ST - Reef Net

hey’ kwu’elh.

Continuing on.

’e’ut hwu’i tthu tl’e’lhunum’ ’u kw’ sxwi’em’.

He got here, the one fishing for some legends.

’i’ stl’i’s kws tul’nuhws ’uw’ stsekwul’usulh kw’ sht’es kws kwen’nuhws tthu hwulmuhw kw’ stseelhtun.

And he wants to find out how it was, the way they were getting some salmon, the First Nations people were.

’uw’ ni’us tsekwust-hwus ’ush ni’s kwen’nuhwus.

How they did it, the reason for their getting them.

’uw’ ni’us kw’oukw’i’ukw ’uw’ niis tsukwsta’mut

If they were trolling, if they were doing what.

ni’ tsu kwu’elh.

I have, then.

nilh kwthuw’ t’atulh st’e ’u kw’uw’ shtuhim’s tthu hwun’a’ulh mustimuhw kws xwaxwula’s.

It is the original way that was king of the way of those first, now gone, people, called xwaxwula’.

hwun’ ts’imul’ ’ul’ kwthu stseelhtun m’i yu ’e’wu.

As soon as it gets near the time that the salmon are coming.

’i’ wulh tl’qw’uthut tthu s’ul’eluhwulh.

And the old people of the past already gathered their things.

mukw’ temts, nem’ nem’ ’utl’ tl’uley’ kws ’ulxeems ’ukw’ syukw’um

From every tribe, they travelled to tl’uley’ to look for some syukw’um.

wulh nilh lhqun’utuns ’uw’ nem’us tse’ tus ’utl’ tsullhtunum

Already, that is the anchor lines, when they will come to tsullhtunum.

nem’ kws xwulxwala’s.

They go there, to xwulxwala’.

nilh shhwunum’s tthuw’ mukw’ temts kws tsetsul’ulhtun’s.

That is where they go, all the tribes, to catch their salmon.

suw’ thuyt-s tthu xwi’lums.

They would make their rope.

’uwu te’ xwi’lum ’i ’u tun’a.

There were no ropes here.

’uw’ hay ’ul’ tthu syukw’um ’uw’ hay ’ul’ xwi’lums shlhqun’eem’s, lhqun’utuns — sht-hwi’wun kw snes.

Only the syukw’um, that’s the only rope that they used to moor with, heir mooring lines — sht-hwi’wun is its name.

‘’i’ tthu …. nilh tthunu staqw’um tl’e’ hul’q’ulhthut… ’i’ tuw’ hwkw’uw’i’chun.

And the ….It is my cough that is also getting in the way…And the hwkw’uw’i’chun.

hwkw’uw’i’chun kw’ snes tthu ha’kwushus tthuw’ne’ullh ’u kwus xwala’s.

hwkw’uw’i’chun is the name of that thing that is used by them when they start to xwala’.

’i’ ‘i tsulh hwu saay’.

And when it is ready.

’uw’ wulh hwu squqhwul’s thu smeent lhqun’utuns.

It is now, already, tied round and round the rock, their anchor line.

’uwu te’ stem s-hwunitum’a’lh ha’kwushus tthuw’ne’ullh ’u kwsulh tseelhtuns.

There are no white man’s things at all that they use when they now start fishing.

hwulmuhwa’lh ’ul’ — xwi’lums ’i’ tthu smeent-s — ’uwu ’enkulus kw’u ni’ ha’kwushus.

Just First Nations things —their ropes, the rocks —it is not an anchor that they use.

nilh sus ’uw’ hwu saay’ tthu swultuns, st’ut’iin’ tthu snuhwulh ni’ ’utl’ tsulhtunum.

When their nets are ready, their canoes are lined up side by side at tsulhtunum.

hwlumi’, sumiyama’ nilh ni’ kws tsetsul’ulhtun’s ’u tthu tsullhtunum.

Lummi people, Semiahmoo people, they are the ones there fishing at tsullhtunum.

shsenuts, mukw’ temts ’u tthu shsenuts nem’ hunum’ kws kwen’nuhws tthu stseelhtun.

Saanich people, all the tribes of Saanich, the Saanich people, go there to get their salmon.

nilh suw’ kwunnuhws tthu stseelhtun ’u kwus wulh hwu’i tthu stseelhtun ’i’ nilh suw’ qw’ulutewut.

When they get their salmon, when the salmon has now arrived, it is barbecued.

qp’um kw snes.

qp’um is its name.

suw’ kwun’etewut tthuw’ hwun’ … ’uw’ hwun’ xe’xe’ stl’i’tl’qulh, ’uw’ swuy’qe’allh, ’uw’ slhuni’allh.

And they take one that is still pure, a child, whether it is a boy or a girl.

suw’ qw’uls tthu stseelhtun, nilh hwun’a’ m’i, qw’umnuhwus tthuw’ne’ullh.

When it’s cooked, the salmon, the one that is the first to arrive, that they get out of the water.

suw’ lheq’utewut, sthxelum’ tthu la’thunstewut.

They would lay it down, and sword fern serves as a plate for it.

*cough*

’uwu te’ la’thun ’uw’ hay tthu sthxelum’.

There is no plate, only the sword fern.

suw’ ’ulhtuns tthu stl’i’tl’qulh.

And he would eat, the child would.

kw’uw’ sht’es kws ’uw’kw’nuhws.

Every way that he could finish it.

’uwu … ’uwu tssaathunus.

He will leave none of it.

tl’lim’ ’uw’ ’uw’kw’tus.

He must really finish it.

nilh tse’ suw’ ’uy’s.

And it will be good.

*cough*

nilh ’uw’ slhexun’s kws xte’s ’u tthey’.

That is its remedy, to be that way.

ha’ ’uwu ’uw’kw’nuhwus ’i’ qul hwu nem’ ’u tthu sweelt

If he does not finish it, it is bad toward the fishing season.

*cough*

sii’si’me’tum tse’ ’u tthu stseelhtun, ’uwees ’uw’kw’nuhwus.

The salmon will be afraid of him if he doesn’t finish it.

si.i.is ’uw’ ’uw’kw’tus.

He, therefore, finishes it.

’untheelh kwu’elh tl’uw’ na’nuts’a’ kw’unus hwun’ stl’i’tl’qulh.

I was, then, also one of those when I was still a little boy.

ni’ tsu tl’uw’ ’ulhtun ’u tthu stseelhtun nus niw’ tl’lim’ ’uw’ ’uw’kw’t tthu stseelhtun— t-hw’uwu te’.

I also ate the salmon, and I really finished the salmon— there was none left.

ni’ wulh ’uw’kw’ ’i’ tl’e’ tsu qwaqwul’ qul’et tseep nu stl’i’ kw’unus qul’et-stuhw.

It was finished, and I was asking for more, you people—I want to do it again.

suw’ ye’num’s tthu s’ul’eluhw.

And they were laughing, the old people.

’uy’ shqwaluwuns kw’unus ni’ ’uw’kw’t tthu stseelhtun.

They were happy because I finished the salmon.

nilh kwthu m’i tse’ tetsul stseelhtun tswa’stum ’u tthey’ ’ush ni’s qp’umtum.

It is for the arriving salmon that they do the qp’um.

xlhastum tthu stl’ul’iqulh.

The child was fed.

’i’ ’uw’ thu’it ’uw’ ’uy’.

And it truly is good.

nilh ’uw’ slhexun’stewut tthey’.

That is the blessing for it.

m’i tetsul tthu stseelhtun, suw’ kw’its’utewut, shemutum, ’i’ ’uwu yul’ewul’us ’ukw’ t’xum.

When the salmon arrive, they will be butchered, dried, but not more than six.

t’xum tthu kw’its’utum suw’ ts’e’tewut ’u tu tsitsulh, ts’uy’hwtum.

Six are filleted, and it would be placed on top of a high place to dry them.

nilh tse’ sht’es kws ’uy’s.

It will be the way to be good.

suw’ ts’uy’hw tthu stseelhtun ’uy’ kwis ts’uy’hw sis ’uw’ ’uy’ tthu niw’ hwun’ sqwuqwis kws m’is ’ewu ’u tthey’, shhw’is tthu sweelt.

When it is dry, the salmon, dried well, they will be good, the ones that are still in the water, when they come up there, where it is the sweelt.

’uwu ni’us sthuthi’ ’u tthuw’ne’ullh shxw’axwula’ ’i’ ’uwu te’ shun’tsus.

Those that are not right, those that are the shhw’axwula’, they won’t catch any.

t’uw’ him’tth’en’tus ’ul’ kwthu sniw’stewut tthu sweelt.

They just don’t really believe the advice from the sweelt.

’i’ nilh sis ’uw’ ’uwu kws n’ans ’uw’ tsshun’tsu.

And they really don’t get very much of a catch.

nilh kwu’elh ’uw’ snuw’uyulhs tthuw’ne’ullh s’ul’eluhw.

That is, then, the advice of those old people.

’uwu ch me’mul’qtuhw tthu ni’ sht’es sht’astewut tthu sweelt.

Do not forget it, you, the way it’s done, the sweelt.

kwthuw’ shtu’es kws hwun’a’s tuw’ tl’xalstum tthu smeent.

That the way the rock is at first, kind of tl’xalstum.

’i’ q’uw’utum tthu s’eluhw.

And an elder will be beating the drum.

nilh tthu hun’utum’ sht-hwiwun.

He is the one called sht-hwiwun.

nilh tsiwin’stum kws ’uwus nem’us wuqw’utum, kws ’uy’s kws kwun’el’sth.

He is the one called sht-hwiwun, who is performing the spirit song on it so that it will not drift downstream and that it would hold well.

ha’ ’uwu ’uy’us kwthu sqwal ’i’ ha’ ni’ hwutusthut tthu sweelt ’i’ … tu swultun ’i’ ni’ wuqw’utum sis ’uw’ qulqul’ul.

If the words used are not good, and the sweelt…gill net will get heavy, the swe’ult and the net, it would drift away and get ruined.

ha’ ni’ tl’lim’ kwthu yu syaay’us ’i’ nilh suw’ ’uy’s.

When the work is done properly, it is good.

’uw’ nilh ’uw’ t’at ’uw’ sht’astewet ’u kwthu hwun’a’ulh tuw’ hwu’i ’u tun’a tumuhw.

That is the original way of doing it, by the first people that got to this land.

kws ’uw’ tsniw’stewut kws stu’es tse’.

They have a rule for it, how it will be.

’i kwu’elh ’uw’ st’e.

It is that way now.

niw’ tetul’ ’ul’ tthu qe’is mustimuhw ’u kwthu ni’ sht’es kws sthuthi’s kws m’is ’i’mush tthu stseelhtun.

The newer generation are just imitating the proper way of doing things when the salmon run.

nilh suw’ hun’wulum’ tthu qwtaaythun, m’i tl’uw’ ’e’wu.

And the sturgeon also go inside it when they come.

ni’ tl’uw’ kwen’nuhwus tthuw’ne’ullh hwulmuhw.

The First Nations people also catch them.

stachun kw snes tthuw’nilh ’u tthu hwunitum’. (repeats in low voice)

They are called sturgeon by the white man.

nilh kwu’elh ni’ tl’uw’ q’aq’i’nuhwus tthu hwulmuhw tthey’ qwtaaythun

The First Nations people also kill sturgeon.

suw’ ’uy’, ’uy’ sq’i’lus.

And it is good dried fish.

’uwu te’ shhwahwiyum’.

They have none for sale.

’uwu kws ’uw’ n’ans ’uw’ shhwayum tthu stseelhtun ’ uw’ kw’un’a wulh hith, ’uwu te’ hwunitum’.

The salmon was never sold in quantity, a long time ago, whe there were no white people.

q’uq’ulaam’ ’ul’ tthu hwulmuhw ’ush nem’s ni’ ’u kwthey’.

The First Nations people would make preserved fish at certain places.

’i’ kwu’elh wil’ tthu qwal’st tthu stseelhtuns tthu hwunitum’ kwsusulh m’i hwu’i ’u tthu sta’luw’ hwu’i ’utl’ stistawun

Now, the white people’s canneries have come here to the river, here to Steveston.

sis ’uw’ yaays ’u tthu qwul’sew’t-hw, sis ’uw’ tshwayum tthuw’ne’ullh kwus ’uw’ wulh hithulh quxthat tthu hwulmuhw.

And they worked in the canneries, and they sold them, and after a while there got to be many First Nations people.

’uw’ wulh hwu qux, ’uw’ st’ees ’ul’ tthu ni’ ’u tthu sta’luw’ suw’ yaays ’u tthu qwul’sew’t-hw.

There were now many of them, those that were there at the river, and they worked in the canneries.

sis ’uw’ hwu ’i’luqutum’ tthu stseelhtun.

And they began to buy the salmon.

suw’ q’uq’ulaam’ tthu hwulmuhw ’i’ tl’e’ hwahwiyum’.

The First Nations people were preparing salmon for the winter and they were also selling them.

nilh st’ee tthu sxwala’.

That is the system of the sxwala’.

ni’ hay kwthu tsxwaxwul’a’ ’i’ t’akw’, qux sq’i’lus, ts’uy’hw.

When they were done doing the reef netting, they would go home, and they would have a lot of preserved salmon.

hwu nem’ kws qw’i’lusth tse’, ’i’ ni’ ’uw’kw’ tthu stseelhtuns.

It would be getting on towards summer before the salmon ran out.

’uw’ n’an ’uw’ qux stseelhtun.

There was so much salmon.

’i’ kwu’elh ’i ’u tun’a qe’is, ’i ’uwu te’ tl’e’ q’uq’ul’aam’.

Nowadays, there is no one that prepares salmon for winter anymore.

’e’ut kw’ekw’i’ tun’a mustimuhw.

There are hungry people here.

wulh ’uwu te’ s’ulhtuns, wulh ’uwu kws nem’s shhw’aalh ’u tthu suw’q’tus kw’ stseelhtun.

They now have no food; they no longer use boats to look for salmon.

t-hway ’ul’ tthu hwunitum’ ni’ hwu stsuw’et kws kw’oukw’i’ukws.

It is now only the white man that got good at trolling.

t-hway ’ul’ ’i tsetsul’ulhtun’.

They are the only ones catching salmon.

’uwu te’ tun’a qe’is.

Recently there are no long native fisherman.

sqi’qul’ ’ul’ tthu hwulmuhw kws tl’e’s tseelhtun.

The First Nations people no longer know how to catch salmon.

’uwu te’ shtatul’stuhws tthu qe’is stl’ul’iqul kws thuyt-s kwthu kw’ouyukws.

The younger generation don’t know how to troll.

’uw’ slhewut’ulh ’ul’ tthu me’lus, ’uwu spounus kw’u ha’kwoshus.

It was herrings that used to be their bait, rather than using spoons.

slhewut ’ul’.

Just herring only.

nilh sht’esulh kwthu wulh hithulh.

That’s the way it was a long time ago.

na’ut kwu’elhulh hwu t-sas tthu mustimuhw wulh ’uwu te’ s’ulhtuns.

The people have become badly-off now that they have no food.

qe’is tsu ni’ le’lum’ut kwthu na’nuts’a’ swiw’lus.

A short while ago, I was looking at one person, a young man.

August kw’ snes.

August is his name.

100

’uwu te’ stem s’ulhtuns ’u kwthu kw’in lhihw skweyul, kwun’atul’ ’u thu sta’lusth.

He had no food at all for how many, three days, together with his wife.

101

nilh sqi’qul’ kws kw’ouyukws.

That is one that does not know how to troll for salmon.

102

skw’ey kws nem’s ’aalh ’ukw’ snuhwulh.

He cannot go on board a canoe.

103

ni’ kwu’elh hay lhu sxwala’.

Now, then, the sxwala’ is finished.

104

nilh ’uw’ shnu’exun’s ’ul’ tthu statul’st-hween’ tthey’.

That is only as far as I know that.

105