ithiniw-simâkanisihkânak / ᐃᖨᓂᐤ ᓯᒫᑲᓂᓯᐦᑳᓇᐠ / Indian Veterans
Salamô omasinahikîwin / ᓴᐣᐊᒨ ᐅᒪᓯᓇᐦᐃᑮᐏᐣ / Written by Solomon Ratt, 2017
| nîthanân ôma kâ-kî-wanikiskisitotawikawiyâhk | ᓃᖬᓈᐣ ᐆᒪ ᑳᑮᐘᓂᑭᐢᑭᓯᑐᑕᐏᑲᐏᔮᕽ | We were the forgotten |
| anima kâ-itwâniwik “îkâ wîhkâc ta-waniskisiyahk.” | ᐊᓂᒪ ᑳᐃᑤᓂᐏᐠ “ᐄᑳ ᐑᐦᑳᐨ ᑕᐘᓂᐢᑭᓯᔭᕽ᙮” | of the ‘lest we forget.’ |
| nîthanân ôma îkâ kâ-nôkosiyâhk | ᓃᖬᓈᐣ ᐆᒪ ᐄᑳ ᑳᓅᑯᓯᔮᕽ | We were the invisible |
| cîpayahk iskonikanihk ohci. | ᒌᐸᔭᕽ ᐃᐢᑯᓂᑲᓂᕽ ᐅᐦᒋ᙮ | ghosts from The Rez |
| namôtha katâc takî-ohci-nitawi-nôtinikiyâhk. | ᓇᒨᖬ ᑲᑖᐨ ᑕᑮᐅᐦᒋᓂᑕᐏᓅᑎᓂᑭᔮᕽ᙮ | We had no obligation to join. |
| ikwa mîna ohcitaw ta-pakitinamâhk nitaskihkân-akihtâsowininâna. | ᐃᑿ ᒦᓇ ᐅᐦᒋᑕᐤ ᑕᐸᑭᑎᓇᒫᕽ ᓂᑕᐢᑭᐦᑳᐣᐊᑭᐦᑖᓱᐏᓂᓈᓇ᙮ | We had to give up our treaty status. |
| nikî-nôtinikânân, nikî-nipinân, | ᓂᑮᓅᑎᓂᑳᓈᐣ, ᓂᑮᓂᐱᓈᐣ, | We fought, we died, |
| nipîkiskwîwininân nikî-kîmôci-âsowîhtamâkânân. | ᓂᐲᑭᐢᑹᐏᓂᓈᐣ ᓂᑮᑮᒨᒋᐋᓱᐑᐦᑕᒫᑳᓈᐣ᙮ | our language was used for secret messages. |
| nikî-wîcikâpawîstawânânak kotakak simâkanisihkânak kâ-kî-paskithâkîyâhk. | ᓂᑮᐑᒋᑳᐸᐑᐢᑕᐚᓈᓇᐠ ᑯᑕᑲᐠ ᓯᒫᑲᓂᓯᐦᑳᓇᐠ ᑳᑮᐸᐢᑭᖭᑮᔮᕽ᙮ | We stood side by side with the other soldiers in our victory. |
| nikî-napatîwîpinikawinân ispî kâ-pî-kîwîyâhk; | ᓂᑮᓇᐸᑏᐑᐱᓂᑲᐏᓈᐣ ᐃᐢᐲ ᑳᐲᑮᐑᔮᕽ; | We were cast aside when we came back home; |
| namwâc nikî-ohci-wîcihikawinân tâpiskôc aniki kotakak simâkanisihkânak. | ᓇᒹᐨ ᓂᑮᐅᐦᒋᐑᒋᐦᐃᑲᐏᓈᐣ ᑖᐱᐢᑰᐨ ᐊᓂᑭ ᑯᑕᑲᐠ ᓯᒫᑲᓂᓯᐦᑳᓇᐠ᙮ | we didn’t get the benefits allotted other veterans; |
| nikwîtatî-wîkinân athisk î-kî-pakitinamâhk nitaskihkân-akihtâsowininâna. | ᓂᑹᑕᑏ ᐑᑭᓈᐣ ᐊᖨᐢᐠ ᐄᑮᐸᑭᑎᓇᒫᕽ ᓂᑕᐢᑭᐦᑳᐣᐊᑭᐦᑖᓱᐏᓂᓈᓇ᙮ | we didn’t know where to live since we gave up our treaty status. |
| nithanân ôma kâ-kî-wanikiskisitotawikawiyâhk | ᓂᖬᓈᐣ ᐆᒪ ᑳᑮᐘᓂᑭᐢᑭᓯᑐᑕᐏᑲᐏᔮᕽ | We were the forgotten |
| anima kâ-itwâniwik “îkâ wîhkâc ta-waniskisiyahk.” | ᐊᓂᒪ ᑳᐃᑤᓂᐏᐠ “ᐄᑳ ᐑᐦᑳᐨ ᑕᐘᓂᐢᑭᓯᔭᕽ᙮” | of the ‘lest we forget.’ |
| nîthanân ôma îkâ kâ-nôkosiyâhk cîpayahk iskonikanihk ohci. | ᓃᖬᓈᐣ ᐆᒪ ᐄᑳ ᑳᓅᑯᓯᔮᕽ ᒌᐸᔭᕽ ᐃᐢᑯᓂᑲᓂᕽ ᐅᐦᒋ᙮ | We were the invisible ghosts from The Rez. |
Photo details: Library Archives Canada LAC/PA 041366.
Elders and Soldiers from Peepeekisis (Cree), Standing Buffalo (Dakota), Okanese (Cree-Saulteaux), and George Gordon (Cree), pose with W.M. Graham, Inspector of Indian Agencies in south Saskatchewan, c. 1916-1917.
Find poems, stories and other resources related to Indigenous Veterans Day and Remembrance Day:
https://creeliteracy.org/category/resources-tools/seasonal/remembrance-day/
