In July 2018, Kevin Lewis led a group of University of Saskatchewan students for a day of paddling at Pike Lake, Saskatchewan. Most were students in his Education Curriculum class, part of the UofS Indigenous Language Certificate program – but some brought their family along for the fun of it.
Christine Ravenis – who has now completed the certificate program – used the adventure as a chance to teach Cree-language canoeing terminology. When she posted to the nêhiyawêwin Word of the Day FaceBook group for vocabulary, I started taking notes!
Christine and Kevin were kind enough to share their photos. My favourite is the one used here, with thanks to Elizabeth Zdunich for permission to share this gorgeous shot of otânisa in the midst of a water lily field with fellow student Stan Bird.
The canoeing terms that follow (with thanks to Solomon Ratt for SRO/editorial help) here were gathered from:
- The itwêwina online dictionary (Arok Wolvengrey)
- Solomon Ratt
- Kevin Lewis
- http://nehiyawewin.ca/ – Medicine words (Dr David MacKinnon)
- Contributors to the FaceBook nêhiyawêwin (Cree) Word of the Day group
| Cree | gloss | Source |
|---|---|---|
| apihkân | crossbar | Solomon Ratt |
| apoy | paddle; shovel, spade | |
| asê-apoyê | to paddle using oars while sitting facing backwards, | Stan Wilson |
| asêcimê | paddle backwards | Stan Wilson |
| asipêkihtin | be reflected (as an image in the water) Faries | |
| âsokâmêham | go across by canoe | |
| âsokâmêpayiw | go across by boat or canoe | |
| âsokâmêyâtakâw | wade across shallow water, wade across | |
| âsowaham | cross s.t. (e.g. a river, cross over; cross s.t. by canoe | |
| âsowakâmêw | cross a body of water, ford a stream, cross a river at a shallow ford; cross the ice by foot | |
| astothiw | the wind dies down | Solomon Ratt |
| atâmipêk | deep water | |
| atâmipêkohk | in deep water | |
| atâmohtak | under the canoe | |
| awasêwêskam | go around s.t. by canoe | |
| ayiwâkipêw | be too deep in the water | |
| ayiwâkipêw | be too deep in the water; the water is too deep | |
| cikâstêpêkisin | be reflected in the water | |
| cîmân | canoe | |
| cîmin | accompany me in the canoe, | Stan Wilson |
| isicimêw | paddle thither; go there by water (e.g. in a boat) | |
| iskopêw | be so deep in water, in liquid, stand just so high in water | |
| kapâ | disembark | Stan Wilson |
| kapatênam | beach s.t. (e.g. a canoe; take s.t. from the water | |
| kapatêsipayihow | get out of a canoe quickly | |
| kapatêwêpaham | beach s.t. (e.g. canoe with a batting motion, knock s.t. out of the water | |
| kapâtowin | portage; a setting ashore | |
| kapâw | go ashore, land, come ashore; get out of a canoe or boat | |
| kaskêwêhtahêw | cross a portage carrying s.o. on his/her own back | |
| kaskêwêhtatâw | cross a portage carrying s.t. on his/her own back | |
| kaskêwêpahtâw | run while crossing the portage | |
| kaskêwêtowatêw | cross a portage with goods on his/her own back | |
| kaskêwêw | cross over a portage, go across land | |
| kihciniskwahtak | right side of canoe | |
| kwahkahoso | to push the canoe along by using the paddle in shallow water by pushing against the ground (this one is hard to explain), | Stan Wilson |
| kwatapipayiw | tip over (e.g. canoe) | |
| kwatapîw | tip over (e.g. canoe) | |
| kwêskapoyê | switch paddling strokes (e.g.from left-to right), | Stan Wilson |
| kwêtapipayiw | capsize | |
| mâham | canoe downriver, paddle downstream, row downstream, go downstream (by canoe) | |
| mâhâpokow | canoe downstream | |
| mâhâpwêwêw | paddle downstream | |
| misi-pâwistikohk | misi-pâwistikohk (Grand Rapids, MB; literally: at the big rapids) | |
| mistiko-cîman | wooden boat | Stan Wilson |
| mitimêyâhtawêw | climb on the gunwale | |
| nakatahwêw | leave s.o. behind by canoe, boat, car | |
| nâmiwanaham | canoe with the wind to his/her rear | |
| nanimaham | canoe against the wind | |
| nâpihkwân | big ship | Stan Wilson |
| nataham | canoe upstream, paddle upstream | |
| nihtâwicimêw | use a boat and paddles well | |
| nîkânihk | front | Solomon Ratt |
| nimitawaham | canoe to the open water; canoe to the prairie, open country | |
| nîpâhow | canoe in the dark | |
| nistamokâm | to be in front (paddler) of the canoe, | Stan Wilson |
| nitôsim | my boat, my canoe | |
| nitôt | my boat, my canoe | |
| nôwîwoh | there's a leak | Stan Wilson |
| ohcistin | it leaks; the canoe is taking in water (via a puncture), | Stan Wilson |
| ohtêpayiw | boil (e.g. water), bubble; fizz, foam (e.g. water in falls or rapids) | |
| onikâhp | portage | |
| onikêw | portage in a canoe; carry s.t. across his/her own shoulder | |
| ôsi | boat; canoe | |
| oskotamo | yellow pond-lily, water lily; Nuphar Variegatum; also, waskwatamoh, waskatimiw | nehiyawewin.ca |
| otâhk | back end | Solomon Ratt |
| otapoyihkêw | paddle maker | |
| otê isi-wêpaha | send it over here; as explained by Vital Corrigal, "You're in the front end of a canoe, telling the one in the rear which direction you want the canoe to go. The one in the rear is the directional controler, whether paddling or using outboard motor." | Dolores/Rusty |
| pâhkwâsin | be shallow, be the bottom of water | |
| pâhkwâw | be dry; be shallow water, be almost dried up | |
| papâmicimêw | canoe about, move about on the water by vehicle | |
| papâmiskâw | paddle about, canoe about; swim around (e.g. an animal) | |
| pâwistik | pâwistik (rapids, waterfall; Brandon, MB | |
| pâwistikociwan | pâwistikociwan (flow with rapids) | |
| pâwistikowan | pâwistikowan (be a series of rapids) | |
| pêcicimêw | paddle hither | |
| pêtahiskwêwêw | bring a woman by canoe, bring his wife by canoe | |
| pîhtotak | inside of the canoe | |
| pikihkâtâ | mend the canoe using tree sap | Martin Samson Hunter |
| pimâstimo | using a sail, | Stan Wilson |
| pimâstimo | use a sail | Stan Wilson |
| pimicimêw | canoe along, paddle along; swim (e.g. animal, not human) | |
| pimîhkwân | gunwale | Solomon Ratt |
| pimiskâkan | paddle, oar, fin | |
| pimiskâw | swim by; paddle by in a canoe, boat; paddle, row | |
| pîwitam | pîwitam (shoot rapids) | |
| pôsi | get into the boat, | Stan Wilson |
| pôskohtin | get a hole through it (e.g. a canoe; burst (as a tire), burst from wearing out) | |
| sîkahâhtam | splash or pours water on s.t. | |
| sîkahâhtâsow | splash or pours water on him/herself; be baptized | |
| sîkahâhtawêw | sprinkle s.o., splash s.o., pour water onto s.o.; baptize s.o. | |
| sipwêcimêw | leave by boat, canoe away, paddle away | |
| tahkwaha | paddle from the rear | Solomon Ratt |
| tâwâyihk | in the middle | Solomon Ratt |
| tâwihtak | in the center of the boards or floor; center of a canoe or boat | |
| timîw | be deep water, be very deep (e.g. water) | e.g. water |
| tômikanostin | water is as smooth as pimiy | Stan Wilson |
| wâkinâw | canoe rib | |
| wâkinâwak | canoe ribs | Solomon Ratt |
| wânwâstikwêham | go round a bend in canoe, canoe around a bend | |
| wapâciwanâhk | wapâciwanâhk (Patuanak, SK; Dene community; literally: at the narrow rapids, from wapâciwanâw, 'the rapids are narrow.' | Kevin Lewis |
| waskatimiw | pond lily, yellow water lily | |
| waskwatamoh | pond lily, yellow water lily; water lily root | Kevin Lewis |
| waskway-cîman | birch bark canoe | Stan Wilson |
| waskway-ôsi | birch bark canoe | |
| wâwikan | "backone" | Solomon Ratt |
