Cree Literacy Network

Solomon Ratt: Cree Cultural Teachings – nêhiyaw-isîhcikêwin – ᓀᐦᐃᔭᐤᐃᓯᐦᒋᑫᐃᐧ

nikiskisin kâ-kî-awâsisiwiyâhk nikî-nitomikawinân niya mîna nistês ta-nitawi-nikwatisoyâhk. pêyak awa niwâhkômâkaninân ê-kî-nipahât môswa êkwa wâhyaw nohcimihk sakâhk ê-kî-nakatât ê-kî-pê-nâtât owâhkômâkana ta-nikwatisoyit, êkosi mâna kayâs omâcîwak ê-kî-itôtahkik. tahto-wîtisânîhtowinihk nitomêw kanakê pêyak nâpêsis ta-nitawi-nikwatisoyit. nistês kî-wîsâmâw niwîtisânîhtowininâhk ohci êkwa nîsta nikî-wîsâmikawin ta-nâtamawak môso-wiyâs pêyak nohkom kâ-pêyakowîkit. wîpac ê-kîkisêpâk nikî-sipwêhtânân, niyanân nâpêsisak mîna nâpêwak. kinwêsk nohcimihk sakâhk nikî-pimohtânân. nikî-môcikihtânân, ê-âh-âcimocik nâpêwak mîna ê-nâh-nanôyacihikoyâhkik. piyisk nitakohtânân minahowinihk. nâpêwak kî-mâh-manisâwâtêwak anihi môswa êkwa nikî-âh-asowatânân môso-wiyâs nimaskimotininâhk. kâwi nikî-kîwânân. ispîhk kâ-takohtêyâhk nikapêsîwininâhk nikî-wîhkohkênân. ana nohkom kâ-kî-pêtamawak wiyâs nikî-kîsisamâk môso-wiyâs, ê-kî-nawacîstamawit. wahwâ! kwayask nikî-wîhkistên êwako môso-wiyâs! kwayask mîna nikî-môcikihtân êkospîhk kâkî-nitawi-nikwatisoyâhk.

ᓂᑭᐢᑭᓯᐣ  ᑳ ᑮ ᐊᐋᐧᓯᓯᐃᐧᔮᕁ  ᓂᑮ ᓂᑐᒥᑲᐃᐧᓈᐣ  ᓂᔭ  ᒦᓇ  ᓂᐢᑌᐢ  ᑕ ᓂᑕᐃᐧ ᓂᑲᐧᑎᓱᔮᐦᐠ᙮  ᐯᔭᐠ  ᐊᐊᐧ  ᓂᐋᐧᐦᑰᒫᑲᓂᓈᐣ  ᐁ ᑮ ᓂᐸᐦᐋᐟ  ᒨᓴᐧ  ᐁᑲᐧ  ᐋᐧᐦᔭᐤ  ᓄᐦᒋᒥᕁ  ᓴᑳᕁ  ᐁ ᑮ ᓇᑲᑖᐟ  ᐁ ᑮ ᐯ ᓈᑖᐟ  ᐅᐋᐧᐦᑰᒫᑲᓇ  ᑕ ᓂᑲᐧᑎᓱᔨᐟ,  ᐁᑯᓯ  ᒫᓇ  ᑲᔮᐢ  ᐅᒫᒌᐊᐧᐠ  ᐁ ᑮ ᐃᑑᑕᐦᑭᐠ᙮  ᑕᐦᑐ ᐄᐧᑎᓵᓃᐦᑐᐃᐧᓂᕁ  ᓂᑐᒣᐤ  ᑲᓇᑫ  ᐯᔭᐠ  ᓈᐯᓯᐢ  ᑕ ᓂᑕᐃᐧ ᓂᑲᐧᑎᓱᔨᐟ᙮  ᓂᐢᑌᐢ  ᑮ ᐄᐧᓵᒫᐤ  ᓂᐄᐧᑎᓵᓃᐦᑐᐃᐧᓂᓈᕁ  ᐅᐦᒋ  ᐁᑲᐧ  ᓃᐢᑕ  ᓂᑮ ᐄᐧᓵᒥᑲᐃᐧᐣ  ᑕ ᓈᑕᒪᐊᐧᐠ  ᒨᓱ ᐃᐧᔮᐢ  ᐯᔭᐠ  ᓄᐦᑯᒼ  ᑳ ᐯᔭᑯᐄᐧᑭᐟ᙮  ᐄᐧᐸᐨ  ᐁ ᑮᑭᓭᐹᐠ  ᓂᑮ ᓯᐯᐧᐦᑖᓈᐣ,  ᓂᔭᓈᐣ  ᓈᐯᓯᓴᐠ  ᒦᓇ  ᓈᐯᐊᐧᐠ᙮  ᑭᓀᐧᐢᐠ  ᓄᐦᒋᒥᕁ  ᓴᑳᕁ  ᓂᑮ ᐱᒧᐦᑖᓈᐣ᙮  ᓂᑮ ᒨᒋᑭᐦᑖᓈᐣ,  ᐁ ᐋᐦ ᐋᒋᒧᒋᐠ  ᓈᐯᐊᐧᐠ  ᒦᓇ  ᐁ ᓈᐦ ᓇᓅᔭᒋᐦᐃᑯᔮᐦᑭᐠ᙮  ᐱᔨᐢᐠ  ᓂᑕᑯᐦᑖᓈᐣ  ᒥᓇᐦᐅᐃᐧᓂᐦᐠ᙮  ᓈᐯᐊᐧᐠ  ᑮ ᒫᐦ ᒪᓂᓵᐋᐧᑌᐊᐧᐠ  ᐊᓂᐦᐃ  ᒨᓴᐧ  ᐁᑲᐧ  ᓂᑮ ᐋᐦ ᐊᓱᐊᐧᑖᓈᐣ  ᒨᓱ ᐃᐧᔮᐢ  ᓂᒪᐢᑭᒧᑎᓂᓈᐦᐠ᙮  ᑳᐃᐧ  ᓂᑮ ᑮᐋᐧᓈᐣ᙮  ᐃᐢᐲᕁ  ᑳ ᑕᑯᐦᑌᔮᕁ  ᓂᑲᐯᓰᐃᐧᓂᓈᕁ  ᓂᑮ ᐄᐧᐦᑯᐦᑫᓈᐣ᙮  ᐊᓇ  ᓄᐦᑯᒼ  ᑳ ᑮ ᐯᑕᒪᐊᐧᐠ  ᐃᐧᔮᐢ  ᓂᑮ ᑮᓯᓴᒫᐠ  ᒨᓱ ᐃᐧᔮᐢ,  ᐁ ᑮ ᓇᐊᐧᒌᐢᑕᒪᐃᐧᐟ᙮  ᐊᐧᐦᐋᐧ!  ᑲᐧᔭᐢᐠ  ᓂᑮ ᐄᐧᐦᑭᐢᑌᐣ  ᐁᐊᐧᑯ  ᒨᓱ ᐃᐧᔮᐢ!  ᑲᐧᔭᐢᐠ  ᒦᓇ  ᓂᑮ ᒨᒋᑭᐦᑖᐣ  ᐁᑯᐢᐲᕁ  ᑳᑮ ᓂᑕᐃᐧ ᓂᑲᐧᑎᓱᔮᐦᐠ᙮

I remember when we were children, me and my older brother, we were invited to go fetch meat from a kill. One of my relatives had killed a moose and it was deep in the forest where he had left it to come get his relatives to go fetch the meat, this is what hunters did a long time ago. From every family he invited at least one boy to go fetch meat. My older brother was invited from my family and I was also invited so I can fetch moose-meat for a grandmother who lived alone. Early in the morning we left, us boys and the men. We walked in the forst for a long time. We had fun, the men would tell stories and they would tease us boys. We eventually arrived at the kill-site. The men cut up the moose and we filled our bags with moose-meat. We went back home. When we arrived at out camp we made a feast. That grandmother for whom I brought moose-meat cooked moose-meat for me, she had roasted it for me on a stick. Holy! I really liked the taste of that moose-meat. I had lots of fun at that time when we went to fetch meat at the killing site.

Word List (follows below video):