Cree Literacy Network

The first print copies of Solomon Ratt’s new kâ-pî-isi-kiskisiyân /The Way I Remember reached him yesterday by courier. And while I know my own copy is in the mail along with dozens of pre-orders, I’m still a little anxious to see it for myself. While we’re waiting, it seems only appropriate that Sol has written a few words of his own in announcement, that reflect the emotional demands of the project, and its rewards, as well as the healing we both hope it brings to others. (If you’d like ordering instructions, you can find them here).

Loggerhead Shrike photographed by Solomon Ratt, January 2023.

ôma kâ-pî-isi-kiskisiyân
kika-pîhtînâwâw niwîsakakahpinîwin
ispî kâ-kî-pîkopitikawiyân
ninîkihikwak ohci,
nitaskîhk ohci,
nitâcathôhkîwinihk ohci,
ninîhithawâtisiwinihk ohci.
mâka kikakî-pîhtînâwâw mîna
ninanâtawihisowin
nitâcimisowinihk,
nimasinahikîwinihk,
nimâmitonîthihcikîwinihk,
ikwa nitâcathôhkîwinihk.

ᐆᒪ ᑳ ᐲ ᐃᓯ ᑭᐢᑭᓯᔮᐣ
ᑭᑲ ᐲᐦᑏᓈᐚᐤ ᓂᐑᓴᑲᑲᐦᐱᓃᐏᐣ
ᐃᐢᐲ ᑳ ᑮ ᐲᑯᐱᑎᑲᐏᔮᐣ
ᓂᓃᑭᐦᐃᑿᐠ ᐅᐦᒋ,
ᓂᑕᐢᑮᕽ ᐅᐦᒋ,
ᓂᑖᒐᖫᐦᑮᐏᓂᕽ ᐅᐦᒋ,
ᓂᓃᐦᐃᖬᐚᑎᓯᐏᓂᕽ ᐅᐦᒋ᙮
ᒫᑲ ᑭᑲᑮ ᐲᐦᑏᓈᐚᐤ ᒦᓇ
ᓂᓇᓈᑕᐏᐦᐃᓱᐏᐣ
ᓂᑖᒋᒥᓱᐏᓂᕽ,
ᓂᒪᓯᓇᐦᐃᑮᐏᓂᕽ,
ᓂᒫᒥᑐᓃᖨᐦᒋᑮᐏᓂᕽ,
ᐃᑿ ᓂᑖᒐᖫᐦᑮᐏᓂᕽ᙮

This The way I Remember
you can hear my trauma
From being torn
From my parents,
From my land,
From my traditional stories,
From my Cree essence.
But you can also hear
My self healing
In my stories about my life,
In my writing,
In my reminiscences,
In my telling of traditional stories.