Solomon Ratt: Cree Cultural Teachings – nêhiyaw-isîhcikêwin – ᓀᐦᐃᔭᐤᐃᓯᐦᒋᑫᐃᐧ
[1] ispîhk kâ-kî-awâsisiwiyâhk niya êkwa nimis nikî-kanâcihtânân yîkwahaskân akâmihk ita ohci kâ-kî-wîkiyâhk. cîmânihk nikî-pôsinân ê-âsowahamahk sîpiy. kî-miyo-kîsikâw.
ᐃᐢᐲᕁ ᑳ ᑮ ᐊᐋᐧᓯᓯᐃᐧᔮᕁ ᓂᔭ ᐁᑲᐧ ᓂᒥᐢ ᓂᑮ ᑲᓈᒋᐦᑖᓈᐣ ᔩᑲᐧᐦᐊᐢᑳᐣ ᐊᑳᒥᕁ ᐃᑕ ᐅᐦᒋ ᑳ ᑮ ᐄᐧᑭᔮᐦᐠ᙮ ᒌᒫᓂᕁ ᓂᑮ ᐴᓯᓈᐣ ᐁ ᐋᓱᐊᐧᐦᐊᒪᕁ ᓰᐱᕀ᙮ ᑮ ᒥᔪ ᑮᓯᑳᐤ᙮
When I was a child, me and my older sister cleaned the graveyard which was across the water from where we lived. We boarded a canoe and crossed the river. It was a good day.
[2] nikî-mâci-kanâcihtânân yîkwahaskân. kapê-kîsik nikî-kanâcihcikânân. kêtahtawê, ê-pôni-âpihtâkîsikâk, kâ-ati-sôhkiyôwêk êkwa ê-pêtânaskwâk. kwayask kî-kaskitêwânaskwâw êkwa mîna kwayask kî-sôhkiyôwêw! piyêsiwak kî-kâh-kitowak êkwa kî-wâh-wâsaskotêpayin!
ᓂᑮ ᒫᒋ ᑲᓈᒋᐦᑖᓈᐣ ᔩᑲᐧᐦᐊᐢᑳᐣ᙮ ᑲᐯ ᑮᓯᐠ ᓂᑮ ᑲᓈᒋᐦᒋᑳᓈᐣ᙮ ᑫᑕᐦᑕᐁᐧ, ᐁ ᐴᓂ ᐋᐱᐦᑖᑮᓯᑳᐠ, ᑳ ᐊᑎ ᓲᐦᑭᔫᐁᐧᐠ ᐁᑲᐧ ᐁ ᐯᑖᓇᐢᑳᐧᐠ᙮ ᑲᐧᔭᐢᐠ ᑮ ᑲᐢᑭᑌᐋᐧᓇᐢᑳᐧᐤ ᐁᑲᐧ ᒦᓇ ᑲᐧᔭᐢᐠ ᑮ ᓲᐦᑭᔫᐁᐧᐤ! ᐱᔦᓯᐊᐧᐠ ᑮ ᑳᐦ ᑭᑐᐊᐧᐠ ᐁᑲᐧ ᑮ ᐋᐧᐦ ᐋᐧᓴᐢᑯᑌᐸᔨᐣ!
We started to clean the cemetery. We cleaned all day. All of a sudden it was afternoon when a big wind picked up and clouds rolled in. They were very dark clouds and it was very windy. Thunder started to roll and lightning flashed.
[3] mâka-mîna niya nikî-nohtê-mâyêyihtên ôma kâ-isi-wêpahk, nikî-kaskimâw nimis kita-kakwê-âsowahamahk kiyâm ôma kâ-isi-wêpahk. êkwâni nikî-pôsinân. wahwâ! kwayask kî-mâh-misi-mamahkâhan mâka kiyâpic nipimiskânân, ê-nanimahamâhk! kwayask nimâh-mâkwahikonân yôtin êyikohk ê-mâh-misi-mamahkâhahk mâka piyisk nimisakânân nikînâhk. nikî-mah-mamihcihisonân kâ-kî-isi-mâyêyihcikêyâhk…mâka nohtâwînân nikîkihkâmikonân, ê-kî-itikoyâhk takî-kistêyihtamahk anima kâ-kî-isi-wêpahk, namôya pakwanita ta-kî-pôsiyâhk ispîhk kâ-sôhkiyôwêk mîna kâ-mâh-misi-kîstihk.
ᒫᑲᒦᓇ ᓂᔭ ᓂᑮᓄᐦᑌᒫᔦᔨᐦᑌᐣ ᐆᒪ ᑳᐃᓯᐁᐧᐸᐦᐠ, ᓂᑮᑲᐢᑭᒫᐤ ᓂᒥᐢ ᑭᑕᑲᑫᐧᐋᓱᐊᐧᐦᐊᒪᕁ ᑭᔮᒼ ᐆᒪ ᑳᐃᓯᐁᐧᐸᐦᐠ᙮ ᐁᑳᐧᓂ ᓂᑮᐴᓯᓈᐣ᙮ ᐊᐧᐦᐋᐧ! ᑲᐧᔭᐢᐠ ᑮᒫᐦᒥᓯᒪᒪᐦᑳᐦᐊᐣ ᒫᑲ ᑭᔮᐱᐨ ᓂᐱᒥᐢᑳᓈᐣ, ᐁᓇᓂᒪᐦᐊᒫᐦᐠ! ᑲᐧᔭᐢᐠ ᓂᒫᐦᒫᑲᐧᐦᐃᑯᓈᐣ ᔫᑎᐣ ᐁᔨᑯᕁ ᐁᒫᐦᒥᓯᒪᒪᐦᑳᐦᐊᕁ ᒫᑲ ᐱᔨᐢᐠ ᓂᒥᓴᑳᓈᐣ ᓂᑮᓈᐦᐠ᙮ ᓂᑮᒪᐦᒪᒥᐦᒋᐦᐃᓱᓈᐣ ᑳᑮᐃᓯᒫᔦᔨᐦᒋᑫᔮᐦᐠ…ᒫᑲ ᓄᐦᑖᐄᐧᓈᐣ ᓂᑮᑭᐦᑳᒥᑯᓈᐣ, ᐁᑮᐃᑎᑯᔮᕁ ᑕᑮᑭᐢᑌᔨᐦᑕᒪᕁ ᐊᓂᒪ ᑳᑮᐃᓯᐁᐧᐸᐦᐠ, ᓇᒨᔭ ᐸᑲᐧᓂᑕ ᑕᑮᐴᓯᔮᕁ ᐃᐢᐲᕁ ᑳᓲᐦᑭᔫᐁᐧᐠ ᒦᓇ ᑳᒫᐦᒥᓯᑮᐢᑎᐦᐠ᙮
As usual I wanted to challenge the weather. I convinced my older sister for us to try to go across the water in spite of the weather! We got on board (the canoe). Holy! The waves were huge but still we paddled on, we paddled against the wind! The wind gave us a real tough time because of the big waves but we eventually arrived on shore where we lived. We were so proud of ourselves for meeting the challenge … but our father scolded us, told us to respect the weather when it was storming, to not go on board a canoe for any reason when it was storming.
From University or Regina: a Youtube version that highlights one Cree phrase at a time in SRO:
Word List:
| akâmihk | ᐊᑳᒥᕁ | across the water | |
| âsowaha | ᐋᓱᐊᐧᐦᐊ | go across water | (VTI-1) |
| awâsisi | ᐊᐋᐧᓯᓯ | be a child | (VAI) |
| cîmân | ᒌᒫᐣ | canoe | |
| ê-î-itikoyâhk | ᐁ ᐄ ᐃᑎᑯᔮᕁ | he/she told us | (VTA) |
| êkwa | ᐁᑲᐧ | and | |
| êkwa mina | ᐁᑲᐧ ᒥᓇ | and also | |
| êkwâni | ᐁᑳᐧᓂ | then | |
| êyikohk | ᐁᔨᑯᕁ | is so | |
| ispîhk | ᐃᐢᐲᕁ | when | |
| ita ohci | ᐃᑕ ᐅᐦᒋ | where from | |
| kâ-isi-wêpahk | ᑳ ᐃᓯ ᐁᐧᐸᕁ | the way the weather is | (VII) |
| kanâcihcikê | ᑲᓈᒋᐦᒋᑫ | clean | (VAI) |
| kanâcihtâ | ᑲᓈᒋᐦᑖ | clean it | (VTI-2) |
| kapê-kîsik | ᑲᐯ ᑮᓯᐠ | all day | |
| kaskim | ᑲᐢᑭᒼ | convince someone | (VTA) |
| kaskitêwânaskwâw | ᑲᐢᑭᑌᐋᐧᓇᐢᑳᐧᐤ | there are dark clouds | (VII) |
| kêtahtawê | ᑫᑕᐦᑕᐁᐧ | all of a sudden | |
| kîkihkâm | ᑮᑭᐦᑳᒼ | scold/argue | (VTA) |
| kiyâm | ᑭᔮᒼ | it does not matter | |
| kwayask | ᑲᐧᔭᐢᐠ | very/right | |
| mâka kiyâpic | ᒫᑲ ᑭᔮᐱᐨ | but still | |
| mâka-mîna | ᒫᑲ ᒦᓇ | as usual | |
| mâkwahiko | ᒫᑲᐧᐦᐃᑯ | given a difficult time | (VAI) |
| mamahkâhan | ᒪᒪᐦᑳᐦᐊᐣ | there are waves | (VII) |
| mamihcihiso | ᒪᒥᐦᒋᐦᐃᓱ | be proud of oneself | (VAI) |
| mâyêyihcikê | ᒫᔦᔨᐦᒋᑫ | be challenging/disrespectful | |
| mâyêyihta | ᒫᔦᔨᐦᑕ | be challenging/disrespectful | (VTI-1) |
| misakâ | ᒥᓴᑳ | arrive by canoe/boat | (VAI) |
| misi-kîstin | ᒥᓯ ᑮᐢᑎᐣ | there is a big storm | |
| miyo-kîsikâw | ᒥᔪ ᑮᓯᑳᐤ | it’s a good day | (VII) |
| namôya pakwanita | ᓇᒨᔭ ᐸᑲᐧᓂᑕ | for no reason | |
| nanimaha | ᓇᓂᒪᐦᐊ | paddle against the winVTI-1) | |
| nikînâhk | ᓂᑮᓈᕁ | at our home | |
| nimis | ᓂᒥᐢ | my older sister | |
| niya | ᓂᔭ | I/me | |
| nohtâwînân | ᓄᐦᑖᐄᐧᓈᐣ | our father | |
| pêtânaskwâw | ᐯᑖᓇᐢᑳᐧᐤ | clouds roll in | (VII) |
| pimiskâ | ᐱᒥᐢᑳ | paddle | (VAI) |
| piyêsiwak kî-kâh-kitowak | ᐱᔦᓯᐊᐧ ᑮ ᑳᐦ ᑭᑐᐊᐧᐠ | thunder sounds | |
| piyisk | ᐱᔨᐢᐠ | eventually | |
| pôni-âpihtâkîsikâw | ᐴᓂ ᐋᐱᐦᑖᑮᓯᑳᐤ | it is afternoon | (VII) |
| pôsi | ᐴᓯ | board | (VAI) |
| sîpiy | ᓰᐱᕀ | river | |
| sôhkiyôwêw | ᓲᐦᑭᔫᐁᐧᐤ | it is very windy | (VII) |
| takî-kistêyihtamahk | ᑕᑮ ᑭᐢᑌᔨᐦᑕᒪᕁ | we should respect | (VTI-1) |
| wahwâ | ᐊᐧᐦᐋᐧ | holy! | |
| wâsaskotêpayin | ᐋᐧᓴᐢᑯᑌᐸᔨᐣ | there is lightning | (VII) |
| wîki | ᐄᐧᑭ | reside | (VAI) |
| yîkwahaskân | ᔩᑲᐧᐦᐊᐢᑳᐣ | graveyard | |
| yôtin | ᔫᑎᐣ | wind | |
7 Responses
Wonderful! hay-hay.
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this is great!!!
The words list is a useful addition. Lovely post.
This is great! The audio, the words written in Cree, English and syllabics are so right! I am learning how to spell Cree in my 60s so I can pass on to the people and this is an invaluable resource. I am grateful for this gift.
This is incredible – thank you for creating and sharing.
are there animals associated with these teachings?
Ojibwe typically associates animals with these teachings, but we don’t know about such associations in Cree.