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Coffee and Cree

Coffee and Cree

by Rellik

Language Learning

Season 1

Medical terms and technology w/ Shirley-Anne Lazaruk

This weeks special guest is Shirley-Anne Lazaruk. Shirley is originally from Waterhen Lake, Sask but has lived in the Slave Lake, AB area for decades. Shirley is a retired registered nurse who is also a fluent Cree speaker. As one of the only home care nurses who is fluent in nehiyawewin, Shirley was often consulted to also interpret for doctors. Shirley shares some great words related to nursing and health care, including Diabetes, heart conditions and more. Shirley also shares some fond memories of learning valuable lessons on the land with her father. She also teaches us some words we can use for modern inventions like televisions and texting. She even teaches us to say Hippopotamus!

Spring-time words and law w/ Rick Mirasty

Rick Mirasty is a fluent Cree-speaking criminal defense lawyer based from Big River, Saskatchewan. Rick calls Alberta home and has practiced Law throughout the province and is known for his work in criminal defense, often advocating for Indigenous clients. Rick has been described as a "road warrior" for his extensive legal work in rural communities. Rick has openly shared his personal journey of resilience, overcoming challenges in his early education to practice law for over 20 years. In this weeks episode, he joins Rellik to teach some some words related to spring time, including weather related terms, spring cleaning and more. He also shares some personal stories from growing up and spending time in the local swimming pond to mentions of other fames members of Indigenous law in Alberta.

Winter Bush Words w/ Les Skinner

In this weeks episode we are joined again by Les Skinner. 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. anohc kâ-ispayik itwēwina - This weeks words Sâkahikan - Lake Sîpiy - River Nipimohtân sisonê sâkahikanihk - I walk beside the lake Nipakâsimon - I Swim Wâpos - rabbit Tâpakwân - snare nitâpakwâhâw Wâpos - I snare a rabbit itê kâ-mâtâhat wâpos, tâpakwê - Where you track a rabbit, set a snare Pihêwak - prairie chickens Nanâtohk - different kinds, variety of Paskwâwi - plains, prairie Oskâhtak - jack pine Wîhkasin - it tastes good imâcihowin - way of living Mêskanâs - small road, small path Nîpisîs - small willow, willow branch Oskan - bone Oskon - liver Niwîkin - I live / reside Wîki - home kapêsiwin Katawasisin - it is beautiful tahkâyâw - it is cold weather Mihta - pieces of wood (plural) Iskotêw - fire Kotawân - campfire Kotawânâpisk - a stove Nitâskatahimihtân - I chop fire wood ( Independent) Ê-tâskatahimihtêyân - as I am chopping firewood (conjunct) Ninikohtân - alt verb for saying it I chop / gather / prepare firewood Kîskipocikan - a hand saw Nikîskipocikân - I am sawing wood Pôna - build a fire ( command) Nipônên - I build a fire Mihca - kindling , small pieces of wood Wâskahikan - house, cabin mistiko-Wâskahikan - A log cabin

VTA's and Survival Phrases with Aaron Fay

Aaron Fay (@otipeyimisow) joins us for back-to-back episodes to continue where we left off. In this weeks episode we take an in-depth look at VTAs ( Animate Transitive Verbs ) and also go over some examples, while creating simple sentences combines VTA's and VAIs. We also go over some key survival phrases that you can use in everyday conversations with fluent speakers, which were first created by Wayne Jackson.

Verb Types and Animacy Explained

Aaron Fay is a Cree language learner with Metis roots in Saskatchewan. Aaron is an advocate for the Cree language and has garnered much notoriety through his social media presence and online learning via ⁠Tiktok⁠. He currently calls West Kelowna his home but spent much of his life between Edmonton and Rocky Mountain House. Aaron is also the developer of ⁠Kiyanaw.net⁠ ( translates to “all of us” ), a website dedicated to learning the Cree language containing tools and resources. Aaron joins us to give an in depth breakdown of VII, VAI and VTI's and also go into detail regarding animacy within the Cree language.

Wayne Jackson - Words for Work

Wayne Jackson is a Cree language teacher from Good Fish Lake First Nation and has also taught at University of Blue Quills. An advocate for the Cree language, he has also created language immersion class and is passionate about preserving nêhiyawêwin. Wayne is also an accomplished musician, performing under the name ⁠W.T. Goodspirit⁠ and has numerous albums recorded in the Cree language. Wayne joins us to teach us words we can use in the work place.

Rebecca George - Time and Frequencies of TIme

Rebecca George hails from Big Island Lake, Saskatchewan. Rebecca has taught in different schools in her home community to different grades and levels. She learned to speak nehiyawewin in the home around her Mother and Grandmother. She joins Rellik to teach us words related to time and frequencies of time. Not only will you work your way around a clock, but learn how to say words like soon, later, today, tomorrow and so many more!

Conversational Cree, phonetic sounds and wîsahkêcâhk stories with Deloris Rain

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.

Weather Terms and Michif w/ Dan Cardinal

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 delay mīna – and kitatamiskâtin – I greet you , ki (t) atamiskât in namōya nantāw -I am not bad, I am fine ninanāskomon ē-nitomiyan ōta kā – pē- piksweyan – I am grateful you invited me here to speak tāpwē – it is true nīsta mīna – me also nimiywêyihtên – I am happy āsay mīna – and , already ê-wâpamitân – I am seeing you nīsta – me also tāpwē – it is true anohc – today , miyo kīsikāw – it is a good day anohc yîkwaskwan – it is cloudy today apisis yîkwaskwan – a little bit cloudy wāpahki apisis kā-yīkwaskwan – tomorrow it will be a little cloudy kimiwan – rain, it is raining mitoni – very , much , a lot mistahi – very much , a lot , greatly mitoni mistahi kimiwan – it is raining heavily kîwê-sîkipêstâw – it is down pouring aya – ah , well, hmm ēwako – this , that kimiwanayāw – it is raining there , misponayâw – it is snowing there ninisitohtên – I understand apisis kimiwan – a little rain kimiwanis – a little rain mispon – falling snow , there is snow falling misponayaw – it is snowy (flurries) kōna – snow ( on the ground ) mistahi ē-mispon – it is snowing alot ē-pimohtēyān ē-misponayaw – I am walking as it is snowing ê-kiskinwahamâkêyân nêhiyawêwin – I am teaching Cree language kiskinwahamâkan – student nikiskinwahamâkân – i teach niyānan askiy – 5 years wâwâskêsiw sâkahikan – Lac la Biche (Elk Lake) wâhyaw – far away mekwac – right now, currently ka-otâkosik – in the evening nikotwāsik tipahikan – six o’ clock ayinānēw tipahikan – eight o’clock isiyihkâtêw – it is called this mīhcet – many , alot ôma niya nikî-pê-ohpikin – ” where I grew up” ôcênâs – town , village , settlement tānisi isiwepan ? – How is the weather ? Tānisi kīsik kīsikak ? – How is the sky today ? anohc kisāstēw – today the weather is hot anohc kisin – today is cold ekwa mīna – and also ka kītwan – you will say anohc tahkāyāw – today is very cold kisē – pīsim – january , cold month , great month māyi – kīsikāw – it is a bad day māyi – prefix for bad miyo – prefix for bad miyo kīskikāw – it is a good day kīsikāw – day time tipiskāw – night time, evening pīsim – the sun kīsikaw pīsim , the sun tipiskāw pīsim – the moon tahkāyāw ōma ka ōtakosīhk – it is cold this evening yōtin – it is windy anohc yōtin – today it is windy yōtinisin – a little bit windy (diminutive) mitoni yōtin – very windy mistahi yōtin – very windy , big wind ēkotē – over there tānisi isiwepan ēkotē ? – How is the weather over there ōta miyo kīsikāw māka yīkwaskwan – here it is a good day but it is cloudy mistahi nimiywêyihtên – I am very happy , I am very glad ē – wī – atoskēmak- my co worker i would work with acimo – tell me a story mawisowin – picking berries kayās ka miywāsin – it was good back long ago ayisiyiniwak – people ( plural) ê-wîcihitok – we would help each other nohkompam ka kīwē oho sīpiy – my late grandma lived in owl river ekosi maka – that is all

Feelings and Emotions with Kathy Hamelin

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.

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