In honour of storytelling month 2025, Solomon Ratt shared this newly created “slightly fractured” âtayôhkêwin – A Wêsahkêcahk story straight from his own imagination that “explains” the traditional Cree understanding of what we know in English as “sundogs”. The rather spectacular photograph of the phenomenon seen above is also Sol’s handiwork. (Speaking entirely for myself, I’m happy to admire the photo: I’ve seen enough of enough sundogs in person for this winter!)
| nîmiskotîwohtîw pîsim | The Sun Carries Fire |
|---|---|
| kayâs, mitoni kayâs, kî-kâh-kakwâtaki-kisinâw. kapî-tipisk mâna kî-pâh-pônamwak athisitiniwak pîhcâyihk omîkiwahpiwahk. ikwa kâ-kîsikâthik wathawîtimihk kî-mâh-misi-pônamwak…mâmîskoc î-kanawîskotawîcik. | Long ago, very long ago, it was extremely cold. People would keep fires burning all night in their tipis. During the day they would build a big camp fire taking turns taking care of it. |
| wîsta ikota wîsahkîcâhk kî-wîcihowîw. | wîsahkîcâhk, too, was there to help. |
| piyak kîsikâw, î-otâkosinithik, mwihci î-pâhkisimothik, piyak awiya kî-pî-wîtapimikow wîsahkîcâhk. cîkiskotîhk î-wîtapimikot. | One evening, just as the sun set, someone came to sit with him near the fire. |
| “mahti pitamâ ôta nîsta nika-awason,” itwîw awa pîtosisi-athisitiniw. | “Let me sit here for a bit to warm myself,” said the stranger. |
| “tawâw, tawâw,” itwîw wîsahkîcâhk î-itisinamawât maskîkwâpoy. | “Welcome, welcome,” said wîsahkîcâhk, handing him some Labrador tea. |
| “awîna ôma kîtha?” itwîw wîsahkîcâhk. | “Who are you?” said wîsahkîcâhk. |
| “kîsikâw pîsîm ôma nîtha,” itwîw awa pîtosisi-athisitiniw. | “I am Sun,” said the stranger. |
| “î-ati-âh-âstawîk nitiskotîm,” isi-âcimow. “mitoni nîsta î-kâh-kawaciyân.” | “My fire is on the verge of dying out,” he said. “I am getting cold too.” |
| “kah! iyakohci îsa ôta kâ-kâh-kisinâk,” itwîw wîsahkîcâhk. | “Ah! That’s why it’s been so cold here!” said wîsahkîcâhk. |
| “îhî, î-mîsci-mihtiyân, nitati-kwîtawi-pônîn,” itwîw kîsikâw pîsim. “ninôhtî-kîsôhitinâwâw mâka î-ati-âh-âstawîk nitiskotîm.” | “Yes, I ran out of firewood. I am at a loss as to what I can use to feed the fire. I want to keep y”all warm but my fire keeps dying.” |
| “hâw, cîskwa,” itwîw wîsahkîcâhk. î-mâmitonîthihtahk. | “Okay, wait,” said wîsahkîcâhk, thinking. |
| “mahti kika-nîmâhitin iskocîs,” pîthisk itwîw wîsahkîcâhk. | “Let me pack some embers for you to take along,” said wîsahkîcâhk. |
| ikwâni ikota nîso nîmâwiwatihk asiwatâw iskicîsa wîsahkîcâhk, î-nîmâhât kisikâw pîsimwa. ikwâni sipwîhtîw kîsikâw pîsim, î-nîmiskotîwohtît. | So wîsahcîcâhk filled two lunch buckets with embers for Sun. Sun leaves carrying with him some fire. |
| kiyâpic anohc âskaw kiwâpamânaw kîsikâw pîsim î-nîmiskotîwohtît ispî kâ-kisinâthik, î-wîhtamâkoyahk î-wî-kâh-kisinâk mâka wîpac kitati-kîsiwîyayâw. | To this day we still see Sun carrying fire with him on extremely cold days telling us it will be extremely cold but will warm up soon. |
3 Responses
I Love this,hearing my native language. Although, I do not speak cree, its So heart warming to hear what I grew up around.❤️
Very nice
Thank you, nanaskamon! I enjoyed this reading very much!