“I Traveled to Squamish & Sechelt” part 4

This photo of “chicken pulled chicken” from Lucky’s Smokehouse in Sechelt, BC, is courtesy of TripAdvisor 🙂

(Part 1 here.)  (Part 2 here.)  (Part 3 here.)

Some łaʔamin (Sliammon), some friendly chickens, some humour, and some songs wind up our travelogue:

     Chako tanas son Tyusdi; alta nsaika
Morning came on Tuesday; now we [ = I, Father Le Jeune]

tlap mokst Slaiamin man, pi nsaika mamuk
found two łaʔamin men, and we 

cim Slaiamin wawa. Tlun son nsaika mamuk
wrote in the łaʔamin language.  For three days we worked 

kopa Slaiamin wawa pi nsaika tolo kanawi
on the łaʔamin language and we managed all of 

Slaiamin styuil, pi Slaiamin shanti, pi Slaiamin
the łaʔamin prayers, and the łaʔamin hymns, and the łaʔamin

katikism.
catechism.  

     Ukuk Slaiamin tilikom klaska mamuk hilp nsaika
These łaʔamin people who helped us  

klaska nim Sharli* Pitir, Slaiamin, kopa Lyuna* post
are named Charlie Peter Sliammon from Luna Post 

ofis pi iht iaka nim Shorsh kopa Byut Inlit
Office, and another named George from Bute Inlet, 

pi iht iaka nim Shoni.
and another named Johnny. 

     Tlun son nsaika mamuk kopa Slaiamin lalan.g pi
For three days we worked on the łaʔamin language until 

nsaika kopit. Nsaika tolo <45> pish kopa
we were done.  We accomplished 45 pages with 

Slaiamin styuil pi katikism.
the łaʔamin prayers and catechism.  

     Nsaika kwash pus wik kata nsaika tlap kanawi,
We were afraid that we might not get all of it, 

kakwa nsaika aiak. Pi kopa lakit son, Thyursdi
so we hurried.  And on the fourth day, Thursday 

Siptimbir <17>, nsaika mamuk pi k’o kopa sitkom pulakli.
September 17th, we worked until midnight.  

—

     Mokst man mamuk kuk kopa nsaika. Iht iaka nim
Two men cooked for us.  One named 

Shorsh, iaka kwanisim kuk kopa liplit pus liplit chako
George always cooks for the priests when the priests come 

kopa Shishil ilihi. Shishil tilikom drit
to Sechelt country.  The Sechelt people really 

tlus nanich liplit kopa iaka makmak pus liplit
take care of the priest with his food when the priest 

mitlait kopa klaska ilihi. Klaska lolo fish, pi
is in their country.  They bring fish, and 

kalakala, pi chi mawich pi kanawi ikta.
birds, and fresh venison and all kinds of things.  

     Pi Shishil chikin wiht tlus tomtom kopa
And the Sechelt chickens also like the 

liplit, pi klaska chako mamuk igs kikuli
priests, and they come to lay eggs under 

kopa liplit iaka haws. Pi liplit iaka kuk iaka
the priest house.  And the priests’ cook 

patlach tanas makmak kopa klaska, kakwa chikins
gives them a little feed, so the chickens 

klaska tlus tomtom chako mamuk igs kikuli kopa
like to come lay eggs under 

liplit iaka haws: iht tanas son, kuk Shorsh
the priest house: one morning, cook George 

tlap kwinam igs kikuli kopa nsaika haws.
found five eggs under our house.  

—

     Kaltash naika siisim kopa msaika pus wik naika
My report to you folks will be worthless if I don’t 

mamuk komtaks kopa msaika kata Shishil tilikom
tell you how the Sechelt people 

kopa styuil. Nanich naika ilip gitop kanawi
are with prayers.  Look, I’m the first to wake up every 

son kopa <5> oklak  Naika chako kopa styuil haws
day at 5 o’clock.  I come to the church 

pi kopa kwata past faiv, tintin man iaka mamuk
and at quarter past five, the bell ringer sounds 

ilip tintin. Iawa naika klatwa lamas: pus
the first bell.  Then I go to say mass: while  

naika lamas, styuil haws chako patl kopa tilikom
I’m saying mass, the church is filling with people.  

Pus tilikom kolan [NULL] klaska aiak gitop, aiak
When the people hear it [the bell], they quickly get up, 

kuli kopa styuil haws, wik klaska lisi*, wik
and hurry to the church, they’re not lazy, and they don’t 

klaska wawa. Mokst wiht tintin pi* naika gitop.
talk.  I wake up at the second bell. ( 🙂 )

Wik kakwa. Kopa mokst tintin kanawi kuli styuil
Not really.  At the second bell, everyone runs through the prayers 

lamas, pi ilo kaltash klaska chako [NULL] styuil haws
of the mass, and they don’t worthlessly come to the church 

pus aiak wiht kilapai kopa klaska haws: pus
[only] to head right back home; when 

klaska chako kopa styuil haws, iawa klaska [mit]lait*
they come to the church, they stay there, 

iawa klaska wawa kanamokst sahali taii; iawa
there they talk with God; there 

klaska mitlait pi k’o kopit styuil. Wik kata klaska
they stay until the prayers are finished.  They just can’t 

chako til kopa ST iaka haws: klaska mitlait tomtom
get too much of God’s house: they have the spirit 

pi klaska komtaks ikta klaska wawa kopa ST.
they know what they’re saying to God.  

     Wiht kakwa pus kopit lamas, pus kopit
It’s also like that after mass; after 

makmak, tanas son, sitkom son, pulakli,
eating, morning, noon and night, 

klaska komtaks styuil haws iaka oihat, pi
they know the way to church, and 

klaska klatwa kopa styuil haws, lolo klaska
they go to church, bringing their 

tomtom kopa ST; tlus wawa kopa ST; mamuk
hearts to God; talking sincerely with God; 

komtaks kopa ST ikta klaska tiki, kata klaska
letting God know what they need, and how they’re 

klahawiam; klaska wawa kopa ST kakwa kopa
pitiful; they talk to God as to 

klaska tlus papa.
their good father.  

     Shishil tilikom kanawi komtaks styuil:
The Sechelt people all know the prayers: 

klaska komtaks kanawi styuil, klaska komtaks
they know all the prayers, they know 

kanawi katikism Tanas man, tanas kluchmin
all of the catechism.  The young men, the young women, 

kanawi komtaks ukuk.
all know these.  

     Klaska aias tiki pus naika mamuk skul
They were eager for me to teach 

klaska kopa Chinuk pipa: pi wik kata[,] naika tlap
them about Chinook writing: but I couldn’t, I found myself with 

drit ayu mamuk pus mamuk cim klaska styuil,
really a lot of work to write down their prayers, 

pi wik naika tlap taim pus mamuk skul klaska kopa
and I didn’t find the time to teach them about 

Chinuk pipa. Pi tanas ayu komtaks Chinuk
Chinook writing.  But several know Chinook 

pipa; pi iht iht tilikom drit tlus klaska cim
writing; and this and that person really write well, 

kakwa aiak klaska mamuk komtaks kopa klaska tilikom.
so they can easily teach it to their people.  

     Iht nsaika mamuk cim kopa aias pipa kopa
One of us wrote on a big paper in 

Shishil lalan.g: iaka ukuk latit kopa katikism
the Sechelt language; that was the ‘head’ of the catechism, 

pi iht tanas man, iaka Simo, iaka chako
and one young man, that was Simon [or Seymour?], he came 

pi iaka mamuk cim kanawi ukuk kopa iaka tanas
and he wrote all of this in his little 

buk: naika nanich iaka cim pi iaka drit tlus.
book; I saw his writing and it was really good.  

Alki pus nsaika kopit ukuk Shishil styuil buk
Later when we finish the Sechelt prayer book, 

Simo chako aiak komtaks kanawi Shishil wawa kopa
Simon will easily learn all of the Sechelt language in 

Chinuk pipa.
Chinook writing.  

     Msaika komtaks, ilo drit ayu liplit mitlait
You folks understand, there aren’t really a lot of priests 

kopa British Kolombia ilihi. Kakwa nsaika papa lisivik iaka
in British Columbia.  So our father the bishop 

aias tiki tlap tanas ayu liplit pus mamuk kopa
loves to get a few priests to work with 

tilikom. Iaka mamuk iht aias tlus haws kopa
the [Aboriginal] people.  He’s building a fine house at 

Wisminstir. Iawa iaka iskom tanas ayu tanas
[New] Westminster.  There he’s gathering several young 

man, pi iaka patlach kopa klaska iht liplit pi iht
men, and he’s giving them a priest and a 

wiht taii pus tlus nanich kopa klaska, mamuk
leader as well to take care of them, 

skul kopa klaska: mamuk klatwa klaska tomtom kopa
teaching them: guiding their hearts to 

ST, pus alki klaska chako liplit. Ayu chikmin
God, so they will become priests.  A lot of money 

iaka lost kopa ukuk mamuk. Pi iaka wawa kopa
has been spent on this work.  And he told 

Shishil tilikom kata kopa ukuk mamuk. Tanki wam
the Sechelt people how it’s going with this work.  Last summer 

ayu Shishil tilikom klatwa kopa Wisminstir mamuk
many Sechelt people went to [New] Westminster to 

hilp karpintir kopa ukuk mamuk: wiht Skwamish
help the carpenter with this work: also the Squamish 

tilikom mamuk kakwa. Skwamish tilikom klatwa hilp
people did so, the Squamish people went to help.  

Mokst Sondi klaska mamuk kanamokst karpintir kakwa
For two weeks they worked with the carpenter so 

chako aiak kopit ukuk haws. Pi kimta Shishil
that building was finished fast.  And afterwards the Sechelt 

tilikom klatwa, pi klaska wiht ayu mamuk pus
people went, and they again worked and worked so that 

chako drit tlus ukuk ilihi kah mitlait ukuk
the land became very nice where the 

haws.
building was located.  

     Pi ilo kopit kakwa. Alta lisivik siisim kopa
And it wasn’t just that.  Then the bishop talked to  

klaska, pi klaska wiht mash tlun tala iht
them, and they also contributed three dollars per 

man kopa iht sno, pus mamuk hilp ukuk haws.
person for a year, to help out this building.  

Iht man iaka mamuk cim iaka nim pus alki iaka
One man would write his name [saying] that he was going to 

patlach tlun tala iht sno kopa ukuk mamuk,
give three dollars a year for this work, 

pi alta iaka tlap aias tlus piktyur, tlus Mari
and then he would receie a beautiful picture, of the blessed Mary’s 

iaka haws; wiht iaka nim klatwa kopa Lorito
house; and his name would also go [be sent] to Loreto [in Italy], 

kah mitlait tlus Mari iaka haws. Kakwa pus
where the blessed Mary’s house is [now] located.  It was like 

mokst iaka hilp kanamokst; iaka mamuk hilp tlus
he was helping out twice at one go; he helped the blessed 

Mari iaka haws mitlait kopa Lorito pi wiht iaka
Mary’s house that’s in Loreto, and he also 

mamuk hilp ukuk haws lisivik mamuk kopa Wismin=
helped this building the bishop was building in [New] Westmin-

stir pus chako ayu liplit kopa nsaika.
ster so that a lot of priests would come for us.  

     Pi ilo kopit kakwa: Shishil tilikom wik
And that’s not all [either]: the Sechelt people 

kata klaska mash komtaks kata liplit iaka klahawiam
couldn’t possibly forget how pitiful the priest is 

pus iaka kuli kanawi kah nanich tilikom. Klaska
when he travels all around visiting [Aboriginal] people.  They 

komtaks ilo kah* liplit tlap chikmin pus makuk iaka
understand the priest doesn’t get money from anywhere to buy his 

iktas, kopit pus tilikom mamuk hilp iaka kakwa
things, [that’s] only if the people help him,  so 

klaska mamuk hilp liplit kopa tanas chikmin: iht
they helped the priest with a bit of money; one 

man iaka mash kwata, iht man iaka mash sitkom
man contributed a quarter, anotehr man contributed half 

tala: ilo klaska sik tomtom kopa ukuk mamuk
a dollar; they have no bad feelings about this work; 

klaska komtaks ST iaka mamuk kilapai kopa klaska
they know God will pay them back   

ukuk klaska mamuk klahawiam kopa liplit.
for this taking pity of theirs on the priest.  

—

     Wik kata nsaika mash tomtom kata ukuk aias
We can’t neglect [to mention] what those 

tlus iktas mitlait kopa Shishil styuil haws:
wonderful items that are in the Sechelt church are like: 

ilip kopa kanawi, nsaika nanich iht likalis,
first of all, we saw a chalice, 

pus liplit iaka lamas kopa ukuk likalis.
for the priest to say mass with that chalice.  

     Aias makuk ukuk likalis, iaka gol kanawi
That chalice is valuable, it’s solid gold 

pi iaka tanas aias, pi tanas til. Klunas
and it’s fairly big, and rather heavy.  

<300> tala ukuk likalis pus chi makuk kopa
That chalice must have been worth about $300 when it was bought new from 

makuk haws.
the store.  

     Wiht mitlait ayu tlus iktas pus liplit mamuk
There are also many fine things for the priest to conduct 

lamas: pi ilo kaltash ukuk. ShK ST
mass: and these are not worthless.  Jesus Christ, God 

tanas mitlait kopa Å kakwa klaska mamuk drit
the son, is in the eucharist, so they really 

taii ShK pus klaska mamuk mitlait kanawi ukuk
honour Jesus Christ when they put all those 

tlus iktas kopa iaka styuil haws.
fine things in his church.  

     Mitlait wiht aias tlus iktas kopa bini=
There are also beautiful items for the bene-

dikshon. Ukuk kakwa son kah liplit mamuk mitlait
diction.  These are like the sun (?) where the priest places 

Å kopa binidikshon, drit aias tlus pi
the eucharist for the benediction, really beautiful and 

aias makuk: pi kakwa ukuk tlus flawirs mitlait
valuable; and like the nice flowers that are 

kopa lotil, pi kakwa ukuk aias kandl stiks mitlait
on the altar, and like the big candlesticks that stand 

kopa lotil. Klaska mamuk lait drit ayu kandl
on the altar.  They light really a lot of candles 

kopa binidikshon pus mamuk aias taii ShK.
for the benediction to greatly honour Jesus Christ.  

—

     Kopa Fraidi Siptimbir <18>, kopa tanas son
On Friday September 18th, in the morning 

nsaika mash Shishil. Nsaika kilapai kopa Vankuvir
we left Sechelt.  We returned to Vancouver 

kopa knim. Shishil tilikom chako iskom nsaika
by canoe.  The Sechelt people came to shake our 

lima wik saia kopa solt chok. Iawa
hands by the shore.  Then 

nsaika klatwa kopa knim. Chi nsaika mash
we left in the canoe.  Once we set 

ilihi pi klaska shanti: “Avi maris stilla.”
off they sang the “Ave Maris Stella“.  

     Ilo drit aias nsaika knim, pi iaka aiak
Our canoe wasn’t really big, but it 

kuli kopa chok <12> man mamuk isik, pi nsaika
traveled quickly over the water; 12 men were rowing, plus we 

tlun: kakwa nsaika <15> kanamokst pi iaka patl knim.
three: so there were 15 of us all together and the canoe was full.  

Tanas lili nsaika klatwa pi nsaika tlap tlus
We went for some time until we caught a good 

win. Klaska mamuk mitlait sil kopa knim, pi
wind.  They put up a sail in the canoe, and 

knim alta kuli kakwa stim bot kopa solt chok.
the canoe then traveled like a steamboat over the saltwater.  

     Kopa sitkom son nsaika tlap kopa lait haws,
At noon we reached the lighthouse, 

pi iawa nsaika makmak, kopa ston wik saia solt chok.
and there we ate, on the rocks by the saltwater.  

     Kopit sitkom son pi nsaika chako kopa Vankuvir.
It was afternoon by the time we came to Vancouver.   

Ilo iaka k’o kopa <4> oklak pi nsaika chako* kopa
It hadn’t gotten to 4 o’clock when we came to 

ilihi kopa Vankuvir.
land at Vancouver.  

     Ukuk shanti* nsaika mamuk kopa Shishil:
This is a hymn we worked out in [the] Sechelt [language]:  

Mi wa tam saɬam mina,
konata stohwchit cihwim;
mila, sihumitomoɬ,
mila, mila, mila.
Mila, hiwos, tlishawh kwas kotl,
ii kwas tawish ta awk skalmyuh,
ta awtomoɬ, tlashawh kwas kotl.

—

     Pi kopa Slaiamin:
And in [the] łaʔamin [language]:  

Kwalla schit* higos mana,
kwat ga ti c tohwitis ahŭ go shim
kwalla ga kwi mitomoɬ,
kwalla, kwalla, kwalla.

Cheers!