A good day fishing

This is a story written by Phillip Baines with help from Ruby Peter for FNLG 200, June 2016. He talks about his family traditions of salmon fishing. George Seymour lent his voice to the recording.
’uy’ skweyul ’u kwust nem’ tsetsul’ulhtun’
A good day fishing
by Phillip Baines
’een’thu sq’al’q’alith, tun’ni’ tsun ’utl’ shts’uminus.
I am Sq’al-q’qlith. I’m from Stz’uminus.
tun’ni’ tsun ’u tthunu syuw’en’ hayulh ’uw’ sul’uthut-s kws tsetsul’ulhtun’s.
I come from a long line of fisherman.
mukw’ tthu suw’wuy’qe’ ’i’ tthu slhunlheni’ tsetsul’ulhtun’.
The men and women all go fishing.
nanulh ’uw’ stsuw’et tthunu men kws tseelhtuns.
My father was a good fisherman.
kwunus hwun’ stl’i’tl’qulh ’i’ ni’ hw’uw’tsustham’shus kwunus tseelhtun.
When I was a young child, he taught me how to fish.
ni’ tsun kwu’elh tl’uw’ hw’uw’tsust kws tseelhtuns tthunu me’mun’u.
I have also taught my children how to fish.
mukw’ kwsus tth’ux tthu nuts’a’ suxulhnet ’i’ mukw’ tst nem’ ’uw’ tseelhtun.
We all fish on the weekends.
nilh ni’ ’uw’ s’ulhtuns tthu ts’lhhwulmuhw tst.
We provide food for our family.
’uy’stuhw tsun kwunus tsetsul’ulhtun’ kwun’atul’ ’u tthunu me’mu’nu,
I enjoy fishing with my children,
’iyus ’ul’ ni’ ’u tthu kw’atl’kwa qa’.
having a happy time out on the water.
tum’tem tse’ ’ul’ ’i’ hwi’ nilh tse’ hw’uw’tsust tthu swe’s me’mun’us tseelhtuns.
And some day they will also teach their children how to fish.
ni’ hay. hay ch q’u.
The end. Thank you.


Hul’q’umi’num’ translation by Ruby Peter. Hul’q’umi’num’ voice by George Seymour. Thanks to Kevin Baetscher and Donna Gerdts for sound recording and editing.