Voices
Thunderbird Stone
Video Transcript
Background Description: The title is “Thunderbird Stone”. A contemporary image of a man at his desk appears, followed by the text, “My name is Rudy Reimer. I am an archaeologist.” An image of the same man with hiking gear appears. There is mist and mountains in the background and he is standing in snow with an ice axe. The text continues, “I’ve always spent time in the mountains. They teach you patience, clarity of thought and give spiritual guidance.” The next scene shows a mountain with many peaks and some snow. The following text says, “The mountains also taught me to listen to the stories of my people and to let the stories guide me in my scientific research.” A photograph shows Reimer hiking among rock strapped with a black backpack. Text continues, “That is how, after fifteen years searching, I finally discovered the source of obsidian, ‘Thunderbird stone’, on Mount Garibaldi, in the place my people call Nch ‘Kay.” We see Reimer at his desk looking at papers. The text continues, “Now I’m writing my own history...in stories. We see another photograph of Reimer hiking across a hillside with mountains in the background. The text continues, “By placing myself, and my discoveries into the time frame of the ancient days, I feel like I am transforming all the data, all the science, back into the language of the Squamish people.” We are shown a spectacular mountain range with snow and clouds across the top. The text continues, “My traditional name is Yumks.” A photograph of an old wooden building appears.
Reimer begins telling a story: Yumks sat near the fire inside the long house. Everyone was singing the Thunderbird’s song.
Background Description: We see a photograph of a grassy landscape with a cluster of evergreen trees and Reimer in the distance. Mountains rise behind him. This is followed by a photo of Reimer next to his blue tent. A mountain range lines the background.
Reimer speaks: It was shaking the entire house. He had just returned from years of physical and spiritual training, gaining insight from the land. It took time to get used to surviving on his own, especially when he went into the mountains.
Background Description: A photo from behind Reimer shows him hiking through rocky terrain. This shifts to a close up of crumbling rock face.
Reimer speaks: But it was in the mountains that he found something. It was the place where Thunderbird—the great In7inyaxa7en had hit the earth with lightning, during its battles with evil beings who were trying to harm the Squamish people. At this place he found a shiny black rock.
Background Description: There is a mountain in the backdrop of a photo where Reimer is scrambling across a hillside.
Reimer speaks: The rock was at the bottom of a great split in the earth where no vegetation grew.
Background Description: We see a close up of fingers holding a piece of dark rock with edges.
Reimer speaks: He worked it and discovered that it could be shaped into a tool with incredibly sharp edges.
Background Description: Reimer looks at a spectacular mountain range in the distance.
Reimer speaks: Excited by his discovery, he decided to return home. He wondered how his family would react. It had been years since he had been in contact with anyone.
Background Description: A photograph shows Reimer heading across lush grassy terrain. A rocky hillside rises in the background.
Reimer speaks: Traveling back to his home village, a family spotted him; they ran in fear, believing he was a Smaylilh. He realized he looked like a wild person. He stopped. He bathed, cut and tied back his hair.
Background Description: The next photograph shows a large modern community centre with First Nations motifs and carvings. A few people seem to be on their way out.
Reimer speaks: At his home village, people came out of their houses to see his arrival. His family was happy to see him. Others were shocked and apprehensive.
Background Description: A photograph shows Reimer is speaking and has maps spread out on a table in front of him as other people are looking at them.
Reimer speaks: He eased their fear by showing them the rock he had discovered in the mountains.
Background Description: We are taken back to a close up of the piece of black rock, which shines in the light of lightning.
Reimer speaks: Yumks worked the rock beside the fire inside the long house. The light caught its keen edges. The rock shone and flashed like lightning. It caught the eyes of all.
Background Description: A photograph shows a ceremony taking place with Reimer in front of a line of people. He is wearing traditional fabrics over modern clothing and holding a hand drum.
Reimer speaks: Since he brought the rock to his people, Yumks was given an important place in history.
Background Description: Text says, "Rudy Reimer is a lecturer in First Nations Studies and Archaeology at Simon Fraser University."
Acknowledgments: "In7inyaxa7en Smant/Thunderbird Stone: Linking Science with Tradition” was written by Rudy Reimer as part of a Centre for Digital Storytelling workshop that was organized with the North Vancouver Museum and Archives in February 2009. All photographs copyright Rudy Reimer. Thanks to Ray Natural/Sisiyam, Aaron Nelson Moody/Tawx’sin yexwulla and Chief Ian Campbell/Sekyu Siyam for permission to use “Thunderbird’s Song.” It comes from the CD titled “An Wanaxws ten Skwalwen/It is with Great Pride.” The vignette was organized in support of the Virtual Museum of Canada’s project, ‘Climbing to the Clouds: A People’s History of BC Mountaineering.’
