This is a story written by Tanisha Seymour with help from pul-qwuletse’ | Wayne Charlie, stqeeye’paal’t-hw | Lawrence George,  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.

By Tanisha Seymour
Translated by Wayne Charlie

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1. ’een’thu Tanisha Seymour ’uw’ tun’ni’ ’utl’ shts’um’inus.
   I’m Tanisha Seymour from Stz’umimus.
2. tuni’ tuw’ nu sqwul’qwul’, ’uhwiin’ sqwul’qwul’.
   I’m going to tell you a little story.
3. nuts’a’ skweyul ’i’ tthunu si’lu ’i’ ’een’thu ni’ tst nem’ ’aalh ’u tthu swe’s pout-s, kesulin pout, ni’ stutes ’u tthu kw’atl’kwu.
   One day Grandpa and I went out on his boat on the sea.
4. tun’netulh ni’ tst nem’ ’aalh ’u thu pout, kesulin pout.
   Early morning and we set out on his boat.
5. ’i’ ’uwu tst niit statul’stuhw kwus yuhw sqwuqwe tthu kesulin pout.
   We did not know there was a hole in the boat.
6. ni’ tst ’uw’ hwu tsuw’tsuw’ ’i’ ni’ tst lumnuhw wulh wil’ tthu qa’ hun’wul’um’ ’u tthu kelulin pout.
   We were out on the sea and we saw a lot of water coming into the boat.
7. ni’ kw’ulh tl’pil tthu kesulin pout.
   The boat sank.
8. ’i’ ni’ tsun wuwa’ te’tsus sil’anum.
   And I was maybe eight years old.
9. tl’lim’ ’uw’ yu t’et’iyukw kwthunu si’lu.
   Grandpa was very worried.
10. hay tu ’unthu hay tsun ’uw’ sthuthi’.
    But I was fine.
11. ni’ tsun yuthust tthunu si’lu kwunus ni’ shtatul’stuhw kwunus t’isum, ’uw’ stsuw’et kwunus t’isum.
    I told Grandpa that I knew how to swim.
12. ni’ tst ’uw’ stutes ’u tthu tsuw’mun.
    We were close to the shore.
13. ’i’ qux tthu s’itth’um ni’ yu ha’kwushut.
    We were wearing many clothes.
14. ’i’ ni’ tst ‘uw’ lheelnamut.
    But we managed to make it to shore.
15. nilh kwu’elh nuts’a’ skweyul kwutst ’ula’ulh [’u tu kesulin pout] skw’ey kwunus melq’t.
    This is one boat ride that I will never forget.
16. nilh ’uw’ st’e ’u tthey’ tthunu sqwul’qwul’.
    And that’s how my story goes.
17. ni’ tseep q’u. ni’ hay.
    Thank you. The  end.