Cree Literacy Network

The reflection that follows was triggered by a respectful exchange between experts from two distinct worlds. One is Solomon Ratt the university professor, the other is his distant nephew Gerald McKenzie, who has won the title of King Trapper in competition no fewer than 11 times. It is no small irony that each has been so shielded from the world of the other, given their many shared ancestors and birth right.

kiskêyihtamowin

nikakî-masinahikân
—âkayâsîmowin mîna nêhiyawasinahikêwin
mâka namôya nikakî-pakitahwân
—ahpô namôya nikakî-wanihikân
—tâpiskôc kiya.

nikakî-kiskinwahamâkân
—nanâtohk masinahikêwin
—mîna tânisi ta-isi-kiskinwahamâkêhk
mâka namwâc nikakî-mâcîn
—namwâc nikakî-mâtâhwâw môswa
—sâpo sakâhk ahpô akâmi-maskêkohk
—tâpiskôc kiya.

nitaspêyimon masinahikana ta-wîcihikoyân
—kâ-isi-kaskîhtâyân;
kiya wiya, kitaspêyimon kikiskisiwin
—kâ-pê-isi-kiskinwahamâskik
—kitânisko-wâhkômâkaninawak.

ᑭᐢᑫᔨᐦᑕᒧᐏᐣ

ᓂᑲᑮ ᒪᓯᓇᐦᐃᑳᐣ
—ᐋᑲᔮᓰᒧᐏᐣ ᒦᓇ ᓀᐦᐃᔭᐘᓯᓇᐦᐃᑫᐏᐣ
ᒫᑲ ᓇᒨᔭ ᓂᑲᑮ ᐸᑭᑕᐦᐚᐣ
—ᐊᐦᐴ ᓇᒨᔭ ᓂᑲᑮ ᐘᓂᐦᐃᑳᐣ
—ᑖᐱᐢᑰᐨ ᑭᔭ᙮

ᓂᑲᑮ ᑭᐢᑭᓌᐦᐊᒫᑳᐣ
—ᓇᓈᑐᕽ ᒪᓯᓇᐦᐃᑫᐏᐣ
—ᒦᓇ ᑖᓂᓯ ᑕ ᐃᓯ ᑭᐢᑭᓌᐦᐊᒫᑫᕽ
ᒫᑲ ᓇᒹᐨ ᓂᑲᑮ ᒫᒌᐣ
—ᓇᒹᐨ ᓂᑲᑮ ᒫᑖᐦᐚᐤ ᒨᔁ
—ᓵᐳ ᓴᑳᕽ ᐊᐦᐴ ᐊᑳᒥ ᒪᐢᑫᑯᕽ
—ᑖᐱᐢᑰᐨ ᑭᔭ᙮

ᓂᑕᐢᐯᔨᒧᐣ ᒪᓯᓇᐦᐃᑲᓇ ᑕ ᐑᒋᐦᐃᑯᔮᐣ
—ᑳ ᐃᓯ ᑲᐢᑮᐦᑖᔮᐣ;
ᑭᔭ ᐏᔭ, ᑭᑕᐢᐯᔨᒧᐣ ᑭᑭᐢᑭᓯᐏᐣ
—ᑳ ᐯ ᐃᓯ ᑭᐢᑭᓌᐦᐊᒫᐢᑭᐠ
—ᑭᑖᓂᐢᑯ ᐚᐦᑰᒫᑲᓂᓇᐘᐠ᙮

Knowledge

I can write
—English and Cree writing
But I can’t set gill nets
—Nor can I go trapping
—Just like you.

I can teach
—All sorts of ways to write
—Or how to teach
But I can’t hunt
—I can’t track a moose
—Through the forest and across the muskeg
—Like you.

I rely on books to help me
—With what I can do;
And you, you rely on memory
—The way you were taught
—By our ancestors.