Coffee and Cree

In this weeks episode we are joined by Deloris Rain, a fluent Cree speaker and teacher from Maskwacîs, AB. Deloris teaches us the fundamental phonetic sounds in nêhiyawêwin, some great conversational terms we can use in our daily speaking and also treats us to a traditional teaching and story of wîsahkêcâhk. Deloris is available to teach the Cree language in person in both individual, and classroom settings and has plans to create audio lessons for home study learners.

Dan Cardinal is a Cree language teacher who has taught with many schools throughout Alberta including St. Josephs High School, Ben Calf Robe, Concordia University, CNFC, Red Deer College and Portage College . Dan also spent many years as the Vice President of the Metis Nation of Alberta. Dan continues to be a strong advocate for preserving the Cree language since the 1980's.This weeks vocabulary āsay – already, without delaymīna – andkitatamiskâtin – I greet you , ki (t) atamiskât innamōya nantāw -I am not bad, I am fineninanāskomon ē-nitomiyan ōta kā – pē- piksweyan – I am grateful you invited me here to speaktāpwē – it is truenīsta mīna – me alsonimiywêyihtên – I am happyāsay mīna – and , alreadyê-wâpamitân – I am seeing younīsta – me alsotāpwē – it is trueanohc – today , miyo kīsikāw – it is a good dayanohc yîkwaskwan – it is cloudy todayapisis yîkwaskwan – a little bit cloudywāpahki apisis kā-yīkwaskwan – tomorrow it will be a little cloudykimiwan – rain, it is rainingmitoni – very , much , a lotmistahi – very much , a lot , greatlymitoni mistahi kimiwan – it is raining heavilykîwê-sîkipêstâw – it is down pouringaya – ah , well, hmmēwako – this , thatkimiwanayāw – it is raining there , misponayâw – it is snowing thereninisitohtên – I understandapisis kimiwan – a little rainkimiwanis – a little rainmispon – falling snow , there is snow fallingmisponayaw – it is snowy (flurries)kōna – snow ( on the ground )mistahi ē-mispon – it is snowing alotē-pimohtēyān ē-misponayaw – I am walking as it is snowingê-kiskinwahamâkêyân nêhiyawêwin – I am teaching Cree languagekiskinwahamâkan – studentnikiskinwahamâkân – i teachniyānan askiy – 5 yearswâwâskêsiw sâkahikan – Lac la Biche (Elk Lake) wâhyaw – far away mekwac – right now, currentlyka-otâkosik – in the eveningnikotwāsik tipahikan – six o’ clockayinānēw tipahikan – eight o’clock isiyihkâtêw – it is called thismīhcet – many , alotôma niya nikî-pê-ohpikin – ” where I grew up”ôcênâs – town , village , settlementtānisi isiwepan ? – How is the weather ?Tānisi kīsik kīsikak ? – How is the sky today ?anohc kisāstēw – today the weather is hotanohc kisin – today is coldekwa mīna – and alsoka kītwan – you will sayanohc tahkāyāw – today is very coldkisē – pīsim – january , cold month , great monthmāyi – kīsikāw – it is a bad daymāyi – prefix for badmiyo – prefix for badmiyo kīskikāw – it is a good daykīsikāw – day timetipiskāw – night time, eveningpīsim – the sunkīsikaw pīsim , the suntipiskāw pīsim – the moontahkāyāw ōma ka ōtakosīhk – it is cold this eveningyōtin – it is windyanohc yōtin – today it is windyyōtinisin – a little bit windy (diminutive)mitoni yōtin – very windymistahi yōtin – very windy , big windēkotē – over theretānisi isiwepan ēkotē ? – How is the weather over thereōta miyo kīsikāw māka yīkwaskwan – here it is a good day but it is cloudymistahi nimiywêyihtên – I am very happy , I am very gladē – wī – atoskēmak- my co worker i would work withacimo – tell me a storymawisowin – picking berrieskayās ka miywāsin – it was good back long agoayisiyiniwak – people ( plural)ê-wîcihitok – we would help each othernohkompam ka kīwē oho sīpiy – my late grandma lived in owl riverekosi maka – that is all

Originally from the Peace River region of Treaty 8, Kathy is a Cree language teacher with the Learning Centre in Edmonton and has contributed greatly to the community as not only a teacher but also an advocate seeking justice for the homeless and First Nations women, people and youth.Kathy Hamelin joins Rellik to teach us some feelings and emotions. In this weeks episode, we also discuss tense markers, personal pronouns and learn a few morphemes.

Neil Redcrow is a cree language enthusiast and teacher through acimowin opaspiw Society.Neil is from Onihcikiskwapiwinihk (Saddle Lake, AB) but currently residing in Amiskwaciy Waskahikan (Edmonton.)Neil is also heavily involved within cultural and language projects.As a husband and father, Neil Joins us for an episode dedicated to parenting words and positive words of affirmation to teach our children.We also introduce pre verbs like nitaw (go) and pê (come) and revisit personal pronouns.

Les Skinner joins Rellikf or this weeks episode of Coffee and Cree.Les is a Cree Teacher with the Canadian Native Friendship Centre as well as the Edmonton Public Libraries.and online classes. Les also teaches nēhiyawēwin classes through Concordia University and Grant Macewan University.Les has been teaching the Cree classes for over ten 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.Les teaches us words related to hunting and the bush, teaches us how to hunt and shares a memorable encounter with a skunk!

Dorothy Thunder joins us for our inaugural episode of Coffee and Cree. Dorothy Thunder is a Plains Cree (nêhiyawiskwêw) from Little Pine First Nation, Saskatchewan and full-time Cree instructor in Faculty of Native Studies at the University of Alberta. She is a Language Keeper, educator, and an Aboriginal woman who practices the traditional way of life. In this episode Dorothy teaches us words related to the fall season and also touches on animacy, diminutives, personal pronouns, VAI verbs and conversational departing phrases.