What Was Said to Me

The Life of Sti'tum'atul'wut, a Cowichan Woman

By: Ruby Peter, Helene Demers, Molly Peter

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Paperback | 18 June 2021

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Paperback
224 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
21.59 x 14.61 x 1.91

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Life histories are a form of contemporary social history and convey important messages about identity, cosmology, social behaviour and one&;s place in the world. This first-person oral history documents a period of profound social change through the lens of Sti&;tum&;atul&;wut&;also known as Mrs. Ruby Peter&;a Cowichan elder who made it her life&;s work to share and safeguard the ancient language of her people: Hul&;q&;umi&;num&;.

Over seven decades, Sti&;tum&;atul&;wut helped thousands of people to develop a basic knowledge of the Hul&;q&;umi&;num&; language. She contributed to dictionaries and grammars, and helped assemble a valuable corpus of stories, sound and video files&;with more than 10,000 pages of texts&;that has been described as &;a treasure of linguistic and cultural knowledge.&; Without her passion, commitment and expertise, this rich legacy would not exist for future generations.

In 1997 Vancouver Island University anthropologist Helene Demers recorded Sti&;tum&;atul&;wut&;s life stories. The result is rich with family and cultural history&;a compelling narrative of resistance and resilience that promises to help shape progressive social policy for generations to follow.

Industry Reviews

"As I read What was Said to Me I felt like I was sitting with my grandmother when she too shared stories, teachings, culture and tradition. Such a beautiful reflection of Ruby's vision: a legacy that guides and directs her family." -- Robina ThomasExecutive Director, Indigenous Academic and Community Engagement, University of Victoria
" What Was Said to Me is a beautiful and generous gift our Aunty, Sti'tum'atul'wut, has shared with us. It is rich with teachings from beginning to end. It is an example of the love she had for the people." -- Samaya Jardey, Director of Language and Cultural Affairs, Squamish Nation
"A synthesis of memoir, oral history and auto-ethnography, Ruby Peter's story is a powerful testament to the persistence of Indigenous life on Canada's West Coast." -- Wendy Wickwire, Author of At the Bridge: James Teit and an Anthropology of Belonging

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