wîskicâk : Perisoreus_Canadensis : Grey Jay, now the national bird of Canada
The wîskicâk, known in English as the Grey Jay or Whisky Jack has just become Canada’s National Bird (November 2016). Read more about the selection process (and see some stunning photos) at Canadian Geographic.
Read about the “Canadians” who claim they’ve never heard of it – though it’s obviously old news in Cree: http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/gray-jay-canadians-ruffled-over-national-bird-they-ve-never-heard-of-1.3164852.
Solomon Ratt gathered the following words from nêhiyawêwin: itwêwina / Cree: Words by Arok Wolvengrey. CPRC, 2001. He comments that he may have misspelled a few and isn’t sure the list is exhaustive for the birds seen in Saskatchewan (or in western Canada). How great would it be if we could now gather a collection of corresponding images?
| Bald eagle | mikisiw | ᒥᑭᓯᐤ |
| Bird | piyêsîs | ᐱᔦᓰᐢ |
| Bittern | mohkahasiw | ᒧᐦᑲᐦᐊᓯᐤ |
| Black bird | cahcahkâyow | ᒐᐦᒐᐦᑳᔪᐤ |
| Black duck | kaskitêsip | ᑲᐢᑭᑌᓯᑊ |
| Blue heron | mohkahasiw | ᒧᐦᑲᐦᐊᓯᐤ |
| Blue jay | kwîhkwîsiw | ᑹᐦᑹᓯᐤ |
| Blue wing duck | yîkihcikanawêwisip | ᔩᑭᐦᒋᑲᓇᐍᐏᓯᑊ |
| Brown duck | osâwisip | ᐅᓵᐏᓯᑊ |
| Bull finch | oskanêw | ᐅᐢᑲᓀᐤ |
| Canada goose | kihci niska | ᑭᐦᒋ ᓂᐢᑲ |
| Canary | osâwi piyêsîs | ᐅᓵᐏ ᐱᔦᓰᐢ |
| Canvasback duck | misikwâyowêwisip | ᒥᓯᒁᔪᐍᐏᓯᑊ |
| Chickadee | kicikîsosîs | ᑭᒋᑮᓱᓰᐢ |
| Chickadee | picikîskosîs | ᐱᒋᑮᐢᑯᓰᐢ |
| Chickadee | kicîskosîs | ᑭᒌᐢᑯᓰᐢ |
| Chicken | misihyêw | ᒥᓯᐦᔦᐤ |
| Chicken | pâhkahâhkwân | ᐹᐦᑲᐦᐋᐦᒁᐣ |
| Chicken | pâhpahâkwân | ᐹᐦᐸᐦᐋᒁᐣ |
| Chicken hawk | pipon âyis | ᐱᐳᐣ ᐋᔨᐢ |
| Coot | sihkihp | ᓯᐦᑭᐦᑊ |
| Cormorant | kâhkâkîsip | ᑳᐦᑳᑮᓯᑊ |
| Crane | ocihcahk | ᐅᒋᐦᒐᕽ |
| Crane | cahcahkiw | ᒐᐦᒐᐦᑭᐤ |
| Crow | âhâsiw | ᐋᐦᐋᓯᐤ |
| Crow duck | kâhkâkîsip | ᑳᐦᑳᑮᓯᑊ |
| Diver (Hell diver) duck | sihkihp | ᓯᐦᑭᐦᑊ |
| Dove | omîmîw | ᐅᒦᒦᐤ |
| Duck | sîsîp | ᓰᓰᑊ |
| Duck hawk | nôcinîwihêsiw | ᓅᒋᓃᐏᐦᐁᓯᐤ |
| Eagle | kihêw | ᑭᐦᐁᐤ |
| Eagle | kihiw | ᑭᐦᐃᐤ |
| Eagle | mikisiw | ᒥᑭᓯᐤ |
| Falcon | kêhkêhk | ᑫᐦᑫᕽ |
| Fish duck | ohcihk | ᐅᐦᒋᕽ |
| Frog eater duck | wâsahacaskwêsiw | ᐚᓴᐦᐊᒐᐢᑵᓯᐤ |
| Goose | niska | ᓂᐢᑲ |
| Grey Jay | wîskicâk, wîskicân | ᐑᐢᑭᒑᐠ, ᐑᐢᑭᒑᐣ |
| Grouse | pihêw | ᐱᐦᐁᐤ |
| Gull | kiyâsk | ᑭᔮᐢᐠ |
| Hawk | kêhkêhk | ᑫᐦᑫᕽ |
| Hawk (large) | sâkwahtamow | ᓵᑿᐦᑕᒧᐤ |
| Hawk (night) | pîskwa | ᐲᐢᑿ |
| Heron | misi mohkahaisw | ᒥᓯ ᒧᐦᑲᐦᐊᐃᐢᐤ |
| Horned owl | ohtawkêhow | ᐅᐦᑕᐤᑫᐦᐅᐤ |
| Hummingbird | âmowi-piyêsîs | ᐋᒧᐏ ᐱᔦᓰᐢ |
| Killdeer | otâpiskâkanêsîs | ᐅᑖᐱᐢᑳᑲᓀᓰᐢ |
| Kingfisher | okîskimanasiw | ᐅᑮᐢᑭᒪᓇᓯᐤ |
| Laughing goose | apisci niskis | ᐊᐱᐢᒋ ᓂᐢᑭᐢ |
| Loon | mâkwa | ᒫᑿ |
| Loon | mwâkwa | ᒹᑿ |
| Magpie | apisci kahkâkîs | ᐊᐱᐢᒋ ᑲᐦᑳᑮᐢ |
| Mallard | iyinisip | ᐃᔨᓂᓯᑊ |
| Meadowlark | tâpikâkanêsîs | ᑖᐱᑳᑲᓀᓰᐢ |
| Mud hen | oskacânisip | ᐅᐢᑲᒑᓂᓯᑊ |
| Mud hen | wîskacêsip | ᐑᐢᑲᒉᓯᑊ |
| Night owl | pâhkwêkan | ᐹᐦᑵᑲᐣ |
| Osprey | apiskway | ᐊᐱᐢᑿᕀ |
| Owl | ôhôw | ᐆᐦᐆᐤ |
| Partridge | paspaskiw | ᐸᐢᐸᐢᑭᐤ |
| Partridge | âhkiskôs | ᐋᐦᑭᐢᑰᐢ |
| Pelican | cahcakiw | ᒐᐦᒐᑭᐤ |
| Pheasant | âhkiskow | ᐋᐦᑭᐢᑯᐤ |
| Pigeon | omîmîw | ᐅᒦᒦᐤ |
| Pintail duck | kinokwayawêwisip | ᑭᓄᑿᔭᐍᐏᓯᑊ |
| Plover | sêsêsiw | ᓭᓭᓯᐤ |
| Prairie chicken | pihêw | ᐱᐦᐁᐤ |
| Quail | paspaskiw | ᐸᐢᐸᐢᑭᐤ |
| Raven | kâhkâkiw | ᑳᐦᑳᑭᐤ |
| Red-headed duck | mihkostikwânêwisip | ᒥᐦᑯᐢᑎᒁᓀᐏᓯᑊ |
| Robin | pihpihciw | ᐱᐦᐱᐦᒋᐤ |
| Rooster | nape pâhkahahkwân | ᓇᐯ ᐹᐦᑲᐦᐊᐦᒁᐣ |
| Ruffed grouse | paspaskiw | ᐸᐢᐸᐢᑭᐤ |
| Small summer bird | nîpinêsîs | ᓃᐱᓀᓰᐢ |
| Small wild bird | pakwâc âyis | ᐸᒁᐨ ᐋᔨᐢ |
| Snipe | sêsêsiw | ᓭᓭᓯᐤ |
| Snow goose | wêhwêw | ᐍᐦᐍᐤ |
| Song sparrow | kaskaskacîscacay | ᑲᐢᑲᐢᑲᒌᐢᒐᒐᕀ |
| Sparrow hawk | pîhpîkisîs | ᐲᐦᐲᑭᓰᐢ |
| Spoonbill duck | kinokwayawêwisip | ᑭᓄᑿᔭᐍᐏᓯᑊ |
| Spruce grouse | sakâwi pihêw | ᓴᑳᐏ ᐱᐦᐁᐤ |
| Spruce partridge | oskahtako pihêw | ᐅᐢᑲᐦᑕᑯ ᐱᐦᐁᐤ |
| Swallow | mîcaskosîs | ᒦᒐᐢᑯᓰᐢ |
| Swan | wâpisiw | ᐚᐱᓯᐤ |
| Teal | apiscisipis | ᐊᐱᐢᒋᓯᐱᐢ |
| Tomtit | apisci kîskisîs | ᐊᐱᐢᒋ ᑮᐢᑭᓰᐢ |
| Turkey | misihêw | ᒥᓯᐦᐁᐤ |
| Turkey | misihyêw | ᒥᓯᐦᔦᐤ |
| Water bird | sêsêsiw | ᓭᓭᓯᐤ |
| Water hen | câcikacêsip | ᒑᒋᑲᒉᓯᑊ |
| Wavey duck | wêhwêw | ᐍᐦᐍᐤ |
| Whisky jack | wîskacâk, wîskacân | ᐑᐢᑲᒑᐠ, ᐑᐢᑭᒑᐣ |
| White dove | wâpiski mîmîs | ᐚᐱᐢᑭ ᒦᒦᐢ |
| White grouse | kicikânêsîs | ᑭᒋᑳᓀᓰᐢ |
| Winter bird | pipon ayis | ᐱᐳᐣ ᐊᔨᐢ |
| Winter sunbird | kicikânêsîs | ᑭᒋᑳᓀᓰᐢ |
| Wood duck | amiskosip | ᐊᒥᐢᑯᓯᑊ |
| Wood partridge | sakâwi pihêw | ᓴᑳᐏ ᐱᐦᐁᐤ |
| Woodpecker | pâhpâscês | ᐹᐦᐹᐢᒉᐢ |
| Wren | picikîskosîs | ᐱᒋᑮᐢᑯᓰᐢ |
| Yellow bird | osâwi piyêsîs | ᐅᓵᐏ ᐱᔦᓰᐢ |
| Yellow throated bunting | ocihcipisîs | ᐅᒋᐦᒋᐱᓰᐢ |
Thank you for this. It’s much easier to learn another language when you study what has meaning for you. This morning I hear âhkiskow on my balcony, kicîskosîs below my window, and kihci niska overhead. It is, a GOOD morning.
Is there a cree (moose cree) word for “white-throated sparrow?” It’s the bird whose song sounds like, “my sweet Canada, Canada, Canada…”
Thanks.