This is a story written by hwuneem | Leo Peter from kwa’mutsun with help from pul-qwuletse’|Wayne Charlie 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.

tse’tsul’ulhtun’ ’u tthu snet | Fishing at night

by Leo Peter with help translating by Wayne Charlie

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1. ’een’thu Leo Peter, hwuneem, ’uw’ tun’ni’ ’utl’ kwa’mutsun.
   I’m Leo Peter, hwneem from Quamichan.
2. nu sqwul’qwul’ nilh ni’ tuw’ yu he’kw’muteen’ kwutst yu tse’tsul’ulhtun’ ’u kws snet-s.
   This is a story I remember about when we used to go fishing at night.
3. tthu ni’ sla’thut-s tthu nuts’a’ snet hwuwe’ niis ni’ ’u kwthu dike ni’ tthu quw’utsun’ sta’luw’.
   This all happened before they put the dike up on the Cowichan River.
4. nuts’a’ snet ’i’ ni’ tst  yu tse’tsul’ulhtun’ ’uw’ lhhwelu nu shuyulh—Ron Peter, ’i’ tthunu shhw’a’qw’a’ Wayne Charlie, ’i’ ’unthu.
   We were out one night fishing, three of us, my brother Ron Peter, Wayne Charlie, and me.
5. hay tthu Wayne Charlie ni’ wulh tl’itl’up ’utl’ lhnimulh ni’ ’u tthu sta’luw’.
   Wayne Charlie was down below us on the river.
6. ni’ tst ni’ ’u kwthu hun’utum’ power lines stutes ’u tthu saxwulew’t-hw.
   We were down by the power lines, by the barn.
7. ni’ tst tuw’ lhhwelu kwutst qwsey’un niw’ shaqwulstuhw tthu swultun ’u tthu sta’luw’, shnu’a’th.
   The three of us were setting our nets across to the other side of the river.
8. ni’ kwulh wulh ts’elhum’ ’u tthu ha.a.ay ’ul’ thiqun qwaqwulhne’num’, ni’ li’a’qwt ’utl’ lhnimulh, hay ’ul’ thimat.
   All of a sudden, something behind us made a very loud noise.
9. ’i’ ’uwu tst niit statul’stuhw ’uw’ niis ts’twa’ stemus.
   We had no idea what that noise was.
10. ni’ tsun tuw’ tul’nuhw ’i’ ni’ wulh lumnuhw tsun yey’sul’u yu shahwuqwul’ ’u tthu sta’luw’.
    The next thing I knew, I saw the two of them crossing the river.
11. hay tu ’unthu hay ’ul’ su’asuqwt hay ’ul’ lhi’a’uqwt tsukwul’ul’qum’.
    Me, being the youngest one, followed right after them.
12. ’uwu te’ huy’qwoon’ sis ’uw’ tl’li.i.im’ ’uw’ lhets.
    There was no light at all because it was pitch dark.
13. ni’ tst kwu’elh yu xwan’chunum’, ni’ tst yu xwan’chunum’ tslhaqwt ’u tthu thul’i’thqut kwutst yu t’at’ukw’ sew’q’ ’u tthu sheshlh, sew’q’ tthu lelum’ ’utl’ puhwuletse’.
    We ran through the little trees trying to find the trail to Wayne’s place.
14. ni’ tst tusnamut ’u tthu lelum’ ’utl’ puhwuletse’, hay tsun ’i’ qwuxwnamut ni’ taanthelum ’u tthunu shhw’a’luqw’a’.
    By the time we got to Wayne’s house, I was so mad because they had left me behind.
15. tl’lim’ ’uw’ lhets ’i’ tl’lim’ tsun ’uw’ hwu sii’si’.
    It was pitch black, and I was scared for my life.
16. ’i’ ’i tst tuw’ hwu slhi’luwe’lh ’i’ ni’ tst hwi’ ye’num’.
    We eventually were relieved and had a good laugh about what happened.
17. ’i’ ’uwu tsun niin’ statul’stuhw ’uw’ stemus ts’twa’ ni’ lhi’a’uqwt ’utl’ lhnimulh ni’ ’u tthu sta’luw’.
    We still have no idea what was behind us that night.
18. ’i tsun ’uw’ he’kw’me’stuhw tthu Wayne ’u tthey’ sqwul’qwul’ kwus taanthelum ’u tthunu shhw’a’luqw’a’.
    I keep telling Wayne the story about the time they left me there.
19. ’i’ yath tst ’uw’ ye’num’ ’u kwutst yu he’kw’me’t kwthey’ snet.
    We always have a good laugh about it anyway.
20. nilh kwu’elh nu sqwul’qwul’ kwutst yu tse’tsul’ulhtun’ ’u kwthu nuts’a’ snet.
    That is my story about fishing at night.
21. huy ch q’u. ni’ kwu’elh hay.
    Thank you. The end