Section 5.9 Squamish - ETS脥IM SKW鈥橢SHIMm虛 NA7 TA TEM CH脕YILHEN
Written by: Veselin Jungic and Mark MacLean
Illustrated by: Simon Roy and Jess Pollard
Squamish translation by: X瘫els铆lem Rivers
An eskw煤岷弔s ta swi7岣礱7ul-Ih Etsim Skw'eshim虛 kwi snas. Ta lam虛s wa na7 ta etsim 煤xwumixw ch'it ta stakw ask'ekw'煤7 ta ch茅sha7s iy ta mans. Na7 tkw茅tsi tut t'i岣祑 natlh na7 ta tem e岣祑谩yanexw na wa ch'谩watas kwa mans kwis p谩ya岣礶ntaswit ta sw铆tens tkwi tem ch谩yilhen.
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. It is a crisp autumn day and Small Number is helping his father to prepare the nets for tomorrow鈥檚 salmon harvest.
Chen 铆chnexw nilh 岣礶x滩 sts'ukw'i7 ch'it ta estekw' 谩yalh岣祑! M煤岷廰岷廼 chat e岣�'ta sw铆tenchet kw谩yles natlh.' tsut ta mans ta Ets铆m Skw'sh铆m虛. Nilh s7a7煤7alh kwis n谩nam虛 e岣�' ti sts'煤岣祑i7. Tex滩wl谩m na stl鈥檌7 kwis ta7lt ta Ets铆m Skw'sh铆m虛!
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.
鈥淪ha峁� melh ta sm铆7mant iy na7 ta 铆na ta switn ta x滩pa岷弇i峁�? Sha峁� kwis stl'i7schet tsi 谩峁卽s syex滩谩s? Kw'in kwi x滩eta7newas? Sha峁� tim虛谩 wa Ihich' ta x滩pa岷�? Txwnch7am虛 tl'a岣祎 ta switn? Txwnch7am虛 les kwis m煤岷廰岷廼 ta sw铆ten?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�
鈥溍歽umen chexw, Ets铆m Skw'esh铆m虛! Ta7lt chexw e岣�' kw谩yles鈥�, tsut ta mans kwis wes nx滩iy谩7ms. 鈥淭s'kw'谩tsut chexw kwis h谩nswit chexw a si7l iy a sis铆7 es-hilkw ta sw铆ten. Ha7lh 岣� kwis tsixwit ek' ye岷嚸iwilh wa kw谩kwayel na7 ta 谩yalh岣祑 kw谩yles natlh!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�
An x滩w谩7ilwes kwis nam e岣�' ti sts'煤岣祑i7 kwa Ets铆m Skw'esh铆m虛. An wa tl'i7 kwis mi 铆tut welh na 铆tutnumut kwis wes e木茅li7nitas ta hiy铆 sts'煤k岣祑i7 wa es铆xiwat ta sta岣祑.
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.
Na 铆chnexwas kwis ses ns7alh wa nichim ta chesha7s: 鈥溍歮sem chexw Ets铆m Skw'esh铆m虛. Na wa na7 s7ulh 谩yalh岣祑 a man.鈥�
鈥淲ake up, Small Number. Your dad is already down at our beach,鈥� Small Number hears his mom鈥檚 gentle voice.
Na tl'iya kwis ses nam tkwi ats'岣�. Wait铆musem. Txwnam ta s煤tich na kw'谩chnexwas Ihach ta smenm谩nit iy nekw 铆chnexwas wa x滩aam ta 岣祑'iyit岣� iy ta y煤yakw.
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.
Na ta 谩yalhkw na kw'谩chnexwas es岣得┽傅xw kwi sii岷嚸�7岣礱. Aw铆ts kwis tsetskw'谩tsut txwnam虛wit. 鈥淚 chexw tl鈥檌岣� Ets铆m Skw'esh铆m虛,鈥� tsut ta si7ls kwis wes 岣礱t煤se峁卼m. 鈥淓s-h铆lkw chat!鈥�. 鈥淣a wa 煤yulhs ta snexw铆lhschet i7x滩w ta sw铆tenschet iy ta ts'煤7mayshnchet.鈥�
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�
Na melh men ts铆xw-wit na7 ta Este岣祑' 脕yalh岣祑 na ts茅kwilhwit ta si7ls iy ta sisi7s. Ets铆m Skw'esh铆m虛 iy ta ta mans men iy i岷徝♂簭ulh ta snexw铆lhswit. Na melh men s谩ta峁� ta kw'uykw茅陌shen t ta Si7i. Ses men 铆sun huy谩7 ta 谩yalh岣祑 ta snexw铆lhs ta Ets铆m Skw'esh铆m虛 iy wa m煤岷廰岷廼 ta mans.
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. Small Number paddles away from the beach while his dad continues to pay out the net lines.
Ses men ts铆xwntaswit ta s7a7煤7 p'ekwt铆n na tim虛谩岣祍emwit ta snexw铆lhswit tim虛谩wit kwis wa t谩7lemswit tta 谩yalh岣祑. Na melh men ts茅xwstas peym谩n ta mans ta syex滩谩s wa 岣�'铆sintas ta sw铆tenswit. Na hans ta Ets铆m Skw'esh铆m虛 鈥淣ekw lh岣得┽箙ten ta switen i tti.鈥� 鈥淎hh! Chen ye岷嚸箙ts!鈥� wa kwachem Ets铆m Skw'esh铆m虛, 鈥淣ilh kwetsi sm铆7mant na7 t ta smiy铆岷嘺x滩ans ta sw铆ten wa itl'is na ta sles. ly kw茅tsi x滩pa岷弇i峁� wa p'谩p'ekw na ta smiy铆wax滩an ta sw铆ten na p'谩kwa峁卼sut.鈥�
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�
Na kw'谩chnexw 岣礶x滩 es岣得┽傅xw sts'ukwi wa seyx滩 mi 岣祑煤layus. Ses men kw'谩cht ta ha7lh sts'煤岣祑i7 an mi aw铆ts ta ts谩li7s. 鈥淎n kilus iyim ta sts'煤kwi!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�
Ses men tim虛谩岣祍em ta snexw铆lh ta Ets铆m Skw'esh铆m虛 tim虛谩 kwis ta7岣祍谩ms ta 谩yalh岣祑 k'as wa Ihkentntm ta switn. Na melh men t s谩tan tta sisi7 tl'a Ets铆m Skw'esh铆m虛 ta hi岷噑tn.
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.
Na melh men ts茅kwilh ta mans wa wel岣祑'谩ls ta Ets铆m Skw'esh铆m虛: 鈥淜w'in kwi sts'煤岣祑i na 岣得﹛wentat ti sts'is? Txwn7cham虛 kwis ch谩chsha岷廲het tta s7e岣祑铆telschet? Nilh u tl'am kwi i7x滩w swat? Eslh岣�'i7s u chet kwi 岣�'an谩tsutwit ta sts'煤岣祑鈥檌?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�
鈥淭im虛谩 tkwetsi,鈥� nt茅lktas ta mans. 鈥淚 chexw melh itl'iy itti kwis ch'谩wat chexw wa xw煤kwa岷廼 a sisi7. Nam虛 chen ch'谩wat ta a si7l.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�
Na p'i岣祍imwit kwis xw煤kw'a岷廼wit. Na kw'谩chnexwas ta Ets铆m Skw'esh铆m虛 i7xw na sts'ekwts'煤岣祑'i7 es峁吤簢 ta 谩yalh岣祑 iy ta switn. Ses men txwtsut ta sis铆7s, 鈥淗a7lh kwis mi chet na 岣祑煤la岷弖s. Es岣祑鈥檃y kwis 岣得﹛wen i7x滩w ti sts'煤岣祑'l na7 ta sham. Tim虛谩 tkwetsi!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�
Swel岣祑'谩ls: Sha峁� melh kwelkw谩lwn ta Ets铆m Skw'esh铆m虛 men huy kw'in kwis sts'e岣祑ts'煤岣祑i7 wa sham?
Question: Why did Small Number think that during a low tide the catch would be much smaller?
