FNLG 331 - Hummingbird Abstract
Ruby Peter - sxwut’ts’uli
| What: | carving of hummingbird made by my daughter Sheila Johnny |
| sxt’ekw’ thunu mun’u Qwulsimtunaat. | |
| four of them, three small and one large | |
| xu’athun—kws suw’ mukw’s lhihw thu mumun’lh ‘i’ nuts’a’ tthu thi | |
| Where it’s kept: | hanging above where I sit |
| s’a’kw’usstuhw ni’ ‘u kwthu nu shni’ kwunus ‘a’mut. | |
| What is it made of: | red cedar, it should be thin not thick |
| xpey' wulh ts'umiil' skw'ey kws plhet-s. | |
| How carvings are made: | draw pattern on paper before putting it on the cedar wood |
| sxuxil'st-hwus ni' 'u tthu pipu 'i' yelh sus nemust-hwus 'u tthu syalh xpey'. | |
| The carving is done by hand, and they would follow the tracing on the wood. | |
| nuw' tselushel's 'ul' 'u kwsis wulh xt'ekw' wus thuytus thu ni' sxuxil'st-hwus. | |
| What does it look like? | |
| colours: tsqway, p'uq', tsq'ix tskwim | |
| The image is made to the beautiful colours when it's flying. | |
| sht'es kwsis hay 'ul' 'uy'uy'mut 'u kwsus lha'lhukw' | |
| long nose: tl'eqt tthu muqsuns | |
| What it signifies to me? | |
| Reminds me of Elders saying warm spring wind brings the hummingbirds | |
| kwsus wulh mi' yukw'akw'usthut, m'i yukwun'els 'u they' spuhels, suw' xut'us tthu s'ul'eluhw "wulh tetsul lhu sxwut’ts’uli" |
key words: sxwut’ts’uli hummingbird, sxt’ekw’ carving, s’a’kw’usstuhw have it hanging up, sxuxil'stuhw have it drawn, traced
| Revised 2013-06-04. | Back to Table of Contents |