sîsîp otâcimowin – Duck’s Story: Grace Masse (th-dialect)

Thanks to Grace Masse, from Brochet, Manitoba for offering this little âcimowin – which she wrote in Cree – for us to share here. She joined us from Brandon via Zoom for February Storytelling, (The photo of duckling sibs thanks to Solomon Ratt.)

Audio provided by Solomon Ratt.

sîsîp otâcimowinDuck's Story
tânisi Grace Masse nitisithihkâson ikwa anohc nika-âcimon. Hello, my name is Grace Masse and today I will tell you a story.
piyak kîsikâw sîsîp mâmitonîthihtamOne-day duck was thinking.
asawâpamîw kotaka sîsîpa He looked around at the other ducks.
tâskôc wîthawâw î-wîcîwâkanicik. They seemed to have friends.
‘tânitî îtokwî wîtha owîcîwakana?’ isi- mâmitonîthihtam.Where were his friend he thought?
î-kisiwâsit ikospî î-kî-paskopitisot omîkwana.He got so upset that he pulled off all his feathers.
î-kî-mosîskatît.He was naked.
kî-kanawâpamisow ikwa môtha kî-nitawîthitam awiya kita-wâpamikot ikospî î-tapisît.He looked at himself and didn’t want anyone to see him so he ran away.
mitoni î-sôhkîpahtât ikwa môtha kiskîthihtam tânitî î-ayât. He ran so fast that he didn’t know where he was.
mwâc î-kî-wâpimât kotaka sîsîpa.He didn’t see any other ducks.
mwâc î-kî-pimithât macî î-kî-paskopitisot.He couldn’t fly to find them because he pulled off his feathers.
î-kî-mâtot. ithikohk î-kî-misi-mâtot ikwa î-nipât.He cried. He cried so much that he fell asleep.
ikospî î-kî-waniskât ikwa î-wâpimât awiya î-kî-papâmohtîthit. He woke up and saw something walking
mwâc kiskîthihtam kîkway anima.He couldn’t make out what it was.
mâmitonîthihtam ikwaHe thought,
“maskwa nâ ana? mahihkan nâ ana?”“Was it a bear? Was it a wolf?”
î-kî-sîkisit ikwa kâsôw awasîw mîtosihk kkwa kîhtwâm î-mâtot ikwa î-pasakwâpit.He was scared that he hid behind a tree and cried again and closed his eyes.
ikospî pîhtam kîkway ikwa tohkâpiw.And then He heard something and open his eyes.
î-wâpamât mistahi mîkwana mwâc kîkway ikosi î-kî-ohci-wâpamât.He saw a lot of feathers something he never seen before
ikospî misiwî mîkwanak pahkisinwak.Then the feathers fell.
osîmisa îsa ana apisi-sîsîp.It was him little brother little duck.
osîmisa î-kî-pimitisahokot ostîsa ikwa î-kî-pîtamowât omîkwana.He followed his brother and brought him his feathers.
kî-wîcihitowak ikwa kîhtwâm î-ahthâcik sîsîp omîkwana. And Helping each other they put duck’s feathers on.
ikospî î-nîsicik pimithâwak ikospî î-kîwîhocik. Then the two of them flew home.
sîsîp otâcimowin – Duck’s Story
By: Grace Masse

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