pi’paam’ | Mt. Tzouhalem
This is a story written by xuts-qinumat | Ingrid Joseph from Quw’utsun’ with help from pul-qwuletse’|Wayne Charlie and sp’aqw’um’ultunat | Donna Gerdts for our new stories project in February 2026. Thanks to Wayne Charlie for the Hul’q’umi’num’ recording.
pi’paam’ | Mt. Tzouhalem
by Ingrid Joseph xuts-qinumat
- kwunus hwun’ ’uhwiin’, nu menulh ’i’ tthunu shhw’a’luqw’a’ ’i tst nem’ ’um’shasum kw’i’qun ’u tthu ts’uwxilum (smeent).
When I was a young child, my dad used to take my cousins and me for hikes up Mt.Tzhouhalem. - ’i’ nilh kwthu hun’utum’ ’u tthu quw’utsun’ (mustimuhw) pi’paam’ kw’un’a wulh hith.
This is what the quw’utsun’ people called pi’paam’ a long time ago. - yathulh ’uw’ sq’uq’ip, kwunus ni’ tst’wa’ t’xum sil’anum ’uw’ yu tus ’ul’ ’u kwthu ’apun ’i’ kw’ lhihw sil’anum.
We used to do things together all the time, right from when I was about 6 years old until maybe about 13 years old. - ’uw’ nilhulh tthu lukwwin ni’ ’u tthu tsitsulh ’utl’ ts’uwxilum.
There is a cross up on top of Mount Tzouhalem. - ni’ tsun tuw’ yu he’ke’me’t kwutst ni’ yu ’i’mush kwutst yu hunum’ ’u tthu lukwwin.
I remember the small details from our hikes up to that cross. - nu si’lu Janny, hwuythut ’u tthu netulh ’i’ ni’ wulh yu thuytus tthu se’wun’ tst saay’st-hwus kwutst nem’ wulh tsam ’u tthu smeent.
My Granny Janny would wake up early and make us all lunch before we went up the mountain. - ni’ hakwushum tthu thequn qwul’stus tthu tth’utth’uxal’s ’i’ ni’ tl’uw’ yu thuytus tthu hun’utum’ egg salad ’i’ kwthu tuna sandwiches.
She would boil a big pot of eggs, and make egg salad and tuna sandwiches. - i’ ni’ hwu saay’ se’wun tst ni’ sun’iw’stum tthu ’alunchus shqwu’ul’uqw ’i’ tthu qa’. nilh se’wun tst se’wunstaalt.
We had oranges, juice, and water for our lunch. - ni’ tsun hekw’me’t tthunu men tl’kwuthut ’i’ huya’st-hwus kwthu ni’ yu ha’kwushut ’u kwutst nem’ wulh ’im’shasum’ .
I remember watching my dad pack up all of the things we needed for our hike. - hay tsun ’i’ sht’eewun’ kwus nilh ’uw’ hay ’ul’ kw’am’kw’um’ mustimuhw kwthunu menulh.
I was thinking he must have been the strongest man alive. - ts’uhwle’ ’i’ ni’ tst qw’imutalum ni’ ’u tthu t’i’wi’ulhew’t-hw, St. Ann’s church. ni’ ’u tthu shni’s kwus t’ahwutum tthu sunihwulh ’i’ tl’itl’up ’u tthu ts’uwxilum (smeent).
We would sometimes get dropped off at St. Anne church at the bottom parking lot, right below the mountain. - niw’ stutes kwthu lelum’s ’u thunu sts’a’muqw Cathrine ni’ ’u tthu tl’itl’up ’u tthu ts’uwxilum smeent.
This was near by my great-grandma Cathrine’s house (tth’tasul’wut) at the bottom of Tzouhalem Mountain. - ts’uhwle’ ’i’ ni’ tst lhum’tsels ’u tthu ’apuls ’i’ tl’uw’ lhum’sels ’u tthu sqw’iil’muhw, ’i’ yelh tst kwutst nem’ kw’i’qun ’u tthu smeent.
Sometimes we would pick apples from the trees and blackberries from the bushes before we began our hike. - ts’uhwle’ ’u kwutst yu ’i’mush nilh nu sts’a’muqw Waldy tsukwul’ul’qum’
Sometimes we would go for a hike, and my late great-grandpa Waldy would go along. - hay tsun ’i’ sht’eewun’ kwus hay ’ul’ kw’am’kw’um’ mustimuhw tthunu sts’a’muqw, hay tu ’unthu ts’uhwle’ ’i’ ni’ tsun …nu stl’i’ kwunus qewum ’i’ ni’ yul’ew’nam’shus tthunu sts’a’muqw. ni’ wulh kw’unelh kwunus ni’ yu ’un’uhw tuw’ qewum, ’i’ ni’ tsun le’lum’ut tthunu sts’a’muqw ’uw’ hwya’num’us kwus yul’ew’nam’shus.
I really remember thinking he REEALLY must have been the strongest man alive, because when I would stop to take a break, he would always keep going. I must have took a lot of breaks, and when I did, he smiled and kept walking. - nuw’ stsekwul’ tst ’uw’ tsakwnamut ’i’ ni’ tsun ’uw’ putum’ qul’et kwunus tl’i’ kwunus qewum.
Maybe we would get so far, and then I would be asking to take another break - ’uw’ hwyan’um’us tl’uw’ wulh yul’ew’nam’shus tthunu si’lu…nu sts’a’muqw Waldy, ’i’ nilh ni’ hwu yuw’en’. And there would be Grandpa Waldy (tiyuhwutstun), smiling and strolling on by, ready to head home.
- nilh kwu’elh kw’ nuts’a’ sqwul’qwul’ ni’ he’kw’me’teen’ kwunus ni’ yu ts’its’usum’ ni’ ’utl’ quw’utsun’ kwutst nem’ kw’i’qun ’u tthu ts’uwxelum, pi’paam.
This is just one memory I have about growing up here in Quw’utsun’, hiking with my family on Mt. Tzouhalem. - ni’ kwu’elh hay.
The end.