|
|
tansi cuzzins!
Welcome to week twenty-seven of our journey into studying the Y dialect of the Cree language together!
Please excuse the two week absence of my Cree newsletter! Two weeks ago I was busy meeting my heroes in Winnipeg. Last
week, I sent the newsletter out, but a glitch in our new newsletter platform meant that only 218 people received it! So if you are one of those people, I apologize for the double send.
Winnipeg was an incredible experience. The entire IndigiNews team attended the Indigenous Journalists Association 2023 conference.were also there to pick up our awards, of which there were 9 (!) between IndigiNews staff and freelance contributors. 🎉
It was an incredible four days. Rosanna Deerchild, host of CBC Radio's Unreserved, attended our workshop on newsroom staff wellness. She approached us afterwards to tell us how inspired she was by what we had to say.
Rosanna Deerchild. Was inspired. By us. 🥹
In the evenings,
after the scheduled events, we had time to socialize. That's how I got to witness veteran journalist Duncan McCue sing "Your Kiss Is On My List" by Hall & Oates at karaoke. 🎤
|
 |
|
|
Now, onto our Cree lesson!
For readers who are just joining us, welcome! Yes, we have been doing this for a while, but we hope you jump in and enjoy learning with us.
You can find past lessons on the website here.
Each week, readers follow along with me as I learn more about my language using a sacred type of alphabet called Spirit Markers (some folks call them syllabics). The Spirit Marker chart we're using is called a Star Chart, and it is below. It's oriented opposite of how "western" maps are – North goes on the bottom for us, and South is at the top.
This week we're continuing the northwestern limb on the Star Chart, the one on the bottom, righthand side.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Spirit Marker we are learning about this week is ᓱ (so), pronounced 'soo' like in "Susan."
|
|
|
|
|
When the Spirit Marker has a dot on top of it, like below, the vowel sound is shortened.
It is then pronounced like the English word, "sew."
|
|
|
|
|
Here's our word of the week. ᓲᐦᑭᓯᐏᐣ (sôhkisiwin). It means Strength.
See how the first Spirit Marker in this word has a dot on top of it? This means that the first syllable of this word is pronounced "so."
The pronunciation of this word is really neat! As a
novice, I would think this word was pronounced SO-KI-si-win.
But it's not.
As you can hear on itwewina, it's pronounced like sohk-SOON. Fascinating.
|
|
|
|
|
I'll be back next week with the last Spirit Marker on this limb. Until then, please take good care of yourself.
If you are one of the many people dealing with wildfires right now, I will keep you in my prayers. I know this is a scary time.
The Earth, our Mother, is undergoing a process of
healing right now, brought about by the imbalance caused by the extractive and violent way humans have been treating her for the last few hundred years. Unfortunately, that healing involves major upheaval and radical shifts. May we all exactly be where we're meant to be.
hiy hiy!
Aunty Eden
|
|
|
 |
Eden Fineday is a nehiyaw iskwew and the publisher of IndigiNews. She is a also a mom, writer and student of nehiyawewin. She lives with gratitude as an uninvited guest on the unceded territories of the xwməθkwəy̓ əm (Musqueam), səl̓ ílwətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh), and Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) Peoples.
|
|
|
|
|
|
IndigiNews, 213 – 1130 Sun Peaks Road, Sun Peaks, BC V0E5N0, Canada
This email was sent to aptogo@aol.com because you signed up for the IndigiNews newsletter.
Want to change how you receive emails from IndigiNews?
Update your preferences or unsubscribe from ALL IndigiNews emails.
|
|
|
