Small Number and the Old Totem Pole – Sliammon

Written by Veselin Jungic and Mark MacLean
Illustrated by Bethani L'Heureux

My name is Small Number. This is a story that I’ve 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.


mɛnatθɛy hɛga ʔəms χatkw
(Sliammon Translation)

Sliammon Translation by Ochele (Betty Wilson) and Gail Blaney, Sliammon Nation; Eva and Herman Francis, Klahoose First Nation; Marianne Huijsmans, UBC; and Su Urbanczyk, UVic. Narration: Ochele (Betty Wilson) with Gabrielle Adams and Jade Touchie, Sliammon Nation.

Story Transcript: English and Sliammon

 

 

 

About the Sliammon language

 

 

Credits and Acknowledgements

Written by Veselin Jungic, SFU, and Mark MacLean, UBC; Illustrator: Bethani L'Heureux from the 'Namgis First Nation; Voice: Bethani L'Heureux from the Cree First Nation (English); Hul’q’umi’num’ Version: Translated by Ruby Peter (Sti'tum'at); Narration by Thomas Jones (Siwut); Language Editing by Donna Gerdts, Simon Fraser University; Squamish Version: Translated and narrated by Setálten, Norman Guerrero Jr., of the Squamish Nation; Sliammon Version: Translated by Ochele (Betty Wilson) and Gail Blaney, Sliammon Nation; Eva and Herman Francis, Klahoose First Nation; Marianne Huijsmans, UBC; and Su Urbanczyk, UVic. Narrated by Ochele (Betty Wilson) with Gabrielle Adams and Jade Touchie, Sliammon Nation. Sound: David Brigden, Simon Fraser University (English and Squamish); Donna Gerdts, Simon Fraser University (Hul’q’umi’num’); Marianne Huijsmans, UBC (Sliammon) Music: Cameron Tatham, Vancouver, BC, and Barry Cardinal from the Bigstone Cree Nation; Producer: Veselin Jungic, Simon Fraser University; Director: Andy Gavel, Ryerson University; Special Thanks To: Tom Archibald, Simon Fraser University; Pam Borghardt, Simon Fraser University; Ozren Jungic, University of Oxford; Department of Mathematics, Simon Fraser University; Department of Mathematics, University of British Columbia; The IRMACS Centre, Simon Fraser University; Faculty of Science, Simon Fraser University; Department of Linguistics, Simon Fraser University; Office for Aboriginal Peoples, Simon Fraser University; Pacific Institute For Mathematical Sciences; **** This story is an adaptation of the Russian fairy tale "The Giant Turnip" inspired by west coast First Nation's traditions and art.