Cree Literacy Network

Solomon Ratt has been talking about retiring for so long, some of us hoped the day might never come. And this last year has been remarkable by anyone’s standard. After accepting the Saskatchewan Order of Merit in late 2021, he entered 2022 as a capstone year, teaching and storytelling, translating and publishing. He translated Buffy Sainte-Marie’s premier chapter book tâpwê and the Magic Hat as tâpwê êkwa mamâhtâwastotin, launched his own advanced language textbook, prepared his own memoir for publication in 2023 (adding a manifesto on the recovery of traditional stories as tools of education). And this is just the short list!

Now that his official date of retirement has finally arrived, we’d like to offer this little video tribute (with help from Neil Young’s tribute to his own equally indomitable Pontiac, “Mort”, and Andrea Custer H. Clarke’s interpretative skills). It goes without saying that Cree Literacy Network will remain Sol’s “home on the web” no matter where else he may run. (He may aspire to Sasquatch’s hiding skills, but some of us are also really good finders!)

For the record, here’s Andrea Custer H. Clarke’s interpretation of Neil Young’s chorus, in Woodlands Cree (th-dialect). If it sounds a bit funny in Cree, any blame is mine!

kinwîsk nipakosîthimon kapimipâtâyan
kinwîsk nipakosîthimon kapimipâtâyan
ata kâ-miskocipathik pimâtisiwin
kâ-kisîwâtisit kitîh îwâsot pîsimohk
kinwîsk nipakosîthimon kapimipâtâyan

Readers, friends, former students and fans are welcome to add their comments below on this page to help celebrate Sol’s long career, and the strides we’ve taken alongside him in Cree language, literacy and linguistics over his long, legendary career.