Title: Halq'eméylem / Lesson: The story of the drum

hal: kw'ómkw'em
english: strong (of people and things)

hal: st'ehéyelh
english: a prayer, hymn

hal: thét
english: to say it, say (tr.)

hal: sqwélqwel
english: story, news

hal: syewá:lelh
english: ancestor (passed away)

hal: s'óthes
english: face

hal: áx̲elqel
english: buckskin, rawhide, tanned buckskin

hal: lhálheq'et
english: put on, put down

hal: stím
english: fast, hard [of snow, rain, etc.]

hal: t'wa
english: must maybe, I guess, I'm uncertain, must be

hal: st'elt'ílem
english: songs

hal: s'ewíwes
english: teachings

hal: shxw’áylexw
english: healing

hal: ilótem
english: be allowed

hal: kwóxwchestel
english: a rattle

hal: kw'els ilh xwel swiyqe'ollh…
english: When I was a young boy,

hal: …íwesthóxes tel mal xwelá te q'éwet.
english: my dad taught me about the drum.

hal: Ilh tset mílyil lite stetís kw'e Mission.
english: We were out setting nets close to Mission.

hal: thetsthóxes, “chexw schewot t'ít'elem”
english: He said “you are good at singing”

hal: tsel thet “li t'wa'a”.
english: I said “I guess so”.

hal: osu thetsthoxes:
english: So he told me something:

hal: “qe éwe ixw yewál ey telí kw'ewát.”
english: “but it doesn’t make you better than anybody else.”

hal: thetsthóxes mekw' st'elt'ílem e' stshéyelh.
english: He said all songs are prayers…

hal: qesu li te sqwélqwels.
english: …they are their own story.

hal: íwesthóxes kw'es kw'ómkw'em te q'éwet.
english: He also taught me that the drum is powerful.

hal: x̲ax̲a ye q'ewet tset.
english: Our drums are sacred

hal: ste'a kwa e'ewe kw'es lhálheqet
english: One should never put it down ...

hal: ...te síla q'éwet xwelá te s'óthes.
english: …the grandfather drum face-down (on it’s face)

hal: qe éwe sti:ms kw'es q'éwetem.
english: Or don’t drum very hard.

hal: shxw'áylexw ye st'elt'ílem.
english: The songs are healing,

hal: qesu telí ye syewálelh ye áx̲elqel.
english: and the hides came from our ancestors.

hal: thetsthóxes kwulhíthelh...
english: He told me that long ago…

hal: ..éwe lis ilótem ye slhellháli kw'es q'éwetems.
english: ..women were not allowed to use the drum

hal: qe tl'o te kwóxwchestel hókwexes.
english: but they used the rattle.

hal: tsel xwel híkwstexw tethá s'íwes.
english: I still think high of these teachings.

hal: qelsu a:m xwelá kw'e mékw'wat.
english: And I share them with (give them to) everyone.

hal: tsel ew éystexw ye sew'íwes tel ma:l.
english: I very much appreciate my father’s teachings.