ET - thu hwqwiwutum
ew: sxwi'um kwu ni yuthustalhw?
Are you going to tell us a story?
ET: hee’, sxwi’um kwthu ni’ huy’thusta’lut ’u kwu sul’si’lu tst.
Yes, it is a story our grandparents told to us.
ni’ tsun ’uw’ tsi’tselhum’ut, nan tsun thulh ’uw’ hwun’ stl’i’tl’qulh.
I was growing up then; I was still a very small child.
’i’ ni’ tsun thulh ’uw’ ti’ta’ult [ni’ tsun ’uw’] he’kw’me’t
But I remember it.
lhu si’lutst ts’u huy’thustal’hw ’u lhey’ sxwi’em’.
It was our grandmother that used to tell us this story.
lhu xalunamut ’i’ tu quyupulenuhw.
It was Xalunamut and Quyupulenuhw [her grandfather].
tthu s-hun’ute’wut tthey’ sxwi’em’ ’i’ “hwqwiwutum” nilh snes.
What the story is called is “hwqwiwutum”.
hey’ kwu’elh lhey’ stsi’elhulh.
We are going to be talking about stsi’elhulh [high-status person].
tslhne’nuts’ thu q’e’mi’.
The young lady is being prepared/groomed/sequestered.
’i’ stsi’elh tthu swiw’lus.
And the young man was from a high-status family of royalty.
sis ’uw’ shtimutum thu stsi’elh ’u tthu s’ul’eluhw.
Because she was from a high status, they wanted her.
nilh ’uw’ sht’esulh ’u kw’un’u wulh hithulh, kws shtimutewut thu stsi’elh q’e’mi’.
That’s how it was a long time ago, that they would want a high-status girl.
’i’ tl’uw’ stsi’elh tthu swiw’lus.
And the young man was also of high-status people.
sis ’uw’ tstsehwum tthu s’ul’eluhws tthu swiw’lus ’u tthu shhwuw’welis thu stsi’elh tslhne’nuts’ q’e’mi’.
Then the parents of the young man went to propose for the young man, going to the sequestered young lady.
tstsuhwme’tum ’u kwthu ni’ stsekwul’ kws hiths kws ni’s hunum’, hunum’s, hunum’.
For the longest time they [the young man’s family] were going and going (courting).
tstsetsuhwum’ ’uw’ ’aam’ut ’ul’ ni’ ’u tthu shelhs.
They were courting, and would just be sitting outside the door.
tl’uw’ st’e ’u kwthu kw’in skweyul kwus ni’ ’u tthey’ yelh sus nem’ hwiwshum, yelh sus nem’ hwiwshum.
They did this for many days before they were brought forward.
ni’ ts’u kw’in skweyul ’i’ yelh sis m’i hun’utl’qnum they’ stsi’elh slheni’.
After many days, when they were inside, they finally brought the girl out.
yelh sis nemustum tthu swuqw’a’lh, swuqw’a’lh, ni’ shts’e’nutstuns tthu swiw’lus.
And then the mountain goat wool blankets were brought forward, and they were piled up for the young man to sit on.
sis miw’ hwiwshum thu stsi’elh sus ’uw’ t’un’ustalustum.
And they brought the girl forward and had her sit beside the young man.
t’un’ustalustum yelh sis tl’uw’ qul’e.e.t nanum tthu s’ul’eluhw.
They had them sitting together, and then the old people had many discussions.
sht’esulh ’u kw’un’u wulh hithulh.
This is the way it was many years ago.
ni’ ’uw’ sxwi’em’, ’i’ ni’ thulh ’uw’ sht’esulh ’u kw’un’u kw’unus hwun’ stl’i’tl’qulhulh.
This is a story, but this is the way it was many years ago, when I was a child.
ni.i.is ’uw’ hwuni’ tthu swiw’lus.
So, the young man started staying there with the girl.
nem’ tl’e’tum thu q’e’mi’ stsi’elh.
The young man started staying with the girl.
’i’ ’uwu ’ul’ niis hith kwis ni’, ’i’ wulh huw’tth’athut tthu swuy’qe’.
And it was not too long after that the young man started to get cranky.
wa’wu wi’stun’uq, swi’stun’uqs tthu shhw’a’luqw’a’s.
And he got jealous, he got jealous of his siblings.
qxe’luts tthuw’ne’ullh.
There were many of them.
swi’stun’uq ’i’ yath nem’ ’uw’ huy’u lhew’lhne’num’.
He was jealous, but he was always leaving to go hunting, fishing, catching food to bring home.
lhew’lhne’num’ mukw’ skweyul, mukw’ skweyul.
He would be gone for days, every day.
m’i hun’umut qul’et.
He would come home again.
niis kw’in skweyul kwsis ni’ nilh ni’ nu shq’them’ kwthu skweyuls ’i’ kwthu snunus kwthuw’ne’ullh swaaw’lus.
How many days he was gone I can’t remember, and the names of all those young men he was jealous of.
suw’ hwi’ wi’stun’uq sus hwi’ ’uwu stl’i’sus kws nem’s q’a’thut tthey’ tswe’ ’u they’ q’e’mi’ stsi’elh.
So, he [the husband] was jealous, and then he didn’t want to mingle with his relatives.
ni’ wulh nats’thut tthu shqwaluwuns.
His feelings were changing.
huluye’ tthu nem’ lhuw’lhnenum qw’uqw’i’tul.
His relatives, all the siblings, went fishing and hunting.
suw’ pte’mutewut, “’ii ch wulh stl’utl’iqw’, wulh nem’ tst huye’ lhuw’lhnenum?”
And they would ask him, “We are all ready to leave; are you ready to go?”
suw’ thut-s tthey’ kws ’uwus, ni’ tl’uw’ ni’ kwthu sla’thut-s tse’.
And he said it wasn’t ready, that he had things he had to do.
’ush ’uwus ne’mus yusq’uq’a’ ’u tthu shhw’a’luqw’a’s ’i’ ni’ thulh wulh ni’ kwthu shqwaluwuns kws nem’s q’aytus thu sta’luss.
The reason he refused to go with his siblings was that he already had something planned, that he was going to kill his wife.
The reason he refused to go with his siblings was that he already had something planned, that he was going to kill his wife.
Then, he went to his wife and told his wife, “Get ready; we are going up the mountain.”
suw’ putum’s thu slheni’, “hwtselus?”
And the wife was asking, “Where are we going?”
“’aa, nem’ tst p’e’ ’um’mush,” ’uw’ tuw’ hw’iy’equpum’ ’ul’.
And he just started kidding around, laughing, and said, “We are going to go hunting.”
si.i.is ’uw’ tl’qw’uthut thu slheni’ sis ’uw’ huye’, nem’ tseelqum, tsaaltul, ’imush.
And then the young lady got ready, and they started to go, walking toward the mountains.
ne.e.em’ ’imush, ’i.i.imush, yuputum’ thuw’nilh, “hwtselus?”
They kept on walking, walking, walking, and she kept asking, “Where are we going?”
sus, “’uw’ xut’u, ’uw’ yu ’i’mush ’ul’, nilh tse’ kw’uw’ shtus tst ’ul’.
And he kept saying, “We will just keep on walking until we reach wherever we will reach.
’ii tse’ ’uw’ yuwi’wul’ tthun’a sqw’iil’muhw ’u kw’ tum’tem skweyul.”
The blackberries are going to be appearing any day now.”
’i’ ni’ thulh wulh ni’ kwthu shqwaluwuns.
And her husband already had a plan.
’i.i.imush, wulh tus ’u tthey’ ni’ sxuxitsst-hwus tthu swuy’qe’.
They kept on walking, and then they reached a place that her husband had thought about.
“hee’, nem’ tst kwu’elh nem’ kw’i’ ’u tun’u.”
“Now this is the place where we will come up this mountain.”
suw’ putum’s thuw’nilh, “nutsim’ kwu’elh ’u shnem’ tst kw’i’?”
And she was asking, “Why are we going to go up that way?”
“’aa, ni’ tse’ p’e’ wil’ kwthu shni’s kwthun’ shhw’a’luqw’a’, ni’ lhew’lhne’num’.
“Oh, we will get to the place where we will see your siblings that are harvesting.
’i’ kwthunu shhw’a’luqw’a’.
We will also see my siblings that are harvesting.
ni’ tse’ tl’uw’ wil’, ni.i.i’ tunanu tsitsulh.
We’ll see them when we get way up there.
nuwush ch kwelh yuw’en’.”
You go on ahead.”
sis ’uw’ yustu’e, nem’ yuw’en’ thuw’nilh stsi’elh tslhne’nuts’.
And then she followed his instructions and went on ahead, this lady that was high-status.
ni.i.i’ yuw’en’ kwsi.i.is wulh ne.e.em’ kw’i’ ’u tthey’ thqet — xpe’yulhp
She went ahead and started climbed up that tree, that cedar tree.
’uw’ wulh hith skw’ul’etth’uw’s.
It had been peeled.
tl’lim’ ni’ ’uw’ wulh ts’uy’hw tthu xpey’ulhp.
The cedar tree was very dry.
ni.i.i’, “’uw’ yu tsusutum’, ’uw’ yu’eey’ ch, ’uw’ yu’eey’ ch.”
And the young man said, “Keep on climbing, keep on climbing.”
sus ’uw’ yu stu’e, ’uw’ yu stu’e.
So, she followed his instructions.
ni’ wulh nem’ tuw’ yu ts’its’umul’ ’u tthu s’ulqsuns tthu thqet.
She climbed up, and then she was almost getting to the top of the tree.
suw’ xut’us, “yaa, na’ut q’a’ wulh hwumut’mut’.”
She was saying to him, “It’s getting very skinny and wobbly.”
yu xut’us tthu swuy’qe’, “’uwu, ni’ tse’ ’uw’ sthuthi’.
And the husband tells her, “No, it’s all right.
ni’ ch tse’ nem’ ’uw’ hwu sthuthi’ kw’us ne.e.em’ ’uw’ hwutsitsulh.
Keep on going; it’s okay, so keep going right to the top.
hwun’ yu ’eey’ ch.” hwun’ yu ’eey’ ch.”
Keep going.”
sis ’uw’ yu ’e.e.ey’, ’uw’ yu ’e.e.eey’.
So, she continued climbing.
’aa, ni’ q’u wulh tus ’u tthu s’ulqsuns.
Aaah, finally she got to the pointed end of the tree.
“’aa, kwun’el’s ch kwelh.”
“Okay, you hang on then.”
sis ’uw’ kwun’el’s thuw’nilh.
So, she hung on.
sis ne.e.em’ ’uw’ kw’i’ nem’ thxutum, nem’ se’tum.
She was right at the top.
sus ’uw’ se’tum, sus m’uw’ hwqwiwutum.
And she lifted up, and the tree pierced her.
“’aa, ’ii ch ’a’lu tstamut?”
“What’s the matter with you?”
“’aa, ’uw’ st’es ’ul’.”
“Oh, this is the way it is.”
sis ’uw’ neetus tthu shhw’aqw’a’s.
And he said the name of his brother.
“ni’ tseep ’aay’tul’ ’i’ kwthunu shhw’aqw’a’, nilh kwe’ulh nushni’ wulh xte’stamu ’u tthey’.
“You committed adultery with my brother; that’s why I am doing this to you.
hay ch tse’ kwelh lumnuhw, ’i’ tl’e’ tse’ ’uw’ hay lumnaam.”
So, you will never see him again, and I will never see you again either.”
sis ne.e.em’ ’uw’ kw’lhels tthu thethi’un, nem’ ’uw’ ’utth’emustum tthu thqet, xpey’ulhp
And the blood started to pour out of her, running down the tree, the cedar tree.
sis ’uw’ thut tthey’, “s’ulhtun ch tse’ ’u tthu mustimuhw.
And he said, “In the future, you will be a food for the people.
ni’ tse’ hwustth’oom tthun’ thethi’un,” kwus wulh nem’ hwathut.
Your blood will turn into berries,” as it poured down.
hey’ ’uw’ hith kwis huli thuw’nilh.
She stayed alive for a while.
suw’ wulh temut-s tthu shhw’a’luqw’a’.
And then she started calling her siblings.
“ts’elhum’uth ch, nu shhw’a’luqw’a’.
“Hear me, my siblings.
’uw’ ne.e.ets’ tun’u ’i sle’thelut, ’i tsu hwqwi.i.iwuthelum, ’i tsu hwqwiwuthelum.”
What has been done to me is evil; I’ve been pierced through.”
huy kwelh ni’ ’ukw’nuhwun’ kwthu snes kwthu shhw’a’luqw’a’s, nuw’ tsnunu
I forgot the names of all her brothers and siblings; everyone had names.
kwis niw’ hwust’ilums: “’a–a–a nu nu, ’a–a–a nu nu, nu shhw’a–a–a’luqw’a–a’, nu ’ul’e–elu–ush, ’i tsu hwqwi–i–iwuthe–e–ele–em.”
And that’s the song that she sang: “‘A.a.a nu nu, ‘a.a.a nu nu, my relatives, my brothers and sisters, I’ve been pierced through.”
’i’ hay tthu sa’suqwt ni’ ’uw’ ts’elhum’.
And it was her youngest brother that heard her.
“tl’li.i.im’ ’uw’ hwnulhqun ’u lhun’ shhw’aqw’a’ulup, lhu ni’ t’it’ulum’.
[And he commented,] “It’s our sister that I hear singing.
hw’iyun’eem’elhu.”
Stop and listen.”
’i yuw’ ’uwu ’ul’ kws hwun’iwunmutewut.
But they wouldn’t pay attention to him.
’uw’ ’ey’ ’ul’ tthu shhw’a’luqw’a’s lhew’lhne’num’.
They just kept on fishing and not paying attention to the youngest one.
’i’ ni.i.i’ tl’uwulh qul’et: “’a–a–a nu nu, ’a–a–a nu nu, nu shhw’a–a–a’luqw’a–a’, nu ’ul’e–elu–ush, ’i tsu q’aa, hwqwi–i–iwuthe–e–ele–em.”
And he heard the song again: “‘A.a.a nu nu, ‘a.a.a nu nu, my relatives, my brothers and sisters, I’ve been pierced through.”
niis kw’unelh kwis xut’e ’u tthey’.
She sang that many times.
yelh sis thut tthey’, “qw’imuth, nem’ tuyulustam’sh [lhelustam’sh], nem’ tsun tse’ lemut.
And he [the youngest brother] was saying, “Let me off the boat; take me upriver, so I can go look for her.
tl’lim’ ’uw’ hwnulhqun ’u lhun’ ’elush’ulup.”
It sounds like your sister.”
’uw’ t-snustumulh thu stsi’elh, huy ni’ mel’qtun’.
There was a name for that girl, I forgot it.
sis nem’ ’uw’ lheelustum sis nem’ ’uw’ wulh xwchenum.
So, they put the youngest one ashore, and he ran.
xwchenum tsam, ’i’ ni’ ’uw’ wulh yuthuhwuluqup thu ’elushs.
He went running up, and his sister’s voice was starting to die out.
ni.i.i’ nuw’ tusnamut.
He did reach her.
ni’ hwun’ he’tth’um’ ’i’ ni’ wulh tus
She was still breathing when he got there.
ni’ thulh yu’a’utus tuw’ ts’lhmulstimuhws, tthu spaal’, tthu qwuni, tthu kweesh, ’i’ nuw’ tus ’u thu t’ut’um’.
And the young man was calling Raven and the Seagulls, and Jay, and little Wren.
sis ’uw’ yu’a’utus, yu’a’utus.
And they were being called to come. [These were the brothers and sisters.]
nilh tse’ kw’u yuw’en’ ni’ tusnamut ’u thu ’elushs, kwis hwun’ he’tth’um’.
And when they reached there, their sister was still breathing.
nem’ t’a’thut, ’i’ ’uw’ hi’lum’ ’ul’, nilh tthu thethi’un ni’ nem’ yi’yut’um’, m’i ’uw’ hi’lum’ ’ul’.
They tried to climb up the tree to try to get her, but they just slipped down, because the blood made the tree so slippery; they all failed.
t’a’thut ’i’ tl’uw’ stu’e.
Every one of them tried to climb the tree.
tthuw’ mukw’ stem nem’ t’a’thut ’i’ ’uw’ stu’e.
But they all slipped down.
’i’ ’uw’ ’eey’ thu t’ut’um’, “’unthus lhu.”
And Wren said, “Let me try, let me try.”
’uw’ thextum’ ’ul’.
But they just kept pushing him away, because he was so small.
“n’an ch ’uw’ ’uhwin’ mustimuhw, hay yuhw kw’uw’ nuwu nem’ tusnamut.”
“You are too small; you cannot reach up there.”
’uw’ ’e.e.ey’ mukw’ wet nuw’ muukw’’i’ ’uw’ qiquxutum’ ’ul’.
Every one of them tried.
’e.e.ey’, ’i’ ni’ q’a wulh t’a’thut thu t’ut’um’, wulh n’aantum.
And finally, Wren was allowed to try.
hee’, sis ’uw’ huye’ thu t’ut’um’.
So, Wren took off.
huy ni’ nem’ ’uw’ tus.
He did reach his sister.
suw’ pte’mutum, “’ii ch tstamut?”
He asked, “What happened?”
ne.e.em’ yu hwsel’ts’tus tthu xpe’yulhp ni’ ’uw’ tus.
He circled the cedar tree and got there.
suw’ ptem’, “’ii ch tstamut?”
And he asked, “What happened?”
“’uw’ niis tstamut niilh nushni’, kwey’ niilh sxulhs kwunu menulh.
“I don’t know what happened where I was, that kind of sickness my father had.
ni’ wuystunuq, xut’u kw’unus ni’ ’aay’tul’ ’u tthu shhw’aqw’a’s, ’iy’astul’.
He got jealous and accused me of committing adultery with his brother.
’i’ ’uwu te’, ’uwu te’.
And it’s not true.
ni’ kwelh t’ux ni’ sla’thut-s.”
So, what he did was bad.”
nilh ni’ shhways kwis he’tth’um’ kwis wulh m’i se’tum ’u tthu t’ut’um’.
And she stopped breathing, and it was Wren that lifted her off the point of the cedar tree.
ni’ kwelh ’uw’ yu t’it’ulum’ thu t’ut’um’ kwis wulh m’i hwetum
When Wren was bringing her down, Wren was also singing.
niw’ yuhwsel’ts’tus tthu xpey’.
He circled the tree.
m’i.i.i ’uw’ hun’hwe.
He reached down to the bottom.
EW: ni’ ch ’uw’ he’kw’ ’u kw’ st’ilumulh ts’twa’?
Do you remember the song?
st’ilumsulh thu t’’ut’um’.
Wren’s song.
ni’ tl’uw’ hwust’est-hwus ’ul’ ni’ hwu’elushs.
Wren became her brother, too.
ni’ tl’uw’ hwu’elushs they’ ni’ stsi’elhulh, ni’ hwqwiwutum
He became a brother of the noble one who was impaled.
EW: ni’ hwu ’elushs thu t’ut’um’?
He became Wren’s sibling?
ni’ hwu’elushs thu t’ut’um’?
He became Wren’s sibling?
ET [Speaking the song]: “’aa ’un’ sla’thut ’ewulh, nuwu nu ’elush, ’aa, ’un’ sla’thut, ’un’ sla’thut.”
“’Aa, all this that’s happened to you, this has made you suffer.”
nilh ni.i.iw’ s’aanthut-s tthu t’ut’um’ ’i’ ni’ nem’ ’uw’ hun’ hwe
That’s what Wren was moaning when she was coming down.
EW: ni’ hwu stth’oom?
She became berries?
ET: ni’ hwu stth’oom.
She became berries.
ni.i.i’ hwust’est-hwus sus ’uw’ hwu s’i’lhtun’
That’s how it happened, how it came to be eaten.
nilh kwu’elh shus hwukwun’el’s tthu sqw’i.i.il’muhw ’u tthu xpey’ tthey’ st’epi’ ni’ shni’s tthu sqw’iil’muhw ’u tthun’u kweyul.
And this is why the blackberries grow where there is punk wood, dead cedar wood, today.
ni’ hay.
That’s all.