Bill Seward: Sportsmanship

Sportsmanship

kwunus ’uw’ hwun’a hiiw’a’lum’ …
When I was first playing…

suw’ hay kw’unus ’i hiiw’a’lum’ ’i’ nus ’uw’ kwunnuhw tu snuhwulh.
when I was finishing playing (that lacrosse) and I got on the canoe.

’i’ wulh qwulmuthelum ’u tu s’ul’eluhw.
and I had a talking to by the Elders.

“xe’xe’ tey’ snuhwulh, ni’ tsun le’lum’utha’mu
“The canoe is sacred, and I have been watching you

’i’ hwquluwun ch kw’us ni’ hiiw’a’lum’.
and you are a mean person when you are playing.

’uwu ch ’a’ulh’uhw ’u tey’ snuhwulh kw’us t’et’iyuq’.”
But you don’t get on the canoe if you are angry.”

’i’ ni’ tsun ’uw’ st’estuhw they’ snuw’uyulh nus nuw’ huw’a’lum’ nem’ yuteti’.
And I was that way with the teaching when I returned to canoe pulling.

’i’ yath tsun ’uw’ tl’e’hwun’uq nilh tu snuw’uyulh ni’ st’e ’u kw’uw’ luq’elhtun’ shus st’e ’u kw’uw’ hwu sthuthi’.
And I was always winning and it on account of my following our culture about how to do things properly.

—————–
Transcribed by Ruby Peter, typed by Sarah Kell, and edited and translated by Donna Gerdts.
Thanks to Sean Miliken and Zoey Peterson for video and post-production.