Here are two more public announcements related to drug safety prepared by Véronique Mireault for Aids Programs South Saskatchewan (with editorial help from Solomon Ratt). Both address drug testing issues that it is rather remarkable to find in Cree. Beyond their obvious purpose in the community, they also help normalize terminology into day-to-day use, and that’s pretty impressive. (A previous brochure can be viewed here.)
Véronique, for whom Cree is a third language and work in progress, recorded the audio herself to help us learn as we listen and read along.
| tânisi ta-âpacihtâhk Benzodiazepine maskihkiya oyakihcikêwi-cîsâwâcikanisa | How to use benzo testing strips |
|---|---|
| êkâwiya wîhkâc âpacihtâk maskihkiya kispîn pêyakoyêko | Always use the buddy system |
| 1. nipîhkâtamok pîwipicikanis ohci maskihkiy (peyâk ahpô niso kosikwanis sîwîhcâkanis) âpihtâ-êmihkwânisis kisâkamicêwâpôsihk. | 1. Put a few “grain of salt” size pieces of the drug you are testing into ½ teaspoon of hot tap water. |
| 2. têhamok ispî kâ-tihkâpâwêki nipiy êkwa maskihkiy | 2. Stir contents until the tiny sample is completely dissolved in the water. |
| 3. kôkînamok oyakihcikêwi-cîsâwâcikanisa nipihk isko 15 cipahikanisis, isko wâki-masinahikêwinis | 3. Dip the strip into the cup for 15 seconds, no deeper than the wavy line. |
| 4. pêhok isko pêyak cipahikanis isko mihko-masinahikêwinis nôkwahki | 4. Wait 1 minute for the red lines to appear. |
| miciminamok mihko-masinahikêwinis kisipanohk ita kâ-sîpihkwâk | Hold the strip by the blue end |
| pêyak masinahikêwinis = Benzo | One line = Benzo |
| niso masinahikêwinisa = namôya Benzo | Two lines = negative |
| êkâwiya kôkînamok ayiwâk ôta masinahikêwinis | Don’t dip past this line |
| oyakihcikêwi-cîsâwâcikanisa namôya ta-kî-môskinamihk kahkiyaw Benzos tâpiskôc Etizolam | Strips cannot detect all types of benzos, such as etizolam |
| ta-kî-mâyiskamwak tôcikana namôya itwêmakan kimaskihkiy nahipayiw | A negative test does not mean the substance is safe |
| How to use Fentanyl Testing Strips | tânisi ta-âpacihtâhk Fentanyl maskihkiya oyakihcikêwi-cîsâwâcikanisa | |
|---|---|---|
| Never use fentanyl alone | êkâwiya wîhkâc âpacihtâk Fentanyl kispîn pêyakoyêko | |
| 1. Put a few “grain of salt” size pieces of the drug you are testing into 1oz or 30ml (shot glass size) of room temperature tap water. | 1. nipîhkâtamok pîwipicikanis ohci maskihkiy (peyâk ahpô niso kosikwanis sîwîhcâkanis) pêyak-kosikwanis nipîhk. | |
| 2. Stir contents until the tiny sample is completely dissolved in the water. | 2. têhamok ispî kâ-tihkâpâwêki nipiy êkwa maskihkiy | |
| 3. Dip the strip into the cup for 15 seconds, no deeper than the wavy line. | 3. kôkînamok oyakihcikêwi-cîsâwâcikanisa nipihk isko 15 cipahikanisis, isko wâki-masinahikêwinis. | |
| 4. Wait for 1 minute until the red lines appear. | 4. pêhok isko pêyak cipahikanis isko mihko-masinahikêwinis nôkwahki. | |
| Hold the strip by the blue end | miciminamok mihko-masinahikêwinis kisipanohk ita kâ-sîpihkwâk | |
| One line = Fentanyl | pêyak masinahikêwinis = Fentanyl | |
| Two lines = Negative | niso masinahikêwinisa = namôya Fentanyl | |
| Don’t dip past this line | êkâwiya kôkînamok ayiwâk ôta masinahikêwinis | |
| Does not require a large sample, just a few grains are enough | namôya katâc mistahi, kanakê apisis sîwîhcâkanisa | |
| Do not touch the white end of the strip, touching the white end can interfere with the results | êkâwiya sâminamok kisipanohk ita kâ-wâpiskâk, sâminamêko kisipanohk ita kâ-wâpiskâk ka-mêskopayinwa tôcikana. | |
| Stirring sample or wetting above the solid line may result in an invalid result | ka-itêhamihk apisi-maskihkiy ahpô ka-sâpopatâwihk ispimihk masinahikêwinisihk ta-kî-mâyiskamwak tôcikana. | |
| Strips cannot detect all types of opioids, such as carfentanil. | oyakihcikêwi-cîsâwâcikanisa namôya ta-kî-môskinamihk kahkiyaw opioids tâpiskôc carfentanil. | |
| A negative test result does not mean it’s safe. | ta-kî-mâyiskamwak tôcikana namôya itwêmakan kimaskihkiy nahipayiw. |
