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