Solomon Ratt: Cree Cultural Teachings – nêhiyaw-isîhcikêwin – ᓀᐦᐃᔭᐤᐃᓯᐦᒋᑫᐃᐧ
kayâs kâ-kî-awâsisiwiyân nikî-pah-pimohtêhonân mâna misiwê itê mâhtâwi-sîpîhk. pêyakwâw ê-sîkwahk nikî-wâpamânân môswa ê-âsowahahk sâkahikan. kêsiskaw kî-otihtinam pîminahkwân nôhkomis êkwa kî-ati-tâpakwêwêpinêw êwakoni môswa. mâka ana môswa kwayask nikî-sîkihik ayisk mêtoni kêhciwâk cîmânihk ita kâ-apiwak ê-pê-isicimêt. piyisk âtawiya kî-nipahêw êwakoni môswa nôhkomis ê-mwayî-kwatapiskamwak cîmânis ispîhk kâ-kî-kakwê-tapasihak ana môswa. awîna êtokwê nawac kî-sîkisiw, niya awêkâ cî ana môswa? matwân cî ê-kî-nitawi-wâpamât nôsî-môswa ministikohk ita kâ-kî-nihtâwikiyit oskâyisisa?
ᑲᔮᐢ ᑳ ᑮ ᐊᐋᐧᓯᓯᐃᐧᔮᐣ ᓂᑮ ᐸᐦ ᐱᒧᐦᑌᐦᐅᓈᐣ ᒫᓇ ᒥᓯᐁᐧ ᐃᑌ ᒫᐦᑖᐃᐧ ᓰᐲᐦᐠ᙮ ᐯᔭᑳᐧᐤ ᐁ ᓰᑲᐧᕁ ᓂᑮ ᐋᐧᐸᒫᓈᐣ ᒨᓴᐧ ᐁ ᐋᓱᐊᐧᐦᐊᕁ ᓵᑲᐦᐃᑲᐣ᙮ ᑫᓯᐢᑲᐤ ᑮ ᐅᑎᐦᑎᓇᒼ ᐲᒥᓇᐦᑳᐧᐣ ᓅᐦᑯᒥᐢ ᐁᑲᐧ ᑮ ᐊᑎ ᑖᐸᑫᐧᐁᐧᐱᓀᐤ ᐁᐊᐧᑯᓂ ᒨᓴᐧ᙮ ᒫᑲ ᐊᓇ ᒨᓴᐧ ᑲᐧᔭᐢᐠ ᓂᑮ ᓰᑭᐦᐃᐠ ᐊᔨᐢᐠ ᒣᑐᓂ ᑫᐦᒋᐋᐧᐠ ᒌᒫᓂᕁ ᐃᑕ ᑳ ᐊᐱᐊᐧᐠ ᐁ ᐯ ᐃᓯᒋᒣᐟ᙮ ᐱᔨᐢᐠ ᐋᑕᐃᐧᔭ ᑮ ᓂᐸᐦᐁᐤ ᐁᐊᐧᑯᓂ ᒨᓴᐧ ᓅᐦᑯᒥᐢ ᐁ ᒪᐧᔩ ᑲᐧᑕᐱᐢᑲᒪᐧᐠ ᒌᒫᓂᐢ ᐃᐢᐲᕁ ᑳ ᑮ ᑲᑫᐧ ᑕᐸᓯᐦᐊᐠ ᐊᓇ ᒨᓴᐧ᙮ ᐊᐄᐧᓇ ᐁᑐᑫᐧ ᓇᐊᐧᐨ ᑮ ᓰᑭᓯᐤ, ᓂᔭ ᐊᐁᐧᑳ ᒌ ᐊᓇ ᒨᓴᐧ? ᒪᑖᐧᐣ ᒌ ᐁ ᑮ ᓂᑕᐃᐧ ᐋᐧᐸᒫᐟ ᓅᓰ ᒨᓴᐧ ᒥᓂᐢᑎᑯᕁ ᐃᑕ ᑳ ᑮ ᓂᐦᑖᐃᐧᑭᔨᐟ ᐅᐢᑳᔨᓯᓴ?
Along time ago when I was a child we travelled all over the Churchill River. One time, in the spring, we saw a moose crossing the waters of a lake. Quickly my uncle grabbed a rope and lassoes that moose. But that moose scared me because he would swim close to where I was sitting in the canoe. Eventually my uncle killed that moose before I tipped the canoe from my attempts at getting away from it. I wonder who was more scared, me or the moose? I wonder if it was going to go see a female moose on the island where the young moose was born?
