shni’s kwus kwan niihw nilh snuneymuhw, ’i’ tuyqul tus ’utl’ thuq’min, qul’et ’imush tus ’utl’ hwmuthkwi’um’. He was born in Nanaimo and raised in Thuq’min until he moved to Musqueam
lhhwelu kwthu ’uli’uy’mut q’e’lumi’ mun’us, na’nuts’a’ swuy’qe’. They had three beautiful daughters and one son.
yathulh ’uw’ tsetsul’ulhtun’, yathulh ’uw’ ’um’mush ni’ tl’uw’ yu xut’ukw’. My dad was a fisherman, a hunter, and a master carver.
’u kwus wulh nem’ ’aalh ’u kwthu kesulin boat ’i’ ni’ sq’uq’a’ tthunu shhw’aqw’a’. He would fish on his boat with his dad and my brother.
kwusulh nem’ ’um’mush ’i’ ’ula’ulh ’u kwthu kesulin boat tus ’utl’ Valdez Island [lheey’qsun] kwun’atul’ ’u kwthu shhw’a’luqw’a’s. In his hunting days, they traveled by boat to Valdez Island with his brothers.
’u kwush wulh hun’umut ’eelhtun, kwus yu ’um’mush, kwus yu tsetsul’ulhtun’, lhimut ni’ wulh saay’ hun’utum’ jarred stseelhtun ’i’ thithumat kwthu smuyuth. When he came home from many of his hunting or fishing trips, we would clean and jar the fish, and cut and freeze the deer meat.
tthunu men ni’ ’uw’ ni’ tthu swe’s yaaysuw’t-hws stutes ’u tthu s’aa’lh lelum’. My dad had his own carving shed beside our house.
xt’ekw’tus tthu pashuluqw’ He carved out of yellow cedar.
’i’ mu.u.ukw’ ’untsu ni’ shtusth kwthu swe’s sxt’ekw’s, mukw’ ’untsu ’i ’u tun’a tumuhw. He made many carvings that traveled the world.
ni’ tl’uw’ ni’ kwthu hun’utum’ Legend of the Moon ni’ ’utl’ Stanley Park, kwun’et tthu swe’s sxt’ekw’s. His carvings were at the Legend of the Moon in Stanley Park, the Train Station, and many other stores in Vancouver.
ni’ tl’uw’ ni’ tthu liloot Station ’i’ ni’ tl’uw’ ni’ kwthu qux shhwimelu ni’ ’utl’ sqwxw’a’mush. His work was also at the Train Station, and many other stores in Vancouver.
’i’ ni’ xt’ekw’tus kwthu ni’ hun’utum’ letter openers. ni’ tl’uw’ yu xt’ekw’tus kwthu qequn’, yuse’lumat st’i’am ’u tthu qequn’, ni’ tl’uw’ xt’ekw’tus kwthu ni’ hun’utum’ talking stick, ’i’ qux tthu ni’ s’ul’uthut-s kwus yaay’us ’u tthu pashuluqw kwus yu xut’ukw’. He made letter openers, one and two figure totem poles, talking sticks, and many more carvings out of yellow cedar.
hakwushus kwthu ni’ hun’utum’ Red Mahogany 225, t’uy’um’shus ’u kwthu sxt’ekw’s ’i’ ni’ tl’uw’ yu ha’kwushus kwthu ni’ hun’utum’ shoe polish ’i’ tl’lim’ ’uw’ hwi’ ’uy’uymut kwthu sxt’ekw’s. They were stained with Red Mahogany 225 and finished up with [brown] shoe polish to make it shine.
na.a.an ’uw’ thimat tthunu swe’ nu men. MY DAD IS THE BEST!
nu stl’i’ ch, nu men, mukw’ tthunu tth’ele’.hay ch q’a’. Love you, Dad, with all my heart. Thank you.
