xwuyxwi’ ni’ ’u tthu palhe’ch | Masked Dancers at a Potlatch Ceremony

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• Title: xwuyxwi’ ni’ ’u tthu palhe’ch | Masked Dancers at a Potlatch Ceremony
• Title spoken by: Pul-hwuletse’ | Wayne Charlie
• Description: Cowichan Masked Dancers performing a ceremony at a potlatch.

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hwuhwilmuhw knowledge

• Speaker/Story Teller: Sti’tuma’t | Ruby Peter (Kwa’mutsun Elder)
• Date of recording:
• Listen to the recording in Hul’q’umi’num’:

xwuyxwi’ ni’ ’u tthu palhe’ch | Potlatch Ceremony

1. sxwayxwi’ tu’i ’i ’u tthu shxatth’ustun.
   There’s a masked dancer in this picture. 
2. ’uweelh kws hwxatth’ustewut tthu xexe’ sxwayxwi’.
   They never used to allow pictures to be taken because the masked dance is sacred.
3. niilh huy’aata’lum’ ’uweet hwuxatth’ustut.
   They used to warn us not to ever being taking pictures.
4. lhhwelu tu’i sxwayxwi’ ’e’ut yu qw’uy’ulush.
   There are three masked dancers dancing here. 
5. niihw tth’ihwuthut kws qw’uyulushs ni’ ’u tthu stl’un’uq.
   And it is showing that they are dancing commissioned to come and dance at this big potlatch. 
6. ni’ulh snuhel’s ’uw’ niis nilh kwthu shxaatth’ustun, xeetth’ slumstun’uq.
   This would be for either a naming or for showing memorial dolls.
7. ’uweelh te’ sxaatth’ustun ’uw’ kwun’a wulh hith, ’uw’ hay tthu xeetth’ wi’wul’.
   At the time there were no pictures back then and they just used memorial dolls.
8. ’i’ m’i ’aatum tthu qux mustimuhw mukw’ tun’untsu.
   And people were called to come from everywhere.
9. sum’me’shun’ tthu sxwayxwi’, ’uwu te’ qwlhey’shuns tthu sxwayxwi’.
   The masked dancer has no shoes on. 
10. qux mustimuhw tu’i.
    There’s a lot of people there.
11. tthu sxwayxwi’ tun’ni’ ’u tthu ’uw’ hwun’a’ wutl’uts mustimuhw ’i’ yu kwun’em’stum’ ’u tthu shts’uluhwus.
    The masked dancers have been used from when the first people fell from the sky and they brought the masks.
12. nilh shtun’ni’s tun’a sxwayxwi’.
    That’s where the mask dance originated. 
13. ni’ ’uw’ hay tthu tun’ni’ ’uw’ hay ’ul’ niihw tun’ni’ ’u kwthu sxwayxwi’ ’i’ nilh ’un’ hakwush, hakwush kwthu .. yelh ’un’s m’i ’aat.
    And it is only if you belong to the masked dance that you can use it, when you are called on to do it.
14. ’i’ ’uw’ sxuxits ’ul’ tthu st’ilum tun’ni’ ’u kwthu ’uw’ hwun’a’ ’i’ kwun’em’stum’ ’u tthu st’ilum.
    And they have only certain kinds of songs that they use that came with the first masked dancers. 
15. ’i’ ’uw’ hay kwthu tun’ni’ kwun’et kwthu shts’uluhwus nilh ’uw’ hay kwunnuhw ’uw’ hay hakwush.
    And only those who belong to the mask and get and use them.
16. hay ch q’a’.
    Thank you.

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Key information

• Time period or Date: 1910s
• Theme(s): Potlatch/Ceremonies, Villages, Buildings
• Location: Somenos Village
• Source info (type – name): Museum — Cowichan Valley Museum & Archives
• Photographer credit: Unknown
• Individuals identified: Not Specified

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