Section 6.6 Squamish - ETS脥M SKW'SHIM虛 IY TA HIY脥 STSEK滩
Written by: Veselin Jungic and Mark MacLean
Illustrated by: Simon Roy and Jess Pollard
Squamish translation by: Set谩lten, Norman Guerrero Jr. of the Squamish Nation
Na na7 kwe虂tsi s7i虂xwalh, Etsi虂m Skw鈥檚him虛 kwi snas, lhik滩 na wa eswe虂ts鈥檞ets鈥�. Kwe虂tsi nch鈥檜7 skwa虂yel, Etsi虂m Skw鈥檚him虛 iy ta a虂yishs Nach鈥檌虂m虛 Skw鈥檚him虛 kwi snas, na na虂m虛wit txwna虂ch鈥檃wtxw lha si虂7lswit na7 ta lam虛s.
Small number is a young boy who gets into a lot of mischief. With his sister perfect number he visits their grandma who lives in a small village on their nations traditional territory.
Na ha虂7lhstas kwis em虛i虂m虛ash ays ta lam虛s kwi ses me虂kw鈥檈ms k滩ex滩 nach鈥� es7a虂tetem. Na kw鈥檃虂chnexwas ta kw鈥檈wkw鈥檌虂n虛 sitn. 鈥淣a ha7lhs ta sitn鈥� na tsut ta Etsi虂m Skw鈥檚him虛 kwis lha7n ta sitn.
Small number likes to wander around grandma鈥檚 house because whenever he visits he discovers something new and exciting. This time he finds an old woven basket. 鈥淟ook how beautiful these patterns are,鈥� says Small Number while touching the smooth surface of the basket.
鈥淣a wa tahi虂m虛 ta sitn lhen si7l鈥� na tsut lha si7ls. 鈥淣u chexw te虂l虛nexwas kwi ses tahi虂m虛stas ti sitn tl鈥檃 t鈥檏w鈥檃虂myexw?鈥� na tsut lha si7ls.
鈥淚t was made by my great aunt.鈥� Small numbers hears grandma鈥檚 gentle voice. 鈥淒o you know that this basket was made from cedar roots?鈥�
Na wa kw鈥檃虂chtas ta shi虂shich鈥檜s lha si7ls. Na tsut, 鈥淭a new iy Nach鈥檌虂m虛 Skw鈥檚him虛 esk滩鈥檈虂w虛 ta ents kwis nam虛 chet ek滩鈥� k滩e虂xwen ta t鈥檏w鈥檃虂myexw kwa虂yles. Wi7ski na虛 chet i虂lhen kwis sen ha虂nstumiyap, k滩鈥檈s tim虛a虂 wa wana虂xws chet ta x滩pay虛 ta ste虂lmexw chet.鈥�
Grandma looks at Small Number鈥檚 puzzled face. And says, 鈥淵ou, Perfect Number will go with me tomorrow to help me gather cedar roots. Now let us eat and I鈥檒l tell you why cedar is a sacred plant for our people and how it can be used in many ways.鈥�
鈥淐han wa k滩e虂xwen kwi t鈥檏w鈥檃虂myexw na7 ta Tem Ek滩wa虂yanexw. Nilh melh welh sen p鈥檌虂7nexw k滩ex滩 kwi t鈥檏w鈥檃虂myexw kwins p鈥檃虂yak滩en ta sitn na7 ta Tem Tik滩w鈥�.鈥� Na tsu虂ntaswit lha si虂7lswit kwi ses na" ta stse虂k滩tsek滩.
鈥淚 try to gather my roots in the fall after the rains and before the frost. That way I make sure that I have enough supply for the winter to make my baskets.鈥� Says grandma to Small Number and Perfect Number when they entered the forest.
Na wa sum虛na虂lhen kwi ha7lha虂y虛ak滩ep ta stse虂k滩tsek滩 na ti slhe虂m虛lhem natlh kwa Etsi虂m Skw鈥檚him虛 Na wa tkwaya虂7nminswit ta slu虂lum tl鈥檃 k滩w鈥檌虂n虛exw chi虂lhiw虛ilh na7 ta stse虂k滩tsek滩. 鈥淪tam melh ta虂ychiwilh ta hiyi虂 slhe虂k滩鈥檞ilh?鈥� wa ta7a虂w虛n ta Etsi虂m Skw鈥檚him虛 kwis i虂7imesh na7 ta sta虂tax滩ay虛s.
It is a misty morning and Small Number can smell the sweet scent of the forest. He hears the birds singing to each other somewhere high in the trees. 鈥淲hat is behind those big trunks?鈥� thinks Small Number and starts walking over the course woody debris on the forest floor.
Men wa shi虂ch鈥檃虂tsuts ta kw鈥檜p鈥檆hk滩 iy ta esx滩i虂tsk滩achxw welh tsi虂tsixws ta stse虂k滩tsek滩 ch鈥檌t ta stakw. Na m双i ch鈥檌虂ti ta stsek滩 na wa tsek滩wu虂sems 鈥淯... an te虂k滩w鈥檈m ti stsek滩!鈥� 鈥淎n tl鈥檃虂k滩tiwa!鈥�
He moves between fallen dead trees and the remains of large branches until he reaches the group of trees standing by a creek. Small number gets close to one of the trees and looks up. 鈥淗ow straight this trunk is!鈥� 鈥淭his tree must be at least 50 metres tall!鈥�
Ses men kw鈥檃wch ta stak滩w. Na m虛i hiyi虂 ta k滩e虂l虛k滩elum虛s na m虛i aw虛i虂ts tl鈥檃 skweni虂wsems i虂men kwis kw鈥檃虂chnexwas ta achcha虂wam sts鈥檜虂k滩wi7 na7 ta stak滩w. 鈥渁n k滩ex滩 sts鈥檜虂k滩wi7 i tti!鈥�
Then he looks down at the water. Small Numbers Eyes widen and the beating of his heart fastens when he realizes the creek is full of spawning salmon. 鈥淭here must be thousands of fish here!鈥�
Na wa tsek滩wu虂sem kwa Etsi虂m Skw鈥檚him虛 wa kwa虂yantsuts ta虂ychiwilh ta stsek滩. Ses men iy虛i虂m kwis skwa虂lwens na kw鈥檃虂chnexwas ta i虂lhek滩a7min ta swa虂7elt. Na wa kw鈥檃虂chnexwas ta che虂sha7 mi虂x滩alh iy ta cha虂chen虛at mi虂x滩alh-ul-lhs wa emu虂tswit lesi虂'ilh ta hiyi虂 x滩a虂pay虛ay. 鈥渘a ts7it, wa i虂lhen ta sts鈥檜虂kwi7 ta mi虂xalh鈥� wa lha虂kat ta Etsi虂m Skw鈥檚him虛 鈥渁n ha7lh en skwa虂lwen kwis kw鈥檃虂chnexwas ti stsi7s!鈥�
Small Numbers lifts his head and quickly steps back behind the tree. After a few moments, gathering all his courage, he peeks out at the other bank of the creek. There he sees a huge cedar tree and a black bear with her three cubs just under it. 鈥淪o it鈥檚 true that bears eat salmon鈥� whispers Small Number, 鈥渢his is the most exciting day of my life!鈥�
鈥淓tsi虂m Skw鈥檚him虛! Chen tsun chexw kwis ch鈥檌虂ch鈥檌ts ta ents!鈥� Na wa tkwaya虂7nmins ta nekwe虂ltns lha si7ls m虛i ta虂ychiwilhs. Na wa sheych鈥檃虂ntsuts ses men k滩鈥檃虂ts鈥檜sen lha si7ls. 鈥淎n chen tem stl鈥檌7 ta new lhen si7l鈥� na tsuntm. 鈥淎n chen tem stl鈥檌7 ta new i虂men, welh haw k滩w鈥檈xw ip鈥檃虂ak滩w鈥檜lhmints!鈥� na tsun lha si7ls.
鈥淚 told you to stay with me all the time Small Number!鈥� Small Number hears his grandma鈥檚 quiet voice coming just from behind him. He turns around and hugs his grandma very tightly. 鈥淚 love you so much grandma!鈥� 鈥淽鈥淚 love you very much too, but please don鈥檛 scare me like this again!鈥� replies grandma.
An ha7lh skwa虂lwens ta Etsi虂m Skw鈥檚him虛 kwis i虂tim虛usem na7 ta stse虂k滩tsek滩 kwis tsuntm ta syets na7 ta la"s lha si7ls. 鈥淐hen kw鈥檃虂chnexwas ta mi虂x滩alh wa i虂lhen ta sts鈥檜k滩wi7 lesi虂'ilh ta hiyi虂 x滩a虂pay滩ay!鈥� An hiyi虂 ta slhe虂k滩鈥檞ilh ta stsek滩 kwis ses men huy tek滩tk滩a虂ch en si虂iyay虛 wa ip鈥檃虂chstway kwis ses sheych鈥檃虂ntm tas chet
During dinner back at grandma鈥檚 house Small Number cannot stop telling grandma and Perfect Number about his adventure. 鈥淚 saw bears eating salmon under the biggest tree ever!鈥� The trunk of the tree was so big that I would need at least eight of my friends to hold their hands to get around it.
鈥淐hen wa nan ti stsek滩... ta mi虂x滩alh stsek滩!鈥� 鈥淗aw k滩w鈥檈xw hans lhen chesha虂7 kwins i虂7imesh mench鈥檔ch鈥檜虂7 na7 ta stse虂k滩tsek滩.鈥�
鈥淚鈥檒l call it the Bear Tree! Just don鈥檛 tell Mom that I wandered through the forest on my own!鈥�
Swelk滩w鈥檃虂ls: kw鈥檌n kwi si虂iya(s kwi ses sheych鈥檃虂ntem ta mi虂x滩alh stsek滩?
Question: How wide was the Bear Tree?
