Sea Wolf Petroglyph At Kulleet Bay

This Sea Wolf petroglyph, carved a long time ago in a boulder on the shore of Kulleet Bay, has a story associated with it, the background of which is as follows:

The Stzu’uminus Mustimuxw lived and still practices living in a holistic way. All life must be respected and cared for. The families abided by strict rules and knew that the balance of natural resources was vital to their survival. Oral history and stories are examples of how important teachings are provided. The guiding principles that protect and sustain natural resources that were taught in times long ago still apply today. Everyone was taught to work together and give their best effort (Ts’its’uwatul). They put their minds and hearts together as one so that problems were overcome and balance restored to the natural world (nuts’a’maat). The Story of Sea Wolf (an Oral History) describes a time when the beaches of Thuq’min and Kulleet Bay were out of balance.

The story in Hul’qumi’num, as told by the late Stz’uminus Elder Edward Seymour Sr., is as follows:

kwimul tu qa.
qa’qi tu Stz’umimus mustimuxw.
‘imush tsaam u tu smeent.
sulxween tsewut tu mustimuxw.
tsi tuwutul tu mustimuxw.
stl’i’ thythut tu mustimuxw.
stl’i’ u tu xw’uy’um tu qa tu mustimuxw.
talqutum tu sti’wi’ulh.
talqutum u tu stqeeye’.
lumstulum tu xe’xe’.
i’tsun ts’lum ni utl u tu smeent.
i’ye’q’tus tu stqeeye’ tu thi smeent.
ni wil utl Quluc.
‘een’thu xe’xe’ stqeeye’.
nu sxwi’em sxt’ekw’tsus tu smeent.
tlim’o’ qux tu sulhtun.
tu smeent ‘o’yath na’as tu hwkwekw’yul.
“lalum’uthut ch!”
shhwuy’i’wun ‘i’ sti’tuwutul.
tseelqum tu swuyqe tu sqwal u tu stqeeye’.
ni qwa sulhtun s-uy’yelh tu ts’etsuw’.
swuy’qe na’asit xe’xe’ stqeeye’ xwte’ hwkwekw’yul.

Translated into English by the late Pearl Harris, the late Theresa Rice, Diana Sampson, Dean Harris, Buffi David, Delores Elliott, Manny Sampson, Mona Sampson, the story reads:

The water was coloured red
The Stz’uminus people became sick
The people went up into the mountains.
The elders knew how to heal their people.
The mustimuxw (people) worked together.
The people wanted to get better.
The people wanted the waters to be clean.
Their prayers were answered.
stqeeye’ (wolf) decided to help them.
He revealed his plan through a vision.
I will jump from the mountain.
I will transform into a huge stone.
It will appear in Kulleet Bay.
Call me Sea Wolf.
My story will be carved into the stone.
There will be abundance.
The stone must always face the rising sun.
Take care of yourself!
Be kind and help each other,
The men followed all of stqeeye’s orders.
The shellfish became healthy.
To this day, men face Sea Wolf towards the rising sun.