tu st’kwas stqeeye’ – The Blind Wolf

tu st’kwas stqeeye’
The Blind Wolf

’een’thu squtxulenuhw tun’ni’ tsun ’utl’ shts’uminus.
I’m squtxulenuhw from Stz’uminus.

’i’ tunu sxwi’em’, st’kwas stqeeye’.
This is my story about the blind wolf.

ni’ tsun hekw’me’t tu nuts’a’ sxwi’em’.
I remember this one story.

skw’ey kw’unus ’i mel’qt tu sxwi’em’.
I could never forget this story.

mukw’ sil’anum ’i’ nem’ shaqwul ’u tu pestun tu hwulmuhw—hwsenuch, me’luxulh, quw’utsun’, pun’eluxutth’, shts’uminus, snuneymuhw.
Every year the First Nations people would go to the States—the Saanich, Malahat, Cowichan, Penelekut, Stz’uminus, Snuneymuhw.

mukw’ netulh hwun’ yutth’etth’ukw’ul’s, mukw’ lhwet nem’ huye’ nem’ lhumts’els.
Every morning the people would wake up at daybreak to go picking.

nuts’a’ skweyul ’i’ ni’ tsun q’aqi’. ni’ tsun ’a’mut ’ul’ sq’uq’a’ ’u thunu tenulh.
One day I was sick, so I stayed home with my mother.

’i’ hwi’ kwuhwtsum nuw’ilum thu s’eluhw slheni’.
There was a knock on the door, and an old lady came in.

suw’ thuytus tthu ti ’i’ tu s’ulhtun thunu ten.
So mother made tea and something to eat.

suw’ ’eey’ ’ul’ qwiil’qwul’tul’, yun’ye’num’.
They carried on talking to each other, laughing.

suw’ ptem’ thu slheni’ ’uwees ts’elhum’ut ’u tu sxwi’em’.
The lady asked, “Would you like to hear a story?”

“hey’ ch kwu’elh!” xut’u thunu ten.
“Go ahead,” said my mother.

suw’ nem’ust-hwus thuw’nilh tu sxwi’em’.
So she started in.

’i-i-i yu tth’etth’ukw’ul’ ’u tu nuts’a’ skweyul,
’i’ shts’unets tu yuxwule’ ’u tu st’epi’ thqet ’i le’lum’utus tu tumuhws.

One day when it was daybreak, an eagle was sitting on a old, dead tree.
And he was looking over his land.

sht’eewun’ stem kwu hay ’ul’ yuw’en’ sxlhass.
He was wondering what was going to be the first meal of the day.

’i wulh ts’elhum’utus tu stuqeye’.
And he could hear a wolf.

’i’ hwun’ ’eey’ ’ul’ tu yuxwule’.
But the eagle just continued on.

’uwu ni’us q’el’ ’u tu stqeeye’.
He didn’t pay any heed to the wolf.

suw’ nem’ huye’, nem’ suwq’ ’u tu s’ulhtuns.
So he flew off to find some food.

suw’ hi-i-ith kwus heew’u, ’i’ ni’ hwu’alum’ ’u tu thqet-s.
He was away from his tree for quite some time before he returned to it.

’uw’ ’eey’ ’ul’ le’lum’utus tu tumuhws.
So he continued to watch over his land.

tl’e’ wulh qul’et ts’elhum’utus tu stqeeye’, q’e’wum’.
And again he heard the wolf, howling.

q’e’wum’ tuw’nilh, xeem’, xeem’.
He was howling, crying, crying.

suw’ nem’ lhakw’ numnusus.
So he few over to him.

suw’ ptem’utus tu stqeeye’, “nutsim’ kwu’elh kwus nan ’uw’ sulewe’ qiqul’us, kwun’s q’e’wum’, q’anuq?”
And he asked the wolf, “Why are you so sad to be howling so, dear one.”

“a-a-a, ’i tsun hwu t’kwas, s’aluhwthut ’i’ tsun tl’lim’ ’uw’ kw’ekw’i’.”
“Oh, I have become blind and old, and I’m really hungry.”

“xwum tsun ’uw’ ts’ew’uthamu,” thut tu yuxwule’.
“I can help you,” said the eagle.

“nem’ tsun t’ahw ’u tu sta’luw’, ’i’ kwunut tsun tu hay ’ul’ thi stseelhtun.”
“I will go down to the river and get a big salmon.”

suw’ hwu’alum’st-hwus tu hay ’ul’ thi stseelhtun.
So that eagle left and he brought back a big salmon.

’uwu ni’us qwal tu stqeeye’, ’i’lhtun’ ’ul’.
The wolf didn’t say anything, but just started eating.

suw’ qul’et huye’ tu yuxwule’, suwq’tus tu qul’et s’ulhtuns.
So the eagle left again and went to look for more food.

tuw’ hwu hith ’i’ nem’ hwu’alum’ ’u tthu thqet-s.
After a long while, he went back to his tree.

tuw’ hwu hith kwus le’lum’utus tu tumuhws,
’i’ qul’et ts’elhum’utus tu stqeeye’, q’e’wum’.
He was looking over his land and he again heard the wolf, howling.

“suw’ qul’et tsun nem’ ’aluxut tun’ s’ulhtun.”
“I will again go and get you some food.”

“aaa, ’uwu,” thut tu stqeeye’.
And the wolf said, “No.

“’un’ stl’i’ ’u kwun’s yath ’uw’ xulhustham’sh ’u tthuw’ mukw’ skweyul, ’uw’ kweyulus ’i’ ’uw’ qul’et kweyul.”
Do you want to be feeding me today and tomorrow and every day?”

“aaa, nu stl’i’ kw’unus tuw’ ts’ewuthamu.
“I really want to help you.

ts’elhumut tu sxiits tthunu sts’ewulhtun.”
Hear my plan about how I’m going to help.”

“hey’ ch kwu’elh.”
“Okay, go ahead.”

suw’ qwal tu yuxwule’, “’uw’ qul’etus kweyul ’i’ m’i tsun lhakw’, lhhwelh kwunus sel’ts’tamu ’i’ m’i ch tseelqum.
So the eagle said, “Tomorrow at daybreak, I will come fly over you three times, and you will follow me.

’uwu ch tum’temuhw ’i’ ’unuhw, wuwa’ kw’ekw’i’ ch, lhtsiws, tsqul’qul’a, ’uwu ch ’un’uhwuhw.”
Don’t stop for anything. Even if you are hungry, tired, thirsty, don’t stop.”

“’uy’!” thut tthu stqeeye’.
“Good,” said the wolf.

suw’ tus ’u tu yu hwukwekwiyul’, tl’upqinum tu yuxwule’.
So daybreak came, and the eagle flew down.

suw’ nuts’ehw, thume, lhhwelh, ni’ sul’ts’tum.
And he circled him once, twice, three times.

’i’ nem’ huye’ lhakw’ tseelqum tthu stqeeye’.
And he flew off and the wolf followed him.

nan ’uw’ hith kw’us ’i xwan’chunum’, ’i’ tl’lim’ ’uw’ kw’ey’, lhtsiws, tsqul’qul’a.
He was running for a long time, and he got tired, thirsty, hungry.

sis ’uw’ hekw’ ’u tthu shyaay’s tthu nuts’umat shqwaluwun.
And he remembered what they had planned.

suw’ timutus tthu shqwaluwuns, suw’ ’eey’ ’ul’ xwan’chunum’.
So he was determined to keep running.

hwi’ huqwnuhwus tthu kw’atl’kwa.
Then he could smell the salt water.

hwi’ ’eey’ ’ul’ xwan’chunum’, ’i’ hwi’ hilum ’u tthu p’a’qus, qwus ’u tthu kw’atl’kwa.
He was continuing and he tripped and fell over the cliff and into the water.

hay ’ul’ tl’up tsulel ’i’ tiqw’ ’u tthu tl’itl’up.
It was very deep and he almost hit the bottom.

ni’ p’ukw ’i’ ’uwus stqeeye’us, ni’ ’uye’q ni’ hwu q’ullhanumutsun.
When it surfaced he wasn’t a wolf any more—he had changed into an orca.

hwu ’uwu ni’us hwu t’qwas.
He wasn’t blind anymore.

ni’ qul’et kwunlhnenum ’u tthu swe’s s’ulhtuns.
And he was once again able to get his own food.

tu nuts’umat sts’ewulhtun shqwaluwun ni’ hakwushus tthu yuxwule’ hwu ts’ewutus tu stqeeye’ niilh t-sas.
A plan of assistance is what the eagle used to help the wolf who was so pitiful.

sht’eewun’ syuths tuni’ ’i ts’elhum’utuhw.
I believe this to be a true story that you are hearing.

ni’ tsun ptem’ut tunu menulh, ’i’ thut thu’it.
I was asking my late dad if it was true.

ni’ kwu’elh ni’ ’u tu shtsa’nus.
He said that it was there at Deception Pass.

ni’ nexun’ ’u tey’ tun’a sxwi’em’.
That’s the end of my story.

ni’ hay. hay ch q’u.
The end. Thank you

CREDITS

Story by George Seymour
Voice by George Seymour
Assistance from Ruby Peter
Transcribed and edited by Donna Gerdts
Art work by Sally Hart
Audio and video editing by Donna Gerdts