Wilfred Buck’s Tipiskawi Kisik / Night Sky Star Stories must have reached best seller status at McNally Robinson – and at Manitoba First Nations Education Centre where it was produced. It’s really a beauty. Here’s a link that includes a preview of the book and ordering instructions from MFNERC: https://mfnerc.org/product/tipiskawi-kisik-night-sky-star-stories/ It’s also available at McNally Robinson in Winnipeg and in Saskatoon.
You can also learn more from Wilfred Buck’s Official Website: https://acakwuskwun.com/
The book also includes some fabulous astronomical vocabulary in Cree that Solomon Ratt gathered up and rendered in SRO and syllabics.
| SRO | Syllabic | English |
|---|---|---|
| ahcahk | ᐊᐦᒐᕽ | spirit |
| ahcahk sîpiy | ᐊᐦᒐᕽ ᓰᐱᕀ | river of spirits or the milky way |
| acâhkos | ᐊᒑᐦᑯᐢ | star |
| acâhkos akohp/atahkakohp | ᐊᒑᐦᑯᐢ ᐊᑯᐦᑊ/ᐊᑕᐦᑲᑯᐦᑊ | the star blanket |
| acâhkos iyiniwak (Y) ininêwak (N) ithiniwak (TH) | ᐊᒑᐦᑯᐢ ᐃᔨᓂᐘᐠ (Y) ᐃᓂᓀᐘᐠ (N) ᐃᖨᓂᐘᐠ (TH) | the star people |
| acâhkos iskwêw | ᐊᒑᐦᑯᐢ ᐃᐢᑵᐤ | star woman |
| acâhkosak | ᐊᒑᐦᑯᓴᐠ | the stars |
| askiy | ᐊᐢᑭᕀ | earth |
| asiniy awâsis | ᐊᓯᓂᕀ ᐊᐚᓯᐢ | stone child |
| asiniyak | ᐊᓯᓂᔭᐠ | stones, rocks |
| atâhkosak/acâhkosak | ᐊᑖᐦᑯᓴᐠ / ᐊᒑᐦᑯᓴᐠ | stars |
| atim-acâhkosak | ᐊᑎᒪᒑᐦᑯᓴᐠ | the dog stars |
| atim-acâhkosak | ᐊᑎᒪᒑᐦᑯᓴᐠ | the little dipper |
| êkâ kâ-âhcît | ᐁᑳ ᑳ ᐋᐦᒌᐟ | the standing still star, north star |
| ininêwak (N); iyiniwak (Y); ithiniwak (TH) | ᐃᓂᓀᐘᐠ (N); ᐃᔨᓂᐘᐠ (Y); ᐃᖨᓂᐘᐠ (TH) | cree |
| iskwêwak | ᐃᐢᑵᐘᐠ | woman |
| kayâs | ᑲᔮᐢ | long ago |
| kîwêtin | ᑮᐍᑎᐣ | polaris |
| kîsikôwak | ᑮᓯᑰᐘᐠ | beings of light |
| kîwêtin | ᑮᐍᑎᐣ | going home star, north star |
| kîwêtinohk | ᑮᐍᑎᓄᕽ | the north wind |
| kohkominâhkîsîs | ᑯᐦᑯᒥᓈᐦᑮᓰᐢ | grandmother spider |
| kohkominâhkîsîs êkwa ahcahk sîpiy | ᑯᐦᑯᒥᓈᐦᑮᓰᐢ ᐁᑿ ᐊᐦᒐᕽ ᓰᐱᕀ | grandmother spider and the river of spirits or the milky way |
| mâhtâtisân | ᒫᐦᑖᑎᓵᐣ | corona borealis |
| mihkinâhk | ᒥᐦᑭᓈᕽ | the turtle |
| mahkêsiw | ᒪᐦᑫᓯᐤ | the fox; urodelus |
| matotisân | ᒪᑐᑎᓵᐣ | the sweat lodge |
| matotisân/têpakohp piyêsîsak (pinêsîsak) | ᒪᑐᑎᓵᐣ / ᑌᐸᑯᐦᑊ ᐱᔦᓰᓴᐠ (ᐱᓀᓰᓴᐠ) | corona borealis |
| mahihkan | ᒪᐦᐃᐦᑲᐣ | the wolf; polaris |
| mêscacâkanis | ᒣᐢᒐᒑᑲᓂᐢ | the coyote; yildum |
| misiwê (IPC) | ᒥᓯᐍ (IPC) | all that is |
| misti-maskwa | ᒥᐢᑎ ᒪᐢᑿ | big dipper |
| misti-maskwa | ᒥᐢᑎ ᒪᐢᑿ | the great bear |
| mistâpêw (Big Foot!) | ᒥᐢᑖᐯᐤ (Big Foot!) | giant; orion |
| misti-maskwa | ᒥᐢᑎ ᒪᐢᑿ | the big dipper |
| motôtison / matotisân asiniyak | ᒧᑑᑎᓱᐣ / ᒪᑐᑎᓵᐣ ᐊᓯᓂᔭᐠ | pleiades |
| maskihkiy iskotêw | ᒪᐢᑭᐦᑭᕀ ᐃᐢᑯᑌᐤ | medicine fire |
| nitôtêmak | ᓂᑑᑌᒪᐠ | relatives |
| nimosôm asiniy | ᓂᒧᓲᒼ ᐊᓯᓂᕀ | grandfather rock |
| nîpin piyêsiw (pinêsiw - N) | ᓃᐱᐣ ᐱᔦᓯᐤ (ᐱᓀᓯᐤ - N) | the star of libra on its right wing |
| nîpinêsîs mêskanaw | ᓃᐱᓀᓰᐢ ᒣᐢᑲᓇᐤ | the geese's path or summer birds' path |
| niska | ᓂᐢᑲ | the goose |
| niska mêskanaw | ᓂᐢᑲ ᒣᐢᑲᓇᐤ | the geese's path or summer birds' path |
| nohkom asiniy | ᓄᐦᑯᒼ ᐊᓯᓂᕀ | grandmother rock |
| ocêk acâhkosak | ᐅᒉᐠ ᐊᒑᐦᑯᓴᐠ | fisher star; the big dipper |
| opâskwêyâhk | ᐅᐹᐢᑵᔮᕽ | The Pas |
| pakonê-kîsik | ᐸᑯᓀ ᑮᓯᐠ | the hole in the sky; pleiades |
| pimâtisiwin | ᐱᒫᑎᓯᐏᐣ | life |
| pihpihcêw | ᐱᐦᐱᐦᒉᐤ | the robin |
| pipon piyêsiw (pinêsiw) | ᐱᐳᐣ ᐱᔦᓯᐤ (ᐱᓀᓯᐤ) | draco and little dipper |
| pipon | ᐱᐳᐣ | winter |
| pîsim | ᐲᓯᒼ | the sun |
| sîkwan | ᓰᑿᐣ | spring |
| sîsîkwan | ᓰᓰᑿᐣ | the rattle; polaris and cepheus |
| têpakohp piyêsîsak (pinêsîsak) | ᑌᐸᑯᐦᑊ ᐱᔦᓰᓴᐠ (ᐱᓀᓰᓴᐠ) | the seven birds; corona borealis |
| mitihkom | ᒥᑎᐦᑯᒼ | the louse |
| tipiskâw kîsik | ᑎᐱᐢᑳᐤ ᑮᓯᐠ | night sky |
| wîsahkêcâhk/mistâpêw | ᐑᓴᐦᑫᒑᕽ / ᒥᐢᑖᐯᐤ | orion and aldebaran |
3 Responses
I am studying “let the ponies out”
In it there is a Cree word Chigayow
Can anyone tell me the meaning of this word?
Thanks!
NANASKAMON NITOOTIMUK!!!
This is awesome information!!!
the website should read;
acakwuskwun.com