ule’luhw.
    1. This was broadly used by our Elders.
  56. ha’ kwu’elh nilh shla’muthut tst ’i’ wuwa thu’it tst ’uw’ thin’a’mut.
    1. If we look in this direction we will get back on the right road.
  57. thuy’she’num, lhxi’lush, ’uy ’ul’ shqwaluwun, ’iyus, shhw’uy’ shhwqwaluwun.
    1. We will come to grips and be able to go forward and have a good feeling.
  58. ’i’ hu tsh tl’uw’ yu stl’ultl’u’kween ’un’s ’uw’ suwq’ ’u thun’ s’ulhween, ’un’ sye’yu,
    1. If for any reason you do not know something, you go and look for your Elders or relatives.
  59. suw’ qwulstuhw.
    1. Talk to them.
  60. tun’a kweyul ’i’ ni’ tst hwu st’kwinus.
    1. Today we are reluctant to go to our Elders.
  61. ni’ tst humqut thu shqwaluwun tst.
    1. We are too proud.
  62. si’tst ’uw’ hwuy’kwus.  ’i’ ’uweylh st’e’s ’u tthey’ thu s’ule’luhw tst.
    1. This makes it very hard for those involved trying to help. This was not acceptable by our Elders.
  63. ’uw’ lemuthaam ’ul’ ’u tu s’eluhw ’i’ wulh shtatul’st-hwus.
    1. Our Elders were very keen in recognizing how a person looks when in trouble.
  64. “’i ch ’a’lu q’u tstamut, q’a’nuq’?”
    1. They immediately confront that person asking, “What is wrong, my dear one?”
  65. nilh sht’es thu s’eluhw kws kw’amkw’ums thu shqwaluwuns.
    1. That was how strong of mind our Elders were. 
  66. shhwi’ihws tu shqwaluwuns.
    1. They had an open mind.
  67. ’i’ stl’a’tl’um kws mi’s hwu’a’lum tu st’e ’u tey’.
    1. It is about time that we start reviving our teachings again.
  68. nilh nu sts’uyulhna’mut kwunnus tl’lim’ ’uw’ ts’uyulhna’mut.
    1. For this I thank you, truly thank you from the bottom of my heart.
  69. ni’ stl’i’s kws hwu s’aa’lhs thu thuy’na’mut thu hwulmuhw mustiimuhw.
    1. We want to return properly as First Nations people.
  70. ’i’ ’uwu tst p’e’ nets’ut, ’uwu tst nets’ut.
    1. We are not different.
  71. ’uw’ nuts’umat tst ’ul’.
    1. We are one.
  72. yu they’she’numna’mut, nilh thu ts’its’uw’a’tul’ shqwaluwun.
    1. We need to be able to stand as one helping one another and be strong.
  73. m’i hwu’a’lum’.
    1. We want this back.
  74. ts’its’uw’a’tul’ shqwaluwun nilh nan ’uw’ thimat.
    1. To help one another will be the greatest achievement.
  75. hay ch q’a’!
    1. Thank you.