kācikan
kī-kimotiwak
ē-mēkwā-kātikawiyān
nimōsihtān kaskēyihtamowin nikāwiy okohtākanihk
kā-mēkwā-ācimāt wīsahkēcāhkwa,
ohcikawāpiwinihk ēkwa pāhpiwinihk.
kāwi kī-takosinwak, ē-kātāhkwāw
anihi kostācowina ēkwa kaskēyihtamowina
kā-postatahamoht kiskinwahamātowikamikohk
ātiht kī-ācimīwak maci-manitowa
ātiht kaskihtakwahēwak.
māka kahkiyaw nikiskisinān wīsahkēcāhk
nikāwiy ēkwa nohtāwiy kī-sōhkisiwak
nikī-wāpahkīhikonānak māyi-kīkway
ēkwa nikī-wīcihikonānak ta-tāpowakēyihtamāhk
ta-āskōwihtamāhk ātayohkēwin ēkwa nikamon.
ᑳᒋᑲᐣ
ᑮᑭᒧᑎᐘᐠ
ᐁ ᒣᒁ ᑳᑎᑲᐏᔮᐣ
ᓂᒨᓯᐦᑖᐣ ᑲᐢᑫᔨᐦᑕᒧᐏᐣ ᓂᑳᐏᕀ ᐅᑯᐦᑖᑲᓂᕽ
ᑳ ᒣᒁ ᐋᒋᒫᐟ ᐑᓴᐦᑫᒑᐦᑿ,
ᐅᐦᒋᑲᐚᐱᐏᓂᕽ ᐁᑿ ᐹᐦᐱᐏᓂᕽ᙮
ᑳᐏ ᑮ ᑕᑯᓯᓌᐠ, ᐁ ᑳᑖᐦᒁᐤ
ᐊᓂᐦᐃ ᑯᐢᑖᒍᐏᓇ ᐁᑿ ᑲᐢᑫᔨᐦᑕᒧᐏᓇ
ᑳ ᐳᐢᑕᑕᐦᐊᒧᐦᐟ ᑭᐢᑭᓌᐦᐊᒫᑐᐏᑲᒥᑯᕽ
ᐋᑎᐦᐟ ᑮ ᐋᒋᒦᐘᐠ ᒪᒋ ᒪᓂᑐᐘ
ᐋᑎᐦᐟ ᑲᐢᑭᐦᑕᑿᐦᐁᐘᐠ᙮
ᒫᑲ ᑲᐦᑭᔭᐤ ᓂᑭᐢᑭᓯᓈᐣ ᐑᓴᐦᑫᒑᕽ
ᓂᑳᐏᕀ ᐁᑿ ᓄᐦᑖᐏᕀ ᑮ ᓲᐦᑭᓯᐘᐠ
ᓂᑮ ᐚᐸᐦᑮᐦᐃᑯᓈᓇᐠ ᒫᔨ ᑮᑿᕀ
ᐁᑿ ᓂᑮ ᐑᒋᐦᐃᑯᓈᓇᐠ ᑕ ᑖᐳᐘᑫᔨᐦᑕᒫᕽ
ᑕ ᐋᐢᑰᐏᐦᑕᒫᕽ ᐋᑕᔪᐦᑫᐏᐣ ᐁᑿ ᓂᑲᒧᐣ᙮
Hideling
They stole them away
While I was kept in hiding
I felt the sadness in my mother’s voice
As she told me Wisahkecahk’s teachings
Amidst tears and laughter.
They came back, hiding
Those fears and loneliness
Beaten into them at the mission school
Some can talk of those demons;
Some lock them in.
But we still remember Wisahkecahk.
My mom and dad were strong,
They made us see through the wrong.
And helped us believe;
To follow our ancestors in story and song.
(Indian Unknown aka Billy Joe Laboucan)
Copyright © 2006
Thanks to Chief Billy Joe for letting us share his words – and to Solomon Ratt for providing the audio.
