Search Cree Literacy Network (Hit F5/⌘-R to clear and search again)
Category Archives: Our Contributors
National MMIW Awareness Day, 2021 (n-, th-, y-dialects)
This breathtakingly powerful image is the work of Angela Lightning from Treaty 8 territory, who created and photographed this installation, shared it on FaceBook, and gave us her blessing to share it here. It evokes the memory of those we’ve … Continue reading
sîsîp otâcimowin – Duck’s Story: Grace Masse (th-dialect)
Thanks to Grace Masse, from Brochet, Manitoba for offering this little âcimowin – which she wrote in Cree – for us to share here. She joined us from Brandon via Zoom for February Storytelling, (The photo of duckling sibs thanks … Continue reading
Posted in Audio (th-dialect), Solomon Ratt
Leave a comment
May the force be with you (Solomon Ratt, y-dialect)
For May 4th (Star Wars Day): Sol’s Cree version of “May the force be with you!” kânikanâ kitâniskohpicikanak ka-wîcêwikwak May your ancestors go with you.
Posted in Audio (y-dialect), Solomon Ratt
Leave a comment
The Rainbow: Read along in Cree
ninanâskomon. I am grateful. It’s really exciting to see another rich layer added to this beautiful book and story from traditional Cree culture that centres on gratitude. The story told by Alberta Cree Elder and WW2 veteran, James “Smokey” Tomkins … Continue reading
Expressing gratitude (Kepin Brousseau)
Thanks to Dr Kevin Brousseau for assembling these forms and sharing this overview. It’s interesting that what sometimes looks like regional variation turns out to be understood, and even usable all across the Cree dialect continuum. Here’s what Kevin wrote … Continue reading
Posted in Kevin Brousseau
Leave a comment
Rock Spirits: Darren Okemaysimipan (y-dialect)
Today, we’re sharing an old FaceBook post from my late friend Darren Okemaysim that unexpectedly popped up on my computer screen this morning. (Cree uses the suffix “pan” to indicate that someone is deceased.) I believe Darren was quoting an … Continue reading
Posted in Audio (y-dialect), Darren Okemaysim, Solomon Ratt
1 Comment
To sing at dawn and dusk: Solomon Ratt (y-dialect)
ka-nikamohk kâ-pêtâpahk mîna kâ-wawâninâkwahk ka-nanâtawihtâniwiw askiy cîhkêyihtamowin ohci: kiyâpic ôma kiskisiwak piyêsîsak. ᑲ ᓂᑲᒧᕽ ᑳ ᐯᑖᐸᕽ ᒦᓇ ᑳ ᐘᐚᓂᓈᑿᕽ ᑲ ᓇᓈᑕᐏᐦᑖᓂᐏᐤ ᐊᐢᑭᐩ ᒌᐦᑫᔨᐦᑕᒧᐏᐣ ᐅᐦᒋ: ᑭᔮᐱᐨ ᐆᒪ ᑭᐢᑭᓯᐘᐠ ᐱᔦᓰᓴᐠ᙮ To sing at dawn and at dusk will heal the world with joy: The birds still … Continue reading
Posted in Audio (y-dialect), Solomon Ratt
Leave a comment
Brian MacDonald, mihkwâw, kaskitêwâw, wâpiskâw, osâwâw
Thanks to Dolores Sand for transcribing and sharing Brian MacDonald’s Colour Song. Colour words in Cree are verbs, so they have to match the animacy of the nouns they describe. The song gives each colour in its animate and inanimate … Continue reading
Posted in Dolores Sand, Songs in Cree
Tagged Colours, songs for kids
Comments Off on Brian MacDonald, mihkwâw, kaskitêwâw, wâpiskâw, osâwâw
Earth Day 2021 (y-dialect)
kihcêyihta kistêyihta nâkatawêyihta: askiy kîsikâw ᑭᐦᒉᔨᐦᑕ ᑭᐢᑌᔨᐦᑕ ᓈᑲᑕᐍᔨᐦᑕ: ᐊᐢᑭᐩ ᑮᓯᑳᐤ Honour it, respect it, protect it: Earth Day (Thanks to Solomon Ratt for fabulous photo and text!)
Posted in Audio (y-dialect), Solomon Ratt
Leave a comment
Buffy Sainte-Marie, Starwalker: tr. Solomon Ratt (y-dialect)
Solomon Ratt’s translation of Buffy Sainte-Marie’s Starwalker began as quite a literal translation, but the driving rhythm of this tune demanded a lot fewer syllables. This is where Sol’s backup “Rhythm Ratts” stepped up, helping to hone the translation, and … Continue reading