Bill Seward: Status Of The Hul’q’umi’num’ Language

Status of the Hul’q’umi’num’ Language

(Hul’q’umi’num’ starts at 00:50)

kw’unus nilh ni’ ’u lhu skwoulew’t-hw, ni’ ’utl’ pun’e’luxutth’.
When I attended school it was at Penelakut.

skw’ey kw’unus qwal ’u tthuw’ s’aa’lh sqwal
I couldn’t speak our own language

’uw’ hay tu s-hwunitum’a’lh sqwal ha’kwushut.
and it was only English that we used.

’i’ ’uweelh kw’unus qwal ’u tu s-hwunitum’a’lh
And I couldn’t speak English

’uw’ hay tthu s’aa’lh hul’q’umi’num’ ’uw’ hayulh ’ul’ statul’st-hween’.
because it was our own language Hul’q’umi’num’ was the only one I knew.

nus ’uw’ qwal ’i’ wulh st’ee kw’uw’ xuy’uthelum ’u tu luplit.
So I spoke and I was punished by the priest.

’uwu kws xlhasthelut ts’uhwle’ ’i’ xu’athun skweyul ’i’ yelhs xlhasthelut.
They did feed me—it was almost four days before they fed me.

sun’iw’stum ’u tthu sthithuma’ qa’ tunu tselush
And they put my hand into freezing cold water.

’i’ ni’ ni’ ’u tey’ ’i’ ni’ q’ay lhunu shuyulh.
And my older sister died at that place.

’uw’ nilh tuw’ne’ullh ni’ st’e ’u kw’uw’ q’aayt.
And it was those people who killed her.

nilh kwu’elh ’u shus ’mi ’utl’q(tum)[thelum] ’u tunu men.
So my father came and took me out of that place.

xut’u , “ha’ tse’ nem’ qiq’uthelum ’i’ skw’ey kw’unus ’uw’ ’istamu ’ul’,
He said, “Even if they are going to arrest me, you are not going to stay here,

nem’ tsun t’ukw’stamu.”
I’m going to take you home.”

nilh kwu’elh nush ’i statul’stuhw tey’.
And that’s what I know about that.

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A story in Hul’q’umi’num’ by Bill Seward, Snuneymuxw First Nations, Nanaimo, British Columbia.
Recorded by Chris Bouris.
Transcribed by Ruby Peter, typed by Sarah Kell, and edited and translated by Donna Gerdts.
Thanks to Chris Bouris, Sean Milliken, and Zoey Peterson for video and post-production.