640 LIKES –

Thank you all for your support, I didn’t realize the amount of likes I received from you fine people. I appreciate all the shares and LIKES. It wasn’t too long ago that 400 likes was such a privilege to receive, from such a great group of people. Thank you for following my page.

#CreeSimonSays – Thankful translation.

Background vector created by starline – www.freepik.com – Thumbs up icon use.

FREE PDF Downloads – Plains & Woodland Cree Clock

This past week, there has been a great response to my DIY Cree clock posts. Unfortunately, I posted the images in haste and some mistakes were pointed out but I think I have them all corrected now. I am sorry if this has caused any inconvenience.

For my haste and mistakenly posting the clock images (now updated) , I have posted the following list of all the clocks I have on this website, in Plains & Woodland Cree, already for download in PDF format. Just download and print, easy. I am hoping to complete a Telling Time in Cree lesson next week, so please stay tuned for that.

PLAINS CREE – Y – PDF Downloads ⇓ 

 Y-clock-in-cree_winter_sunset_01

 Y-clock-in-cree_winter_sunrise_01

 Y-clock-in-cree_white_button_01

 Y-clock-in-cree_red_button_01

 Y-clock-in-cree_purple_button_01

 Y-clock-in-cree_green_button_01

 Y-clock-in-cree_fall_sunset_01

 Y-clock-in-cree_blue_button_01

 Y-clock-in-cree_black_01

WOODLAND CREE – TH – PDF Downloads ⇓ 

 TH-clock-in-cree_winter_sunset_01

 TH-clock-in-cree_winter_sunrise_01

 TH-clock-in-cree_white_button_01

 TH-clock-in-cree_red_button_01

 TH-clock-in-cree_purple_button_01

 TH-clock-in-cree_green_button_01

 TH-clock-in-cree_fall_sunset_01

 TH-clock-in-cree_blue_button_01

 TH-clock-in-cree_black_01

I appreciate the great response from my followers. One of my former colleagues, Cynthia Cook, had a novel idea. She wants to download and print one of the clocks I have on this website and fit it into her old clock. I told her, it is a great idea and it would liven up an old boring clock that has been hanging on a wall for years. Why not give that a try.

Because of my mistake, I will have to reprint my clocks but at least the DIY Clock Tools are easy to transfer. Again, I apologize for my haste and hope you will take the time to re-download your favourite design. The previous blog posts will remain the same but the FREE CREE IMAGES page has updated images, check it out.

 

Update on “Do it Yourself” WOODLAND CREE CLOCK

[Note: FREE PDF DOWNLOADS – PLAINS & WOODLAND CREE CLOCK – Charlie]

Since my previous post, I MADE MY OWN WOODLAND CREE CLOCK, I went to a printing business and got 3 different clocks printed out and laminated.

First, I had to insert the images into a WORD document and then [Wrap Text] to [In Front of Text] to resized the image to 8′ inches and centred it. I then Exported it as a PDF and saved to a thumb drive.

I got them printed with the settings shown on the receipt above.

I did the hard work for you and they are available in PDF for  Download:

Here they are, printed and laminated.

I got my DIY CLOCK TOOLS and put a hole in the middle of the clock and cut around it (I didn’t do the best job but a more craftier person could do a better job, I’m sure).

Here is the finished product, all it needs is a battery. Please like and share.

 

 

 

I made my own Woodland Cree Clock

I have since corrected the Cree spelling on all the downloadable clocks. Please see the new laminated version I have at the bottom of this page.

[Note: FREE PDF DOWNLOADS – PLAINS & WOODLAND CREE CLOCK – Charlie]

I decided to make my own Woodland Cree Clock using one of the FREE CREE IMAGES I have on this website:  https://firstnationstories.com/?page_id=1368

I selected the one I wanted, and I clicked on it:

It opened up by itself in the browser and I “right-clicked” and left-clicked, “Save image as”:

I saved it to my downloads page, printed it.

I used Matte paper and the settings you see on the image below.

I printed it out:

 

I needed to poke a hole in the middle, so after using a thumb tack to get it started, I finished using a pencil for the clock hand base to fit:

A week before, I ordered a DIY clock tool such as the one below, from EBAY.CA, which has instructions online:

So I now have a working Woodland Cree Clock

Thank you for viewing. I would also recommend laminating the printed clock, even if it is on matte paper. It would most likely last longer. It’s hard to say how long the clock will stay straight, so I may have to get it laminated at some point.

New Clock with corrected numbers and laminated.

ebay.ca search link “diy clock tools” – https://www.ebay.ca/sch/i.html?_odkw=diy+clock+kit&_osacat=0&_from=R40&_trksid=p2045573.m570.l1313.TR10.TRC0.A0.H0.Xdiy+clock+tools.TRS0&_nkw=diy+clock+tools&_sacat=0

 

mwākwa – loon – Painting by Allen Morrow

The Cree audio, is based on artwork by Allen Morrow (https://firstnationstories.com/?page_id=787).

mwākwa – loon

mwākwak – loons (plural)

mwākos (or) mwākosis – small/baby loon (I’ve heard both terms).

mwākosisak – small/baby loons (plural)tipiskāwi-pīsim – moon

sākāhikan – lake

wāsakām – shoreline

mistikwak – trees

otākosin – evening (time of day)

 

Many of the words I used are from this page, an excellent resource: http://sapir.artsrn.ualberta.ca/itwewina/

Weather Terms in Woodland Cree (TH)

The following weather terms are in Woodland Cree. The audio clips are much clearer than before.

mispon – it is snowing


You can’t really tell but it is raining in the picture.

kimowan – it is raining


This picture was edited because I have no pictures of when it was hailing.

miskwamiy-pahkisin – it is hailing


kitowak – there is thunder (thunderbirds are calling)


wāsiskotīpatho – lightning storm


kaskawahkamin – it is foggy


Contributed by my cousin, Alice Roberts.

kaskawan – there is fog or mist


thikwaskwan – it is cloudy


wāsīskwan – sky is clear


thōtin – it is windy


tahkāyāw – it is cold


kīsopwīw – it is warm


kisāstīw – it is hot


athwāstin – it is calm


maci-kīsikāw – it is a miserable day



tahkithōwīw – there is wind chill

I took all the pictures shown on this post because I could not find an affordable stock online that I could use. I hope you enjoy this post, it took me a long time to get it done, but here it is.

Thank you for visiting.

Nimosōm Shoots the Rabbit Thief

My grandfather and I used to get up at the crack of dawn and got home at nightfall most days to check our snares and traps. We had been getting some good luck on the rabbit snaring but we noticed our rabbits started to go missing. “awīyak awa ika kimotit ki wāposoma” – Somebody is stealing your rabbits.

As a boy of about 6-7 years of age, it got me thinking of many scenarios of what might be stealing our rabbits, which totally impeded our intake of rabbit soup. I loved dipping my thick crumbly bannock that nimosōm used to make, into the salty, peppery, “pahkwīsikanapoy” – flour soup. What could have been taking our rabbits? I thought maybe an ōhō – owl or mahkīsīs – fox.

I imagined ōhō perched on a branch, looking side by side and then noticing a rabbit, free for the taking. I thought maybe mahkīsīs would be snooping around, stalking its next prey and finding our rabbits, frozen on the ground like they were placed there for them (they kind of were I guess).

I am sure my late grandfather knew what was eating our rabbits, but I had no idea because as young as I was, I didn’t notice the tracks and only listened to the part about “awiyaK” – somebody. It sounded ominous to me at the time because it sounded like it could be anybody or anything that might be deemed evil, like a creature of some kind.

It was late fall, early freeze-up at time and there was not much snow. I remember we may have been walking along the icy shore where it was thick enough to hold us. If we went too far, the ice would start cracking. This was a risk many families had to make to survive. My grandfather had enough experience and knowledge, that we were relatively safe out in the wild.

One morning, when we got to “maskīkohk” – to the muskeg, nimosōm went up ahead to take a piss first but quickly came sneaking back, “awayak awa niwapamaw” – I see somebody. He took his gun that was resting on a tree truck and he loaded it before he went back.

I was completely freaked out, what could he have seen? The look he gave me, was one of excitement when he saw something. I was scared to think of what it might have been. As he loaded up the gun, I went up a bit to see what it was.

I saw some movement where our first snares had been and saw the biggest cat I have ever seen in real life. Having little knowledge of the more diverse animals in the north, I thought it was a cougar. Like the kind I would see on TV in town. This cat looked straight at me for awhile and made a face, I was very amazed and fascinated at the sight of the cat. I stepped back to my original position as nimosōm aimed his gun and shot the “pisiw” – lynx, right between the eyes. The cat dropped instantly, surrounded by rabbit fur and blood. The mystery was solved.

Chances are, my grandfather knew it was a lynx all along, he just wanted to entertain me by sounding frightening in a way. He would have a bit of smile when he mentioned the mysterious thief. It was all in good fun and I fondly remember the many times he told me the tales of wīsahkīcāhk and wihtikō for late evening entertainment. His facial expressions and hand gestures, were gold, in the storytelling process.

Thank you for visiting.

pahkwīsikanapoy – flour soup

maskīk – muskeg

maskīkohk – to the muskeg

ōhō – owl

mahkīsīs – fox

pisiw – lynx

wāpos – rabbit

wīsahkīcāhk

wihtikō