’een’thu qwuni | I am seagull

Story by Ruby Peter and Cim MacDonald

Photos by Cim MacDonald

Voice by Delores Louie

Sound recording by Leona Louie

Sound editing by Donna Gerdts, Leona Louie, & Lauren Schneider

eBook production by Michelle Parent

Hul’q’umi’num’ language editing by Donna Gerdts & Ruby Peter

Produced by Donna Gerdts & Lauren Schneider

’een’thu qwuni. ni’ ’u tthu kw’atl’kwu tthunu lelum’.

I am seagull. My home is on the saltwater.

ni’ ch tse’ ’uw’ lumnam’sh kwunus yu sts’uts’e’ ’u tthu squm’ul’.

You will see me sitting on the water riding the waves.

’i tsun yu sts’uts’e’ ’u tthu squm’ul’.

I go surfing on the waves.

’i tsun lhakw’ ’u tthu tsitsulh kwunus lumnuhw tthu ni’ ’u tthuw’ tsetsuw’.

I fly high up in the sky to see what is going on on the shore.

’i tsun yu ’i’mush ’u tthu tsetsuw’ kwunus sew’q’lhne’num’.

I walk on the beach looking for food to eat.

tthu ni’ sht’es tthunu sxun’u kwus st’e ’uw’ niis slhulhin’ ’i’ nilh ’uy’ kwunus ’i’mush ’i’ kwunus t’it’utsum’.

Look at my webbed feet—good for walking and for swimming.

ni’ tsun t’it’utsum’ ni’ ’u tthu sheshum’ tsuwmun.

I swim in the shallow water near the beach.

’i tsun yu ’i’mush yu lam’hwshe’num’ ’ukw’ s’axwa’ ’i’ ni’ tsun ’uw’    kwunnuhw.

I go along stomping my feet feeling for clams. I found one!

hwmutqwusum’ tsun tse’ kwunus nem’ kwunut.

Now I am going to stick my head underwater to get it.

ni’ ch ’uw’ lumnam’sh kwunus ni’ hwu shkw’unets, swi’wul’.

You can see my bottom come up in the air.

nii’! lemut! ’i tsun tskwun ’u thu s’axwa’.

Hey! Look! I got a clam!

yu ts’um’et tsun kwunus nem’ lhakw’, kwun’et ’u tthunu shlhakwul’s.

I can fly with it carrying it in my beak.

’e’ut wulh yu ’e’wu tthunu ts’lhqwuni. tl’uw’ stl’i’s tthu s’axwa’.

Here comes my buddy. He wants the clam too!

’uwu! nilh ’uw’ nu swe’. skw’ey kwun’s kwunut.

No! It’s mine! You cannot have it.

nus ni’ ’uw’ tl’hwunuq. nilh ’uw’ nu swe’.

I won the fight! I have it! It’s mine.

’uy’! hwi’ stsekwul’ tse’ kwu’elh kwunus hwkwa’qut?

Okay! Now how am I going to crack it open?

nus ni’ nem’ ’uw’ lhakw’ kw’i’ ’u tthu tsitsulh skweyul.

I fly up high in the sky.

nilh tthunu t’ult’eluw’ ni’ ha’kwushun’ kwunus ni’ ya’yul’uqw.

I hover using my wings.

ni’ tsun kwe’t sus ’uw’ yakw’um hwyuxw kwus tiqw’.

Now I drop it and it will fall on the beach to crack open.

’aaa sha! ni’ tsun hwi’ qwixwut tthu tsuwmun. tle’ tsun wulh qul’et t’a’thut.

Oh, shucks. I missed the beach. I’ll have to try again.

lhakw’ yu ya’yul’uqw ’i’ tl’e’ tsun wulh kwe’t.

I hover on my wings and drop it.

hee’! na’ut puqw. hey’ kwu’elh. lhuyxt tsun.

Yeah! It cracked, and now I can eat it.

’i tsun thulh hwun’ kw’ekw’i’. ’aaa lemut! na’uth thu ’uhwiin’ ’ey’x.

I am still hungry. Hey look! There’s a little crab.

nem’ tsun huye’stuhw, lhukw’stuhw nus ’uw’ lhuyxt thu ’uhwiin’ ’ey’x.

I’m going to fly off with it and eat this little crab.

’i tsun hwun’ kw’ekw’i’. hwi’ stseelhtun kw’unu stl’i’.

I am still hungry. I think I will have a fish.

ni’ tsun tse’ ts’um’ut kw’ stseelhtun.

I catch the fish in my mouth.

nan ’uw’ xelu tthunu shlhakwul’s. ’i’ ni’ tthu shqwuqwe, ni’ tsun qaaqa’t tthu tl’elhum qa’.

I have a very special beak. It has a hole in it and I can drink saltwater.

stl’al’qw tthunu shlhakwul’s ’u tthu tskwim. 

My beak has a red spot.

wulh tus kwunus ’i’aluwuthut, hwtth’xwasum tsun. 

Time now to clean up. I’m going to wash my face.

lhultust tthunu smustimuhw kwunus tth’xwat.

I splash water on my body to wash it.

hwisut tthunu t’ult’eluw’ kwunus ts’uy’hwt.

I flap my wings to get them dry.

tshwikw’ tthu ni’ ’u tthu s’iluxun’s tthunu t’eluw’.

My wings are grey on the top.

lemut tthu ’uy’uy’mut nu t’ult’eluw’ ’i’ ni’ ’u tthu stl’pal’we’lh tthu mul’ul sq’ey’us.

Look at my beautiful wings with soft white feathers underneath.

’iyus tst ’i’ tthunu ts’lhqwuni kwus ni’ tst ’u tthu tsuwmun.

I enjoy my life together with my family here on the seashore.

ni’ hay.

hay tseep q’u.

The end. 

Thank you.