Section 7.7 Squamish - ETSÍM SKW’SHIM̓ IY TA KWEKWÍN SCH’ETXW
Written by: Veselin Jungic and Mark MacLean
Illustrated by: Bethani L'Heureux
Squamish translation by: Setálten, Norman Guerrero Jr. of the Squamish Nation
Etsím Skw'shim̓ kwi en sna. Chen wa tkwayá7nmin ti sx̲wex̲wiy̓am̓ tiná7 lhen si7l na wa tkwayá7nmintem ta sx̲wex̲wiyam tiná7 Iha si7ls. Nilh ti sx̲wex̲wiyam tl'a kwekwín sch'etxw na ta7stem ta swa7ám̓-chet na7 ta áyalhk̲w ch’it ta úxwumixw-chet.
My name is Small Number. This is a story 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.
Kwétsi nch’u7 skwáyel, na wa yelx̲lhálem ta sp’ák̲w’us. Na kw’áchnexwas ta hiyí sts’úk̲wi7 lésiw̓ilh ta stak̲w, ses men chey̓k̲wám txwnew̓ ta stak̲w ses men p'í7nexwas ta sts'úk̲wi7. Uuh aaan hiyí ta sts'úk̲wi7 welh men tut-chíhiw̓ilh ta stak̲iw wélhes ch'íntas ta sts'úk̲wi7.
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’s strong wings could only lift the fish just a bit above the surface of the water.
“ch’áwats chexw! ch’áwats chexw!” na k̲’ewm ta sp’ák̲w’us.
“Help! Help!” screeched the eagle.
Na wa tkwayá7nmintas ta sk̲ewk̲’ ta sk̲’ewms ta sp’ákw’us, Ses men sik̲ txwt'ixw, ses men ch'ém̓tas ta sts'uk̲wi7.
The raven heard eagle’s cry, so he flew down and pierced his beak into the salmon’s body.
Na wa t’á7tsut tsékwentaswit ta sts’úk̲wi, welh an hiyí ta sts’úk̲wi haw k̲’áswit ch’ítentas ta sts’úk̲wi7 kwi men tut ch’it ta áyalhk̲w.
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.
“ch’áwatumulh chexw! ch’áwatumulh chexw!” na k̲iy̓át k̲'ay̓t ta sp’ák̲w’us.
“Help! Help!” screeched the eagle again.
Na tkwayá7nmintas ta míx̲alh ta sk̲'ay̓ts ta sp’ák̲w’us, ses men ts’kw’átsut txw7uts’k̲ ta stsék̲stek̲, ses men x̲ámi tta sp’ák̲w’us, an hiyí ta sx̲én̓x̲ens míx̲alh.
The bear heard the eagle’s piercing shrill, ran out of the forrest, stood up and grabbed the eagle with his huge paws.
Nilh ta míx̲alh na wa tsékwen ta sp’ák̲w’us, ta sp’ák̲w’us iy ta sk̲ewk̲’ na wa tsékwentas ta sts’úk̲wi7, welh aaan hiyí ta sts’úk̲wi7 kwi ses wa ch’ítentaswit kwi men tut ch’it ta áyalhk̲w.
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.
“ch’áwatumulh chexw! ch’áwatumulh chexw!” na k̲’ay̓t ta míx̲alh.
“Help! Help!” roared the bear.
Na wa tkwayá7nmintas ta tk̲áya ta sk̲’ay̓ts ta míx̲alh, ses men ts’kw’átsut txw7uts’k̲ ta stsék̲tsek̲, ses men lhx̲ilsh ses men x̲ámi tta tl’ák̲tshen síw̓achs ta míx̲alh.
The wolf heard the bears call, ran out of the forest, stood up and grabbed the bear with his long front legs.
Nilh ta tk̲áya na wa tsékwen ta míx̲alh, ta míx̲alh na wa tsékwentas ta sp’ák̲w’us, ta sp’ák̲w’us iy ta sk̲ewk̲’ na wa tsékwentas ta sts’úk̲wi7, welh aaan hiyí ta sts’úk̲wi7 kwis ch’ítentaswit ta sts’úk̲wi7 kwi men tut ch’it ta áyalhk̲w.
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.
“ch’áwatumulh chexw! ch’áwatumulh chexw!” na k̲’ewm ta tk̲áya.
“Help! Help!” howled the wolf.
Na wa tkwayá7nmintas ta sk̲el̓áw̓ kwi ses íyen̓tsut ta tk̲áya, ses men ts'kw'átsut txw7uts’k̲ ta stak̲w, ses men x̲ámi tta tk̲áya.
The beaver heard the wolf’s whimpering, ran out of the river, and grabbed the wolf with her hands.
Nilh ta sk̲el̓áw̓ na wa tsékwen ta tk̲áya, ta tk̲áya na wa tsékwentas ta míx̲alh. Ta míx̲alh na wa tsékwentas ta sp’ák̲w’us, ta sp’ák̲w’us iy ta sk̲ewk̲’ na wa tsékwentas ta sts’úk̲wi7, welh aaan hiyí ta sts’úk̲wi7 kwis ch’ítentaswit ta sts’úk̲wi7 kwi men tut ch’it ta áyalhk̲w.
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
“ch’áwatumulh chexw! ch’áwatumulh chexw!” na k̲’ay̓t ta sk̲el̓áw̓ kwi ses wa lhák̓w’antas ta stak̓w tta skw’ukw’ts.
“Help! Help!” the beaver cried as she slapped the water with her tail.
Na wa tkwayá7nmintas ta wex̲és ta sk̲ay̓’ts ta sk̲el̓áw̓, ses men ts’kw’átsut txw7uts’k̲ ta stak̲w, ses men x̲ámi tta sk̲el̓áw̓ ta sx̲en̓s.
The frog heard beaver’s call, ran out of the river and grabbed the beaver with his legs.
Nilh ta wex̲és na wa tsékwen ta sk̲el̓áw̓, ta sk̲el̓áw̓ na wa tsékwentas ta tk̲áya, ta tk̲áya na wa tsékwentas ta míx̲alh, ta míx̲alh na wa tsékwentas ta sp’ák̲w’us, ta sp’ák̲w’us iy ta sk̲ewk̲’ na wa tsékwentas ta sts’úkwi7, ses men i7x̲w ta s7uk̲w’uk̲w'in̓exw na wa tsékwen ta sts’úk̲wi7 txwnam̓ ta áyalhk̲w.
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.
Swelk̲w'áls: eshán melh lhes i7x̲w ta s7uk̲w’uk̲w'in̓exw stl'i7s ta etsím wex̲és kwis ch’áwatemwit kwis tsékwentaswit ta sts’úk̲wi7 txwnam̓ ta áyalhk̲w?
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?
