Cree Literacy Network

9 Responses

1. 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.

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2. 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.

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   1. Ryan,
      I believe the bird you are asking about is called “waseepeeschan”. At least, that it what it is called in “TH” dialect. 🙂

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   2. wâsêpihcwân sings niwâsêskwantan-tan -tan my mom used to say

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3. Good evening, I am looking for a specific bird of prey. A kind of hawk or Falcon. I have a description being a small hawk, very fast…

   name is james bay eastern cree dialect sounds like Gagacusn – not spelles right, as far as i know

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4. My young boys are learning Cree but we haven’t found a word for Nuthatch and Black-capped chickadee. Is there one? We see them every day on our railing. Ahcheichumoosh, The Squirrel visits us too.

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   1. So glad you’re learning bird names! There are two forms for chickadee in this list – I’m not sure which is better in your area. The English qualifier “black-capped” is unlikely to be part of the Cree word (though a bird expert would confirm comparing photos). In the same way, there is nothing that means “blue” in the Cree word for Blue Jay. Solomon Ratt says he’d use the same word as chickadee, or maybe
      “little birds” piyêsîsisak.

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      1. têhtêsiw is what we call the blue jay and the grey jay whiskeyjack we call kwîkwîsiw

5. teaching the young children cree names of birds Thank you we are using the n dilect
   VYoung Manitoba

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