swan – s-hwuw’qun
[Cygnus buccinator Richardson (trumpeter swan) and possibly also the less common C. columbianus (Ord) (tundra swan)] • Swans are large members of the bird family that includes ducks and geese. Both the tundra swan and the larger and more abundant trumpeter swan are all white and relatively common during the winter. This word likely refers to both these species.
(short version)
tun’a lhnimulh s-hwuwqun ’i’ tun’ni’ tst ’u tthuw’ t’at ’i ’u tun’a xut’ustum’ Pacific Northwest.
We swans have are ancient residents of the Pacific Northwest.
tthu shni’tst kwutst they’t tthu lelum’tst ’i’ ni’ ’u tthu stul’atluw’, lhuqw tumuhw, thi xatsa’, xul’a’tsa’ ’i’ tthu si’am’utul sta’luw’.
Where we always build our homes are at streams, swamp-land, little ponds and lakes, and slow-moving sections of river.
’u kw’un’a wulh hith ’i’ niilh q’aq’i’utalum.
A long time ago people used to kill us.
nilh tthu kw’uluw’ tst ’i’ tthu stl’q’een’ tst niilh s-hwahwiyum’.
It was our skin and our feathers that used to be sold.
niilh ha’kwushum tthu stl’q’een’ st’i’am’stum’ ’u tthu yasa’qw ’i’ tthu shxuxulum’.
They used our feathers on hats and as quill pens.
’i’ hay tthu kw’uluw’s nilh kwus mul’ul ’i’ niilh ha’kwushus tthu slhunlheni’ niilh shpukw’usum’s.
And our skin, because it was soft, they used to use it for a woman’s powder puff.
tun’a kweyul ’i’ ni’ kwu sxe’xe’ kwun’s q’aayt tthu s-hwuwqun ni’ hwu sqiquq’stum’.
Today it is forbidden to kill us and you can be jailed for it.
tun’a lhnimulh s-hwuwqun ’i’ hay tst ’ul’ ’uli’uy’mut ’i’ nan ’uw’ tl’i’ stalum ’u tthu ni’ sh-ha’kw tst ’u tthu hwulmuhw mustimuhw.
We swans are very beautiful and what we are used for by the indigenous people is very important.
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Hul’q’umi’num’ description by Ruby Peter | sti’tum’at and Samaya
Jardey | kwathawsulwut.
