St. Ann’s t’i’wi’ulhew’t-hw | St. Ann’s Church

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• Title: St. Ann’s t’i’wi’ulhew’t-hw | St. Ann’s Church
• Modern Image Description: St. Ann’s church at the bottom of Mt. Tzouhalem with kwustunaat walking toward the church. Photo taken 28 April 2026.

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hwuhwilmuhw knowledge

• Speaker/Story Teller: Pul-hwuletse’ | Wayne Charlie
• Date of recording: 28 Apr, 2026
• Listen to the recording in Hul’q’umi’num’:

St. Ann’s t’i’wi’ulhew’t-hw | St. Ann’s Church

1. ’e’ut ’i tthu St. Ann’s t’i’wi’ulhew’t-hw, t’i’wi’ulhew’t-hws tthu quw’utsun’ mustimuhhw.
   This is St. Ann church, the church of the Quwutsun people.
2. nuw’ ni’ ’u tthu shelhs tthu hun’utum’ tthu Mt. Tzouhalem shelh.
   It is located on Mt. Tzouhalem road.
3. nilh ’uw’ shhwunum’s tthu t’atulh s’ul’eluhw kwutst t’ut’i’wi’ulh.
   This is the church of our ancestors where we go to worship.
4. ’u kwun’a wulh hith niilh ’uw’ t’ut’i’wi’ulh yu ha’kwushum’ tthu hwulmuhwqun sqwal kwus ’imustum tthu t’i’wi’ulh.
   In the old days, most of the prayers and mass were given in the Hul’q’umi’num’ language.
5. tun’a kweyul tthu ts’hwulmuhw tst yu t’it’ulum’ ’i’ yu t’ut’i’wi’ulh yu ha’kwushum tthu hwulmuhwqun sqwal.
   Today, our people still sing songs and do prayers in the Hul’q’umi’num’ language.
6. ts’uhwle’ ’i’ ni’ tst hunum’ kwus yu te’wuqun’ tthu siiye’yu tst.
   Sometimes we have funerals there.
7. tthu tumuhw ni’ ’u tthu t’i’wi’ulhew’t-hw’uw’ yu ha’kwushum’ ’u tun’a kweyul.
   The land around St. Ann is our cemetary that is still used today.
8. ’u tun’a kweyul ’i’ tl’lim’ ’uw’ luts’ tthu shmukw’elu tst sitst ’uw’ tuyqul nem’ ’u tthu shnu’ath tthu shelh, shelhs tthu Providence Farm.
   That cemetary is pretty much full and so we’ve moved to the land on the other side of the road toward Providence Farm.
9. ni’ hakwushus tthu ts’lhhwulmuhw tst ’u tun’a kweyul.
   It is now used for our burials.
10. nan ’uw’ thimastum tthu s’ul’eluhw tst kwus yu te’wuqun’.
    Our elders stress the importance of grieving properly.
11. qux tthu snuw’uyulh ni’ yu tsukwul’ul’qum’s kwthu ts’lhhwulmuhw.
    There is alot of cultural teachings our First Nation follows.
12. tthu syaays ni’ yu ’imushtum kwus qewumstum tthu ni’ yu taanalum.
    There is work that must proceed to put to rest those that have left us behind.
13. ’i’ yu hakwushus ’u tun’a kwuyel tthu lupen kwus yu qewumstum tthu ni’ yu taanalum.
    And today they use the shovel to put the departed to rest.
14. ’u kwutst hay kwutst me’mukw’e lh ’u tthu ni’ yu taanalum, ’i’ snuw’uyulh ni’ tsukwul’ul’qum’s tthu ts’lhhwulmuhws tth’xwatssum yuw’en’ yelhs nem’ taant tthu shmukw’elu
    When the burial of the one who has left us is finished, the teaching the First Nation people follow is to wash your hands before you leave the graveyard.
15. kwus hay kwutst me’mukw’ulh tthu ni’ yu taantalum ’i’ ’aatum ’uw’ mukw’ tthu siiye’yu tst hwu’alum’ nem’ ’u tthu theew’t-hw
    After the burial all of the relatives are called upon to go back to the longhouse.
16. shni’s tse’ kws saay’stum tse’ tthu lutem ’uw’ niis tse’ wulh hayuqun tthu siiye’yu tst ni’ kwu’elh wil’ tthu ts’uyulhnamut shqwaluwun.
    This is the place where the table is laid and when our relatives have finished eating them the work of thanking everyone begins.
17. tl’uw’ wil’utum tthu ni’ q’eptum si’em’ shqwaluwun tuni’ ’u tthu siiye’yu tst ts’ets’uw’ut tthu ni’ yu taanalum.
    Also the respect is shown to those who helped with the one who has left us.
18. nilh ’uw’ snuw’uyulsulh tthu t’atulh s’ul’eluhw yathulh ’uw’ ts’ets’uw’atul’ tthu ts’lhhwulmuhw tst mukw’ tun’untsu.
    It is the teaching of our ancestors that the First Naitons people from everywhere help each other.
19. ni’ q’eptum tthu telu ’i’ ni’ ’e’muqtum namustum ’u tthu ni’ yu sqiqul’us, te’wuqun’.
    The money gathered that is being returned to the ones in mourning.

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Key information

• Time period or Date: 2026
• Theme(s): Churches, ,
• Location: Tzouhalem Rd in Duncan
• Source info (type – name): Personal — Personal Collection
• Photographer credit: Dylan George-James
• Individuals identified: Kwustunaat | Roberta V. Charlie

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Learn more

To learn more about this topic, you can follow the link below to listen to Pul-hwuletse’ | Wayne Charlie narrating his story, “Catholic upbringing and becoming a speaker for funerals”. https://saalhsqwal.hwulmuhwqun.ca/authors/wayne-charlie/catholic-upbringing/

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Related images

Related images to come.

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