hwiil’asmut tthu tsuw’mun | Caring for our Beaches
Caring for our Beaches – Ancient Mariculture Practices
A unit on working on the clam garden on Russell Island
Arriving on the Island
shlhulheel’ dock
spulhxun field
lelum’ house
shq’uq’ulum’ campsite
shq’uq’ulets’thut shelter
tsetsuw’ beach
ni’ untsu kwthu sh-hulitun’elu?
Where is the first aid kit?
ni’ ni’ ’u kwthu shq’uq’ulets’thut.
It’s in the shelter.
ni’ untsu kwthu ‘umutew’t-hw?
Where is the bathroom?
hwtelshun ’u they’ she’shlh.
Follow that path.
ni’ untsu kwthu tsuw’mun?
Where is the beach?
ni’ ’untsu kwthu lelum’?
Where is the house?
nem’ hwtelshun ’u thu she’shlhnem’ tus ’u tthu shhw’usup’s.
Follow the path to its end.
ni’ tse’ ’untsu tthu sxwi’xwi’a’mus?
Where is the storytelling?
tum’tem tse’ ’i’ xwi’xwi’a’mus?
When is the storytelling?
nilh tse’ ’u kwthunuts’a’ tintun ’i’ kwthu t’xum tintun kwthu sxwi’xwi’a’mus.
One and six o’clockwill be the storytelling.
Safety Instructions
shhwulitun’elu
first aid kit
hulitun’
healer, First Aid
shtth’etth’uhwul’s
fire extinguisher
tth’ihwust
douse a fire
tl’uw’namut ’u tthu huy’qw
flee the fire
thuyulshunum ’u tthun’ syaays.
escape route from the beach
nem’ tst tus ’u tthu tsuw’mun.
We’re going down to the beach.
’umutew’t-hw
washroom, toilet
na’ut tthu shni’s tthu ’umutew’t-hw.
There’s the location of thetoilet.
qewum
rest
na’ut tthu shni’s kwun’s qewum.
There’s the place where you rest.
shqa’elu
water botter
yasa’qw hat
’un’ shmul-hwthut
what you rub on yourself
’un’ shmul-hwthut xwte’ ’u tthu sum’shathut.
what you rubon yourself for the sun: sunscreen.
’uwu ch me’mul’quhw ’u tthun’ shmul-hwthut, tthun’ yasa’qw, ’i’ tthun’ shqa’elu.
Don’t forget your sunscreen, your hat, and your water bottle.
Working on the clam garden
pqwutsun’ sand
shem tide went out
yu sheshem’ tide’s going out
tsukwtsukw really low tide
q’umul tide came in
yu q’uq’umul’ tide’s coming in
sul’lits’ high tide (the tide is full)
hul’ts’ the tide is filling
s’axwa’ butter clam
hwiil’asmut looking after
qa’ t’amun water wall
hwiil’asmut tthu t’amun, qa’ t’amun.
Looking after the wall, the water wall.
yu slhune’ ’u tthu tsuw’mun.
following / parallel to the beach.
hwiil’asmut tthu qa’ t’amun yu slhun’e ’u tthu tsuw’mun.
Looking after the water wall that runs along the beach.
shxup’unup rake
lupen shovel
sqelux clam fork
skw’a’wus bucket
tth’xwa’lutsa’gloves
kumput-sgumboots
q’put tthu ha’kwushuhw tse’.
Gather what you will use.
q’put tthu ha’kwushuhw tse’ — sqelux, sxup’unup, tth’xwa’lutsa’, lupen.
Gather what you will use —clam fork, rake, gloves, shovel.
nem’ tst t’ahw ’u tthu tsetsuw’ ’i’ t’un’uthut.
We will go down to the beach and line up.
nem’ tst t’ahw ’u tthu tsetsuw’ ’i’ t’un’uthut yu slhun’e ’u tthu tsuw’mun.
We will go down to the beach and line up along the shore.
yaays yu ’iluxun’ ’u tthu tsuw’mun.
Work parallel to the beach.
tsuluw’unup ’u tthu pqwutsun’.
Turn over the sand.
tsuluw’t ’i’ yu puqwunup tthu pqwutsun’.
Turn over and break up the sand.
thuyt tthu pqwutsun’.
Fix up the sand.
yu they’t yu puqwun’upt tthu pqwutsun’
fixing it up by breaking up the sand
puqwpuqwut
breaking it up into pieces
ha’ ch t’hwaalhnuhw tthu s’axwa’ ’i’ thuyt ch hwu’alum’stuhw.
If you dig up clams accidentally, fix it by putting them back.
punut ch ni’ ’u tthu pqwutsun’ ’i’ tuw’ tl’up.
Bury them deep in the sand.
nilh shtl’pils tthu s’axwa’, sht’es kwun’s hetth’umstuhw tthu s’axwa’.
Bury the clams deep so they can breathe.