Cree Literacy Network

While we’re all in isolation, we’re going to try to post one video a day from Sol’s existing teaching library. Like Sasquatch himself, Solomon Ratt has experience with self isolation. Who better to help out with online Cree lessons for remote learning?  

Responding to a comment from a reader, today we’ve got a prayer to the four directions, previously posted in August 2018.  Just audio, today, but with the text providing for printing to read along. 

th-dialect:

kisîmanitow, kinanâskomitin kotak kîsikâw î-mithiyan

mâci-kîsikanohk isi nimawimôstamowâw mikisiw-ahcahk kita-nâkatawîthimât oskawâsisa ikwa kita-mîthit sîpîthihtamowin. nipakitinâw cistîmâw;

sâwanohk isi nimawimôstamowâw âpakosîs-ahcahk kita-nâkatawîthimât oskâya ikwa kita-mîthit kisîwâtisowin. nipakitinîn paskwâwihkaskwa;

pahkisimonihk isi nimawimôstamowâw paskwâwimostos-ahcahk kita-nâkatawîthimât okîsohpikiwa ikwa kita-mîthit sîpiyawîsiwin. nipakitinîn wîhkaskwa;

kîwîtinohk isi nimawimôstamowâw maskwa-ahcahk kita-nâkatawîthimât kîhtiyaya ikwa kita-mîthit sâkihitowin. nipakitinîn mâsikîsk.

sawîthimik kahkithaw niwâhkômâkanak, hay-hay.

ᑭᓰᒪᓂᑐᐤ, ᑭᓇᓈᐢᑯᒥᑎᐣ ᑯᑕᐠ ᑮᓯᑳᐤ ᐄᒥᐟᐦᐃᔭᐣ

ᒫᒋᑮᓯᑲᓄᕽ ᐃᓯ ᓂᒪᐏᒨᐢᑕᒧᐚᐤ ᒥᑭᓯᐘᐦᒐᕽ ᑭᑕᓈᑲᑕᐑᐟᐦᐃᒫᐟ ᐅᐢᑲᐚᓯᓴ ᐃᑿ ᑭᑕᒦᐟᐦᐃᐟ ᓰᐲᐟᐦᐃᐦᑕᒧᐏᐣ. ᓂᐸᑭᑎᓈᐤ ᒋᐢᑏᒫᐤ;

ᓵᐘᓄᕽ ᐃᓯ ᓂᒪᐏᒨᐢᑕᒧᐚᐤ ᐋᐸᑯᓰᓴᐦᒐᕽ ᑭᑕᓈᑲᑕᐑᐟᐦᐃᒫᐟ ᐅᐢᑳᔭ ᐃᑿ ᑭᑕᒦᐟᐦᐃᐟ ᑭᓰᐚᑎᓱᐏᐣ. ᓂᐸᑭᑎᓃᐣ ᐸᐢᒁᐏᐦᑲᐢᑿ;

ᐸᐦᑭᓯᒧᓂᕽ ᐃᓯ ᓂᒪᐏᒨᐢᑕᒧᐚᐤ ᐸᐢᒁᐏᒧᐢᑐᓴᐦᒐᕽ ᑭᑕᓈᑲᑕᐑᐟᐦᐃᒫᐟ ᐅᑮᓱᐦᐱᑭᐘ ᐃᑿ ᑭᑕᒦᐟᐦᐃᐟ ᓰᐱᔭᐑᓯᐏᐣ. ᓂᐸᑭᑎᓃᐣ ᐑᐦᑲᐢᑿ;

ᑮᐑᑎᓄᕽ ᐃᓯ ᓂᒪᐏᒨᐢᑕᒧᐚᐤ ᒪᐢᑿᐊᐦᒐᕽ ᑭᑕᓈᑲᑕᐑᐟᐦᐃᒫᐟ ᑮᐦᑎᔭᔭ ᐃᑿ ᑭᑕᒦᐟᐦᐃᐟ ᓵᑭᐦᐃᑐᐏᐣ. ᓂᐸᑭᑎᓃᐣ ᒫᓯᑮᐢᐠ.

ᓴᐑᐟᐦᐃᒥᐠ ᑲᐦᑭᐟᐦᐊᐤ ᓂᐚᐦᑰᒫᑲᓇᐠ, ᐊᕀᐦᐊᕀ.

Creator, I thank you for another day.

To the East I pray to the Eagle Spirit to take care of the newborns and to give me patience.
I set down tobacco;
To the South I pray to the Mouse Spirit to take care of the youth and to give me kindness.
I set down sage;
To the West I pray to the Buffalo Spirit to take care of the adults and to give me tolerance.
I set down sweet grass;
To the North I pray to the Bear Spirit to take care of the Elders and to give me love.
I set down cedar.
Bless all my relatives, hay-hay.

[y-dialect:] 

kisêmanitow, kinanâskomitin kotak kîsikâw ê-miyiyan 

sâkâstênohk isi nimawimôstamowâw mikisiw-ahcahk kita-nâkatawêyimât oskawâsisa êkwa kita-miyit sîpêyihtamowin.
nipakitinâw cistêmâw;

sâwanohk isi nimawimôstamowâw âpakosîs-ahcahk kita-nâkatawêyimât oskâya êkwa kita-miyit kisêwâtisiwin.
nipakitinên paskwâwihkaskwa;

pahkisimotâhk isi nimawimôstamowâw paskwâwimostos-ahcahk kita-nâkatawêyimât okîsohpikiwa êkwa kita-miyit sîpiyawêsiwin.
nipakitinên wîhkaskwa;

kîwêtinohk isi nimawimôstamowâw maskwa-ahcahk kita-nâkatawêyimât kêhtê-aya êkwa kita-miyit sâkihitowin.
nipakitinên mâsikîsk.

sawêyimik kahkiyaw niwâhkômâkanak, hay-hay.

ᑭᓭᒪᓂᑐᐤ, ᑭᓇᓈᐢᑯᒥᑎᐣ ᑯᑕᐠ ᑮᓯᑳᐤ ᐁᒥᔨᔭᐣ

ᓵᑳᐢᑌᓄᕽ ᐃᓯ ᓂᒪᐏᒨᐢᑕᒧᐚᐤ ᒥᑭᓯᐘᐦᒐᕽ ᑭᑕᓈᑲᑕᐍᔨᒫᐟ ᐅᐢᑲᐚᓯᓴ ᐁᑿ ᑭᑕᒥᔨᐟ ᓰᐯᔨᐦᑕᒧᐏᐣ.
ᓂᐸᑭᑎᓈᐤ ᒋᐢᑌᒫᐤ;

ᓵᐘᓄᕽ ᐃᓯ ᓂᒪᐏᒨᐢᑕᒧᐚᐤ ᐋᐸᑯᓰᓴᐦᒐᕽ ᑭᑕᓈᑲᑕᐍᔨᒫᐟ ᐅᐢᑳᔭ ᐁᑿ ᑭᑕᒥᔨᐟ ᑭᓭᐚᑎᓯᐏᐣ.
ᓂᐸᑭᑎᓀᐣ ᐸᐢᒁᐏᐦᑲᐢᑿ;

ᐸᐦᑭᓯᒧᑖᕽ ᐃᓯ ᓂᒪᐏᒨᐢᑕᒧᐚᐤ ᐸᐢᒁᐏᒧᐢᑐᓴᐦᒐᕽ ᑭᑕᓈᑲᑕᐍᔨᒫᐟ ᐅᑮᓱᐦᐱᑭᐘ ᐁᑿ ᑭᑕᒥᔨᐟ ᓰᐱᔭᐍᓯᐏᐣ.
ᓂᐸᑭᑎᓀᐣ ᐑᐦᑲᐢᑿ;

ᑮᐍᑎᓄᕽ ᐃᓯ ᓂᒪᐏᒨᐢᑕᒧᐚᐤ ᒪᐢᑿᐊᐦᒐᕽ ᑭᑕᓈᑲᑕᐍᔨᒫᐟ ᑫᐦᑌᐊᔭ ᐁᑿ ᑭᑕᒥᔨᐟ ᓵᑭᐦᐃᑐᐏᐣ.
ᓂᐸᑭᑎᓀᐣ ᒫᓯᑮᐢᐠ.

ᓴᐍᔨᒥᐠ ᑲᐦᑭᔭᐤ ᓂᐚᐦᑰᒫᑲᓇᐠ, ᐦᐊᕀᐦᐊᕀ.

Creator, I thank you for another day.

To the East I pray to the Eagle Spirit to take care of the newborns and to give me patience. I set down tobacco;
To the South I pray to the Mouse Spirit to take care of the youth and to give me kindness.
I set down sage;
To the West I pray to the Buffalo Spirit to take care of the adults and to give me tolerance.
I set down sweet grass;
To the North I pray to the Bear Spirit to take care of the Elders and to give me love.
I set down cedar.
Bless all my relatives, hay-hay.

(About Sol’s shirt: https://creeliteracy.org/2020/03/17/awas-go-away-most-dialects/)