Section 7.7 Squamish - ETSI虂M SKW鈥橲HIM虛 IY TA KWEKWI虂N SCH鈥橢TXW
Written by: Veselin Jungic and Mark MacLean
Illustrated by: Bethani L'Heureux
Squamish translation by: Set谩lten, Norman Guerrero Jr. of the Squamish Nation
Etsi虂m Skw'shim虛 kwi en sna. Chen wa tkwaya虂7nmin ti sx滩wex滩wiy虛am虛 tina虂7 lhen si7l na wa tkwaya虂7nmintem ta sx滩wex滩wiyam tina虂7 Iha si7ls. Nilh ti sx滩wex滩wiyam tl'a kwekwi虂n sch'etxw na ta7stem ta swa7a虂m虛-chet na7 ta a虂yalhk滩w ch鈥檌t ta u虂xwumixw-chet.
My name is Small Number. This is a story I鈥檝e heard from my grandmother and that she heard from her grandmother. It is about an old totem pole built by my ancestors on a beach close to our village.
Kwe虂tsi nch鈥檜7 skwa虂yel, na wa yelx滩lha虂lem ta sp鈥檃虂k滩w鈥檜s. Na kw鈥檃虂chnexwas ta hiyi虂 sts鈥檜虂k滩wi7 le虂siw虛ilh ta stak滩w, ses men chey虛k滩wa虂m txwnew虛 ta stak滩w ses men p'i虂7nexwas ta sts'u虂k滩wi7. Uuh aaan hiyi虂 ta sts'u虂k滩wi7 welh men tut-chi虂hiw虛ilh ta stak滩iw we虂lhes ch'i虂ntas ta sts'u虂k滩wi7.
One day, the eagle was looking for food. He spotted a huge salmon just below the surface of the water, he plummeted to the river and caught the salmon with his mighty talons. But, the salmon was so big that even eagle鈥檚 strong wings could only lift the fish just a bit above the surface of the water.
鈥渃h鈥檃虂wats chexw! ch鈥檃虂wats chexw!鈥� na k滩鈥檈wm ta sp鈥檃虂k滩w鈥檜s.
鈥淗elp! Help!鈥� screeched the eagle.
Na wa tkwaya虂7nmintas ta sk滩ewk滩鈥� ta sk滩鈥檈wms ta sp鈥檃虂kw鈥檜s, Ses men sik滩 txwt'ixw, ses men ch'e虂m虛tas ta sts'uk滩wi7.
The raven heard eagle鈥檚 cry, so he flew down and pierced his beak into the salmon鈥檚 body.
Na wa t鈥檃虂7tsut tse虂kwentaswit ta sts鈥檜虂k滩wi, welh an hiyi虂 ta sts鈥檜虂k滩wi haw k滩鈥檃虂swit ch鈥檌虂tentas ta sts鈥檜虂k滩wi7 kwi men tut ch鈥檌t ta a虂yalhk滩w.
The eagle and the raven were pulling the salmon together, but the fish was so big that they only moved the salmon just a little bit closer to the shore.
鈥渃h鈥檃虂watumulh chexw! ch鈥檃虂watumulh chexw!鈥� na k滩iy虛a虂t k滩'ay虛t ta sp鈥檃虂k滩w鈥檜s.
鈥淗elp! Help!鈥� screeched the eagle again.
Na tkwaya虂7nmintas ta mi虂x滩alh ta sk滩'ay虛ts ta sp鈥檃虂k滩w鈥檜s, ses men ts鈥檏w鈥檃虂tsut txw7uts鈥檏滩 ta stse虂k滩stek滩, ses men x滩a虂mi tta sp鈥檃虂k滩w鈥檜s, an hiyi虂 ta sx滩e虂n虛x滩ens mi虂x滩alh.
The bear heard the eagle鈥檚 piercing shrill, ran out of the forrest, stood up and grabbed the eagle with his huge paws.
Nilh ta mi虂x滩alh na wa tse虂kwen ta sp鈥檃虂k滩w鈥檜s, ta sp鈥檃虂k滩w鈥檜s iy ta sk滩ewk滩鈥� na wa tse虂kwentas ta sts鈥檜虂k滩wi7, welh aaan hiyi虂 ta sts鈥檜虂k滩wi7 kwi ses wa ch鈥檌虂tentaswit kwi men tut ch鈥檌t ta a虂yalhk滩w.
The bear was pulling the eagle and the eagle and the raven were pulling the salmon, but the fish was so big that they could only move the salmon just a little bit closer to the shore.
鈥渃h鈥檃虂watumulh chexw! ch鈥檃虂watumulh chexw!鈥� na k滩鈥檃y虛t ta mi虂x滩alh.
鈥淗elp! Help!鈥� roared the bear.
Na wa tkwaya虂7nmintas ta tk滩a虂ya ta sk滩鈥檃y虛ts ta mi虂x滩alh, ses men ts鈥檏w鈥檃虂tsut txw7uts鈥檏滩 ta stse虂k滩tsek滩, ses men lhx滩ilsh ses men x滩a虂mi tta tl鈥檃虂k滩tshen si虂w虛achs ta mi虂x滩alh.
The wolf heard the bears call, ran out of the forest, stood up and grabbed the bear with his long front legs.
Nilh ta tk滩a虂ya na wa tse虂kwen ta mi虂x滩alh, ta mi虂x滩alh na wa tse虂kwentas ta sp鈥檃虂k滩w鈥檜s, ta sp鈥檃虂k滩w鈥檜s iy ta sk滩ewk滩鈥� na wa tse虂kwentas ta sts鈥檜虂k滩wi7, welh aaan hiyi虂 ta sts鈥檜虂k滩wi7 kwis ch鈥檌虂tentaswit ta sts鈥檜虂k滩wi7 kwi men tut ch鈥檌t ta a虂yalhk滩w.
The wolf was pulling the bear, the bear was pulling the eagle, the eagle and the raven were pulling the salmon, but the fish was so big that they could only move the salmon just a little bit closer to the shore.
鈥渃h鈥檃虂watumulh chexw! ch鈥檃虂watumulh chexw!鈥� na k滩鈥檈wm ta tk滩a虂ya.
鈥淗elp! Help!鈥� howled the wolf.
Na wa tkwaya虂7nmintas ta sk滩el虛a虂w虛 kwi ses i虂yen虛tsut ta tk滩a虂ya, ses men ts'kw'a虂tsut txw7uts鈥檏滩 ta stak滩w, ses men x滩a虂mi tta tk滩a虂ya.
The beaver heard the wolf鈥檚 whimpering, ran out of the river, and grabbed the wolf with her hands.
Nilh ta sk滩el虛a虂w虛 na wa tse虂kwen ta tk滩a虂ya, ta tk滩a虂ya na wa tse虂kwentas ta mi虂x滩alh. Ta mi虂x滩alh na wa tse虂kwentas ta sp鈥檃虂k滩w鈥檜s, ta sp鈥檃虂k滩w鈥檜s iy ta sk滩ewk滩鈥� na wa tse虂kwentas ta sts鈥檜虂k滩wi7, welh aaan hiyi虂 ta sts鈥檜虂k滩wi7 kwis ch鈥檌虂tentaswit ta sts鈥檜虂k滩wi7 kwi men tut ch鈥檌t ta a虂yalhk滩w.
The beaver was pulling the wolf, the wolf was pulling the bear, the bear was pulling the eagle, the eagle and the raven were pulling the salmon, but the fish was so big that they could only move the salmon just a little bit closer to the shore
鈥渃h鈥檃虂watumulh chexw! ch鈥檃虂watumulh chexw!鈥� na k滩鈥檃y虛t ta sk滩el虛a虂w虛 kwi ses wa lha虂k虛w鈥檃ntas ta stak虛w tta skw鈥檜kw鈥檛s.
鈥淗elp! Help!鈥� the beaver cried as she slapped the water with her tail.
Na wa tkwaya虂7nmintas ta wex滩e虂s ta sk滩ay虛鈥檛s ta sk滩el虛a虂w虛, ses men ts鈥檏w鈥檃虂tsut txw7uts鈥檏滩 ta stak滩w, ses men x滩a虂mi tta sk滩el虛a虂w虛 ta sx滩en虛s.
The frog heard beaver鈥檚 call, ran out of the river and grabbed the beaver with his legs.
Nilh ta wex滩e虂s na wa tse虂kwen ta sk滩el虛a虂w虛, ta sk滩el虛a虂w虛 na wa tse虂kwentas ta tk滩a虂ya, ta tk滩a虂ya na wa tse虂kwentas ta mi虂x滩alh, ta mi虂x滩alh na wa tse虂kwentas ta sp鈥檃虂k滩w鈥檜s, ta sp鈥檃虂k滩w鈥檜s iy ta sk滩ewk滩鈥� na wa tse虂kwentas ta sts鈥檜虂kwi7, ses men i7x滩w ta s7uk滩w鈥檜k滩w'in虛exw na wa tse虂kwen ta sts鈥檜虂k滩wi7 txwnam虛 ta a虂yalhk滩w.
The frog was pulling the beaver, the beaver was pulling the wolf, the wolf was pulling the bear, the bear was pulling the eagle, the eagle and the raven were pulling the salmon, and together they heaved the salmon on to the shore.
Swelk滩w'a虂ls: esha虂n melh lhes i7x滩w ta s7uk滩w鈥檜k滩w'in虛exw stl'i7s ta etsi虂m wex滩e虂s kwis ch鈥檃虂watemwit kwis tse虂kwentaswit ta sts鈥檜虂k滩wi7 txwnam虛 ta a虂yalhk滩w?
Question: Why did the eagle, the raven, the bear, the wolf, and the beaver need help from a little frog to pull the salmon on to the shore?
