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? |
