The Family Centre team learns nêhiyawêwin, the Cree language

The Family Centre’s Indigenous Support Services team members Aubrey and Carol have been learning Cree under the guidance of Elder Dr. Leona Makokis. Dr. Makokis also gifted us our foster care program’s name, ohpikîhakan, and helped us develop our Indigenous Practice Framework.

We’re committed to working towards reconciliation by becoming a wicihtasow (ally). This includes increasing our knowledge and understanding of the history of Indigenous people and opportunities to experience ceremony, traditional teachings, and activities. Language plays a key role in creating understanding.

We asked each team member to share a bit about their experiences learning Cree so far. These stories kick off our upcoming initiative to share Cree translations and concepts that they have learned over on our social media.

Follow us to start learning: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn

 

Aubrey’s Story

tanisi, Aubrey Watson nitisiyihkason. Ketegaunseebee ohci niya. I am anishinaabekwe (Ojibwe woman), my mother is Denise Stanford Boissoneau, and my late father is Daniel John. My maiden name is Boissoneau, which descends from my maternal grandfather, Lawrence. I am from Garden River First Nation, part of the Robinson-Huron Treaty of 1850, and have resided on Treaty 6 territory for over 20 years. I have been gifted the spiritual name of maskwa ka wit ah pi tak askiy (bear who sits with the earth). I am grateful to have learned from many Knowledge Holders in this territory. Although our family was not raised with our Indigenous wisdom, my mother always and still does live the first natural law of love, and for this, I am forever thankful.

I have chosen to learn nêhiyawêwin to deepen my understanding from an Indigenous worldview. I have been honoured to learn from a fluent language speaker, nocikwesiw (female Elder) Leona Makokis.  

Language creates reality, and so when I speak nêhiyawêwin I am learning and speaking from an Indigenous worldview, one that privileges spirit and the spiritual relationships among all of creation. 

As an anishinaabekwe, learning nêhiyawêwin has helped me understand myself more and has begun to help me understand anishinaabemowin. I love learning the root words within words and the spiritual significance of words. It always fascinates me to know that the language has been around for millennia and I am always so proud of my ancestors for their deep knowledge. The language tells us how to behave and teaches us our roles. 

I am grateful to be on this learning journey and plan to continue to learn nêhiyawêwin.    

miigwech (thank you)

  

Carol’s Story

Tansi, Carol êkwa mihko pihêsiw iskwew nitisiyihkâson êkwa amiskwaciwâskahikan ohci niya. Sherwood Park mâka mêkwâc niwîkin, e atoskeyân The Family Centre.

Hello, my name is Carol Turner (spirit name Red Thunderbird Woman). I am from Edmonton, but I am living in Sherwood park. I work at The Family Centre.

I have had the honour and privilege to take a couple of nêhiyawêwin (Cree language) semesters with Dr. Leona Makokis, who is a nêhiyaw nôcokwêsiw (Cree female Elder) from Kehewin Cree Nation and a fluent nêhiyawêwin speaker. As a settler here on Treaty 6, I have always wanted to learn the language of the land. As a wîcihtâsow (helper in the context of ceremony or one who comes to help), I believe that it is up to me to take action toward reconciliation.

What I have learned so far is that nêhiyawêwin (The Cree Language) is a descriptive language that captures an Indigenous relational reality beyond the confines of Western worldview-based languages. As nêhiyawêwin is a language of verbs, emphasis is on the relationship between two entities as opposed to the entities themselves. When this understanding is extended onto concepts or ideas, the relationships that went into creating a concept or idea are what is important.

Additionally, nêhiyawêwin is a spiritual language that understands connection based on what is “animate” and “inanimate”. Entities that are animate in an Indigenous worldview are often inanimate in the Western worldview which impacts how those entities are viewed and treated. As a result, noun-based and non-spiritual languages (like English) struggle to capture the full depth of meaning within nêhiyaw concepts.

Leona Makokis shared with the class: “When we embrace that language creates reality it is through Indigenous language that we can further step into an Indigenous universe.” I am truly honoured to have such a wonderful teacher who is kind and patient and sees the value in teaching Indigenous and non-Indigenous students. I am looking forward to continuing my learning nêhiyawêwin journey.

 ninanâskomon, (I am grateful)