Les Skinner

Les is a Cree Teacher with the Canadian Native Friendship Centre  as well a s the Edmonton Public Libraries. Mondays in person at Highlands Library from 6 – 8 P.M. and online classes on Wednesday evenings. Les also teaches nēhiyawēwin classes through Concordia University and Grant Macewan University.

Les has been teaching the Cree classes for nearly 9 years, after attending them himself to regain his language.

He aims to create a community among the students, as well as preserve the language and the traditional knowledge it holds.

Macīwīn – Hunting episode

Segment 1 

tawāw – welcome / There is room

waniskāk – You all wake up now

tānisi – Hello , How are you ?

mōy nānitaw niya – It is fine , me

nitisiyihkâson – I am named this

mōy tāpwē ninihtānēhiyawān – I don’t really speak Cree fluently

nimîcison – I eat

sakāhk – in the bush   ( location ) ( form of Sakāw which is the noun for a bush )

sakāhk ōma nitayân  – I am in the bush

Askiy – land , earth, region, world (also used to reference one year)

paskwāw – prairies

asiskiy – dirt , soil , clay , mud

kistikān – farm

nîpisîhkopâhk – in a willowed area (location)

maskēkohk – in a muskeg area

mōswak – moose (pl)

mōswak tā miywêyihtêmak maskēkohk – moose like the muskeg

ahpō sâkahikanihk – or at/in a lake  (location)

sisonē sākahikanihk  beside a lake  (location)

sākahikan – lake

mācī – hunt (command)

mācīw – s/he  hunts

maci-   bad, evil  ( used as a pre- position) (IE macihtwâw – he/ she is a bad or mean person)

māci – starting something ( used ad a pre position )

māci-kinēhiyawanaw ( we all start to speak cree )

kimācīnaw – you and we hunt

Segment 2

nimātāhāw – I track something animate

niwāpamāw – I see something animate

niwāpahtēn – I see something inanimate

nimātāhāw mōswa awa – I track this moose

nimitihtāw – I am following that person/ animals tracks

nika mitihtāw – Will will track something animate

pimisiniw  moswa – the moose is lying down

itē kāyōtinihk – where the wind is blowing

itē kānīpisīhkopāhk  – where there is a willow grove

Segment 3 

kitohwâcikan is moose caller – A moose caller

n’kitohwâcikân  I am callling / imitating a call to something

waskway – birch bark

watapiy – spruce root

ninisitohtēn –  I understand

nīpisiyatik – willow tree

kipīkiskwāsin sakāw kitācimonān – tell us a bush story 

kētahtawē – sometimes

āskaw mana – from time to time, occasionally, once in a  while

tāpiscōc nōsēs – like a mother cow

tāpiscōc  yāpēw – like a bull

kīkway nipēhtawāw – I heard something (animate)

kīkway ētikwē awa – i wonder what this is ( animate)

ē-pēcāstamohtēt – it is coming (by foot)

kisiwāk – close by

ka-pē -sākēwēt – it comes into view

ka wāpamāw – i see something (animate)

ekosi – thus, that is all

kētahtawē – suddenly 

ē-mōskīstawit – it is charging at me

sikāk – skunk

tānisi ētikwē ka tōtamān ōma -I didnt know what to do

kahkiyaw – everything

kahkiyaw n’cayān’sa ēhotinamān –

kahkiyaw n’cayân’sa êhotinamân – I take all of my things

nitapasîn – I run away