Congratulations to Solomon Ratt, and to University of Regina Press on the new release of Solomon Ratt’s th-dialect edition of his well loved Beginning Cree: mâci-nîhithawîwin: Beginning Woods Cree, just in time for fall classes. (Click here for ordering details. (The website says “pre-order” but the book is shipping now: thanks to URP, I’ve received mine already. Also: be sure to write directly to URP to request quantity discounts!)
It’s also exciting to see the book reviewed in Cree by the (previously unknown) Ima Ratt. Hmm. Maybe a cousin? cîskwa, cîskwa: I think I smell a Ratt.
mâci-nîhithawîwin: Beginning Woods Cree
- Solomon Ratt omasinahikîw
- Holly Martin otâpasinahikîw
- Bree Island wîwîkini-pâskîkinikan
kinôhtî-kiskinwahamâkosin cî nîhithawîwin? ayamihtâ Solomon Ratt omasinahikîwin: mâci-nîhithawîwin. ôma masinahikan kikakî-wîcihikon kita-ati-nîhithawîyan.
ikota masinahikanihk, mâci-nîhthawîwin, astîwa kahkithaw âpacihcikana kita-kî-wîcihikoyahk kita-mâci-nîhithawîyahk. nîkân othastâw Salamô tânisi kita-mâci-nîhithaw-masinahikîyahk. ikota ohci ati-masinaham kâ-isi-kitâpahtamahk kitaskînaw: anihi kîkway kâ-ahcahkowiki, ikwa anihi kîkway îkâ kâ-ahcahkowiki, ikwa tânisi kita-isi-masinahamahk ispî piyak kîkway kâ-âtotamahk ikwa awasimî piyak kîkway kâ-âtotamahk. masinaham mîna tânisi kita-kihcinâhoyahk ita kâ-astîk kîkway itwahikîwi-âniskohcikana ohci, ikwa itwahikîwini-itwînana, kihcinâhowi-itwîwina, ikwa kakwîcihkîmowin-itwîna. ikwa mîna masinaham nanâtohk itôcikîwina: mosci-itôcikîwina, kâ-pisikâpahtamahk îkâ kâ-ahcahkowiki kîkwaya, kâ-pisikâmâyahkwâw kîkwayak kâ-ahcahkowicik, kîsikâwa kâ-mîkwâ-ispathik, ispihtâskîwna ikwa mîna wathawîtimihk kâ-isi-ayâk. atoskîwina, ikwa atocikîwina, mîna kakwîcihkîmowin, misakâmi-astîwa masinahikanihk kita-wîcihikot okiskinwahamâkan kita-kiskinwahamâkosit. kikinikâtwîwa mîna naskwîwasihiwina iyakoni atocikîwina ohci.
mithwâsin ôma masinahikan.
mitoni kinwîsk kita-kî-wîcihtâsowak ithiniwak ôma âpacihtwâtâwi.
kitakahkasinahikân Salamô!
Ima Ratt
ᒫᒋ ᓃᐦᐃᖬᐑᐏᐣ : Beginning Woods Cree
- ᓴᓬᐊᒨ ᕒᐊᐟ ᐅᒪᓯᓇᐦᐃᑮᐤ
- Holly Martin ᐅᑖᐸᓯᓇᐦᐃᑮᐤ
- Bree Island ᐑᐑᑭᓂ ᐹᐢᑮᑭᓂᑲᐣ
ᑭᓅᐦᑏ ᑭᐢᑭᓌᐦᐊᒫᑯᓯᐣ ᒌ ᓃᐦᐃᖬᐑᐏᐣ? ᐊᔭᒥᐦᑖ ᓱᓬᐅᒧᐣ ᕒᐊᐟ ᐅᒪᓯᓇᐦᐃᑮᐏᐣ: ᒫᒋ ᓃᐦᐃᖬᐑᐏᐣ᙮ ᐆᒪ ᒪᓯᓇᐦᐃᑲᐣ ᑭᑲᑮ ᐑᒋᐦᐃᑯᐣ ᑭᑕ ᐊᑎ ᓃᐦᐃᖬᐑᔭᐣ᙮
ᐃᑯᑕ ᒪᓯᓇᐦᐃᑲᓂᕽ, ᒫᒋ ᓃᐦᖬᐑᐏᐣ, ᐊᐢᑏᐘ ᑲᐦᑭᖬᐤ ᐋᐸᒋᐦᒋᑲᓇ ᑭᑕ ᑮ ᐑᒋᐦᐃᑯᔭᕽ ᑭᑕ ᒫᒋ ᓃᐦᐃᖬᐑᔭᕽ᙮ ᓃᑳᐣ ᐅᖬᐢᑖᐤ ᓴᓬᐊᒨ ᑖᓂᓯ ᑭᑕ ᒫᒋ ᓃᐦᐃᖬᐤ ᒪᓯᓇᐦᐃᑮᔭᕽ᙮ ᐃᑯᑕ ᐅᐦᒋ ᐊᑎ ᒪᓯᓇᐦᐊᒼ ᑳ ᐃᓯ ᑭᑖᐸᐦᑕᒪᕽ ᑭᑕᐢᑮᓇᐤ: ᐊᓂᐦᐃ ᑮᑿᐩ ᑳ ᐊᐦᒐᐦᑯᐏᑭ, ᐃᑿ ᐊᓂᐦᐃ ᑮᑿᐩ ᐄᑳ ᑳ ᐊᐦᒐᐦᑯᐏᑭ, ᐃᑿ ᑖᓂᓯ ᑭᑕ ᐃᓯ ᒪᓯᓇᐦᐊᒪᕽ ᐃᐢᐲ ᐱᔭᐠ ᑮᑿᐩ ᑳ ᐋᑐᑕᒪᕽ ᐃᑿ ᐊᐘᓯᒦ ᐱᔭᐠ ᑮᑿᐩ ᑳ ᐋᑐᑕᒪᕽ᙮ ᒪᓯᓇᐦᐊᒼ ᒦᓇ ᑖᓂᓯ ᑭᑕ ᑭᐦᒋᓈᐦᐅᔭᕽ ᐃᑕ ᑳ ᐊᐢᑏᐠ ᑮᑿᐩ ᐃᑢᐦᐃᑮᐏ ᐋᓂᐢᑯᐦᒋᑲᓇ ᐅᐦᒋ, ᐃᑿ ᐃᑢᐦᐃᑮᐏᓂ ᐃᑜᓇᓇ, ᑭᐦᒋᓈᐦᐅᐏ ᐃᑜᐏᓇ, ᐃᑿ ᑲᑹᒋᐦᑮᒧᐏᓂᑜᓇ᙮ ᐃᑿ ᒦᓇ ᒪᓯᓇᐦᐊᒼ ᓇᓈᑐᕽ ᐃᑑᒋᑮᐏᓇ: ᒧᐢᒋ ᐃᑑᒋᑮᐏᓇ, ᑳ ᐱᓯᑳᐸᐦᑕᒪᕽ ᐄᑳ ᑳ ᐊᐦᒐᐦᑯᐏᑭ ᑮᑿᔭ, ᑳ ᐱᓯᑳᒫᔭᐦᒁᐤ ᑮᑿᔭᐠ ᑳ ᐊᐦᒐᐦᑯᐏᒋᐠ, ᑮᓯᑳᐘ ᑳ ᒦᒁ ᐃᐢᐸᖨᐠ, ᐃᐢᐱᐦᑖᐢᑮᐤᓇ ᐃᑿ ᒦᓇ ᐘᖬᐑᑎᒥᕽ ᑳ ᐃᓯ ᐊᔮᐠ᙮ ᐊᑐᐢᑮᐏᓇ, ᐃᑿ ᐊᑐᒋᑮᐏᓇ, ᒦᓇ ᑲᑹᒋᐦᑮᒧᐏᐣ, ᒥᓴᑳᒥ ᐊᐢᑏᐘ ᒪᓯᓇᐦᐃᑲᓂᕽ ᑭᑕ ᐑᒋᐦᐃᑯᐟ ᐅᑭᐢᑭᓌᐦᐊᒫᑲᐣ ᑭᑕ ᑭᐢᑭᓌᐦᐊᒫᑯᓯᐟ᙮ ᑭᑭᓂᑳᑜᐘ ᒦᓇ ᓇᐢᑹᐘᓯᐦᐃᐏᓇ ᐃᔭᑯᓂ ᐊᑐᒋᑮᐏᓇ ᐅᐦᒋ᙮
ᒥᙽᓯᐣ ᐆᒪ ᒪᓯᓇᐦᐃᑲᐣ᙮
ᒥᑐᓂ ᑭᐣᐑᐢᐠ ᑭᑕ ᑮ ᐑᒋᐦᑖᓱᐘᐠ ᐃᖨᓂᐘᐠ ᐆᒪ ᐋᐸᒋᐦᑤᑖᐏ᙮ ᑭᑕᑲᐦᑲᓯᓇᐦᐃᑳᐣ ᓴᓬᐊᒨ!
ᐃᒪ ᕒᐊᐟ
mâci-nîhithawîwin: Beginning Woods Cree
- by Solomon Ratt,
- Holly Martin, illustrator
- Bree Island cover page
Do you want to teach yourself Woods Cree? Read mâci-nîhithawîwin – Beginning Woods Cree by Solomon Ratt. This book can help you to begin speaking Woods Cree.
The book mâci-nîhithawîwin – Beginning Woods Cree, includes everything we need to help us begin to speak Woods Cree. First Salamô lays out how to begin writing Woods Cree. Then he goes into how we look at our world: the animate nouns, inanimate nouns, singular and plural forms. He also delves into the various forms of Cree from adding locative endings to the nouns, demonstrative pronouns, prepositions, and interrogative pronouns, He also includes the various verb forms in Cree: the verbs of daily activities, intransitive verbs, transitive verbs, inanimate intransitive verbs including: days of the week, seasons and weather terms. The book has assignments with questions, answers to which can be found in the back by clicking on the QR code.
This is a good book. It can be useful for generations to come.
You did great work Salamô!
Ima Ratt
About the cover (from URP):
This captivating cover features “wacaskos pimâtisiwin: that muskrat life” by Bree Island. The piece is a reminder of our ability to adapt and transform. The story of Muskrat is about strength, perseverance, and believing in oneself. Also, a story about service to community, Muskrat sacrificed their life to make life possible on Turtle Island, and now they live a good life. Muskrat is humble, brave, and kind.
