hwiil’asmut tthu tsuw’mun | Caring for our Beaches

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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.