This is a story written by Julia Henry from Xinupsum 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.

yu t’at’ukw’stuhw tthu qa’ tun’ni’ ’utl’ kw’etqum statluw’
Bringing home water from the kw’etqum stream

by Julia Henry translated by Wayne Charlie

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1. ’een’thu Julia Henry, tun’ni’ ’utl’ xinupsum.
   I’m Julia Henry, from Xinupsum.
2. nu sqwul’qwul’ ni’ nemustuhw tsun tse’ kwunus hwun’ yu ts’its’usum’ ni’ ’utl’ xinupsum.
   I’m going to tell a story about when I was growing up there in Xinupsum.
3. ni’ kwu’elh ni’ ’utl’ xinupsum kwunus ni’ yu ts’isum ni’ ’u tthunu sul’si’lu, 1425 xinupsum.
   We used to live at 1425 xinupsum with our grandparents..
4. tthu lelum’ tst ni’ shni’ tst ’u stutes ’u tthu statluw’.
   We lived right near the stream.
5. tthey’ statluw’ nilh ’uw’ thimat kwuts yu ts’its’usum’ yath tst ’uw’ yu ha’kwush tthey’ statluw’.
   This stream was a big part of our daily life.
6. tl’lim’ tst ’uw’ yu tl’umnuhw kwutst ’uw’ shtutes ’u tthey’ statluw’.
   We were fortunate to live so close to this water source.
7. nilh ni’ hakwushut ’u kwutst they’t tthu s’ulhtun tst ’i’ ni’ tst tl’uw’ yu hakwush tthey’ qa’ ’u kwutst yu shashukw’um’.
   We used it to prepare our food, and also it was a bathing source.
8. ’i’ ni’ tst ’uw’ sul’uthut tthu mukw’ skweyul ’uw’ thu’it nilh ’uw’ thimat ’u tthu qa’ tthu s’aa’lh syaaysstaalt.
   We had chores to do every day, and this was one of them.
9. nilh kwu’elh ’uw’ thequn tthu skw’a’wus ni’ ’uw’ ha’kwushut ’uw’ yey’sul’u kwutst yu t’un’e’ ’u kwthey’ skw’a’wus, na’nuts’a’ ni’ kwun’el’s ni’ ’u tthu shkwun’el’s.
   We had a tall bucket that would take two of us to carry, each one taking the handle.
10. ts’uhwle’ ’i’ ni’ tst yu ts’um’et ’i’ hwi’ yey’sul’u ts’uhwle’ ’i’ ha’kwush
    tthu sts’esht.
11. Sometimes we did it that way, and other times we would use a stick.
    ha’ ch ni’ hakwush tthu sts’esht ’i’ ni’ tst kw’ukw’i’stuhw ’u tthu
12. qwuqw’ten ’i’ ni’ tst ha’kwush kwthu sts’esht kwutst ’uw’ yey’sul’u.
    If you use a stick then that went across the shoulders and two people
13. would carry.
    ha’ ch ni’ hakwush tthu sts’esht ’i’ ni’ kwu’elh ’uw’ ’i yuse’luqun
14. skw’a’wus tthu ni’ ts’um’etut.
    If we used the stick then we could carry two buckets.
15. ’uw’ mu.u.ukw’ netulh ni’ tst hunum’ ’u tthey’ statluw’ ’a’luxut tthu qa’ ’i’ t’uhwstuhw tthu qa’ nilh ni’ hakwushut tthu qa’ tuw’ mukw’ skweyul.
    Every morning we went to the stream to get the water and carry it back as it was needed for every day use.
16. nuts’a’ skweyul ni’ he’kw’me’teen’ ni’ tsun ts’twa’ tth’a’kwus wa’wu te’tsus sil’anum ’i’ ni’ tsun sq’uq’a’ ’u tthunu shhw’a’qw’a’ Randy ’i’ nem’ tst ’aluxut kwthu qa’ tun’ni’ ’u tthu statluw’.
    I remember one day, when I was about 7 or 8 years old, I went with Randy to fetch the water from the stream.
17. ni’ tsun hunum’ut tthu statluw’ kwun’atul’ ’u tthunu ’elush ’i’ ni’ tst tl’u’ast tthu qa’ tun’ni’ ’u tthu statluw’.
    Going to the stream together with my brother, we were each carrying a bucket from the stream.
18. ’i’ na.a.an ’uw’ hwutus tthu skw’a’wus.
    The bucket was really heavy.
19. ’u kwutst ni’ ts’um’et tthu skw’a’wus ’i’ ni’ kw’ukw’ulh lhu qa’ ’i’ ni’ tus ’u tthunu s’itth’um.
    When we were carrying the bucket, and the water sloshed around and spilt all over my clothes.
20. sha! tl’im’ ’uw’ xuy’tl’ tthu qa’!
    Shucks! That water is really cold!
21. ni’ tst yun’yen’um’ ’i’ tthunu ’elush.
    My brother and I were really laughing.
22. qul’et ’imush ’uw’ ’uhwiin’ ’ul’ ’uwu tst niit hwu tsakw ’i’ tl’uw’ wulh kw’ulh tthu qa’ ni’ tl’uw’ tus ’u tthunu s’itth’um qul’et.
    After a few more steps, we didn’t go very far, and again the water sloshed and spilt all over my clothes again.
23. sha! tl’im’ ’uw’ xuy’tl’ tthu qa’!
    Shucks! That’s really cold!
24. kwunus ni’ hun’umutnuhw tthu qa’ ’i’ ’uw’ ’uhwii.ii.iin’ ’ul’ tthu ni’ shniw’ ’u tthu qa’ ’u tthu skw’a’wus.
    When I managed to get the bucket to the house it was almost empty.
25. ni’ tsun kwu’elh yu hwu’alum’ qule’t qa’lum ’u tthu qa’.
    I had to turn around and go and get some more water again.
26. ni’ tst qule’t hwu’alum’ ’u tthu lelum’ tst ’i’ ni’ tst tuw’ thinamut t’uhwnuhw tthu qa’ ni’ ’u tthu lelum’ tst.
    We returned to the house again and I did better, and got the water to the House.
27. kwunus ni’ hun’umut ’i’ tl’i.i.im’ ’uw’ luqw tthunu s’itth’um.
    When I got done, my clothes were completely wet.
28. hay ’ul’ thimat syaays ’i’ nilhulh ’uw’ ’iyus tthunu shqwaluwun kwunus ni’ yu ts’ets’uw’ulhtun’ ’u tthunu shhuw’weli.
    It was hard work but I enjoyed helping with the chores.
29. nilh kwu’elh ni’ tatul’nuhwut kwutst ts’ets’uw’ulhtun’ ’a’luxut tthu qa’.
    That’s how we learned how to do chores.
30. yath tst ’uw’ kwun’atul’ kwutst yaay’us.
    We learned to work together.
31. ni.i.ilh ’uw’ snuw’uyulhs kwthu s’ul’eluhw tstulh, sul’si’lu tst.
    This was our teachings from our grandparents.
32. tthey’ statluw’ hay ’ul’ thimat ni’ yu ha’kwushut kwutst lhnimulh ni’ yu ts’its’usum’.
    This stream was a big part of our life growing up.
33. ni’ tst kwu’elh yu qwul’st tthu qa’ ni’ yu ha’kwushut hwnem’ ’u tthu s’ulhtun tst.
    We had to boil the water for cooking our food.
34. ni’ tst tl’uw’ hakwush ’u kwutst hwtth’uxwwil’s ’u kwthu shhw’i’lhtun’ tst.
    We used it for washing our dishes.
35. ’i’ ni’ tst tl’uw’ ’utth’unup ’u tthu lhxunuptun.
    And also we used it for mopping the floor
36. ’i’ nilh tst tuw’ yu ha’kwush ’u kwutst yu shahwukw’um’.
    And we also used it for bathing.
37. ni.i.ilh ni’ yath tst ’uw’ yu ha’kwush tuw’ mukw’ skweyul.
    This was the main source of water that we used everyday.
38. nilh nuts’umat syaays ni’ tuw’ yu he’kw’me’teen’ kwunus ni’ yu ts’its’usum’ ni’ ’u tthunu ts’lhhwulmuhw ni’ ’utl’ xinupsum.
    This is just one chore I remembered growing up there with my family in xinupsum.
39. huy ch q’u. ni’ wulh hay.
    Thank you. The end.