tânihki ôma kipîkiskwîwininaw kâ-ati-wanihtâyahk?
wîtha kîthânaw î-itôtâsoyahk:
tâhtwâw îkâ kâ-nîhithowîmititoyahk;
tahtwâw îkâ kâ-nîhithowîyahk ispî kâ-mâmawinitoyahk;
tahtwâw îkâ kâ-nîhithowîyahk ispî kâ-mâmawapiyahk;
tahtwâw îkâ kâ-nîhithowîyahk ispî kâ-kiskinwahamâkîyahk;
tahtwâw îkâ kâ-nîhithowîyahk ispî kâ-âcathohkîyahk;
tahtwâw îkâ kâ-nîhitowîyahk ispî kâ-kâkîsimoyahk;
tahtwâw kâ-kitimâkimâyahk oskâya kâ-kakwî-nîhithowît:
“kimôniyâwihtâkosin mâna,” î-isi-nanôthacimâyahk.
ikosi kitisi-nisowanâcihtânaw kipîkiskwîwininaw:
mitoni tâpiskôc î-ati-nisowanâcihisômakahk kipîpiskwîwininaw.
ᑖᓂᐦᑭ ᐆᒪ ᑭᐲᑭᐢᑹᐏᓂᓇᐤ ᑳ ᐊᑎ ᐘᓂᐦᑖᔭᕽ?
ᐑᖬ ᑮᖭᓇᐤ ᐄ ᐃᑑᑖᓱᔭᕽ:
ᑖᐦᑤᐤ ᐄᑳ ᑳ ᓃᐦᐃᖪᐑᒥᑎᑐᔭᕽ;
ᑕᐦᑤᐤ ᐄᑳ ᑳ ᓃᐦᐃᖪᐑᔭᕽ ᐃᐢᐲ ᑳ ᒫᒪᐏᓂᑐᔭᕽ;
ᑕᐦᑤᐤ ᐄᑳ ᑳ ᓃᐦᐃᖪᐑᔭᕽ ᐃᐢᐲ ᑳ ᒫᒪᐘᐱᔭᕽ;
ᑕᐦᑤᐤ ᐄᑳ ᑳ ᓃᐦᐃᖪᐑᔭᕽ ᐃᐢᐲ ᑳ ᑭᐢᑭᓌᐦᐊᒫᑮᔭᕽ;
ᑕᐦᑤᐤ ᐄᑳ ᑳ ᓃᐦᐃᖪᐑᔭᕽ ᐃᐢᐲ ᑳ ᐋᒐᖪᐦᑮᔭᕽ;
ᑕᐦᑤᐤ ᐄᑳ ᑳ ᓃᐦᐃᑐᐑᔭᕽ ᐃᐢᐲ ᑳ ᑳᑮᓯᒧᔭᕽ;
ᑕᐦᑤᐤ ᑳ ᑭᑎᒫᑭᒫᔭᕽ ᐅᐢᑳᔭ ᑳ ᑲᑹ ᓃᐦᐃᖪᐑᐟ:
“ᑭᒨᓂᔮᐏᐦᑖᑯᓯᐣ ᒫᓇ,” ᐄ ᐃᓯ ᓇᓅᖬᒋᒫᔭᕽ᙮
ᐃᑯᓯ ᑭᑎᓯ ᓂᓱᐘᓈᒋᐦᑖᓇᐤ ᑭᐲᑭᐢᑹᐏᓂᓇᐤ:
ᒥᑐᓂ ᑖᐱᐢᑰᐨ ᐄ ᐊᑎ ᓂᓱᐘᓈᒋᐦᐃᓲᒪᑲᕽ ᑭᐲᐱᐢᑹᐏᓂᓇᐤ᙮
Why is it that we are losing our language?
because we are doing it to ourselves:
every time that we don’t speak Cree to each other:
every time that we don’t speak Cree when we are at gatherings;
every time that we don’t speak Cree when we are at meetings;
every time that we don’t speak Cree when we are teaching;
every time that we don’t speak Cree when we are telling sacred stories;
every time that we don’t speak Cree when we are praying;
every time that we bully a young person when he/she tries to speak Cree: “You sound so white,” we tease them.
These are ways we kill our language; it’s like our language is beginning to commit suicide.
