Solomon Ratt translated the phrases shown on these images at the request of Jacqueline Anaquod for the Sisters in Spirit Gathering, 4 October 2016. She asked for the words in Cree to reflect on our murdered and missing women and girls. Edmonton artist Dawn Marie Marchand gave us permission to use these original watercolours inspired by her “Prayers for our Sisters” series.
ka-kiskisiyahk iskwêwak êkwa iskwêsisak kâ-kî-wanihâyahkik.
ᑲᑭᐢᑭᓯᔭᐠ ᐃᐢᑫᐧᐊᐧᕽ ᐁᑲᐧ ᐃᐢᑫᐧᓯᓴᐠ ᑳᑮᐊᐧᓂᐦᐋᔭᐦᑭᐠ
We remember the women and girls we have lost.
ka-kwayask-wiyasowêhk iskwêwak êkwa iskwêsisak
kâ-kî-wanihihcik êkwa kâ-kî-nipahihcik.
ᑲᑲᐧᔭᐢᑲᐧᓱᐁᐧᕁ ᐅᐦᒋ ᐃᐢᑫᐧᐊᐧᐠ ᐁᑲᐧ ᐃᐢᑫᐧᓯᓴᐠ ᑳᑮᐊᐧᓂᐦᐃᐦᒋᐠ ᐁᑲᐧ ᑳᑮᓂᐸᐦᐃᐦᒋᐠ
Justice for missing and murdered women and girls.
Solomon used the phrase “women and girls” because there is no word in Cree for ‘sisters’; analogously, kâ-kî-wanihâyahkik covers both “missing and murdered” since both are a loss.
In Winnipeg yesterday, Sue Caribou joined Manitoba Moon Voices in hosting a potluck Honouring the Missing, who include two of Sue’s nieces, Tanya-Jane Nepinak and Skye Bighetty.
Note: To see the images and print them without the “play” buttons, you may need to right-click, and open in a separate tab. Find more of Dawn Marie’s artwork on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Dawn-Marie-Marchand-Artists-Page-447730978610279/?fref=ts. Thanks also to Mary Cardinal Collins for her correction to the word for justice!
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