Indigenous Language Teaching

"As an Elder once said, "Learn one Cree word a day for 100 days, and emerge a different person." In 100 Days of Cree Neal McLeod offers a portal into another way of understanding the universe--and our place within it--while demonstrating why this funny, vibrant, and sometimes salacious language is "the sexiest" of them all (according to Tomson Highway).

A touching and thoughtful gift for the art lovers in your life. BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL, KIRKUS, HORN BOOK, QUILL & QUIRE, GLOBE AND MAIL WINNER OF THE TD CANADIAN CHILDREN'S LITERATURE AWARD FINALIST FOR THE GOVERNOR GENERAL'S AWARD AN AMERICAN INDIAN YOUTH LITERATURE HONOR TITLE A BOSTON GLOBE--HORN BOOK HONOR BOOK When Katherena and her mother move to a small town, Katherena feels lonely and out of place. But when she meets an elderly woman artist who lives next door, named Agnes--her world starts to change.  Katherena and Agnes share the same passions for arts and crafts, birds, and nature. But as the seasons change, can Katherna navigate the failing health of her new friend?   Award-winning author and artist Julie Flett's textured images of birds, flowers, art, and landscapes bring vibrancy and warmth to this powerful story, which highlights the fulfillment of intergenerational relationships, shared passions, and spending time outdoors with the ones we love. Includes a glossary and pronunciation guide to Cree words that appear in the text.  "Cree-Métis author/illustrator Julie Flett's smooth and lyrical words and gorgeous... images truly capture the warmth and solidarity of the female protagonists in this tender intergenerational friendship story."--The Horn Book   "Cycling from spring to spring, [Julie Flett's] subtle, sensitive story delicately traces filaments of growth and loss through intergenerational friendship, art making, and changing moons and seasons." --Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Accompanying CD tells the same story in two different Aboriginal languages, Cree and Ojibwe. The reader can follow along and hear the story being told in the different languages.

The Cree children’s picture dictionary contains over 350 illustrated words and common phrases that reflect the unique cultural and artistic heritage of the Nishnawbe Aski Nation. This original picture dictionary offers early childhood education and kindergarten students the essential vocabulary they need to develop literacy in their first language.---Ojibway and Cree Cultural Centre website.

Lyrics in Cree and English in accompanying book.
Recorded by Jim Hollander on November 30, 2007 and by Angela Shisheesh on February 28, 2008 at the Ojibway and Cree Cultural Centre. The CD contains 13 songs sung in Cree. These songs are suitable for use in Early Childhood Education and Primary division programs.

Dragonfly Kites,is the second book in Tomson Highway's magical Songs of the North Wind trilogy. Like Caribou Song, it has a bilingual text, written in English and Cree. And Highway once again brilliantly evokes the very essence of childhood as he weaves a deceptively simple story about the power of the imagination. Joe and Cody, two young Cree brothers, along with their parents and their little dog Ootsie, are spending the summer by one of the hundreds of lakes in northern Manitoba. Summer means a chance to explore the world and make friends with an array of creatures. But what Joe and Cody like doing best of all is flying dragonfly kites. They catch dragonflies and gently tie a length of thread around the middle of each dragonfly before letting it go. Off soar the dragonflies into the summer sky and off race the brothers and Ootsie too, chasing after their dragonfly kites through trees and meadows and down to the beach before watching them disappear into the night sky. But in their dreams, Joe and Cody soar through the skies with their kites until it's time to wake up.

"A magical children’s picture book, written in Cree and English, depicting the transformation of a barren landscape into a rich natural world where an elderly couple can spend their remaining days. Rooted in the historical displacement and relocation of members of the Chemawawin First Nation from their ancestral homeland, The Move is a bilingual story of two Cree Elders adjusting to life in their new environment. The story presents two contrasting landscapes of the old community—the homeland of the Chemawawin People—and the new community of Easterville, which at first appears barren and lifeless. Gradually, the couple begins to incorporate their old customs and traditions into their current surroundings. Family members begin to visit, and eventually nature begins to bloom all around them. Through traditional Cree storytelling techniques and vivid imagery, the new landscape springs to life and becomes a true community, filled with life and happiness."-- Provided by publisher.

"...offering a basic introduction to the Cree language through an easy-to-follow method of matching pictures to words. In this introductory series of 12 books you will learn the Cree words for hundreds of everyday objects and phrases for other areas like seasons, days of the week and months..." From back cover. Includes 12 volumes and a teacher's guide.

"Van Camp composes a lyrical ode to a newborn child, which is matched in its loveliness by Flett's exquisite, collage-like images of a young one with his or her parents."--Publishers Weekly, starred review Richard Van Camp, internationally renowned storyteller and bestselling author of Welcome Song for Babyand We Sang You Home, has partnered with award-winning illustrator Julie Flett to create a tender book that honors the child in everyone. With its delightful contemporary illustrations, Little Youis perfect to be shared, read or sung to all the little people in your life--and the new little ones on the way! Orca Book Publishers is proud to offer this book as a dual-language (English and Plains Cree) edition.

"Tânisi! With the help of this book, you can learn to speak Cree! Designed as an introduction for Cree language learners, mâci-nêhiyawêwin: Beginning Cree acts as a self-study aid--a much-needed resource in today's world where few can speak Cree fluently. Basic grammar units and everyday vocabulary items guide the student through the building blocks of the language, and expansion drills and exercises reinforce lessons and prepare the student for further study.

This two-volume Cree dictionary documents the Cree language. It provides both a guide to its spoken form for non-speakers and a guide to its written forms (both SRO and Syllabics) for speakers and non-speakers alike. The goal has thus been to collect the vocabulary of Cree as it is spoken by fluent speakers in much of western Canada, whether elders or young people. The words recorded herein have been gathered from diverse sources, including elicitation, recorded conversations and narrative, and publications of many kinds.

Nimoshom loved to drive the school bus. Every day, on the way to and from school, he had something to say. Sometimes, he told the kids silly stories. Sometimes, he taught them a new word or phrase in Cree. Nimoshom and His Bus introduces readers to common Cree words and phrases. A glossary is included in the back of the book. ERAC Evaluated and Approved.

This book was originally written in English by Trevor Greyeyes and Maeengan Linklater with Translation in Ojibwe by Patricia Ningewance. It has now been translated into Pocket Plains Cree by Solomon Ratt who teaches Plains Cree at the First Nations University in Regina, Saskatchewan. It has 127 pages of phrases and common words and illustrations for parents and children to learn together. The cover art is by Patricia Ningewance and the other illustrations are by Don Ningewance.

This unique counting book introduces children to numbers one to ten in Cree. Discover vibrant illustrations on every page that reflect the rich culture and traditions of the Cree people. Through rhyme, rhythm, and powwow imagery, this book makes language learning a joyful experience for young readers. A pronunciation guide is included in the back of the book. Approved resource for Manitoba classrooms.

Teacher's Guide for Powwow Counting in Cree gives you engaging activities that take a deeper look at each illustration in the book, Powwow Counting in Cree. In this resource you will find:- background information that addresses specific topics related to Cree culture and language- detailed, easy-to-follow lesson plans for social studies, language arts, mathematics, and other content areas- additional sources of information about Cree language and culture- and much more.

An important language resource that helps intermediate nêhiyawêwin learners begin to understand more advanced grammar of the language.
Building on mâci-nêhiyawêwin / Beginning Cree, Solomon Ratt’s first influential Cree language resource, âhkami-nêhiyawêtân / Let’s Keep Speaking Cree helps intermediate nêhiyawêwin learners begin to understand more advanced grammar of the language. The textbook is more than a language textbook though: it includes a series of the author’s original stories written in Cree, complete with comprehension questions, making it ideal for self-study as well as classroom use. (from University of Regina Press website)

Vol. 1 illustrated by Gordon Goodwin ; v. 2 illustrated by Bart Meekis.
Originally published in Cree. Each volume accompanied by Unit profile that includes activities that apply to one story. Grades 1-2.Text in Oji-Cree (Ojibwe, Severn dialect), in syllabic characters. Includes some text in English.

Story on DVD is told in Oji-Cree. Chakapish is a legendary character of the Mjuskego Cree and the Northern Oji-Cree. Every legend delivers a teaching to the listener. In this legend, the teaching is of love and obedience (from container).

These 14 songs were written and recorded during a Sing Along Songs Workshop presented at the "Keekeenomakaywin Mawatchhetewin" Education Gathering held in the John C. Yesno Education Centre at the Eabametoong First Nation (Fort Hope) on February 21, 2007. (from inside cover).

The Oji-cree children’s picture dictionary contains over 350 illustrated words and common phrases that reflect the unique cultural and artistic heritage of the Nishnawbe Aski Nation. This original picture dictionary offers early childhood education and kindergarten students the essential vocabulary they need to develop literacy in their first language.---Ojibway and Cree Cultural Centre website.

Poster in Oji-Cree syllabics.

Text in English and Michif. Highlighting historical figures, significant events, places of interest and other aspects of Métis identity to take readers beyond the alphabet to explore the richness of Métis history and culture.

The language of the Métis, Michif is a combination of French and Cree with a trace of other regional languages. Once spoken by thousands of people across the prairies of Canada and the northern United States, Michif is now so little spoken that it might disappear within a generation. This alphabet book is part of a resurgence to celebrate and preserve the traditions of the M tis people. Here Michif and English words combine with images from M tis culture to introduce all generations to the unique Michif language.

A young boy spends a summer day picking wild blueberries with his grandmother in this beautiful new picture book by award-winning illustrator Julie Flett. Exploring the important tradition of berry-picking, the story is written completely in the Cree language. This book is set in n-dialect, also known as Swampy Cree from the Cross Lake, Norway House area. A syllabics pronunciation guide is available at the end of this book. An edition of Wild Berries written in both English & n-dialect Cree from the Cumberland House area is also available, published by Simply Read Books.

"What to say in Inuktitut language at airports, at conferences, courtrooms, hospitals, on the phone, and when visiting." -- from title page.

An inuksuk is a stone landmark that different peoples of the Arctic region build to leave a symbolic message. Inuksuit (the plural of inuksuk) can point the way, express joy, or simply say: welcome. A central image in Inuit culture, the inuksuk frames this picture book as an acrostic: readers will learn seven words from the Inuktitut language whose first letters together spell INUKSUK. Each word is presented in English and in Inuktitut characters, with phonetic pronunciation guides provided. The words and their definitions give a sense of the traditions and customs of Inuit life in the Arctic: nanuqis the powerful polar bear of the north; kamikis a warm seal- and caribou-skin boot; and sikuis sea ice. Stunning paintings with deep color and rich texture evoke a powerful sense of place and show great respect for the Acrtic's indigenous people. Extra informational text features include an introductory note about the significance of inuksuit in Inuit culture and a nonfiction page that profiles seven different types of inuksuit.