s’aa’lh tumuhw — World around us

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yuxwule’
eagle

yath ’uw’ sew’q’ ’u tthu s’ulhtuns— hewt, kw’et’un’ ’i’ tthu stseelhtun nilh s’ulhtuns.
nilh tthu sxun’us tle’luqt tthu qw’xwa’luw’shuns nilh ni’ shximut-s tthu shun’tsus.

He’s always looking for food—rats, mice and salmon are his food.
It’s the talons on his long legs that he uses to grab his catch.

xuxumels
hawk

hay ’ul’ xwum ’ukws lhakw’s thu xuxumels.
’i hay ’ul ’uy’ thu qulum’s, ni’ yu lhtsitsulh ’i’ ’uw’ lumnuhwus thu kw’et’un’ ni’ ’u tthu tumuhw.
nilh thu tl’e’luqt qw’xwa’luw’tsusth ni’ shtl’kwat-s tthu shun’tsus.

Hawks can fly really fast.
They have very sharp eyes, even when they are way up in the sky they can see mice on the ground.
And they swoop down to catch their catch with their talons.

tsiitmuhw
great-horned owl

yath ’uw’ ’i’tut ’u kws skweyuls.
snet ’i’ hwi’ sew’q’ ’u tthu s’ulhtuns.
’i’ nilh tthuw’ mumun’lh ’ul’ st’e ’u tthu kw’et’un’, hewt, ’ulhqi’, nilh sew’q’tus.
Great horned owl always sleeps during the day.
At night he hunts for his food.
And it hunts for small creatures like mice, rat, snakes.

’exu
goose

’uy’ s’ulhtuns tthu hwulmuhw tthu ’exu.
’i’ ’uw’ hay ’ukws yu qw’iqw’ul’usth ’i’ m’i tetsul.
yath ’uw’ hunum’ ’u tthu xatsa’, kws sq’uq’ips.
Canada geese are one of the favorite foods of the native people.
It always comes around during the spring.
They gather around in the lakes.

sxwut’ts’uli
hummingbird

tl’e’luqt tthu thathun muqsuns ’i’ nilh ni’ shsasut’ut-s tthu sp’eq’um. ’uli’uy’mut ’i’ hay ’ul’ xwum ’ukws lhakw’s.
’i’ tun’ni’ ’u tthu tsakw tumuhw.
They have long beaks and nose and that’s what they suck the flower with.
They are beautiful and they are fast when they fast.
And they are from a far away land.

spaal’
raven

yath ’uw’ ’i’mushstuhw tthu sqwul’qwul’.
yath ’uw’ ni’ ’u tthu tsa’luqw ’u thu smeent.
’uw’ hay tthu mumun’lh st’e ’u tthu kw’et’un’, hewt, ’ulhqi’, tth’utth’uxals ni’ lhey’xtus.
mukw’ ’untsu shni’s tthu spaal’.
Raven always carries message.
They always live in the forest in the mountains.
They only hunt for small creatures like mice, rats, snakes and eggs which they eat.
Raven is everywhere.

smuqw’a’
heron

tl’e’luqt-shun tthu smuqw’a’ ’i’ tl’eeqt tthu muqsuns.
yath ’uw’ sqwusshen’ tthu smuqw’a’ ni’ ’u tthu sta’luw ’i tthu kw’atl’kwa kws tsetsulu’ulhtuns.
hay kwsuw’ tsetsul’ulhtun’s nilh s’ulhtun.
Heron has long legs and long beak.
He’s always standing in the river or seashore where he fishes for his food.
He’s always fishing for his food.

’es-hw
seal

qux ’es-hw ni’ ’u tthu kw’atl’kwa.
nilh ’ulh hay ’ul ’uy’ s’ulhtuns tthu hwulmuhw mustimuhw.
ha’ ’eey’ thu teti’ ’i’ tsukwul’ul’qum’ ’u tthu sunihwulh thu ’es-hw.

There are many seals in the sea water.
They used to be the native people’s favorite food.
Now when they have canoe races the seals always follow the canoes.

t’q’as
rock cod

ni’ ’u tthu kw’atl’kwa tthu t’q’as.
yath ’ulh ’uw’ ’a’luxutus tthu hwulmuhw nilh ’uy’ s’ulhtuns.
’uy ’ukws slhap’s ’i’ kws shch’ukwxs.
Rock cod comes from the sea.
The native people used to catch them all they time for their food.
It’s good for soup and frying.

qwuni
seagull

mukw’ ’untsu shni’s thu qwuni.
mukw’ stem qulthunmun ’i’ ’uw’ lhuyxtus.
hay ’ul’ qux qwuni ni’ ’u tthu sta’luw’ tsuwmun.
Seagull is everywhere.
They eat anything, even garbarge.
And there are a lot of seagulls by the river shore.