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This came from a time that I heard the Ba’wis hollering when I was out goose hunting near Wil Lu Spag̱ayt Dzooł (Where the slide comes together) near what’s called Tuck Narrows. We beached the skiff and quietly walked up the creek where geese are usually napping and heard this awful hollering that sounded like it was coming from all around us, like nothing we’d heard before. I’d never felt so helpless before, and I had a gun in my hand at the time. We could hear it moving through the bush but couldn’t see it. So we left as quickly as possible and I haven’t been back there since.

The following summer I actually saw one in broad daylight about 70kms from Kxeen (Prince Rupert) towards Terrace. It was huge, covered in black hair and was walking along the shoreline looking into the water. I watched it for a couple minutes before continuing onward to where my co-worker and I were meeting up for work.

Ba’wis are known for tossing large rocks around with ease, hence why the chorus is what it is.

The mentioning of Hadi’ix comes from a story of what happened long ago. Hadi’ix is my great-great grandfather. He used to go for walks and smoke his pipe around the village by himself. People wondered why he was laying flat on his back on the boardwalk, and unconscious. When he came-to he told the people who were helping him that he had met the Ba’wis, and it had breathed in his face, and he went unconscious as a result of that.

After hearing about this, among some other stories of people meeting it, I do not want to meet it myself..

lyrics

Dildaalda amhaw ba’wis Dziła ayawaat
‘Nii Dawila G̱aḵ’oła txa’mooyu

Chorus:

Gyiloom oy’oyu da liploop

Akadi hasag̱i dm ksinaałg̱n da ts’alu,
dm sadzaga’nu ‘nii waalda waals Hedi’ix

‘na̱x’nuuyu ayawaa ba’wis, ada baasu da ba’wis
Akadi hasag̱i dm txal’waa ba’wis a gwii




Translation:

The voice of the Ba’wis echos when it hollers
That, and then my body trembles.

Don’t throw rocks at me

I don’t want you to breath in my face
I will pass out, what is what happened to Hadi’ix

Don’t throw rocks at me

I hear the hollering of the Ba’wis, and I am afraid
I don’t want to meet the Ba’wis there

Don’t throw rocks at me.

credits

from G​̱​al'u​̈​u​̈​nx Wil Lu Holtga Liimi, released July 1, 2023

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Saltwater Hank Prince Rupert, British Columbia

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