Sharing the thoughts of Elders in their own words is always an honour, particularly when they speak about our collective relationship with nêhiyawêwin. Thanks to Darryl Chamakese for permission to share his video interview with his mentor Elder A.J. Felix of Sturgeon Lake, Saskatchewan, and for letting us share his thoughtful interpretation into English. Thanks also to Neil Redcrow who took on the task of transcribing the Cree in SRO and letting us share his work as well. I suspect our Elder would be proud of their collaboration.
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êkwa ayahka anohc kâ-kîsikâk êkwa and nowadays
mêtoni ê-kitimâkisiyahk ayîhk ochi kipîkiskwêwininaw we’re in a very sad state of affairs with our language
mâka, namôya nitatamêyimâw oskâya ê-kâya-pîkiskwêt opîkiskwêwin but, i don’t blame a young person for not speaking their language
ayisk ê-kî-isîhcikêt ta-wanîhtâyahk kipîkiskwêwininaw, kinêhiyawiwininaw ahpo kimâwimosicikêwininaw because it was deliberately made so we would forget our language, culture and ceremonies
êkosi ôma pîkiskwêwin ôma ê-kî-nîhtâw-acîtâhk ta-wanîhtâhk it was specifically designed in that way for it to be forgotten
nêtê môy kayâs itêyihtâkwan ahpo kinîkihkonawak ê-kî-itisahocik kiskinwahamâtokamikohk not too long ago it was thought up that our parents would be sent off to residential school
êkotê ê-môy-pakitinêcik ta-nêhiyawêcik, êkotê ê-wanihkêcik ahpo ê-kî-kakwe-kwayask-âyamihâcik over there they weren’t allowed to speak cree, they had to forget it and replace it with religion
êkosi kiyânaw êwakôma kâ-isi-kitimâkisiyahk anohc, oskâya môy nêhiyawêw, môy opîkiskwêwin kiskêyihtam that’s the reason why we are in a sad state today, a young person doesn’t speak or know their language
êkwa kêhtê-âya pêci naway ê-kî-pê-âcimot and in the past the elder(s) have said
ôma kipîkiskwêwininaw ôma êwako an-anima ê-kî-miyikowisiyahk, kiyânaw ê-miyikowisiyahk this language here was given to us by creator it was specifically given to us
ta-aspêyimwâkêyahk, ta-ispi-opikinâwaswâkêyahk, ta-ispi-miyo-wîcêhtoyahk mîna ta-ispi-kâkîsimoyahk for us to rely on to use to raise our children to use to get along with one another and to use to pray with
êwako an-anima kiyânaw ê-miyikowisiyahk, êwako an-anima ê-kî-kakwê-maskamikawiyahk, ê-kî-kakwê-sôskwâc-ta-wanîhtâyahk ê-kî-itahkimikawiyahk that’s why it was given to us by creator, and that’s that why they tried to take it away from us to try make us forget, it was already predecided for us to be that way
êkosi êkwa anohc kâ-kîsikâk kimâwimonânaw âya kitopikinâwasowininaw, kikâkêskimâwasowininaw mîna kîkâkîsimowininaw môy ê-âsônamawayahk kitoskâyiminaw therefore nowadays we are we are pleading, because our way of raising our children, counseling our children and ways of prayer aren’t being passed on to the youth
mâka ta-âhkamêyimoyahk ê-kâya-ta-poyoyahk sôskwâc ta-âhkam-sa-sîhkimâyahk oskâya but still we must persevere and not quit and we must continue to urge the young people to carry it on
nimîtâtên mâna ahpo mâwimosicikêwinihk ê-pîtihkwêyân oskâyak êkotê ê-apicik môy ê-nisitohtakik tânsi anima kêhcinâc ê-kakwê-isîhcikêyahk mîna ê-kakwê-itwêyahk i feel bad when i go to ceremony and young people there don’t understand how we’re doing things and what we’re trying to say
mâka ta-âhkamêyimototawâyahk oskâyak ta-âhkam-pîtihkwêcik, ta-âhkam-wîtapimikoyahkok, ta-âhkam-kiskêyihtakik oskâpêwisiwin but we must continue to get the youth to keep coming in (to ceremonies), to keep coming to sit with us, to keep trying to learn how to be a helper (in ceremony)
nânitaw ita kâwi-anima opîkiskwêwinâwâw ta-pê-kîwêmakanêw ayisk mâwimostawâkanak ka-wîcihkonawak kâwi-oskâyak ta-ayâcik anima kîkway kâ-pakosêyistamawâyahkok wherever it may be their language to be brought back home to them because the spiritual helpers will help us in giving back our youth the things that we want and hope for them (the language/culture)
Darryl Chamakese made a few comments about how he shaped the free translation into English that he initially posted it in September 2018:
My friend and one of many mentors, A.J. Felix Sturgeon Lake, Sk. nēhiyaw Plains Cree. An incredible message to all. I have attempted to the best of my ability to bring out in English the powerful nēhiyaw words that he speaks with power and truth. I will never capture the true essence. I avoid using words like prayer, worship, and even ceremony because these words formulate in minds a foreign meaning and thought. I try to keep it in its nēhiyaw (Plains Cree) form. Because, if I write in proper English grammar that too will steal from its meaning.
“I am called A.J. Felix, this is who I am called. This day we are in a poor state in regards to our language, but I do not blame the New Beings (young) that do not speak their language. For it was purposely acted on that we would lose our languages, our nēhiyaw identity, and even our way of crying out (to the Creator, Spirits, Grandfather Spirits, Grandmother Spirits ) So, our language was acted on to be lost.
It wasn’t that long ago that even our parents were sent to schools, there they were forbidden to speak nēhiyawēwin (Plains Cree). They were purposely made to lose their way and there was even an attempt to change their way of crying out (to the Creator, Spirits, Grandfather Spirits ,Grandmother Spirits).
And today as we are in this poor state, the New Beings (young) do not speak nēhiyawēwin (Plains Cree), they do not know their language.
And our Old beings(Elders) said in the past, “ Our language was given to us by the Creator, the Creator gave it to us for protection and strength, to help us raise our children, to help us have good relations, and to help us cry out (to the Creator, Spirits, Grandfather Spirits Grandmother Spirits).
This is what the Creator gave to us and this is what was attempted to take away from us. With no consideration it was acted on that we should just lose it. This is what was determined upon us. And now this day we cry in spiritual pain. Our ways of raising properly our young, our ways of telling our New Beings (Young) what is right and what is wrong, and our ways of crying out (to the Creator, Spirits, Grandfather Spirits Grandmother Spirits), we cannot pass on to our New Beings (young).
However, we must forge ahead strongly, we cannot give up, we have to keep encouraging our New Beings (young).
I feel empty and I feel a longing, when I go into the lodges where we go to cry out (to the Creator, Spirits, Grandfather Spirits, Grandmother Spirits). There, the New Beings (young) sit and they do not fully comprehend the definite purpose and the truths being told.
But we must keep encouraging strongly and helping our New Beings (young) to keep entering and partaking (lodges) and to sit with us. And to keep learning the ways of the oskāpēwis (Elders Helper and apprentice).
In time again, their language will come home to them because the ones we cry out to will help us. So that again, the New Beings (young) will regain what we hope that they will have.”
