While we’re all in isolation, we’re going to try to post one video a day from Sol’s existing teaching library, and the teaching libraries of some of his friends. Like Sasquatch himself, Solomon Ratt has experience with self isolation. Who better to help out with online Cree lessons for remote learning?
It’s a beautiful, sunny day today: a good time to share a little (virtual) Spring outing. Read along as you listen to Sol. Print out the vocabulary list, if you like, then listen again for the words you recognize.
ispîhk mâna kâ-sîkwahk, wîpac ê-kîskisêpâk, kâ-nikotwâso-kîsikâk, nipapâmi-tihtipiskên cihcipayapisikanis. wahyaw mâna nikakwê-papâmi-tihtipiskên cihcipayapisikanis. kîspin êkâ mistahi sôhkiyowêki nêwosâp cipahaskânis mâna nitihtipiskên cihcipayapisikanis, sâkahikanisihk isi, êkwa kâwi ta-kîwê-hiskamân, mâmawi, nîsitanaw ayênânêwosâp cipahaskânis ê-papâmi-tihtipiskamân cihcipayapisikanis. ispîhk sôhkiyowêki namôya mâna wahyaw nitisi-têhtapin. têpiyahk aciyaw mâna nipapâmi-tihtipiskên cihcipayapisikanis ispîhk kâ-sôhkiyowêk. âskaw mâna mistahi sôhkiyowêw ôta maskotêhk.
nicihkêyihtên ta-papâmi-tihtipiskamân cihcipayapisikanis ispîhk kâ-sîkwahk. ispîhk mâna kâ-papâmipayiyân niwâpamâwak nanâtohk piyêsîsak: cahcahkâyosak, cahcahkiwak, niskak, âhâsiwak, êkwa nanâtohk sîsîpak. acimosihkânisak mîna niwâpamâwak ispîhk kâ-ati-sâkipakâk. mêtoni miyonâkwan askiy ispîhk kâ-sîkwahk.
When it’s spring, early in the morning, on a Saturday, I like to go riding a bike. I try to ride far on the bike. If it is not too windy I ride 14 kilometers to the small lake, and back home again, I ride the bike for a total of 28 kilometers. When it is very windy I don’t ride far.
I go out riding the bike briefly when it is very windy. Sometimes it gets very windy here on the prairies. I like to ride the bike when it is spring.When I go about I see all sorts of birds: blackbirds, pelicans, geese, crows, and all sorts of ducks. I also see pussy willows when the leaves start to bud. The earth is very beautiful when it is spring.
WORDS
- acimosihkânisak – pussy willows (NA)
- aciyaw – for a shor while
- âhâsiw – crow
- âskaw mâna – sometimes, as is usual
- askiy – earth
- ati-sâkipakâw – leaves begin to bud
- ayênânêwosâp – eighteen
- cahcahkâyos – blackbird
- cahcahkiw – pelican
- cihcipayapisikanis – bicycle (NI)
- cihkêyihta – like s.t. (VTI-1)
- cipahaskânis – kilometre
- êkâ – negator for conjunct
- êkwa – and
- isi – toward a direction
- isi-têhtapi – ride in a way (VAI)
- ispîhk – when
- kakwê- – try to (PV)
- kâwi – back
- kîskisêpâw – it is morning (VII)
- kîspin – if
- kîwê-hiska – ride it home (VAI)
- mâmawi – all together
- mâna – usually
- maskotêw – prairie (NI)
- mêtoni – very
- mîna – also
- istahi – a lot
- miyonâkwan – it looks beautiful (VII)
- namôya – no
- nanâtohk – all kinds
- nêwosâp – fourteen
- nikotwâso-kîsikâw – it is Saturday (VII)
- nîsitanaw – twenty
- niska – goose
- ôta – here
- papâmi- – out and about
- papâmipayi – go out and about (VAI)
- piyêsîs – bird (NA)
- sâkahikanis – small lake
- sîkwan – it is spring
- sîsîp – duck
- sôhkiyowêw – it is very windy (VII)
- têpiyahk – at least
- tihtipiska – ride s.t. with wheels (VTI-1)
- wahyaw – far away
- wâpam – see s.o. (VTA)
- wîpac – soon, early
(About Sol’s shirt: https://creeliteracy.org/2020/03/17/awas-go-away-most-dialects/)
