nîhithaw âcimowina / Woods Cree Stories: Introduction (th-dialect, audio)

Thanks, Solomon, for providing this text from the Introduction to your book of Woods Cree stories – in audio form for reading along!

Learn more about  this book (or even find links to order a copy of your own) at https://creeliteracy.org/2014/09/16/congratulations-solomon-ratt/

ita kayâs ithiniwâtisiwin , tâpiskôc ithinînâhk, tânisi kâ- isi-pimâtisinâniwik kî-kiskinwahamâkonâniwin anita ithiniw-isihcikâniwinihk, mîna tahto-kîsikâw pimahkamikisiwinihk, ikwa âcathohkîwinihk.ᐃᑕ ᑲᔮᐢ ᐃᖨᓂᐚᑎᓯᐏᐣ, ᑖᐱᐢᑰᐨ ᐃ ᖨᓀ ᓈᕽ , ᑖᓂᓯ ᑳ ᐃᓯ ᐱᒫᑎᓯᓈᓂᐃᐧᐠ ᑫ ᑭᐢᑭᓇᐧᐦᐊᒫᑯᓈᓂᐃᐧᐣ ᐊᓂᑕ ᐃᖨᓂᐤ ᐃᓯᐦᒋᑳᓂᐃᐧᓂᐦᐠ , ᒣᓇ ᑕᐦᑐ ᑫᓯᑳᐤ ᐱᒪᐦᑲᒥᑭᓯᐃᐧᓂᐦᐠ , ᐃᑲᐧ ᐋᒐᖪᐦᑫᐃᐧᓂᕽ᙮ In an oral tradition, such as those of the Native Americans, culture was passed on through the use of language in ceremonies, daily activities and stories.
tahto-pipon kî-âh-âcothokânowin, tahto-pipon î-kî-kiskinwahamâkâniwik kâ-isi-pimâtisonânowik ikota ohci âcathohkîwinihk.ᑕᐦᑐ ᐱᐳᐣ ᑫ ᐋᐦ ᐋᒍᖪᑳᓄᐃᐧᐣ , ᑕᐦᑐ ᐱᐳᐣ ᐁ   ᑫ   ᑭᐢᑭᓇᐧᐦᐊᒫᑳᓂᐃᐧᐠ ᑳ   ᐃᓯ ᐱᒫᑎᓱᓈᓄᐃᐧᐠ ᐃᑯᑕ ᐅᐦᒋ ᐋᒐᖪᐦᑫᐃᐧᓂᕽ᙮ The stories were told each winter and in each subsequent winter the process of enculturation went a step further.
ikosi kapî î-kî-isi-kiskinwahamowiht oskâya isko kâ-kîsi-ohpikit. ᐃᑯᓯ ᑲᐯ ᐁ ᑫ ᐃᓯ ᑭᐢᑭᓇᐧᐦᐊᒧᐃᐧᐦᐟ ᐅᐢᑳᔭ ᐃᐢᑯ ᑳ ᑫᓯ ᐅᐦᐱᑭᐟ᙮The process continued to adulthood.
ikosi kapî kî-âh-itahkamikan nama katâc ta-nitawi-ayamihcikânowik, kî-ati-nisitawîthihtamwak ithiniwak opîkiskwîwiniwâw mîna otithiniwâtisiwiniwâw.ᐃᑯᓯ ᑲᐯ ᑫ ᐋᐦ ᐃᑕᐦᑲᒥᑲᐣ ᓇᒪ ᑲᑖᐨ ᑕ   ᓂᑕᐃᐧ ᐊᔭᒥᐦᒋᑳᓄᐃᐧᐠ , ᑫ ᐊᑎ ᓂᓯᑕᐁᐧᖨᐦᑕᒪᐧᐠ ᐃᖨᓂᐊᐧᐠ ᐅᐯᑭᐢᑫᐧᐃᐧᓂᐋᐧᐤ ᒣᓇ ᐅᑎᖨᓂᐋᐧᑎᓯᐃᐧᓂᐋᐧᐤ᙮ Without a break in this process and without the aid of "formal" schooling, came the acquisition of language and culture.
ikosi kâ-pî-isi-ohpikit ithiniw, ta-pimitisahahk ithiniw-isihcikîwin, mîna tahto-kîsikâw itahkamikisiwin, ikwa âcathohkîwina. kî-kiskinwahamawâw kahkithaw kîkway:ᐃᑯᓯ ᑳ ᐯ ᐃᓯ ᐅᐦᐱᑭᐟ ᐃᖨᓂᐤ , ᑕ ᐱᒥᑎᓴᐦᐊᕁ ᐃᖨᓂᐤ ᐃᓯᐦᒋᑫᐃᐧᐣ , ᒣᓇ ᑕᐦᑐ ᑫᓯᑳᐤ ᐃᑕᐦᑲᒥᑭᓯᐃᐧᐣ , ᐃᑲᐧ ᐋᒐᖪᐦᑫᐃᐧᐣ᙮ ᑫ ᑭᐢᑭᓇᐧᐦᐊᒪᐋᐧᐤ ᑲᐦᑭᖬᐤ ᑫᑲᐧᐩ : Having grown to adulthood partaking in the ceremonies, daily life and stories, a person had a well-rounded education:
tânisi ta-isi-ohpikihâwasot, tânisi ta-isi-wîcâyâmât owîkimâkana, kistîthimitowin, sîpîthihtamowin, sîpîyâwîsowin, kisîwâtisiwn, mîna sâkihitowin—kahkithaw iyakoni kî-kiskinwahamawâw ikota ohci.ᑖᓂᓯ ᑕ   ᐃᓯ   ᐅᐦᐱᑭᐦᐋᐊᐧᓱᐟ , ᑖᓂᓯ ᑕ ᐃᓯ ᐁᐧᒑᔮᒫᐟ ᐅᐁᐧᑭᒫᑲᓇ , ᑭᐢᑌᖨᒥᑐᐃᐧᐣ , ᓭᐯᖨᐦᑕᒧᐃᐧᐣ , ᓭᐯᔮᐁᐧᓱᐃᐧᐣ , ᑭᓭᐋᐧᑎᓯᐤᐣ , ᒣᓇ ᓵᑭᐦᐃᑐᐃᐧᐣ — ᑲᐦᑭᖬᐤ ᐃᔭᑯᓂ ᑫ ᑭᐢᑭᓇᐧᐦᐊᒪᐋᐧᐤ ᐃᑯᑕ ᐅᐦᒋ᙮ child rearing, spousal responsibility, respect, patience, kindliness, tolerance and love - all were covered in this education.
tânisi mâka kita-ispathihikow awiyak kîspin ikota ohci kwâsihihci ta-nitawi-kiskinwahamowiht ayahci-pîkiskwîwin mîna ayahci-isi-pimâtisinânowin?ᑖᓂᓯ ᒫᑲ ᑲ   ᐃᐢᐸᖨᐦᐃᑯᐤ ᐊᐃᐧᔭᐠ ᑫᐢᐱᐣ ᐃᑯᑕ ᐅᐦᒋ ᑳᐧᓯᐦᐃᒋ ᑕ ᓂᑕᐃᐧ ᑭᐢᑭᓇᐧᐦᐊᒧᐃᐧᐦᐟ ᐊᔭᐦᒋ ᐯᑭᐢᑫᐧᐃᐧᐣ ᒣᓇ ᐊᔭᐦᒋ ᐃᓯ ᐱᒫᑎᓯᓈᓄᐃᐧᐣ ? What happens, however, if this process of enculturation were interrupted, intruded upon, by a foreign language, a foreign culture?

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