Section 5.7 Huu-ay-aht - 蕯e蕯im蕯a茮quu mimityaq拧 蕯anah蹋蕯is Huksyuu
Written by: Veselin Jungic and Mark MacLean
Illustrated by: Simon Roy and Jess Pollard
Huu-ay-aht translation by: Benson Nookemis from the Nuu-Chah-Nulth Nation
蕯anah蹋蕯is Huksyuu 蕯uk艂aa me蕯i茮qac蕯i. Saa膷虛ink wiwipalc虛a. Hiy虛ath蹋ma 蕯anah蹋蕯is ma蕯as 茮awaa t虛up虛a艂蕯i 蕯uk膷iq茮虛as 蕯um蕯iiqsak n虛uw虛iiqsak.
Small Number is a young boy who gets into a lot of mischief. He lives in a small village by the water with his mother and father.
M虛a艂uk虛a茮 蕰ay虛ii膷h蹋. Hupii蕯a茮 蕯anah蹋蕯is蕯i Huksyuu. 鈥準攁yaa膷i拧t虛a茮ma mi蕰aat t虛aaqh蹋sis taqh蹋taak hitinqis蕯i. 蕯usim蕯aaq茮in mityaq拧i茮 ku蕯a艂 蕯iiqh蹋iiquu muu艂uk,鈥� waa蕯a茮 n虛uw虛iiqsak 蕯anah蹋蕯is Huksyuu. 蕯e蕯imw虛it虛as蕯a茮 蕯anah蹋蕯is Huksyuu 蕯uuk史i艂 na蕯uuqs n虛uw虛iiqsak 蕯u蕯u蕯iih蹋w虛it虛as mi蕰aat. 蕯ayaa茮uk 蕯a蕯aatuucamis:
It is a crisp autumn day and Small Number is helping his father to prepare the nets for tomorrow鈥檚 salmon harvest. 鈥淭here is a school of salmon by Straight Line Beach. We need to set our net in the morning while the tide is still high,鈥� says Small Number鈥檚 father. It is the first time that Small Number will go with his father to catch salmon and he has many questions.
鈥準攁aqinqh蹋蕯a茮h蹋a 蕯anah蹋蕯is m虛uksaapiih蹋 c虛awaakcpa 蕯anah蹋m虛inh蹋蕯is蕯i h蹋umiis k史iscpaa mityuu蕯i? 蕯aaqinqh蹋蕯a茮h蹋in 蕯usim 蕯a茮e蕯i 蕯e蕯iih蹋 m虛uksy虛i? 膶uu k史atyiik蕯i m虛uksy虛im虛inh蹋蕯i? 蕯anacm虛inh蹋h蹋a? 蕯aaqinqh蹋h蹋a q史aa 膷虛iyuu h蹋umiis蕯i? 蕯aanayi mityuu蕯i? 膷aa 蕯anuuk史a艂蕯i mityuu蕯i?鈥�
鈥淲hy are these round pebbles on one side and those pieces of cedar on the other side of the net? Why do we need those two big rocks? What is the weight of those pebbles? How far apart are they? Why are the pieces of cedar cut in this shape? How long is the net? How deep is the net?鈥�
鈥淲ik虛ii 蕯e蕯ii拧mih蹋sa, 蕯anah蹋蕯is Huksyuu. 蕯amiiqh蹋蕯aaq茮e蕯ic h蹋amatsap. 茮ih蹋拧i蕯a茮 n虛uw虛iiqsu. Kamatq拧i蕯a茮膷i 蕯iiqh蹋uk naniiqsak蕯itqak 蕯ah蹋蕯aa蕯a茮 ne蕯iiqsu: 鈥溎宎膷imh蹋a茮ma mityuu蕯i. 蕯usim蕯aaq茮ma蕯a艂 hi艂 hitinqis蕯i wiky虛uuquu n虛e蕯i茮拧i茮.鈥�
鈥淏e patient, Small Number, you will learn all tomorrow,鈥� smiles his father. 鈥淣ow run and tell your grandfather and your uncle that the net is ready and that they should be at our beach before dawn!鈥�
Puw虛ic拧i蕯a茮 蕯u蕯utu艂蕯a茮 mi蕰aat 茮i茮iih蹋ata茮 hu蕯aa膷i拧tuu艂蕯a茮 蕯ah蹋蕯aa蕯a茮 h蹋ustq拧i蕯a茮.
Small Number is very excited about his new adventure and when he finally gets to sleep, he dreams about a big salmon jumping out of the water and falling back with a splash.
鈥溒泆pk拧i蕯i 蕯anah蹋蕯is蕯i Huksyuu! Hitinqis蕯a茮uk史e蕯ic n虛uw虛iiqsu, 蕯anah蹋蕯is Huksyuu,鈥� waa蕯a茮虛at 蕯um蕯iiqsak kinsaatuk.
鈥淲ake up, Small Number. Your dad is already down at our beach,鈥� Small Number hears his mom鈥檚 gentle voice.
Yacwaas蕯a茮 蕯anah蹋蕯is Huksyuu winapu蕯a茮 n虛an虛aa膷ma艂apu蕯a茮. N虛a膷u蕯a艂 tupkqii sa膷qii nu膷iim虛inh蹋 yuu蕯atucpa, ne蕯ii膷i蕯a茮 c虛a蕯u艂atuk 蕯ah蹋蕯aa蕯a茮 ne蕯ii膷i蕯a茮 q史iniim虛inh蹋.
When he steps outside, Small Number stops and looks around. He sees dark sharp peaks of mountains to the north and hears the sound of waves and the squawks of seagulls.
Hitinqis蕯a茮 蕯anah蹋蕯is Huksyuu n虛a膷u蕯a艂蕯a茮 蕯aya h蹋aw虛iih蹋a茮, kamitq拧i蕯a茮 蕯ucah蹋tak虛a茮 his膷ii蕯i, 茮ay虛aax kamitquk 蕯ucah蹋tak. 鈥準攗蕯umh蹋i膷i茮e蕯ic hinin, 蕯anah蹋蕯is Huksyuu,鈥� waa蕯a茮虛at naniiqsu 蕰apk史aa蕯a茮虛at. cumaa蕯a茮uk史in 膷虛apac 蕯uqs蕯a茮 mityuu 蕯ah蹋蕯aa蕯a茮 qa蕯uuc. Hawi膷a茮in 蕯usim蕯a茮in 茮ih蹋拧i茮qun.
Down on the beach, Small Number sees a group of men and starts running towards them as fast as he can. 鈥淛ust on time, Small Number,鈥� says his grandfather hugging him. 鈥淥ur canoes are loaded with nets and baskets and we are ready to go.鈥�
Hinas蕯a茮蕯a艂 t虛aaqs膷iik蕯i hitinqis, 膷iiwis膷isap虛a茮蕯a艂 膷虛apacuk蕯i蕯a艂 蕯anah蹋蕯is蕯i Huksyuu naniiqsu ne蕯iiqsu. *minapah蹋su茮蕯a艂 膷虛apac蕯i 蕯anah蹋蕯is Huksyuu n虛uw虛iiqsak hinii蕯a茮 hiy虛ah蹋tak蕯i mityuu c虛istuup 蕯uuk史i艂 naniiqsak蕯i.
When they arrive at Straight Line Beach, Small Number鈥檚 grandpa and uncle pull their canoe out of the water. Small Number and his father stay in their canoe and pass the ends of the net lines to Grandfather.
茮iih蹋ak虛a茮 蕯anah蹋蕯is Huksyuu taakh蹋ta膷i茮 histaq拧i茮 hitinqis. 艁aaq艂aaqu茮 yaa n虛uw虛iiqsak c虛istuupuk蕯i mityuu. Q史iyii蕯a艂 hinas蕯a茮 mityuu蕯i mitx拧i蕯a茮蕯a艂 膷虛apac蕯i mii艂h蹋caapi蕯a茮 hitinqis蕯i 蕯ah蹋蕯aa蕯a茮 n虛uw虛iiqsu t虛i膷i蕯a茮 蕯iih蹋蕯ii m虛uksy虛i ma茮aa艂 蕯uuk史i艂 mityuu蕯i t虛ii膷i拧tup虛a茮. 鈥準攗h蹋蕯aaq茮ma t虛ayuusim蕯i wiinapup mityuu蕯i,鈥� waa蕯a茮虛at 蕯anah蹋蕯is蕯i Huksyuu. 鈥淗aah,鈥� waa蕯a茮 t虛i膷i艂拧i茮 蕯anah蹋蕯is蕯i Huksyuu, 鈥準攗h蹋蕯aaq茮ma m虛ukswaapiih蹋蕯i wiinapup yee hiy虛apu蕯is蕯i mityuu蕯i 蕯ah蹋蕯aa蕯a茮 蕯anah蹋m虛inh蹋蕯is蕯i h蹋umiis蕯uh蹋蕯aaq茮虛a茮ma pux史a膷i拧t虛ap 茮a蕯uucpe蕯i mityuu蕯i!鈥�
Small Number paddles away from the beach while his dad continues to pay out the net lines. When they reach the beginning of the net, they turn the canoe parallel to the beach and dad throws a big rock that is attached to the net into the water. 鈥淭his anchor will hold the net in place,鈥� he says to Small Number. 鈥淥h, I see,鈥� yells Small Number, 鈥渢he pebbles will keep one edge of the net on the bottom and the pieces of cedar will float and keep the other edge of the net on the surface!鈥�
蕯anah蹋蕯is Huksyuu n虛a膷u蕯a艂蕯a茮 蕯iih蹋taqim艂 mi蕰aat t虛aac虛in茮 蕯uusaah蹋i muu艂拧i茮qa. N虛aacsii膷i蕯a茮 蕯e蕯iih蹋蕯i 茮虛aaskapiih蹋 mi蕰aat 蕯ah蹋蕯aa蕯a茮 ne蕯ii膷i蕯a茮 茮ay虛uu膷i蕯a茮虛at tii膷ma. 鈥溎宎mih蹋ta na拧uk q史ac虛a艂m虛inh蹋 mi蕰aat蕯i!鈥�
Small Number sees how a large group of salmon have drifted inshore with the incoming tide. He looks at their large smooth bodies and feels his heartbeat fasten. 鈥淗ow strong and beautiful these fish are!鈥�
T虛ayuusap虛a茮 t虛ayuusim蕯i hiy虛ih蹋te蕯i c虛istuup mityuu蕯i 蕯ah蹋蕯aa蕯a茮 蕯anah蹋蕯is蕯i Huksyuu mitxsaap虛a茮 膷虛apac蕯i 蕯ucah蹋tak虛apa茮 hitinqis蕯i. 蕯ah蹋蕯aa蕯a茮 n虛uw虛iiqsak蕯i 艂aq拧i蕯a茮 c虛istuup蕯i 蕯ucaa蕯ap ne蕯iiqsak蕯i 蕯anah蹋蕯is Huksyuu.
The anchor secures the other end of the net and Small Number turns the canoe towards the beach where his dad passes the net lines to Small Number鈥檚 uncle.
蕯ah蹋蕯aa蕯a茮 膷iiwis膷isap虛a茮 n虛uw虛iiqsu 膷虛apacuk蕯i蕯a艂, 蕯anah蹋蕯is Huksyuu 蕯a蕯aatuu蕯a茮茮a: 鈥淨um虛iip蕯aaq茮in mi蕰aat 蕯ah蹋kuu n虛aas蕯ii? 蕯aqis蕯aaq茮h蹋in xaa膷k虛史aap mi蕰aat 蕯uw虛aatinm虛inh蹋ukqin? 蕯u蕯umh蹋aaq茮h蹋a qum虛aa 蕯unaak拧i茮蕯a艂 h蹋a膷atak蕯a艂? 蕯aaqis蕯aaq茮h蹋in h蹋amat虛ap hu蕯inquu mi蕰aat?鈥�
While his dad pulls the canoe out of water, Small Number asks, 鈥淗ow many salmon will we catch today? How are we going to divide the salmon among our families? Will there be enough for everybody? How do we know that the salmon will come back?鈥�
鈥淗蹋amat虛amin蕯aa艂a,鈥� waa蕯a茮 n虛uw虛iiqsu蕯i. Wiinapu茮虛ama 蕯ah蹋kuu hi艂: 鈥淗upii蕯a茮suk ne蕯iiqsak蕯itqak 膷ii茮膷iiya c虛istuup蕯i 蕯ucah蹋tak mityuu蕯i. Hupii蕯aaq茮ah蹋 naniiqsu.鈥�
鈥淲e have our ways,鈥� answers his father. 鈥淣ow, you stay here to help your uncle pull on the net lines. I鈥檓 going to help grandpa.鈥�
膶ii茮膷iiyi膷i蕯a茮 mityuu蕯i. 蕯anah蹋蕯is Huksyuu n虛a膷u蕯a艂蕯a茮 mi蕰aat 蕯ani hi艂蕯a茮 hi艂sn虛u艂 hitinqis蕯i h蹋aa茮 (= 蕯ah蹋蕯aa蕯a茮) mityuu蕯i hiniip虛a茮蕯a艂. 蕯ah蹋蕯aa蕯a茮 waa蕯a茮 蕯uuk史i艂 ne蕯iiqsak: 鈥準攁pstiiya茮itin wahaak hi艂 muu艂uk蕯itq 蕯uyi. Wik虛aah蹋a茮itin 蕯ayiip mi蕰aat h蹋aay虛iyimtqun. 茮u艂uk史in q史aa蕯apqin!鈥�
They start hauling in the net. Small Number sees that all fish within the area between the beach and the net are captured and says to his uncle, 鈥淕ood that we came during the high tide. If the tide were low we wouldn鈥檛 catch this many fish. Our ways are good!鈥�
蕯a蕯aatu蕯a茮 蕯anah蹋蕯is蕯i Huksyuu t虛apat拧i蕯a茮: 鈥準攁aqh蹋inkmatakith蹋in wik 蕯ayiip 蕯uyimtqun h蹋ay虛iiya?鈥�
Question: Why did Small Number think that during a low tide the catch would be much smaller?
