Urban Native Magazine and Regina Aboriginal Professionals Association have launched a photograph challenge (for Facebook, Twitter and Instagram) in honour of National Aboriginal History Month. They’re using the Twitter hashtag #NAHM2015PhotoADay.
Here at the Cree Literacy Network, we’ve decided to play along, by gathering the images suggested – but (with help from Solomon Ratt) captioning them in Cree.
For Day Nineteen, the word is Regalia:
Regalia is a fancy word for all manner of special or ceremonial clothing and gear. In Cree there is no single word that is equivalent. The word suggested by Solomon Ratt translates literally as “decorated clothing”.
wawêsîwin-ayawinisa / ᐘᐍᓰᐏᐣ ᐊᔭᐏᓂᓴ
It is easier to find words in Cree for individual pieces of regalia, such as a “roach” (men’s powwow head gear).
sêskicês ᓭᐢᑭᒉᐢ “roach”
The photo I’ve chosen – from among Solomon’s FNU powwow images – shows plenty of head roaches – and many more special, ceremonial items of clothing.
