Thanks to Sol for this memory, which inspired this year’s Christmas Card.
Scroll down for downloadable PDFs (one each for th- and y- dialects). You’re welcome to print – or have them printed – for yourself (see additional notes below).
haw, wîsahkîcâhk:
apisîs ka-masinahamâtin.
nikiskisin niyânan î-kî-itahtopiponiyân wanihikîskanâhk î-mîtawîyân miskwamihk, î-makosîkîsikâk ispî kâ-twîhoyan pimithâkanis î-âpacihtâyan. kiwathawîhahtawân misiwî î-miskosîhoyan misi-maskimot î-nayahtâyan. ikota ninîpawinân, î-mâmasktamâhk… ikwa kâ-otinaman kîkwaya kimaskimotihk ohci, kimâh-mîthinân kâ-itahtwasiyâhk nîthanân awâsisak, sîwicîsak ikwa mîtawâkana… ikwa kâ-ohpahoyan, kîwîtinohk isi. kikî-itîthimitin î-kîwîkociniyan mâka îtokî kotakihk wanihikîskanahk î-itakociniyan ta-pâhpihkwîhacik kotakak awâsisak,
nîtha kitôtîm,
salamô
ᐦᐊᐤ, ᐑᓴᐦᑮᒑᕽ:
ᐊᐱᓰᐢ ᑲ ᒪᓯᓇᐦᐊᒫᑎᐣ᙮
ᓂᑭᐢᑭᓯᐣ ᓂᔮᓇᐣ ᐄ ᑮ ᐃᑕᐦᑐᐱᐳᓂᔮᐣ ᐘᓂᐦᐃᑮᐢᑲᓈᕽ ᐄ ᒦᑕᐑᔮᐣ ᒥᐢᑿᒥᕽ, ᐄ ᒪᑯᓰᑮᓯᑳᐠ ᐃᐢᐲ ᑳ ᑜᐦᐅᔭᐣ ᐱᒥᖭᑲᓂᐢ ᐄ ᐋᐸᒋᐦᑖᔭᐣ᙮ ᑭᐘᖬᐑᐦᐊᐦᑕᐚᐣ ᒥᓯᐑ ᐄ ᒥᐢᑯᓰᐦᐅᔭᐣ ᒥᓯ ᒪᐢᑭᒧᐟ ᐄ ᓇᔭᐦᑖᔭᐣ᙮ ᐃᑯᑕ ᓂᓃᐸᐏᓈᐣ, ᐄ ᒫᒪᐢᑳᑕᒫᕽ
…ᐃᑿ ᑳ ᐅᑎᓇᒪᐣ ᑮᑿᔭ ᑭᒪᐢᑭᒧᑎᕽ ᐅᐦᒋ, ᑭᒫᐦ ᒦᖨᓈᐣ ᑳ ᐃᑕᐦᑢᓯᔮᕽ ᓃᖬᓈᐣ ᐊᐚᓯᓴᐠ, ᓰᐏᒌᓴᐠ ᐃᑿ ᒦᑕᐚᑲᓇ…ᐃᑿ ᑳ ᐅᐦᐸᐦᐅᔭᐣ, ᑮᐑᑎᓄᕽ ᐃᓯ᙮ ᑭᑮ ᐃᑏᖨᒥᑎᐣ ᐄ ᑮᐑᑯᒋᓂᔭᐣ ᒫᑲ ᐄᑐᑮ ᑯᑕᑭᕽ ᐘᓂᐦᐃᑮᐢᑲᓇᕽ ᐄ ᐃᑕᑯᒋᓂᔭᐣ ᑕ ᐹᐦᐱᐦᑹᐦᐊᒋᐠ ᑯᑕᑲᐠ ᐊᐚᓯᓴᐠ,
ᓃᖬ ᑭᑑᑏᒼ,
ᓴᓬᐊᒨ
Dear Santa;
I will write to you a bit.
I remember when I was 5 on the trapline…while I was playing on the ice on Christmas day, you landed your bush plane close to us. You climbed out in your red-suit carrying a huge bag. We stood in awe… then you reached into the bag and gave each of us children bags of candy and toys… then you took off, north. I thought you were heading home but you probably went to the next trapline to make other kids smile.
Your friend,
Solomon
Download and print your own Christmas cards:
The PDF cards are laid out for two-sided printing, with the story text inside. The y-dialect card, has y-dialect on the front, but the text remains in th-dialect inside (since that’s how the story is stored in his memory).
[Front of card shows y-dialect:]
[Front of card shows th-dialect:]
Search for “Christmas Card” to find more from Christmases past. https://creeliteracy.org/?s=christmas+card
