Congratulations and thanks to Darian Âcikahtê for permitting us to share text from the Cree portion of his Valedictory address at yesterday’s First Nations University 2021 Graduation. Listen and enjoy his confidence and fluency as you read along, then scroll down to join us in offering congratulations to him and his fellow graduates.
tânisi kahkiyaw niwâhkômâkanitik êkwa nitôtêmitik. kitatamiskatinâwâw kahkiyaw ôta kâ-ayâyêk êkwa kâ-pêhtawiyêk. Darian âcikahtê nitisiyihkâson êkwa kâ-awâsis iskonikanihk nipê-ohcîn. nikî-pê-ohpikin nitiskonikanihk mâka môy wîhkâc ê-kî-pâh-pêhtamân nêhiyawêwin. nikâwiy, êkwa nohtâwiy namôya nêhiyawêwak, êkwa pêyak piko nohkom apisîs ê-ohci-nêhiyawêt. ninêhiyawân ta-kakwê-mamihcihakik nitâniskotâpânak ayisk kayâsîs ê-kî-wanihtâyâhk nipîkiskwêwininân. êwako ohci kâ-kakwê-nêhiyawêyân tahto-kîsikâw.
ᑖᓂᓯ ᑲᐦᑭᔭᐤ ᓂᐚᐦᑰᒫᑲᓂᑎᐠ ᐁᑿ ᓂᑑᑌᒥᑎᐠ᙮ ᑭᑕᑕᒥᐢᑲᑎᓈᐚᐤ ᑲᐦᑭᔭᐤ ᐆᑕ ᑳ ᐊᔮᔦᐠ ᐁᑿ ᑳ ᐯᐦᑕᐏᔦᐠ᙮ Darian ᐋᒋᑲᐦᑌ ᓂᑎᓯᔨᐦᑳᓱᐣ ᐁᑿ ᑳ ᐊᐚᓯᐢ ᐃᐢᑯᓂᑲᓂᕽ ᓂᐯ ᐅᐦᒌᐣ᙮ ᓂᑮ ᐯ ᐅᐦᐱᑭᐣ ᓂᑎᐢᑯᓂᑲᓂᕽ ᒫᑲ ᒨᐩ ᐑᐦᑳᐨ ᐁ ᑮ ᐹᐦ ᐯᐦᑕᒫᐣ ᓀᐦᐃᔭᐍᐏᐣ᙮ ᓂᑳᐏᐩ, ᐁᑿ ᓄᐦᑖᐏᐩ ᓇᒨᔭ ᓀᐦᐃᔭᐍᐘᐠ, ᐁᑿ ᐯᔭᐠ ᐱᑯ ᓄᐦᑯᒼ ᐊᐱᓰᐢ ᐁ ᐅᐦᒋ ᓀᐦᐃᔭᐍᐟ᙮ ᓂᓀᐦᐃᔭᐚᐣ ᑕ ᑲᑵ ᒪᒥᐦᒋᐦᐊᑭᐠ ᓂᑖᓂᐢᑯᑖᐹᓇᐠ ᐊᔨᐢᐠ ᑲᔮᓰᐢ ᐁ ᑮ ᐘᓂᐦᑖᔮᕽ ᓂᐲᑭᐢᑵᐏᓂᓈᐣ᙮ ᐁᐘᑯ ᐅᐦᒋ ᑳ ᑲᑵ ᓀᐦᐃᔭᐍᔮᐣ ᑕᐦᑐ ᑮᓯᑳᐤ᙮
Hello everyone, my family and friends. I greet all those here and those listening. My name is Darian Agecoutay and I come from the Cowessess reserve. I grew up on my reserve but never heard the Cree language regularly. My mother, my father do not speak Cree, and only one of my grandmothers is able to speak a little Cree. I speak Cree to try make my ancestors/great-grandparents proud because a while ago we lost our language. That is the reason I try speak Cree everyday.
In response to Darian – and with best wishes to all who are graduating in 2021 – we offer these words of congratulations, thanks to Solomon Ratt:
th-dialect:
kimamihcihinân kahkithaw kîthawâw kâ-sasâposkamîk kikiskinwahamâkosiwiniwâw
ᑭᒪᒥᐦᒋᐦᐃᓈᐣ ᑲᐦᑭᖬᐤ ᑫᖬᐋᐧᐤ ᑳᓴᓵᐳᐢᑲᒣᐠ ᑭᑭᐢᑭᓇᐧᐦᐊᒫᑯᓯᐃᐧᓂᐋᐧᐤ
You make us proud all of you who are graduating from your education.
y-dialect:
kimamihcihinân kahkiyaw kiyawâw kâ-sasâposkamêk kikiskinwahamâkosiwiniwâw
ᑭᒪᒥᐦᒋᐦᐃᓈᐣ ᑲᐦᑭᔭᐤ ᑭᔭᐋᐧᐤ ᑳᓴᓵᐳᐢᑲᒥᐠ ᑭᑭᐢᑭᓇᐧᐦᐊᒫᑯᓯᐃᐧᓂᐋᐧᐤ
You make us proud all of you who are graduating from your education.
2 Responses
Hiy hiy maarsi for that beautiful and powerful speech. I don’t know you but am so proud of you. My heart is full and thank your teachers for me. All my prayers and love on your journey you are truly a gift.
Maria Campbell
Thank you, Maria, for your kind words which I’ve passed on to Darian, and to his teacher. They are both rather special!