’een’thu smuqw’a’ | I am great blue heron

Story by Ruby Peter, Cim MacDonald, & Sally Hart

Photos by Cim MacDonald

Voice by Delores Louie

Sound recording by Leona Louie

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

eBook production by Michelle Parent

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

Produced by Donna Gerdts & Lauren Schneider

’een’thu smuqw’a’.

ni’ tsun the’yuw’t-hwum’ ni’ ’u tthu tsuw’mun’s tthu sta’luw’ ’i’ tthu kw’atl’kwu.

ni’ ch tse’ le’lum’utham’sh kwunus yu lhalhukw’ yu lhtsitsulh ’u tthu qa’.

I am great blue heron.

I make my home by the seashores and the riverbanks.

You will see me flying along the surface of the water.

tthunu stl’q’een’ ’i’ p’uq’alus tshwikw’.

tsq’xalus tshwikw’ tthunu sxuy’us ’i’ st’el’q ’u tthu p’uq’ ni’ ’u tthu ’unwulh ’i’ tl’uw’ st’elq tthunu s’athus.

lemut tthu ’uy’uy’mut tl’eluqt ts’umiil’ stl’q’een’ ni’ ’u tthunu ts’xemun.

My feathers are blue-grey on my back.

My head is blackish grey with white stripe in the middle and my face is white as well. 

Look at my beautiful, long thin breast feathers.

ni’ t’xum sxun’u tthunu t’ult’eluw’ ’u kwunus ni’ thkw’ut.

xwum tsun ’u kwunus lhakw’ ni’ tus lhq’utssulhshe’ ’i’ kw’ lhq’etsus kilometers tthu nuts’a’ tintun.

ha’ tsun lhakw’ ’i’ ni’ tsun thkw’ut tthu tl’e’luqt nu sxun’u ni’ yu lhi’a’uqwt.

My wingspan is six feet. 

I can fly very fast, up to 55 kilometers per hour.

When I fly, I straighten my long legs out behind.

thuhiws tsun st’e ’u tthu xut’ustum’ nuts’a’ meter.

’uwu tsun ’iiin’ hwutus, ni’ tsun ts’twa’ lhq’etsus ’uw’ t’xumus xut’ustum’ pounds.

lemutham’sh lhu! ’i’ tsun lhe’lhq’shin’ kwunus ’i lhxi’lush.

I am a very big bird, about 1 meter tall. 

I am not very heavy, five or six pounds.

Look at me standing on one foot.

xu’athun tthunu snuxshun’–

lhihw tthu ni’ ’u tthu hwuhwiw’ ’i’ nuts’a’ ni’ ’u tthu lhulhel’.

lemut lhu tthu ’uya’th tl’e’luqt nu qw’xwa’luw’shun.

My feet have four toes, three in front and one behind.

Look at my long sharp toenails.

’i tl’eqt ’uya’th tthunu shlhakwul’s nilh ha’kwusheen’ kwunus tsetsul’ulhtun’ ’u tthu mumun’lh stseelhtun.

mumun’lh luluts’alus thunu quli’qlum’.’uy’ thunu shtsle’lum’, we’ kws snet-s ’i’ ’uw’ lumnuhw tsun.

I have a long, sharp beak that I use to spear little fish.

I have small, yellow eyes.

I have good eyesight and I can even see in the dark.

tl’eqt tthunu kwayhwulhnulh ’i’ mut’mut’.

ni’ tsun ’uw’ ’un’nehw ’ul’ kwunus ’al’mutst tthu stsul’etsulhtun’. 

ha’ ni’ yu shtem tthu stsetslulhtun’ ’i’ ni’ tsun thkw’ut tthunu tupsum nusuw’ thq’ut.

My neck is very long and flexible.

I hold still waiting to see a little fish.

If one swims by, I will stretch out my neck and spear it.

ni’ tsun nem’ sixwum ’u tthu qa’ kwunus tseelhtun.

lemutham’sh lhu! ’i tsun tsshun’tsu ’u tthu lhihw ’u tthu nuts’ehw.

ni’ tsun wulh muq’ut kwthu nuts’a’ ’i’ ’i tsun ’uw’ hwun’ ts’um’et ’u tthunu ts’um’shaaythun tthu yuse’lu.

I wade out in the water to fish.

Look at me! I caught three at once.

I already swallowed one and I have two in my beak.

nilh hay ’ul’ ’uy’st-hween’ nu s’ulhtun tthu stseelhtun.

ni’ tsun thulh tl’uw’ lhey’xt thu kw’atl’kwu stth’ukw’.

lemut lhu thu thi stth’ukw’ nu shun’tsu.

My favourite food is fish.

But I also eat sea worms.

Look at this big worm that I caught.

tl’e’luqt tthunu sxuxi’nu ’i’ tsqwum’xw.

’i’ tl’lim’ thulh ’uw’ kw’am’kw’um’.

lemuta’lhw lhu ’i tst yu tse’tstl’im’.

My legs are long and skinny.

But they are very strong.

Look at us leaping around!

ts’uhwle’ ’i’ ni’ tsun ’uw’ kwintul ’u tthunu ts’lhsmuqw’a’.

“nem’ ’eli ’u tthunu swe’ nu shni’!”

“’uy’! ni’ ch tl’hwunuq! tth’ihwum ch ’i’ kwe’tahm’sh!”

Sometimes, I fight with other herons.

“Get out of my spot!”

“Okay, you win! Please get off me!”

ni’ tsun kwu’elh tl’hwunuq, ’i’ tl’lim’ tsun thulh nuw’ hwu stth’am’qwus.

stl’atl’um’ kwu’elh kwunus hwisuthut ts’uyhwthut.

nem’ tsun kwu’elh hwu’alum’ kwunus tseelhtun.

I won the fight, but I got soaking wet. 

I had better give myself a good shake to dry off.

Now I will go back to fishing.

kwsus wulh yu qw’iqw’ul’us ’i’ ni’ tsun thuyuw’t-hwum.

qux stsule’tsusht ’i’ tthu stsushtutsus ni’ hakwushun’.

ni’ tsun thuyuw’t-hwum ni’ ’u tthu hay ’ul’ thi thqet.

In the springtime, I make my nest.

It is made of many sticks and branches. 

I make my nest on the top of a very tall tree.

ni’! ’e’ut hay ’ul’ qux tthu mumun’lh smuqw’a’allh.

lhq’utssiws tthu smuqw’a’allh.

yusa’lus lhqelts’ kwunus ni’ xulhust tthunu smuqw’a’allh.

Hey! There are so many young ones. 

There are five young herons.

For 2 months I have to feed my baby herons.

ni’nuts’nan’uts’a’ kwus wulh nem’ huye’ tthu smulim’qw’a’ wulh nem’ lhakw’.

ni’ t’xumulhshe’ skweyul ’i’ ni’ wulh hwu thuthuhiws tthu smuqw’a’allh.

ni’ tus ’u tthu yuse’lu sil’anum ’i’ ni’ wulh thuytus tthuw’ swe’s lelum’s.

One by one the young herons leave the nest and try to fly.

After sixty days, the herons are grown.

When they are two years old, they build their own nests.

ts’uhwulhe’ ’i’ ni’ hwi’ q’aytum ’u tthu yuxwule’ tthu smuqw’a’allh.

’i’ nilh tthu hay ’ul’ qux kwutst nem ’uw’ tus ’apun ’i’ kw’ lhq’etsus sil’anum.

ni’ tst yath ’uw’ ’iyus ’ul’ kwutst ni’ ’u tthu sheshum’ qa’s tthu kw’atl’kwu.

Some young herons are killed by eagles.

But many of us live to be 15 years old.

And we enjoy our lives on the shallow waters of the sea.

ni’ hay.

hay tseep q’u.

The end.

Thank you.