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203 22 Some Place-Names from Lummi History From the Archives of Pauline Hillaire The following is a composite of information stated told by Al Charles, Mr. and Mrs. Peter Victor, Johnny Julius, August Martin, and Mr. and Mrs. Julius Charles during a meeting with Norbert James and Joseph R. Hillaire. Joseph recorded these testimonies (no date). Julius Charles said that his people lived in a village called Xxe lel kuut, north of the present town of Friday Harbor on San Juan Island. Near this village was a cemetery; his uncle is buried there. Patrick George’s father is buried there, and so is Johnnie Tom. “All these people are my relations; they are Lummi. The name of the island was Ei’əlyxw,” Mr. Charles said. There was another village called Peqwielwet, west of Roach Harbor. Johnnie Tom’s father was named Sye kwetitmetvw. Billy Sepass is from this family, and so was Martin Sepass. On the south end of Henry Island, Xw te tin kwel, is a reef-net site. Mitchell Bay was called Smax; this is where the army camp was built. Charley French operated reef nets there. His wife’s father’s name was Sehenep. This island is the scene of the Lummi 204 Pauline Hillaire origin story of ɬe legemec. Sweten is the name of the first man. Xhals (x ̣eʔəl’s), the Transformer, showed him how to make a reef net and when and where to use it. Halibut, cod, salmon, deer, berries, and ducks were plentiful there. Waldron Island was called T’s xeni; this place was noted for small deer. Orcas Island was called Swe’lex. This was also the given name of some of the people as it appears in some of the government reports. Coal Point was called Tt gwə legs, where Boston Tom operated reef nets. There was a village at East Sound called Ts’el wesey. There was a village at West Sound called El e’ley, and the place is marked by great heaps of clamshells. The Indian name of the place signifies the place to cook clams. Xwlə leg’w, the father of George Warbus, had a reef-net location on Shaw Island. Whatcom was a village. Qualliqum was where the Lummi caught and dried dog salmon. The Semyamoo (Semiahmoo) were allies of the Lummi Tribe, and they occupied the area round about Blaine. Marietta was called E’leq. Once, the Lummi were attacked, but they were prepared, because messengers told them an enemy was coming. The men helped the women and children to go to a place of safety, and while they were doing so, the enemy came to the village. Finding the place deserted, they thought the Lummi were afraid and had run away, so they began robbing the village. They were busy when the Lummi warriors came upon them. The first shot was fired by a man named Syg wə neq. The arrow struck a post near one of the enemy, and he let out a scream. This sent the pillagers running out of the big houses. The waiting Lummi warriors came at the doors and slaughtered the enemy with spears. Sex wem ken (Sa hum kun?), a Lummi leader, was wounded in the arm. Very few of the enemy got away. Yi’q wet tex is the name of the island in Chuckanut Bay named after the Ya’quul’tah from the North who were killed by blackfish (minke whale) while they were pursuing a band of Lummi. As the fleeing Lummi entered the mouth of the bay, they cast stones into the water. This stirred the anger of the blackfish, so they attacked the pursuing Indians and killed them, saving the Lummi. ...

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