Thunderbird Opera
sts’inukw’a’ Opera
The Opera sts’inukw’a’
nilh kwthu ni’ thuytus kw’unu shhwum’nikw ’eyuhwum opera.
This is about the opera that my late uncle Johnny George ’Eyuhwum prepared.
ni’ ts’twa’ ni’ ’u kwthu 1948 ’i ni’ hwunin’sum.
It was in about 1948 when someone came to him.
yuthustum kws stl’i’s kws lumstunuqs ’u tthu syuw’en’s tthu hwulmuhw.
He was told that they wanted to show something about our native ancestors.
sus ’uw’ thuytum tthu opera.
This is when they began to prepare the opera.
nilh tthu Frank Morrison nilh carpenter ni’ ’utl’ St. Catherine’s.
Frank Morrison was a carpenter from St. Catherine’s School.
hw’iiw’tsust tthu stl’ul’iqulh kws carpenters.
He used to teach the native children to do carpentry.
sus ’uw’ thuytus ’eelhtun, thut-st-hwus kws stl’i’s kws xul’ut-s kwthu … [thu shwulmuhw’a’lh st’ilum ’i’].
They said they wanted to have it written down, all the Coast Salish songs.
stsuw’et tthu Frank Morrison kws ha’kwushs thu piano.
And Frank Morrison used to play the piano.
ya.ath ’uw’ ni’ ’u thu t’iw’i’ulh’ew’t-hw nilh kwu’elh shus sq’uq’a’.
He used to always come to the church, and that’s why he was with our people. [He was a hwunitum’.]
’i’ stl’i’s kws xul’nuhws tthu sht’es tthu syuwun, thu st’ult’ilums tthu hwuhwilmuhw.
And he was the one that wanted the sounds of the ancestral songs of the native people written down.
nilh kwu’elh ’uw’ hwun’a ’ul’ shtun’ni’s kwsus tuw’ … yu they’tum kwthey’ opera ni’ ’u kwthey’.
And this is where this all began, for the preparation of the opera.
ni’ ts’twa’ ni’ ’u kwthu 1948.
This was about 1948.
kwun’atul’ tthunu shhwum’nikw Johnny George ’eyuhwum, kwun’atul’ ’utl’ xwulqwimut.
My late uncle Johnny George, ’Eyuhwum, was with my grandfather, Ruby’s father’s father, Xwulqwimut, Alphonse George.
nilh ’uw’ shyuw’un’qsun ’eelhtun ’u tthuw’ mukw’ stem kws… st’iw’i’ulh, tthu suyiwun.
They were the leaders of most everything. They were the leaders in the church and in the Coast Salish songs.
’i’ niilh ’uw’ xetst tthuw’ stem ’ul’ ni’ syaay’us ni’ u tthu quw’utsun’.
They were always the ones to decide on things, different kinds of work here in Cowichan.
’i’ hay tthunu si’lu xwulqwimut hay nilh tthu st’iw’i’ulh yath ’uw’ shsq’uq’a’s.
And my grandfather Xwulqwimut, he was always involved in prayer and translations.
mukw’ ’uw’ Chinook Jargon tthu ha’kwushusulh ’eelhtun, kwus ’uw’ hwun’a’ ’ul’ tuw’ qwiil’qwul’st-hwus tthu hwunitum’
But it used to be Chinook Jargon that was used then, that’s how they communicated with the white people.
’i’ wulh thuytus ’eelhtun tthey’ [opera] ’i’ nilh tthu Abel Joe stsuw’et kws hakwushs thu piano kwun’atul’ ’utl’ Frank Morrison.
And when they started preparing the opera, it was Abel Joe who knew how to play the piano with Frank Morrison.
sus ’uw’ hunum’ust-hwus ’eelhtun tthu … tthu syuwuns tthu st’iw’i’ulh.
They would sing all different songs, including the prayer songs.
ni’ xul’utus ’eelhtun.
Then they wrote it down.
sus tl’uw’ xulutum’ kwthu sht’es tthu hwulmuhw kwsusulh xixul’uxtul’ kwus stamush tthu ni’ hakwushus ’u kwsus wulh thuythut tthu nem’ xilux.
They also wrote down what the Coast Salish people did when they were going to war, as warriors, and how they prepared before they went to war.
nilh kwu’elh ni’ tl’uw’ hakwushus.
And this was also used for the opera.
’i’ kws nem’s ’i’mush tthu hwulmuhw [kws nem’ ne’nuts’uw’t-hwum’] nilh tthu syuwuns tthu stamush ni’ tl’uw’ namustum.
Also, when the people travelled, they sang the spirit songs of the warriors
’i’ tthu sht’es kws nem’s ’imush tthu hwulmuhw ’u kwsus ’aalh ’u tthu q’xhuw’lh ’i’ nem’ nets’uw’t-hwum ’u tthu ts’lhhwulmuhws ’i’ ni’ yu t’it’ulum’.
And when they went on the voyager canoe, and they would go and visit other natives, and they would sing along the way.
’i’ nilh ni’ tl’uw’ xul’utum.
tthu st’iw’i’ulh kws yu t’ut’iw’i’ulhs nilh ni’ tl’uw’ xul’utum.
The songs, how they prayed, were also written down.
kwthu sht’es kwthu… kws ’ikw’s kwthu na’nuts’a’ mustimuhw [’i’ tstuwuqun] ’i’ nilh ni’ tl’uw’ sq’uq’a’.
Also when people died, there was a song for that [when you mourn somebody], that was also written down. [Ruby added: ’i’ kwsus qwul’qwul’ ’u tthu shtuhims kwthu st’ilum ’i’ kwthu sqw’uyulush. With all these songs, it took time to do all the dances for these songs. Every song that was sung and danced to, there was an explanation for it, and it all took time.]
nilh ’uw’ qux ni’ (yu) [hwu] sxuxil’stum ’i’ niilh ’uw’ [hwu] hith kwsus t’ilum, ni’ qw’uyulush.
There were many native songs that were written down, and dances.
niilh ts’twa’ st’e ’ukw’ lhuhwulhshe’ mustimuhw tthu ni’ sq’uq’a’.
There were about thirty people that were in this group with us.
tun’a lhnimulh ’i tsun ts’twa’ ’apun ’i’ kw’ xu’athun ’i’ ’i tsun sq’uq’a:
And I was about fourteen years old when I was in this group:
tthunu shhwum’ne’lukw quyxuletse’, Fred Thorne, tthunu shhwum’nikw Pat Charlie [hiwqun] ’i’ thu sta’lusth, Johnny George, ’eyuhwum ’i’ thu sta’lusth [siiyi’mulwut]...
My uncle Quyxuletse’, Fred Thorne, and his wife, my uncle Pat Charlie and his wife, Johnny George and his wife…
Arthur Joe, tthunu shhwuw’weli, kw’unu si’lu xwulqwimut, nu shhwuw’weli Basil Alphonse thunu ten Cecelia Leo…
Arthur Joe and his wife, my grandfather Xwulqwimut and his wife, my parents Basil Alphonse and Cecilia Leo…
Cyrus Point, Jacob Joe, mun’u ’utl’ Arthur, Louie Charlie, Norman Joe. [Or is it Leo Alphonse?]
Cyrus Point, Jacob Joe, who was the son of Arthur Joe, Louie Charlie, Norman Joe.
stl’i’tl’qulh niilh ts’twa’ tl’uw’ ’apun ’i’ kw’ xu’athun.
He was a child, about fourteen years old.
niilh ’uw’ qxe’luts kws nem’s q’apthut [kwsus t’ut’a’thut].
There were quite a few of them that used to come together for practices.
nii.ii.iilh yu st’ut’in’stum’ thu st’ult’ilum sus ’uw’ sq’uq’a’ kwthu... kwthu nuhiimut sts’inukw’a’.
And they always prepared the songs, how they sang them, and they also had the group’s name, Sts’inukw’a’.
kwthey’ nuhiimut sts’inukw’a’ ’i’ nilh kwthu yuw’en’ulh.
The name Sts’inukw’a’ was from the traditional story.
’i’ ni’ ’ulh tth’itsumtum kwthu qulum’s kwthu stl’i’tl’qulh sus ’uw’ skw’ey kws xunuq’t-s.
It was a boy that had cedar slivers thrown in his eye, and he couldn’t open his eye.
xun’uq’t ’i’ ni’ yuqw susulh ’uw’ nemustum ’utl’ ...ni’ tsun mel’qt.. kwthu snes... Satellite Island.
They couldn’t cure it, and when he did start opening his eye, fire came out, so he was brought to Satellite Island.
’i’ nilh ’iilh m’i hulit tthu hwulmuhw.
And it was he that saved the people.
num’nusum ’u tthu hwulmuhw sus ’uw’ tth’ihwuthut kws m’is [hulitum].
The Coast Salish people went and approached him, and begged him to come and save them.
susulh ’uw’ ’uya’qthut kwsus hwu .. hwu sts’inukw’a’.
He changed himself into a Thunderbird.
sus ’uw’ q’aytus kwthu q’ullhanumutsun ni’ ..niilh ’ew’kw’t tthu stseelhtun.
And that’s how killed the killer whale [at Cowichan Bay] that was eating up all the salmon. And that’s how killed the killer whale [at Cowichan Bay] that was eating up all the salmon.
t-sastum tthu hwulmuhw nilh kwu’elh shus hun’utum’ ’ukw’ sts’inukw’a’.
And our people became pitiful with starvation, and this is why they called this Thunderbird.
sus ’uw’ naathut, tun’a ’uw’ ne’ullh ni’ naathut ’u kwthey’ sts’inukw’a’.
And this group used that name, Thunderbird.
niilh ’uw’ ’iyus kws nem’s ’i’mush tthu q’apthut.
They became the Thunderbird group. They used to have a nice time when they used to get together and travel around.
mukw’ ’untsu shhwhunum’s mutouliye’, snuneymuhw, Chemainus, ’i’ tthuw’ ’i ’utl’ Duncan.
They went all over the place: Victoria, Nanaimo, Chemainus, here in Duncan.
qux ni’ulh shhwhunum’s tthu.. tthu hwulmuhw kws nem’s ’i’mush nem’ qw’uyul’ush ’u tthey’ sts’inukw’a’.
That group went to many places, travelling and dancing as Sts’inukw’a’ group.
’i’ nuw’ hwun’ ha’kwushum’ ’u tun’a kweyul
And it is still used today.
ni’ wulh hwu qxe’luts tthu … nuw’ ni’ kwthu ni’ ’utl’ hwsenuts, ’i’ tl’uw’ ’i tthu ’i ’utl’ quw’utsun’.
There’s also a group in Saanich and also groups here in Cowichan.
nilh (ni’) nuw’ they’tus kwthu swe’s [mustimuhws].
They prepare their own groups.
nilh mun’u ’utl’ shwulpilum (thu) [lhu] ni’ ’utl’ senuch nilh ni’ st’e ’u kw’u tswe’ ’u kwthu ni’ ’utl’ senuch, [sta’lus ’utl’] Tom Sampson.
The one in Saanich is a daughter of Swulpilum [Mike Underwood], and it’s like she’s the one that owns that group in Saanich, the wife of Tom Sampson.
Ray Peters kwthu ’i ’utl’ quw’utsun’.
Ray Peters is from Cowichan. He has a group.
kwsus tuw’ yuse’lu kwthu Joe Thorne kwthu na’nuts’a’ ’i’ nilh ’uw’ tun’ni’ ’utl’ quyxuletse’ Fred Thorne.
The second group is Joe Thorne’s, and he is a descendant of Quyxuletse’, Fred Thorne.
nilh niiulh ’uw’ sq’uq’a’ tthunu shhwum’nikw [quyxuletse’].
He was also in the original group, my uncle Quyxuletse’.
ni’ yath ’uw’ wi’wulutum ni’ ’u tthu heritage, kws m’is tetsul tthu ’i’mushasum’ hwunitum’.
And they are always being shown over at the Cowichan Cultural Centre, when the white people come visiting from abroad. [For decades they performed daily shows to group of tourists.]
’i’ ’uw’ nilh tthey’ sts’inukw’a’ qe’is stl’ul’iqulh ni’ hw’iiw’tsustum’.
Today’s children are being taught how to play in this Sts’inukw’a’.
’uwu kwsus st’e ’u kw’uw’ ’unuhw yath nuw’ yu .. yu thethi’.
They don’t stop teaching it, so it will always continue.
’i’ ’uw’ hayulh ’ul’ tthu tun’ni’ ’u tthu ’i sq’uq’a’ niilh ’uw’ hay ’ul’ ni’ sqwals kw’unu shhwum’nikw ’eyuhwum.
They have to be descendants of the people that were in the first group [of Sts’inukw’a’], according to my Uncle Johnny George.
kwsuw’ hay tse’ ’ul’ tthu me’mun’us tthu .. tthuw’ hwun’a ’ul’ ni’ hwu sq’uq’a’ ’uw’ hay tse’ ’ul’ yu ’i’mushstuhw tun’a.
It would only be the children of the original group that would carry this, that will teach the Sts’inukw’a’ dances to their children.
ni’ kwu’elh ’uw’ qux kwsus (yu) yath ’uw’ yu ’i’mushstum’.
So there are always many of them carrying the work forward.
nuw’ ’iyus ’u kwsus wulh yaays ’u kwsus wulh t’ilum, qw’uyulush tthu stl’ul’iqulh.
And they enjoy teaching the young people the songs and dances.
hay ch q’a’.