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
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