Congratulations to Wayne Jackson and Marilyn Shirt, and everyone who assembled at Blue Quills Cultural Grounds this week to celebrate another great act of reclamation for nêhiyawêwin. We want to specially acknowledge Marlene Quinney who will be keeping the welcome ready for visitors, and Shirley Pruden who will be the Elder on hand.
As Wayne wrote on FaceBook:
maskwa wâti (bear’s den) is a language community where only nêhiyawêwin is used at sîpihtakanêp (Blue Quills). Folks can come join, but leave English at the door. We already have enough of it, exposed to people everywhere else. We need to make our language a priority, especially for our next generations. pê-nêhiyawêk êkwa pê-wîcihinân ta-pasakônamâhk, ta-maskaw-osihtâyâhk nêhiyawêwin êkwa nêhiyawiwin.
The reclamation began, in this case, with a disused log cabin already on the property. The cabin was all cleaned up, repaired, restored, and (re-)named “maskwa wâci” (or Bear’s Den). To underscore the dedication to new-generation speakers, Waskway Jackson cut the ribbon on behalf of her K-3 cohort, with a prayer from Elder Shirley Proden, and a song from Elder Carl Quinn. The newly gleaming cabin is now an open invitation to pê-nêhiyawê (or come and speak Cree): a dedicated location for speakers, or aspiring speakers, to gather and speak Cree together in a natural immersion environment.
As Wayne describes it, it sounds almost like a real life “Louis Says” where multi-generational learners (especially kids) can be welcomed by a Cree-speaking host for an exercise in community language immersion and encouragement, from the first ta-tawâw. Judging by the photos – most provided by Shirley Pruden and Marlene Quinney – it’s off to a warm and welcoming start.
