Author Archives: Arden Ogg

Julia Ouellette of Loon Lake, Saskatchewan challenged her fellow Cree speakers on FaceBook last week to post a video of themselves on FaceBook in the Cree language. This post includes responses to the challenge from Solomon Ratt, and from Arok … Continue reading →

Maybe it’s Solomon Ratt’s photo in a crocheted Rastafarian hat, maybe it’s because Spring is finally springing, but I was reminded of this great Bob Marley song that might be perfect for a whole bunch of tiny Cree immersion students … Continue reading →

And congratulations to Pimicikamak Cree Nation as Brady signed with the Florida Panthers on March 19, 2019. Brady: we wish you a long, healthy, successful career in the NHL. tahkahkih, Brady: ahkamêyimo! (But you’re obviously already pretty good at that!) … Continue reading →

kî-kakwî-nipahtâwak nipîkiskwîwinispî kâ-kî-kiskinwahamawicik;kakîpâtisak!nikî-kiskinwahamawikwaktânisi kita-isi-pasikôhtâyân anima kâ-kî-nâspitihkwâmiskahkwâw.  ᑮ ᑲᑹ ᓂᐸᐦᑖᐘᐠ ᓂᐲᑭᐢᑹᐏᐣᐃᐢᐲ ᑳ ᑮ ᑭᐢᑭᓌᐦᐊᒪᐏᒋᐠ;ᑲᑮᐹᑎᓴᐠ!ᓂᑮ ᑭᐢᑭᓌᐦᐊᒪᐏᑿᐠᑖᓂᓯ ᑭᑕ ᐃᓯ ᐸᓯᑰᐦᑖᔮᐣ ᐊᓂᒪ ᑳ ᑮ ᓈᐢᐱᑎᐦᒁᒥᐢᑲᐦᒁᐤ᙮ They tried to kill my languageWhen they were educating me:The fools!They taught me how to raiseThat which has been in a … Continue reading →

Thanks to Viper Nayawatic for sharing his video of late Eugene Cardinal (below), singing the Cree Sunrise Song. It’s a lovely way to honour our late Elder who left us in January of this year, after giving so much to … Continue reading →

pah-piskihc tâpwîwina:âcathohkîwina masinahikanihkkâ-kî-mâwasakonahkwâw opîtatowîwak;namôtha iyakoni misakâmî âcathohkîwina,pah-piskihc poko tâpwîwina. pah-piskihc tâpwîwina:nîsta mîna nikiskisin apisîs ikwa pah-piskihc âcathohkîwina;namôthah misakâmî âcathohkîwina iyakoni,pah-piskihc poko tâpwîwina. pah-piskihc tâpwîwina:ta-apihkîyahk âcathohkîwinamasinahikanihk ohci mîna kikiskisnowininahk;mâmawi-atoskîyahki kika-misakâmî-astânaw âcathohkîwina,namôtha poko pah-piskihc tâpwîwina. ᐸᐦ ᐱᐢᑭᐦᐨ ᑖᐿᐏᓇ:ᐋᒐᖪᐦᑮᐏᓇ ᒪᓯᓇᐦᐃᑲᓂᕽᑳ ᑮ ᒫᐘᓴᑯᓇᐦᒁᐤ ᐅᐲᑕᑐᐑᐘᐠ;ᓇᒨᖬ ᐃᔭᑯᓂ ᒥᓴᑳᒦ ᐋᒐᖪᐦᑮᐏᓇ,ᐸᐦ ᐱᐢᑭᐦᐨ … Continue reading →

I’m sad to learn of the passing of Saskatchewan artist Joe Fafard. My all-time favourite piece of his is called “Oskana” – the Cree word for “bones”. The name is a clever pun on the old Cree name for Regina: … Continue reading →

nimiyāhkasēn niskīsikwa, ta-wāpahtamān kīkwaya kā-miywāsiki.nimiyāhkasēn nikot, ta-miyahtamān kīkwaya kā-miywāsiki.nimiyāhkasēn nitōn, kwayask ta-isi-pīkiskwēyān.nimiyāhkasēn nihtawakaya, ta-pēhtamān kīkwaya kā-miywāsiki.nimiyāhkasēn nistikwan, kwayask ta-isi-māmitonēyihtamān. ninanāskomon, ninanāskomon, ninanāskomon. ᓂᒥᔮᐦᑲᓭᐣ  ᓂᐢᑮᓯᑲᐧ,  ᑕ ᐋᐧᐸᐦᑕᒫᐣ  ᑮᑲᐧᔭ  ᑳ ᒥᔮᐧᓯᑭ᙮ᓂᒥᔮᐦᑲᓭᐣ  ᓂᑯᐟ,  ᑕ  ᒥᔭᐦᑕᒫᐣ ᑮᑿᔭ ᑳ ᒥᔼᓯᑭ᙮ᓂᒥᔮᐦᑲᓭᐣ  ᓂᑑᐣ,  ᑲᐧᔭᐢᐠ  ᑕ ᐃᓯ ᐲᑭᐢᑫᐧᔮᐣ᙮ ᓂᒥᔮᐦᑲᓭᐣ  … Continue reading →

Before anybody can say, “kitâskwêw, pihtakwatâw!!!!! (He shoots, he scores!!!), we can already name the first, second, third and fourth stars of the March 24, 2019 NHL game between the Montreal Canadiens and the Carolina Hurricanes: Earl Wood, Clarence Iron, … Continue reading →

If you’re in Edmonton in March, be sure to check into the Think Indigenous conference, hosted by Enoch Cree Nation. Stay tuned for conference program updates at http://www.thinkindigenous.ca/. If you can get there, keep an eye out for astronomer Wilfred … Continue reading →