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- Title: yu ’i’mush tthu q’e’lumi’ ni’ ’u tthu Procession Sunday | Women in Veils
- Description: Women walking with head coverings during a procession from their Catholic School days.
hwuhwilmuhw knowledge
- Speaker/Story Teller: Sti’tuma’t | Ruby Peter (Kwa’mutsun Elder)
- Date of recording: 29 Dec 2021
- Listen to the recording in Hul’q’umi’num’:
Procession Sunday
- ni’ ni’ ’u kwthu yuse’lu suxulhnet ’u kwthu May ’i’ ni’ Procession Sunday.
It’s in the second week of May when they have Procession Sunday. - ’i’ ni’ tst wulh hwu shtatul’stuhw tthey’ st’iw’i’ulh ’uw’ mukw’.
We have to know everything about confirmation/communion. - ni’ tst wulh hwu [stsuw’et] hay kwthu ’uwu niis tulnuhwus ’i’ ni’ thut-stum, ni’ tse’ kwu’elh qul’et sil’anum ’i’ yelh ’un’s q’a’ ’uw’ niihw tul’nuhw.
You had to be adept at it and those that didn’t learn the catechism have to wait another year before they get confirmed. - ’i’ ha’ ch nuw’ hwu shtatul’stuhw ’i’ ni’ ch ’uw’ tslhaqw.
And if you learned it you will be passed through. - ’i’ nilh hayulh ’ul’ thistum ’u tthu hwulmuhw kwthey’ Procession Sunday.
The native people took it very seriously, Procession Sunday. - tun’ ni’ ’u kwthu s-hwulmuhwa’lh t’iw’i’ulh’ew’t-hw ’i’ nem’ tus ’u kwthu skwoul’ew’t-hw St. Ann kws nem’s ’imush ni’ ’u kwthey’ Procession Sunday.
The procession would start from the Indian church, St. Ann’s, and walk all the way to St. Ann’s school where the procession ends on Procession Sunday. - yuw’en’ kws yu ts’um’umstaalt.
We were given the holy communion first. - ’i’ kwthu swaaw’lus hay ni’ hwu altar boys, ’i’ ni’ tl’uw’ yust’e ’ul’ kwsuw’ yu tatul’ut-s kwthu catechism ’u kwthuw’ mukw’.
The young boys, the altar boys, have to learn the same thing from the catechism. - hay ’uw’ niis wulh hwu shtatul’st-hwus kwthu sht’es kwthu catechism ’i’ yelhs hwu altar boysth.
They also can’t become altar boys unless they know all the prayers and the sacraments in the catechism. - ts’uhwle’ ’i’ ni’ ’upeenu kwthu q’e’lumi’ ’i’ ’upeenu kwthu swaaw’lus ni’ tslhaqwnamut.
Sometimes, there would be ten girls or ten boys that would manage to pass the test. - ’i’ ni’ tst yu sthi’iw’s p’uq’ tthu s’itth’um tst suw’ yu ha’kwush tthu yu shqiqutus ’u tthu p’uq’ [veil].
And we were dressed in white dresses and had a white veil. - ’i’ hay tthu swaaw’lus hay ni’ yu sousut.
And the boys have to wear suits. [And the altar boys wear white smocks.] - tthu q’e’lumi’ ni’ hwi’ yu kwun’etus kwthu situn kwsus wulh nem’ ’utl’qul.
And the girls would hold a basket when they went out. - ni’ wulh hay kwsus ts’um’umstum sus ’uw’ kwunnuhwus kwthu sne ni’ ’u kwthu st’iw’i’ulh.
This would be after the confirmation and holy communion, where they had the prayers. - sus nem’ ’uw’ ’imush nem’ ’u kwthu procession nem’ ’utl’ St. Ann.
And then they have to march in the procession to St. Ann. - ’i’ ni’ yu we’wun’shus tthu q’e’lumi’ tthu sp’eq’um.
The girls would be throwing down the flower petals on the ground as they walked slowly to St. Ann’s. - ni.i.i’ suq’suq’utum tthu sp’eq’um sus ’uw’ hwu mumun’lh.
They tore the flowers into pieces. - sus ’uw’ yu we’wun’shus kwsus nem’ xwte’ yu hunum’ ’u kwthu skwoul’ew’t-hw St. Ann.
And they were throwing them has they went toward St. Ann’s school. - ni’ tus ’u kwthey’ ’i’ ni’ hwi’ t’iw’i’ulh ’u kwthu [benediction].
After they get over there, they have benediction. - ni’ tl’uw’ ni’ kwthu st’iw’i’ulhstewut ni’ ’u kwthu St. Ann.
And they would have them pray at St. Ann’s. - hay ’ulh ’ul’ qux mustimuhw.
There were many people. - yu hunum’ust-hwus thu st’ul’t’ilum, kwsus nem’ yu ’i’mush.
And they would be singing songs as they walked. - ni’ kwthu ni’ yu t’ut’iw’i’ulh, yuhunum’stuhw thu st’iw’i’ulh, ’i’ ni’ yu hwtetul’qun’ tthu mustimuhw ’u lhu Hail Mary.
Some of them were saying prayers, and some of them were answering the second part of the prayer, the Hail Mary. - ts’uhwle’ ’i’ ni’ yu naal’ts’tul kwsus hay ’ul’ qux.
Sometimes, there would be many different prayers. - ts’uhwle’ ’i’ ni’ [yu thuy’thi’qtul’] wuwa’ ni’ lhq’etsus nets’uwuts mustimuhw kwthu ni’ q’up nem’ ’imush.
Sometimes, there would be around 500 people there who gathered to walk. - kwsus wulh nem’ ’imush ’i’ nuw’ hwun’ ’e’tl’qul’ kwthu mustimuhw ’i’ ni.i.i’ wulh nem’ hwu tsakw kwthu stl’ul’iqulh ni’ [shyuw’un’qsun], niilh ts’um’um ’i’ kwthu ni’ yu kwun’et kwthu [Holy Eucharist] [Bishop] ’i’ kwthu swaaw’lus altar boys.
People would be still coming out of the church, and the start of the line would be all the way close to St. Ann’s, the children who had had their first communion and the altar boys. - ni’ yu s’i’tth’um’stum ’u kwthu p’ep’q’.
They were dressed in white [and black] smocks. - hayulh ’ul’ qux mustimuhw kws nem’s hunum’ ’u kwthey’.
There were many, many people that used to come to that procession. - ’i’ hay kwthu ni’ st’iw’i’ulh ni’ ’u kwthey’ ’i’ m’i hwi’ hwu’alum’.
After they have prayers, benediction, they would start the procession. - ’i’ ni’ tl’e’ wulh yu t’ut’iw’i’ulh kws m’is hwu’alum’.
They would do the worshiping and then return. - m’i hwu’alum’ ’ewu ’u lhu t’iw’i’ulhew’t-hw.
They would return back to the church. - ’i’ nilh ni’ tl’uw’ yu shyuw’un’qsun kwthu qe’is ni’ ts’um’um.
And it’s always the ones that had their first communion that would be leading the procession. [Must have been the girls first, because they were the ones throwing the petals.] - ’i’ kwthu altar boys ’i’ kwthu Holy Eucharist.
[A smock up to their knee and a black dress underneath it, that’s what the altar boys would wear. And one would hold a crucifix and they would say prayers and sing songs.] - m’i yuw’en’ kws yu ’i’mushs sq’uq’a’ ’u tthu luplit.
The priest would come walking with them first. - ’i’ ts’uhwle’ ’i’ ’uw’ yu sq’uq’a’ tthu bishop tthu sisters of St. Ann.
And sometimes they would be with the Bishop or the Sisters of St. Ann.
[I forgot to mention the bishop.] - hay ’ul’ qux mustimuhw.
There were many people. - nilh tl’uw’ q’a’ tthu hwulunitum’ kws m’is ’e’wu ’u kwthey’, tl’uw’ q’athut, tl’uw’ t’iw’i’ulh.
There were also many white people that attended this ceremony. - nilh shni’s kws haysulh ’ul’ ’uw’ tl’i’st-hwus tthu hwulmuhw kws nem’s hwu sq’uq’a’s tthu me’mun’us ’u kwthey’ kws kwunut-s kwthu sts’um’um ’i’ kwthu sne.
This was where the native people very took it seriously, really thought it important for their children to be in that procession, going for their first communion and having their confirmation name.
[All the names that were taken were recorded in the church. Ruby took Rose as her confirmation name.] - ni’ ’iluqutus xeluw’s s’itth’um kwthu qwullhuy’shuns tthu me’mun’us kws nem’s yu sthi’iw’s kws nem’s tus ’u kwthey’ nilh yathulh ’uw’ yu sht’este’wut.
They always bought new clothes and shoes for their children, to look nice when they went in the procession.
Key information
- Time period or Date: TBD
- Theme(s): Religion, Clothing and Ceremonial Dress, Ceremonies
- Location: St. Ann’s Church in Duncan
- Source info (type – name): Personal — Personal Collection
- Photographer credit: Unknown
- Individuals identified: Theresa (center) and Catherine Thorne
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