In November 2019, Charlie Venne prepared a great teaching presentation featuring the names of trees in Woodland Cree, complete with photos and audio for pronunciation. You can view his post on his First Nation Stories website, at http://firstnationstories.com/?p=3322
Inspired by Charlie’s presentation, Solomon Ratt went one step further, providing y-dialect tree names, and assembling images and words for the leaves, buds and cones of the various species to help with identification in the bush. You can view Sol’s presentation below (and his vocabulary below that).
As great as it is to bring this land-related content together here, I think the spirit of collaboration between these two language warriors is even more impressive. Sincere thanks to Charlie, and to Sol for permission to share.
|
| y-dialect | th-dialect | English |
|---|---|---|
| mistikwak | mistikwak | Trees |
| mîtos | mîtos | Poplar |
| niwâpahtên mîtosipak. | niwâpahtên mîtosipak. | I see a poplar tree leaf. |
| mâyi-mîtos | mâthi-mîtos | Black Poplar |
| niwâpahtên mâyi-mîtosipak. | niwâpahtîn mâthi-mîtosipak. | I see a black poplar tree leaf. |
| ahcâpâsk | ahcâpâsk | Elm |
| niwâpahtên ahcâpâskipakwa. | niwâpahtîn ahcâpâskipakwa. | I see elm tree leaves. |
| waskway | waskway | birch |
| niwâpahtên waskwayipak. | niwâpahtîn waskwayipak. | I see a birch leaf. |
| mihkwâpêmak | mihkwâpêmak | Red willow |
| niwâpahtên mihkwâpêmakipakwa. | niwâpahtîn mihkwâpêmakipakwa. | I see red willow leaves. |
| nîpisiy | nîpisiy | Willow |
| niwâpahtên nîpisîpakwa. | niwâpahtîn nîpisîpakwa. | I see willow leaves. |
| sihta | sihta/ithinihtak | White spruce |
| niwâpamâwak sihta-waskwêtoyak. | niwâpamâwak sihta-waskwêtoyak. | I see white spruce pinecones. |
| minahik | minahik | Black spruce |
| niwâpamâwak minahik-waskwêtoyak. | niwâpamâwak minahik-waskwîtoyak. | I see black spruce pinecones. |
| oskâhtak | oskâhtak | Jackpine |
| niwâpamâw oskâhtak-waskwêtoy. | niwâpamâw oskâhtak-waskwîtoy. | I see a jackpine pinecone. |
| napakâsiht | napakâsiht | Balsam pine |
| niwâpamâwak napakâsiht-waskwêtoyak. | niwâpamâwak napakâsiht-waskwîtoyak. | I see balsam pine pinecones. |
| wâkinâkan | wâkinâkan | Tamarack |
| niwâpamâwak wâkinâkan-waskwêtoyak. | niwâpamâwak wâkinâkan-waskwîtoyak. | I see tamarack pine pinecones. |
| mâsikîsk | mâsikîsk | Cedar |
| niwâpamâw mâsikîsk-waskwêtoy. | niwâpamâw mâsikîsk-waskwîtoy. | I see a cedar pinecone. |
