Theresa Thorne: Native Medicine

(1) [In English:] Good morning.

(2) I’m Theresa Thorne, from Cowichan band.

(3) suw’siw’ tthunu sne.
suw’siw’ is my name.

(4) kw’unus tuw’ qwul’qwul ’ul’ ’u tthu sht’es tthu slhexun’, slhexun’s tthu hwuhwilmuhw.
I’ll speak a little about medicine, the native medicine.

(5) st’e ’uw’ ni’ut yu ’i’kw’nuhw.
We have forgotten how to use it.

(6) kws m’iis hwu’alum’ tthu slhexun’.
We should bring back the medicine.

(7) nilhulh tl’lim’ ’uw’ s’ulhtuns tthu hwulmuhw, tthu sul’si’lu tst.
This, the main food of the First Nations people, of our grandparents.

(8) st’e ’uw’ niit ’ukw’nuhw kwus m’i wulh tetsul tthu doctor, tthu hwulunitum’.
We lost it when the doctors came, the white men.

(9) swe’s tthu… kwun’s ni’ hwu q’aq’i’ flu, hakwush tthu t’ulum(ulhp) ’i’ tthu tth’uxtth’ux.
When you are sick with flu, use cherry bark and stinging nettle.

(10) ’uy’ slhexun’.
That’s good medicine.

(11) mukw’ stem ni’ nuw’ shhwuy’s tl’e’ tthu t’ulumulhp, tthu qwa’upulhp.
A good thing to use for everything is cherry bark, and also devil’s club.

(12) ni’ulh tsun tl’e’ tl’lim’ ’uw’ sii’si’me’t tl’e’ kw’unus hwun’a’ ’ul’ tuw’ hakwush ’i’ ni’ hw’uw’ tsusthelum ’u lhu ’iilh m’i ’i [’i’ tetsul hwu’i Norma Meyers].
I was very cautious at first when I was taught how to use them [these medicines] by the [herbalist Norma Meyers] who came here.

(13) st’e’ ’uw’ ni’us lhq’etsus sil’anum kw’unus ’i t’i’t’um’athut ’i’ yelh nus ni’ st’e ’uw’ ni’ ’un’ ’uwu niin’ si’si’me’t tl’e’ kw’unus t’a’thut hakwush.
It took five years of training before I wasn’t afraid to use them.

(14) qux ni’ lumnuhwun’ ni’ thuythut kwus wulh hakwushum thu slhexun’.
I have seen many people get better when they used herbal medicine.

(15) nilh ni’ ’uy’ xwte’ ’u tthu s-hwunitum’a’lh slhexun’.
It’s better than white man’s medicine.

(16) ni’ulh ’uw’ mukw’ stem ni’ sht’e’s kw’unus ni’ tl’uw’ q’aq’i, tthuw’ mukw’ stem.
They tried everything when I was sick, everything.

(17) ’i’ ni’ st’e ’uw’ ni’us tskw’ush sil’anum kw’unus ni’ hunum’ ’u tthu doctor, ’i’ ’uwu kw’unus thuythut.
For twenty years, I saw doctors, but I didn’t get better.

(18) nilh tthey’ slhexun’ ni’ hakwushun’, ’i’ ni’ tsun kw’am’kw’um’thut.
Then, I used herbal medicine, and I became stronger.

(19) lhew’ ’u tthunu sht’e kw’unus ni’ yath ’uw’ q’aq’i’.
I was cured of my illness.

(20) kwthey’ xut’ustum’ cancer, ni’ tsun tl’ew’ lumnuhw kwus wulh nem’ thuythut tthu mustimuhw kwus xut’ustum’ kws q’ays tse’.
Also, regarding cancer, I have also seen people who have gotten better even though they were told they would die.

(21) ni’ tul’nuhwus kw’unus ni’ they’t tthey’ slhexun’, sus m’i ’ewu lemuthelum.
They heard I was making medicine, and they came to see me.

(22) xut’ustum’ kws ’uwus tse’ hithus ’i’ q’ay.
They were told it wouldn’t be long before they would die.

(23) sus nem’ ’uw’ yuse’lu sil’anum ’i’ ni’ ’uw’ hwun’ ’i’mush, xut’ustum’ulh kws ’uw’ yuse’lu ’ul’ lhqelts’ ’i’ ’uwu tse’ tl’e’us ’i ’u tun’a tumuhw.
Two years would go by, and they were still walking around, even though they were told that in two months, they would no longer be here on this earth.

(24) nilh kwu’elh nush ni’ sht’eewun’ nilh hay ’ul’ ni’ ’uy’ tthu s’aa’lh slhexun’.
That is why I believe that our own medicine is a lot better.

(25) ’i’ tthuw’ mukw’ stem s’ulhtuns tthu hwulmuhw nilh mukw’ st’e ’uw’ nilhus ni’ ’uy’ xwte’ ’u tthu s-hwunitum’a’lh.
Everything that the natives ate was much better than the white man’s.

(26) ni’ kwu’elh ’uw’ hay ’ul’.
That’s all for now.

(27) hay tseep q’a.
Thank you.

Transcribed by Donna Gerdts (2000)