Cheam                  “wild strawberry place”                      Chiyó:m

Skway                   “a place to make canoes”                    Shxwhá:y

Atchelitz                “bay or at the bottom of something”    Ăthelets

Skowkale              “a turn at the head of Chwk. River”    Sq’ewqéyl

Popkum                “puffballs”                                         Pópkw’em

Seabird                 “turn in the river”                                Sq’éwqel

Squiala                  “gathering of a lot of people”         Sxwoyehálá

Translating names:  These letters are not used in Halq’emeylem.

B,  D,  F,  G,  J,  (N),  R, V,  Z.

Instead of:             B -  P          G – Ch         V – P

                             D – T           J – Ch          Z  - S

                             F – P           R – L          Ph – drop the“h”

Words end with R, drop the R.  If r is in the middle replace with the L. 

In the upriver dialect (N) are replaced with L.

Examples:

Judy – Chuti       Taylor – Teyla, drop the R             Erin – Elel

replace  with l.

Halq’emeylem – upriver from Yale to Musqueam.

There are as many as (17) dialects of Halkomelem.

Upriver dialect              DownRiver Dialects        Island Dialects

 Name Giving Ceremony 

Long ago, our people gave the young people Halq’emeylem names in a special way. 

A spokesman for name-giving ceremony welcomes all the guests who have come to witness this tradition.

The spokesman is hired by the family whose member is getting names.  A blanket is draped over one shoulder and pinned at the side.  Money is pinned on the blanket to show that he is being paid for his work.

The spokesman makes sure that he has all the names of the people who will be called as special witnesses.  The witnesses must remember the history of the Halq’emeylem names.

The names and date are printed on ribbons and given to the guests.  The spokesman also gives a history of the name.

Blankets are also given away.  Our Elders have told us that long ago very special blankets called swoqw’elh were made from mountain goat wool and were worn only on special occasions like this. 

Witnesses now-a-days are given scarves and money.  Long ago, canoes, mountain goat blankets, baskets and valuable tools were given away as gifts. It took a long time to make these gifts and everyone in the family helped to make them.

The blankets are a sign of protection.  They must be put on the ground because it also means that a new life is beginning for the people who are getting names.

When the spokesman is finished speaking some of the guests get up and speak to the ones getting a name.  They tell them to be proud of their name and to honor their name and not to do anything wrong to bring shame to themselves.

To thank the speakers for their good advice the family members give them some money.

After the speeches, the spokesman calls up certain people to take off the blankets and scarves.  When everyone has their blanket and scarf taken off all the other gifts are given away to the guests.

Everyone who is invited is fed a big dinner.  We feel it is important to share food with our friends.

One of the Elders sings a dinner song.  The dinner song is a way of thanking the guests for sharing our food with us. 

(Coqualeetza Archives)

A Cultus Lake Legend

By Mrs. Rena Point

About 200 hundred years ago, there was a large village of Indian people situated near the area of Sunnyside at Cultus Lake.  They were not Stahlo people nor did they speak the Halq’emeylem language.  Their culture was somewhat different from the neighboring tribes, the Pilalt tribe to the east and the Sumas to the west.

One day a youth was on his way home from a hunting trip when he suddenly noticed a long crevice running along the path homeward.  When he arrived home he told his father about the strange crack in the ground and rock.  His father became very concerned and had his son take him to the spot.  They noticed more cracks than at first and one was growing wider.  He immediately went to warn his people of the great danger he sensed.  He pleaded with them to move their families to safer ground but they refused, laughing and telling him to move if he was so afraid. He settled his family down where the stream ran along the Vedder Road about a mile south of Sardis.  

In a matter of a few days there was a great roar and the whole village was swallowed up.  No one was saved except the family that moved.  (The surviving family soon grew and spread and actually mothered all the Chilliwack Bands that sprang up through the years.) Soon the large hole began to fill with water.  When all was quiet again, there stood a beautiful lake.  But the people knew the horror at the bottom and for many years no one went near there.  For this was a bad place, evil and eerie. And so the name Cultus was given this lake, which means bad in the Halq’emeylem Language. 

Many stories and legends are told about Cultus Lake; all evil and weird.  Up until a few years ago, long after the coming of the white man, Indian people would never swim there.  The older people of our time would never participate in canoe racing or other water sports.  Even the young people still have some misgivings about the war canoe races that are held annually.

Today there is still evidence of the last village, for artifacts are being found near Sunnyside Park.

Judy Douglas, May 21, 2009