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“Science is all around us – and we have to start applying it on our terms.”
Wilfred Buck’s keynote talk at the MFNERC First Nations Circle of Knowledge Conference (October 2017) focused on the need of 21st century kids for 21st century tools. He talked about his many travels and studies of astronomy and quantum physics, and his connections with NASA.
Compared to Kepler telescopes and NASA missions to Mars, the technology we push here at the Cree Literacy Network is pretty low tech. But without solid reading and writing skills, 21st century students can’t become the proud, strong and knowledgeable people our world needs. Whether we’re using roman or syllabic spelling, reading and writing well in Cree language demands consistent spelling.
Here is some of the vocabulary in Cree that Wilfred uses in his talk (additions and corrections welcome!)
| Cree (SRO) | English | Syllabic |
|---|---|---|
| acâhko-sîpiy | star river, the Milky Way | ᐊᒑᕽ ᓰᐱᕀ |
| acâhkosak | stars | ᐊᒑᑯᓴᐠ |
| atim-acâhk | dog star | ᐊᑎᒼ ᐊᒑᕽ |
| awâsisak | children | ᐊᐚᓯᓴᐠ |
| câpânak | great-grandparents, great-grandchildren: tied together at the beginning and end of the seven generations | ᒑᐹᓇᐠ |
| êkosi, ninanâskomon | that's it, I am grateful | ᐁᑯᓯ , ᓂᓇᓈᐢᑯᒧᐣ |
| kâh-kitowak | thunderers, thunderbirds | ᑳᐦ ᑭᑐᐘᐠ |
| kiwêtin | Polaris, the north star, literally, going home star | ᑭᐍᑎᐣ |
| mahihkan | wolf | ᒪᐦᐃᐦᑲᐣ |
| mahkêsiw | fox | ᒪᐦᑫᓯᐤ |
| namêw | sturgeon | ᓇᒣᐤ |
| ospwâkana | pipes | ᐅᐢᑇᑲᓇ |
| pakonêkîsik | hole in the sky, Pleiades | ᐸᑯᓀᑮᓯᐠ |
| pawâkanak | dream spirits | ᐸᐚᑲᓇᐠ |
| pawâmiwin | dreams | ᐸᐚᒥᐏᐣ |
| pimâtisiwin | life | ᐱᒫᑎᓯᐏᐣ |
