The ƛaʔuukʷiʔatḥ Language Department
Baby Welcoming Page
ƛayaḥuʔaał siiḥił to the ƛaʔuukʷiʔatḥ Language Department Baby Welcoming Page
Here you will find many resources for your new t̓aatn̓aʔis (small children) including: Baby Names, Lullabies and Songs, Stories, Videos, Prayers, Family Trees and more! Our goal is to help families bring up their little ones with language and cultural teachings. If you have any requests for additional resources to be shared with community members please feel free to reach out to languagecoordinator@tla-o-qui-aht.org and we will do our best to accommodate all inquiries.
Baby Names
These are borrowed names that can be used for babies and little ones until a name is given from your house. Support and permission has been given from the ƛaʔuukʷiʔatḥ ḥawiiḥ in this project.
Songs and Lullabies
Sealer’s Love Song - Sung by ʔaanicn̓aas Tom Curley
The next lines are the lyrics to a Sealer’s Love Song, which Tom calls the “I miss you song”, or “wiiy̓iičiƛ nuuk”. Tom learned this song from his mother’s father, Tim Manson. As far as he knows, this song was composed for anyone’s use. Other people can use it, and can adapt it to their dialects if they wish.
ʔaʔiimaƛquus ʔaʔiimaƛquus waʔičuƛ When I first fall asleep
n̓aac̓suweeƛ n̓aacsuweeƛsi suw̓a (n̓aacsuwiʔaƛsi suw̓a) I see your face
waasik waaʔaƛqu suw̓a waasik waaʔaƛqu suw̓a Where are you I said
ʔaʔiimaƛquus ʔaʔiimaƛquus waʔičuƛ When I first fall asleep
n̓aac̓suweeƛ n̓aacsuweeƛsi suw̓a (n̓aacsuwiʔaƛsi suw̓a) I see your face
wiiy̓iičeeƛsi suw̓a (wiiy̓iičiʔaƛsi suw̓a) And I miss you
wiiy̓iičeeƛsi suw̓a (wiiy̓iičiʔaƛsi suw̓a) And I miss you
ʔaʔiimaƛquus ʔaʔiimaƛquus waʔičuƛ When I first fall asleep
n̓aac̓suweeƛ n̓aacsuweeƛsi suw̓a (n̓aacsuwiʔaƛsi suw̓a) I see your face
yaaʔakuksi suw̓a I love you
yaaʔakuksi suw̓a I love you
ʔaʔiimaƛquus ʔaʔiimaƛquus waʔičuƛ When I first fall asleep
n̓aac̓suweeƛ n̓aacsuweeƛsi suw̓a (n̓aacsuwiʔaƛsi suw̓a) I see your face
suumaḥsasi suw̓a I want to hold you
suumaḥsasi suw̓a I want to hold you
ʔaʔiimaƛquus ʔaʔiimaƛquus waʔičuƛ When I first fall asleep
n̓aac̓suweeƛ n̓aacsuweeƛsi suw̓a (n̓aacsuwiʔaƛsi suw̓a) I see your face
yaaʔakuksi suw̓a I love you
yaaʔakuksi suw̓a I love you
Good roots song – Created by Levi Martin and Tsimka Martin
hiyina hiyina hiyina hiyina (chanting sounds)
ƛusinḥapʔatʔišʔał t̓apatmis hiyina (Make sure you have good thoughts)
ƛusinḥapʔatʔišʔał t̓apatmis hiyina (Make sure you have good thoughts)
hiyina hiyina hiyina hiyina
čamatuksinḥatʔišʔał hiyina hiyina (Always speak with honour)
čamatuksinḥatʔišʔał hiyina hiyina (Always speak with honour)
hiyina hiyina hiyina hiyina
ʔuyałuksinḥatʔišʔał wawaʔitk hiyina (Always be careful about what you say)
ʔuyałuksinḥatʔišʔał wawaʔitk hiyina (Always be careful about what you say)
hiyina hiyina hiyina hiyina
ʔiisaksinḥapatʔišʔał hiyina hiyina (Always be respectful)
ʔiisaksinḥapatʔišʔał hiyina hiyina (Always be respectful)
hiyina hiyina hiyina hiyina-hey
hupitstałʔatišʔał hiyina hiyina (Always be helpful to each other)
hupitstałʔatišʔał hiyina hiyina (Always be helpful to each other)
hiyina hiyina hiyina hiyina
ƛułmaptʔiš waʔaqƛatsuk hiyina hiyina (You come from good roots (good family))
ƛułmaptʔiš waʔaqƛatsuk hiyina hiyina (You come from good roots (good family))
hiyina hiyina hiyina hiyina
ʔapḥiiʔatʔišʔał hiyina hiyina (Always be friendly)
ʔapḥiiʔatʔišʔał hiyina hiyina (Always be friendly)
hiyina hiyina hiyina hiyina
čamiḥtatʔišʔał naʔataḥ hiyina (Always listen well)
čamiḥtatʔišʔał naʔataḥ hiyina hiyina (Always listen well)
hiyina hiyina hiyina
ʔapsčiiksinḥapatʔišʔał hiyina (Always speak the truth)
ʔapsčiiksinḥapatʔišʔał hiyina hiyina (Always speak the truth)
yucḥapatʔišʔał hiyina hiyina (Always be careful what you do and say)
yucḥapatʔišʔał hiyina hiyina
hiyina hiyina hiyina hiyina
čamapiłʔaqƛniš hiyina hiyina (We will stand up with dignity honour love and humility)
čamapiłʔaqƛniš hiyina hiyina (We will stand up with dignity honour love and humility)
čamapiłʔaqƛniš hiyina hiyina (We will stand up with dignity honour love and humility)
čamapiłʔaqƛniš hiyina hiyina (We will stand up with dignity honour love and humility)
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
paƛkšiƛ paƛkšiƛ t̓aatuusiis - Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
qwiqmisʔisʔitk waay̓aqƛsiiš - How I wonder what you are
hiłaayiłʔick sayaač̓aa - Up above the world so high
ḥinaʔisquuk hiłaayiiƛ - Like a diamond in the sky
paƛkšiƛ paƛkšiƛ t ̓aatuusiis - Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
qwiqmisʔisʔitk waay̓ aqƛsiiš - How I wonder what you are
yaaʔakuks suutił - I love you (translated by kaamatḥ)
ḥii yii ni huu wa huu hee eeya
ḥii yii ni huu wa huu heeya
ḥii yii ni huu (repeat x2)
yaaʔakuks suutił (I love you)
yaaʔakuks suutił (I love you)
ḥii yii ni huu
ʔiiḥmis-suuqs suutił (I love you)
ʔiiḥmis-suuqs suutił (I love you)
ḥii yii nih huu
ʔunacʔaqƛtiič ya huu ʔa hiyay ya (forever)
ʔunacʔaqƛtiič ya ho a heyay ya (forever)
ḥii yii nih huu
siy̓asʔaqƛʔick nayaqak (my baby you will be)
siy̓asʔaqƛʔick nayaqak (my baby you will be)
ḥii yii nih huu
ḥii yii ni huu wa huu hee eeya
ḥii yii ni huu wa huu heeya
ḥii yii ni huu (repeat x2)
Mary Hayes Lullaby
t̓ut̓upčas - Rabbit Song by ḥiin̓uk Leah Morgan
Body Parts Songs - Sung by t̓at̓uusʔaqsa
Stories
qʷiiqʷiqsap - Transformer Story
Listen to kaamatḥ Levi Martin tell the story of qʷiiqʷiqsap - The Transformer. The audio found above tells the story first in nuučaan̓uł and then in English. Try to follow along with the following prompts:
Characters to listen out for:
qʷiiqʷiqsap transformer
ƛapisum racoon
mowaačmit deer
hasamac crab
ʕaanismit heron
Phrases from the story:
hinatšiƛwit̓ asʔaƛat qʷiiqʷiqsap Transformer will be coming.
ƛuḥʔakƛ̓ inuʔat He spanked him (or hit him in the bum)
1A) ʔaqinʔapk ƛapisum What are you doing racoon?
1B) čačamataḥsiš ƛawaʔiiʔaƛatqʷin I am getting ready for when transformer comes to us
1A) ƛapisum ʔukłaaʔaƛʔick You are now called racoon
2A) ʔaqinʔapk mowaačmit What are you doing deer?
2B) čačamataḥsiš ƛawaʔiiʔaƛatqʷin I am getting ready for when transformer comes to us.
2A) muwač ʔukłaaʔaƛʔick You are now called deer.
3A) ʔaqinapk hasamac What are you doing crab?
3B) čačamataḥsiš ƛawaʔiiʔaƛatqʷin I am getting ready for when transformer comes to us
3A) hasamac ʔukłaaʔaƛʔick You are now called crab
4A) ʔaqinapk ʕaanismit What are you doing heron?
4B) čačamataḥsiš ƛawaʔiiʔaƛatqʷin I am getting ready for when transformer comes to us
4A) ʕaanis ʔukłaaʔaƛʔick You are now called heron
ciciqink - Prayers
The drifting prayer is said four times in a row. We use two slightly different wordings, depending on whether it is said by one person, or by a group. (By kamaatḥ - Levi Martin)
taanasʔiʔap̓isʔaał ḥaw̓iłmis ḥaw̓eeł Creator, let all good things drift towards me. (1 person)
taanasʔiʔap̓inʔaał ḥaw̓iłmis ḥaw̓eeł Creator, let all good things drift towards us. (more than 1)
Prayer song for all the children
“May the Creator bless each and every one of you, That this song will bless you as you grow. That all songs you listen to inspire your soul, mind, and body.” - Tom Curley ʔaanicn̓aas
waykaašƛuu, waykaašƛuu ḥaałapi ḥaw̓eeł
łaakšiʔin n̓ačʕaaʔatu t̓aatn̓aʔisʔi
ḥaaʔaksuqƛ̓ap̓inʔaał t̓aatn̓aʔisʔi
čimʔasčip̓inʔaał t̓ašii
taaqšiiʔin qutiis
naʔaataḥʔinʔaał nuutnuukukqin
taakaasʔičumʔaał ʔuuḥw̓ał nuutnuukukqin
taakaasʔičumʔaał ʔuuḥw̓ał huły̓akm̓inḥukqin
ciciqink by kaamatḥ - Levi Martin
waaykaaš n̓aas, waaykaaš n̓aas Praise the light of day
łaakłaakʷniš suutil n̓aas We are pleading with you creator/creation
qaaciiʔin łimaqsti Give us strength
haaʔakʷapin n̓aas Keep us strong
čaamapiłʔapin Help us to stand w/ dignity, honor and respect.
ḥaaḥuupčuumis - Life Lessons
ʔutwiisakniš ʔiisaakmis - Respect is our first law.
hišukʔiš c̓awaak - Everything is connected.
huḥtakšiʔaƛquuk ciiqciqasa, ʔaḥʔaaʔaƛsuuk čaamaapiqčik - Once you understand our language, then you must live it.
ʔuḥukniš mamumis ʔuuy̓ałuk nism̓aakqin - It is our responsibility to take care of our land.
wik̓umʔaał hayumḥičiƛ yaqiik histatḥiik - Remember who you are and where you come from.
qʷiicay̓ukʔik yaaqḥyuuʔik waamitʔaał - Where you are going and who you are related to.
[…] the children were taught from the start who they were related to. The children learned right from the start. This is the reason we all knew who we were related to, the people from other places, all the villages from the nuučaan̓uł area. (Our Sayings, p. 53).
[…] Remember who you are. Remember yourself. Respect yourself, you will know how to respect other people. You will know how to teach your children when you have your own children. (Our Sayings, p. 70).
“Repetition was our common way of passing on teachings.” (Roy Haiyupis, Our Sayings, p. 58).
“Sometimes himwic̓a (telling teaching stories) were used as ḥaaḥuupa.” (Moses Smith, Our Sayings, p. 89).
ʔaaʔaastumxʷa
[…] the child was held in their mother’s arms or grandmother’s arms and special little songs were sung to him or her. There were different songs for boys and girls, and the songs changed as the child grew. There were songs for the stages of their lives. Some songs told of how the child was going to be when they grew up, what they would do. Some were fun songs, teasing the child. Some songs were lullabies to put the baby to sleep or to comfort her, to stop her from crying. ʔaaʔaastumxʷa included fun songs and teaching songs. (Our Sayings, p. 49-50).
[…] the ʔaaʔaastumxʷa did several things. Holding the baby and singing to the baby let that baby feel love. It developed a bond between the grandparent, the parent and other family members and the baby. It was a time of ḥaaḥuupa-teaching the baby of the possibilities he or she had in life, about teaching him or her how to go about life. (Our Sayings, p.50).
[…] what the children are taking in, they are learning, learning because of what they see. There is a lot these children learn from. They see, they take it in, what they see, these children-what they see their parents do, what they see from other children, what they see their grandparents do. This is what the children go by. They take it all into their own mind. (Roy Haiyupis, Our Sayings, p.60).
[…] when teaching was done in a thoroughly and consistent manner, teachings were retained throughout a lifetime. They became a part of a person; they stayed with one throughout their lifetime. (Our Sayings, P. 62).
EARLIEST LANGUAGE ACQUISITION
From a speech by Willie Sport (Huu-ay-aht), March 30,1996
ʔaḥʔaa ʔuuyuqʷamin ʔusim našuk̓ʷap. - That is what we need to make us strong.
yaał łiciitʔi ʔumʔiiqsuw̓it̓as ʔuuyuqʷap naʔaataḥ quuquuʔacaʔi - That pregnant lady and future mother should be made listen to Quuquuʔaca.
hiinuumałʔiikquu našuk̓ʷaƛ̓at łim̓aqsti - So, when (the baby) is born, its mind will be strong.
huḥtakšiƛmiḥsa Quuquuʔaca ʔani ʔuyuuqʷimt naʔaataḥ qʷiyiiʔitq łiciit ʔumʔiiqsu - It will want to listen to Quuquuʔaca because that is what it heard when his mother was pregnant.
ʔuuḥw̓ink ʔumʔiiqsu p̓ap̓iiʔat naʔaataḥ. - It used its mother’s ears to listen.
ʔuḥ ʔuucḥw̓ink ʔumʔiiqsak qasii n̓aačsa. - It used its mother’s eyes to see.
ʔaḥʔaa ʔuuyuqʷaaqƛ̓aƛin ƛ̓uuʔaƛ qʷaaʔaƛukqin t̓aatn̓a quʔiičiƛ n̓ay̓aqak ciciqata - quuquuʔaca. - That is what we shall remember about how our children grew up then, the babies chatting in Quuquuʔaca.
ʔatquu wiky̓uu n̓upq̓ičḥšiƛ yaa n̓ay̓aqakʔi ciqmiḥsa ḥaačatiłʔaƛ huḥtak ciiqciiqa qʷaayuqʷaƛ naʔaataḥ. - Not even one year old yet, a baby wants to speak, wants to know how to say everything it hears.
ʔaḥʔaa ʔuusaaḥaƛin čamułḥʔaƛ naaty̓aqak ʔuuyuqʷa ciciqata Quuquuʔaca. - And that is why we should chat with the babies in Quuquuʔaca.
huḥtak̓eeʔita Quuquuʔaca ciiqmaʕukšiʔiikquu. - So that they know how to Quuquuʔaca when they learn how to speak well.
ʔaḥʔaa ʔuuyuqʷeʔičin ƛ̓uu. - Let us all remember that.
ʔiiḥmaa ʔiiḥcamisʔaƛ naaty̓aqak naʔaataḥ Quuquuʔaca. - It is important for the babies to listen to Quuquuʔaca.
Language Notes:
1) Willie and other Huu-ay-aht speakers say n̓aačsa "seeing", where others say n̓aacsa (same for qačc̓a ~ qacc̓a "three").
2) ʔuuyuqʷa is the same as ʔuukʷił (object marker), a word Huu-ay-aht shares with Ditidaht.
(3) ʔuuḥw̓ink means "using", ʔuucḥw̓ink means "using somebody else’s property" (same as ʔuuḥw̓ał and ʔuucḥw̓ał).
Introductions
Introducing yourself in nuučaan̓uuł usually consists of saying your name, where you are from and who your parents and grandparents are. This helps the person you are speaking to know your mułmumc (roots). Practice the phrases below by filling in the blanks with your name, where you are from and who your parents and grandparents are.