tsukwul’ul’qum’ ’u tthu ni’ yu teti’. | Following along the canoe pullers
This is a story written by kwulixwulwut | Beatrice Sam from paqwutsun’ with help from pul-qwuletse’ | Wayne Charlie and sp’aqw’um’ultunat | Donna Gerdts for our new stories project in March 2026. Thanks to Wayne Charlie for the Hul’q’umi’num’ recording.
tsukwul’ul’qum’ ’u tthu ni’ yu teti’. | Following along the canoe pullers
By Bea Sam translated by pul-qwuletse’ Wayne Charlie
- ’een’thu kwulixwulwut tun’ni’ ’utl’ paqwutsun’.
I am Bea Sam from Paquachun. - sqwul’qwul’ ni’ wil’ ’u tun’a kweyul kwunus ’i yu ts’its’usum’ sq’uq’a’ tthunu ts’lhhwulmuhw.
The story that is being brought out today is about when I was growing up with my family. - he’kw’me’t kwus yaths ’uw’ kwun’atul’ ’u kwthu nu ts’lhhwulmuhw kwunus ’i yu ts’its’usum’.
I remember that we were always together when I was growing up. - tum’kw’e’lus ‘i’ ni’ tst tsukwul’ul’qum’ ’u tthu ni’ yu teti’.
During the summertime, there would be canoe races. - mukw’ suw’wuy’qe’—nu men, nu shhwum’ne’lukw, nu shhw’a’luqw’a’—mukw’ ’uw’ teti’ mustimuhw.
All the men would race the canoes—My dad and my uncle, my brothers and cousins_— everyone was a canoe puller. - mukw’ tst ’uw’ nem’ tsukwul’ul’qum’ ’u tthu ni’ yu teti’ mukw’ suxulhnet ’i’ ni’ yu teti’ tthu ts’lhhwulmuhw tst.
Everyone would go to the canoe races every weekend to pull or to watch - ni’ tst sq’uq’a’ ’u tthunu si’lu hwuneem ni’ ’utl’ xinupsum, nilh swe’s mens tthunu swe’ nu men, hwuneem.
We stayed at my Grandpa Sam Henry’s place, my dad’s dad, at Xinupsum. - mukw’ tum’kw’e’lus, yath ’uw’ ’iyust kwutst yu sq’uq’ip.
Every summer, we had a good time there. - mukw’ suxulhnet ’i’ ni’ tst sq’uq’ip.
Every week, we were together. - ni’ tst kwu’elh tsukwul’ul’qum’ ’u kwthu ni’ yu teti’, mukw’ ’untsu ni’ tst shnem’ tst — shts’um’inus, quw’utsun’, me’luxulh, snuneymuhw.
We went everywhere – Stz’uminus, quw’utsun’, me’luxulh, snuneymuxw. - yath ’uw’ ’iyus tthunu shqwaluwun kwutst nem’ shts’um’inus.
I loved to go to Stz’uminus. - yathulh ’uw’ ’uy’e’ta’lum’ smem’t ’u tthu s’ulhtun, tl’lim’ ’uw’ s’ulhtuns tthu s’ul’e’uhw tst.
A family member brought us good food there, the food of the old people. - ’i’ ni’ tsun sht’eewun’ tl’lim’ hay ’ul’ thimat ni’ sle’taalt kws le’lum’ut aant.
I thought that was the greatest thing. - [nus ’uw’] he’kw’me’t nuts’a’ suxulhnet ’i’ ni’ tst shaqwul ’u tthu kw’atl’kwu, tus ’utl’ Ambleside, Cates Park.
We also travelled to the Mainland, Ambleside, Cates Park. - nuts’ehw kwutst ni’ nem’ Ambleside, ’uw’ stutes ’utl’ Stanley Park.
One time, we went to Ambleside, this is near Stanley Park. - ni’ tsun hwun’ q’e’mi’.
I was a very young girl. - ni’ ’utl’ Stanley Park, ni’ulh ni’ ’u kwthu hun’utum’ zoo, ni’ tl’uw’ ni’ tthu flamingos ni’ hun’utum’.
In Stanley Park, there was a zoo… flamingos. - tl’eluqt tthu sxuxi’nus tl’lim’ ’uw’ ’i’uy’thut, kwimulus tthu tthu swe’s stl’qeens.
They had very long legs, and they were a very beautiful pink colour. - ni’ tsun sht’eewun’, ’o.o.o tl’lim’ ’uw’ hay ’ul’ ’uy’uy’mut sqw’ulesh tthu ni’ lumnuhween’.
I thought they were the prettiest birds I had ever seen. - nu stl’i’ kwunus lumnuhw qul’et, [nu suw’] temut tthunu ts’lhhwulmuhw ’uw’ ni’ tst hwu’alum’ ’i’ ’uwu te’ ni’ hwtulqutha’msh.
I wanted to see them again, and so I asked my family to take me back, but they did not answer me. - ’i’ ni’ tsun tl’lim’ ’uw’ nu stl’i’ kwunus lumnuhw, tl’lim’ ’uw’ shishulus tthunu shqwaluwun.
But I really want to see them, and I was a very determined little girl. - ni’ tsun kwu’elh ’uw’ huye’ t’a’thut suw’q’t tthu hun’utum’ flamingos.
So I went by myself to try to find the flamingos. - ’uwu niis yu le’lum’ tthunu ts’lhhwulmuhw, ’i’ ni’ tsun t’a’thut tl’iw’ nem’ suwq’t tthu hun’utum’ flamingos.
My family was not looking and I snuck away, I ran away to find the birds. - ni’ tsun ’uw’ lumnuhw, ni’ tsun tusnamut, ni’ tsun ’uw’ hay ‘ul’ kwunus tusnamut.
And I did find them, I made it there all by myself. - ’a.a.a hay ’ul’ hiilukw tthunu shqwaluwun kwunus ni’ lumnuhw tthu flamingos.
I was so happy to see the flamingos. - kwunus wulh tuw’ hay ’i’ ni’ tsun hwu’alum’ ’i’ ‘uwu niis shtatul’st-hwus tthunu ts’lhhwulmuhw kwunus niilh huy’e’ tl’iw’.
I managed to get back to my family and I don’t think they realized I snuck off. - qul’et nuts’a’ suxulhnet ’i’ he’kw’me’teen’, ni’ tst nem’ ’utl’ tthu ni’ hun’utum’ Cultus lake,
Another time that I remember, we went to Cultus Lake. - lhunu shhwum’nikw, ’e’muqtus kwthu ts’e’wi’ xulhustum’ tthu stth’aqwi’.
My aunt brought us plates of spring salmon. - yath ’uw’ ’uy’etalum xulhusta’lum’ tthu ’uy’ s’ulhtun.
The family always brought us food. - tthunu si’lu hwuneem, nilh ni’ st’e ’u kw’uw’ hwiyulasmut kwthu snuhwulh hun’utum’ Mount Prevost.
My Grandpa Sam Henry Sr. was the leader of the Mount Prevost. - thunu ten, yathulh ’uw’ q’ushin’tul’ kws yu ’i’mushs stutes ’u tthu qa’.
My mom walked by his side on the beach. - mukw’ tthu ni’ yu teti’ mukw’ ’uw’ kw’am’kw’um’ mustimuhw.
The pullers were very strong. - tun’ne.e.etulh kwus yu hwuy ’eelhtun ’i’ ni’ wulh nem’ shakw’um, kw’akw’iyuthut nem’ ’u tthu snu’al’we’lh, shakw’utum’ tthu snuhwulh ha’kwushum’ tthu xpey’tsus., ’ip’ut tthu snuhwulhs.
Early in the morning they woke up to bathe in the water, and they washed the canoe with cedar branches. - tthu swaaw’lus ’uw’ yath, ’uwus te’s ni’ yu teti’, ni’ ’un’nehw, ’u kwus tus ’u tthu snet ’i’ yath ’uw’ ni’ tthu ni’ hwiiyalusmut tthu snuhwulh
Someone watched the canoe all night. - yathulh ’uw’ tl’ehwun’uq tthu Mount Prevost.
Mount Prevost often won. - nanulh ’uw’ ’iyus tthunu shqwaluwun ’u tthunu men ’i’ tthunu shhwum’ne’lukw, thimat syaaysth ’eelhtun kwus yu teti’ ’eelhtun.
I was very happy for my dad and my uncles; they worked very hard at being really good pullers. - tum’kw’e’lus ’i’ mukw’ tst ’uw’ sq’uq’ip ni’ ’u tthu shn’is tthu tey.
During the summertime. The whole family were all together at the canoe races. - nilh kwu’elh nuts’a’ sqwul’qwul’ ni’ he’kw’me’teen’ kwunus ni’ yu ts’its’usum’ tsukwul’ul’qum’ ’u kwthu ni’ yu teti’.
This is just one story that I remember about growing up and going along to the canoe races.