Today in celebrating National Aboriginal Languages Day – I’m also thinking of Freda Ahenakew who made the Cree language her life’s work. The fourth anniversary of Freda’s passing is April 8th.
In honour of Freda, and in honour of the day, Solomon Ratt has permitted me to share this poem in multi-media format (scroll down past the whole poem to find the video link to Sol’s PowerPoint with audio):
ahkami-nêhiyawêtân
ahkami-nêhiyawêtân
kipîkiskwêwininâhk astêw kinisitohtamowininaw
ahkami-nêhiyawêtân
kipîkiskwêwininâhk astêw kinisitawêyimitowininaw
ahkami-nêhiyawêtân
kipîkiskwêwininâhk astêw kipimâtisiwininaw
ahkami-nêhiyawêtân
kipîkiskwêwininâhk astêw kinêhiyâwiwininaw.
ᐊᐦᑲᒥ ᓀᐦᐃᔭᐍᑖᐣ
ᐊᐦᑲᒥ ᓀᐦᐃᔭᐍᑖᐣ
ᑭᐲᑭᐢᑵᐏᓂᓈᕽ ᐊᐢᑌᐤ ᑭᓂᓯᑐᐦᑕᒧᐏᓂᓇᐤ
ᐊᐦᑲᒥ ᓀᐦᐃᔭᐍᑖᐣ
ᑭᐲᑭᐢᑵᐏᓂᓈᕽ ᐊᐢᑌᐤ ᑭᓂᓯᑕᐍᔨᒥᑐᐏᓂᓇᐤ
ᐊᐦᑲᒥ ᓀᐦᐃᔭᐍᑖᐣ
ᑭᐲᑭᐢᐍᐏᓂᓈᕽ ᐊᐢᑌᐤ ᑭᐱᒫᑎᓯᐏᓂᓇᐤ
ᐊᐦᑲᒥ ᓀᐦᐃᔭᐍᑖᐣ
ᑭᐲᑭᐢᑵᐏᓂᓈᕽ ᐊᐢᑌw ᑭᓀᐦᐃᔮᐏᐏᓂᓇᐤ
Let’s keep on speaking Cree
Let’s keep on speaking Cree:
In our language is our understanding.
Let’s keep on speaking Cree;
In our language is our recognition of who we are.
Let’s keep on speaking Cree;
In our language is our life.
Let’s keep on speaking Cree;
In our language is our Cree essence.
