Cree Literacy Network

Watch video to read along in Cree, or scroll down to read the text at leisure. Thanks (as always) for sharing, Solomon Ratt!

kahkiyaw niwâhkômâkanitik

ispîhk kâ-mâmawinitohk tahto-awiyak kâ-pîkiskwêt mâci-pîkiskwêw ôma atamiskâkêwin ka-âpacihtât ‘kahkiyaw niwâhkômâkanitik.’ ôma itwêwin ‘kahkiyaw niwâhkômâkanitik’ pîksikwêwin manitohkêwin ohci, ta-kistêyimihk, ta-atamiskawihk, ka-mawimoscikêhk. êwako anima ka-nisitawêyihtamihk mâmawipayiwin kahkiyaw kîkway kâ-ihtakohk, miyo-wîcêhtowin, mînopayiwin, êkwa mîna ka-âsokanihkêhk kahkiyaw pâh-pêtos kêsi-pimâtisiyahk.

kahkiyaw kîkway wâhkôhtowiw. êkota ôma kâ-ohci-payik kistêyimitowin, kisêwâtisiwin, sîpêyihtamowin, êkwa mâtinâwitowin. namôya pêyakwanohk ohci ayisîyiniwak piko mâka kahkiyaw ayisiyiniwak misiwêskamik ohci; namôya ayisiyiniwak piko mâka kotaka kîkwaya ôta askîhk ohci: kâ-nêwokâtêcik, kâ-nîsokâtêcik, kâ-pimitâcimocik, kâ-yâhyânahkik, kâ-otahtahkwanicik, pikwacipakowiyiniwak, êkwa asinîwiyiniwak.

ᑲᐦᑭᔭᐤ ᓂᐚᐦᑰᒫᑲᓂᑎᐠ

ᐃᐢᐲᕽ ᑳ ᒫᒪᐏᓂᑐᕽ ᑕᐦᑐ ᐊᐏᔭᐠ ᑳ ᐲᑭᐢᑵᐟ ᒫᒋ ᐲᑭᐢᑵᐤ ᐆᒪ ᐊᑕᒥᐢᑳᑫᐏᐣ ᑲ ᐋᐸᒋᐦᑖᐟ ‘ᑲᐦᑭᔭᐤ ᓂᐚᐦᑰᒫᑲᓂᑎᐠ᙮ᐃ ᐆᒪ ᐃᑘᐏᐣ ‘ᑲᐦᑭᔭᐤ ᓂᐚᐦᑰᒫᑲᓂᑎᑭ ᐲᑭᓯᑴᐎᐣ ᒪᓂᑐᐦᑫᐏᐣ ᐅᐦᒋ, ᑕ ᑭᐢᑌᔨᒥᕽ, ᑕ ᐊᑕᒥᐢᑲᐏᕽ, ᑲ ᒪᐏᒧᐢᒋᑫᕽ᙮ ᐁᐘᑯ ᐊᓂᒪ ᑲ ᓂᓯᑕᐍᔨᐦᑕᒥᕽ ᒫᒪᐏᐸᔨᐏᐣ ᑲᐦᑭᔭᐤ ᑮᑿᕀ ᑳ ᐃᐦᑕᑯᕽ, ᒥᔪ ᐑᒉᐦᑐᐏᐣ, ᒦᓄᐸᔨᐏᐣ, ᐁᑿ ᒦᓇ ᑲ ᐋᓱᑲᓂᐦᑫᕽ ᑲᐦᑭᔭᐤ ᐹᐦ ᐯᑐᐢ ᑫᓯ ᐱᒫᑎᓯᔭᕽ᙮

ᑲᐦᑭᔭᐤ ᑮᑿᕀ ᐚᐦᑰᐦᑐᐏᐤ᙮ ᐁᑯᑕ ᐆᒪ ᑳ ᐅᐦᒋ ᐸᔨᐠ ᑭᐢᑌᔨᒥᑐᐏᐣ, ᑭᓭᐚᑎᓯᐏᐣ, ᓰᐯᔨᐦᑕᒧᐏᐣ, ᐁᑿ ᒫᑎᓈᐏᑐᐏᐣ᙮ ᓇᒨᔭ ᐯᔭᑿᓄᕽ ᐅᐦᒋ ᐊᔨᓰᔨᓂᐘᐠ ᐱᑯ ᒫᑲ ᑲᐦᑭᔭᐤ ᐊᔨᓯᔨᓂᐘᐠ ᒥᓯᐍᐢᑲᒥᐠ ᐅᐦᒋ; ᓇᒨᔭ ᐊᔨᓯᔨᓂᐘᐠ ᐱᑯ ᒫᑲ ᑯᑕᑲ ᑮᑿᔭ ᐆᑕ ᐊᐢᑮᕽ ᐅᐦᒋ: ᑳ ᓀᐓᑳᑌᒋᐠ, ᑳ ᓃᓱᑳᑌᒋᐠ, ᑳ ᐱᒥᑖᒋᒧᒋᐠ, ᑳ ᔮᐦᔮᓇᐦᑭᐠ, ᑳ ᐅᑕᐦᑕᐦᑿᓂᒋᐠ, ᐱᑿᒋᐸᑯᐏᔨᓂᐘᐠ, ᐁᑿ ᐊᓯᓃᐏᔨᓂᐘᐠ᙮

All My Relations:

When people gather together, each speaker begins with a salutary statement for ‘all my relations.’ The statement ‘all my relations’ is the language of spiritual communication, an act of respect, a greeting, a prayer. It is the recognition of unity with the universe, of harmony, of balance, and of the invisible bridge that unites the diversity of our lives.

Everything is related. With this perception comes the ideas of respect, kindness, patience, and sharing. This is not only with people of the same race but for all races, not only with people but with all else that is in our world: the four legged, the two legged, the crawlers, the swimmers, the flyers, the plant-beings, and the rock-beings.