Friday, June 29, 2018

Birch Bark Baskets

#Indigenous Education
IYIS 204: Language Learning Through Art & Science


We had an opportunity to learn how to merge traditional arts and science with language learning.  This was done through the practical on-hands experience of making Birch Bark Baskets from start to finish...from going on the land to collecting/gathering all the materials, birch bark, spruce roots, and also this was a great opportunity to try to gather other materials used for dying the spruce roots etc...

I utilized Facebook posts to share my progress and grateful to my peers who shared their progress to add to our collective story of making beautifully creative Birch Bark Baskets.

We had to make two (2) Baskets, one (1) to be gifted and the other for yourself.  We also had to submit a Unit Plan with a minimum of four (4) Lessons to go with this experience...

STRIPPING BIRCH BARK


Thursday, April 12, 2018

#IndigenousEducation

This semester I'm in a Land-based Indigenous Education course at University nuhelot’įne thaiyots’į nistameyimâkanak Blue Quills (UnBQ) called IYIS 103 with Instructor Kevin Lewis at his family's kâniyâsihk Culture Camps on ministikwan (Island Lake Cree Nation #161) within nehiyawak & Treaty No. 6 ancestral and inherent lands.

3 - Credit Course
4 - 2 Full Days on the Land

ᑳᓂᔮᓯᕁ KÂNIYÂSIHK CULTURE CAMPS


ᑳᓂᔮᓯᕁ kâniyâsihk Culture Camps are based in ᐃᓂᓂᐤ ininiw/ᓀᐦᐃᔭᐤ nehiyaw (Cree) teachings.

SOME OF THE CREW Along with the Amazing Stick Boys...Dennis, Derrick, Clifford, Kelly & the amazing cooks, ᓄᐦᑫᒼ nohkom, Matilda, Andrew, and all the other Helpers, including our relative helper from France (ᒥᐢᐱᑰᓯᐤ ᐅᐢᑳᐯᐤ mistikôsiw oskâpew), Brieux ...MUCH LOVE & APPRECIATION FOR YOU ALL!

"Many people have degrees but on the land, these people have degrees too, Land-based Degrees" [paraphrasing] - Kevin Lewis


First week of classes, I'm all excited to be back & listening and continue to fine tune Cree (ᓀᐦᐃᔭᐁᐧᐃᐧᐣ nehiyawewin).  This semester we get to be on the land more and learn and relearn our language and cultural teachings of the land. #IndigenousEducation

#Reclaim


ᐸᐋᐧᐤ ᓂᑕᒋᒧᐃᐧᐣ ᐆᒪ
TAWÂW
NITACIMOWIN ÔMA
(Welcome, this is my journey/story)

*******
Tan’si nitôtem’tik ekwa niwâhkôm-âkan’tik 
(Hello/Greetings my friends & all my relations)

wâpimahihkan ninehiyaw’wîhowin ekwa mîna Shannon Houle nit’siyikason 
(my Cree name is white wolf & also my name is Shannon Houle)

pamâyisk macîhtayân niwîmamisîn ka kisewatisit manitou ôma enanâskomoyân kîsikaw emîkosiyân
(Before I begin, I want to call out to the Creator and give thanks for another day, all of Creator’s creations, including my life gifted to me) 

askîw’kihcitamowin epimitisahamân ewîkîyân ekwa onihcik’skwapiwinihk kihci asotamâtowin nikotwâsik ohci nîya 
(I follow the laws of the land and I come from Saddle Lake on Treaty No. 6 Territory of the Cree)
*******

I am a student who is challenged with not having a fluent speaker with me all the time and have to seek them out.  This is a challenge for many of us who have been affected by Language Loss due to colonial encroachment & influences & inter-generational oppression & genocide within our nations on Turtle Island since 1492.  This is just a fact! However, this fact does not define our destiny...there is an unstoppable spirited resurgence across our lands of our peoples reclaiming who we are...and I don't see this stopping but only getting stronger, daily!



Youth Are #Rising - Breaking Stereotypes!

These are the generations who will not be silenced...we will honour our parents, grandparents, capanak struggles and all they endured...we will #rise and learn the teachings on the lands and manito gift to all of us...we are reconnecting & relearning the interdependent relationship of Mother Earth and all her beings.  We will remember our place in all of this, that the land does not belong to us...we belong to it!

#ExercisingAncestralTeachings

She told me not to ever forget my Creeness and have high respect and pride. Cree people are of the land, we’re put on this land, and I should not allow anyone to make me think otherwise

We have 4 (four) 2-day classes and we have many goals to achieve & teachings to embed into our mind, spirit, body, & heart (miteh) for lifelong holistic learning.

As I was out there in -35ºc to -47ºc temperatures with my fellow nitôtemak ekwa niwahkomakanak (my friends & relations) & each day is opened with ceremony...everything is done in ceremony.


"The Land is Ceremony"



sîpitakanep kihci kiskinohamatokamikohk


Let the Facebook posts, videos and pictures tell the story

*****







Finally out of bush lol after 2 full days of living life to the fullest

Was awesome... no phone and wifi & phones kept freezing to take pictures lol
-37 today on the ice - MISTAHIS'Y'SIK (really cold) - KISIN..KISIN...KISIN burrrrrrrrr ⛄
  • ⛺Setting up Camp: MANOKEWIN
  • Dog sled: ATIMOTÂPÂNÂSK
  • Ice Fishing: MISKWAMIY KWÂSKWEPICIKE
  • Jigger (Pulling under the ice): SÎPÂSKPOICIKAN
  • Fishing: KWÂSKWEPICIKE
  • Sewing Mittens: KASKIKWASÔWIN WIHKWESTISAK / ASTISAK
  • Setting Traps / Set a trap / Trapping: WANIHIKEWIN / WANIYIHKE / WANIHIHKE
  • I caught the beaver in a trap: NITASOHÂW AMISK
  • I caught my man in a trap: NITASÔHÂW NÎCIMOS 😂😜
    • 😂 Laughter is good medicine
  • Snare / Setting Snares: TÂPAKWAN / TÂPAKEW
  • Net / Setting Net: APAPÎ / PAK'TAHWÂ
  • I skinned beaver: NIPAHKONÂW AMISK
  • Hide Tanning: PAHKEKINOHKEWIN
  • Hide/Skin/Fur: WAYÂN
  • S/he skins it: PAHKONAM
  • To skin: PAHKONA
  • To skin something: PAHKON'KE
  • I went to ceremony: KÂKÎSIHTÂYÂN IYIS'TÂWIN
  • Visiting / Visiting Far: KÎHOKEWIN / KIYÔTEWIN 
  • Cree Language: NEHIYAWEWIN
  • Culture: NEHIYAWIWIN / ISIHTWAWIN
  • Life: PIMÂCIHOWIN
  • Feast & Cooking: WIHKIHKEWIN & NAWACIWIN
  • Unity: WICEHTOWIN
  • Team: NÎSWAPISOWAK
  • Kinship: WAHKOHTOWIN...
  • We all ate wild meat: KÎMÎCITAN WIYÂS
  • Lots of Food: MÎCIWIN MISTAHI
  • Traditional Foods & Drinks: MASKIHKIWAPOY, MÔSWA WIYAS, WÂPOS MÎCIMAPOY...
  • 🌞🔥Fire: ISKOTEW
  • Pipe: OSPWÂKAN
  • Pipe Stem: ASKITCI
  • 🌎Mother Earth / Land: OKÂWÎMÂWASKIY / ASINIY
  • Mother Earth gives us life: OKÂWÎMÂWASKIY KIPIMÂCIHIKONAW
  • Rock: ASKIY
  • ☔Water: ACAHKOS NIPIY
  • ✨Spirit/Star: AHCAHK/AHCAKOS 💥
  • Soul Flame: AHCAHK ISKOTEW
  • Prayer: KAKISIMON
    • Sweetgrass: WÎHKASKWA
  • Fish: KINOSEW
    • Whitefish: ATIHKAMEK
    • Perch: ASÂWESIS
    • Pickerel: OKÂW (namoya nawatin)
    • Jackfish / Pike: IYINIKINOSEW
    • Sucker: NAMEPIY
    • Mariah: MÎYAY
  • Four Legged Onces:
    • Rabbit: WÂPOS
    • Moose: MÔSWA
    • Beaver: AMISK
    • Buffalo: PASKWÂW MOSTOS
    • Deer: ÂP'SI'MÔSOS
    • Dogs: ATIMWAK

Laughter...the best stuff #IndigenousEducation #UnBQIYIS103

“Degrees off the land...best ones ever!” 👍🏽❤️😉

Already anxious for next month...& so so excited to make my own Beaver Mitts...I was wishing for this for so long!

#Dreams #Wishes #MakingThemHappen




KISEPÎSIM 2018: PEYAK ISKAYIN



MIKISIW'PÎSIM 2018: NISO ISKAYIN




I can bead but I have no Patience for it, it's my brother's love hahah





 


NISKIPÎSIM 2018: NISTO AISKAYIN









AYIK'PÎSIM 2018: NEWO ISKAYIN






WHY DO I DO WHAT I DO?

FOR THEM...

awasisak
               ...nosisimak
                                   ...capanak

...and to honour our families & 
those who have left before us, our Ancestors!







nohtâwiy ekwa nosisim

     
nîya ekwa nohkompan



    
nimosompan


enohte nehiyaweyân ekwa enohte kiskinohamawakik nehiyawe-win nitawasimisak nosisimak ekwa nitâniskotâpânak
(I want to learn to speak Cree and I want to teach my children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren)

WE DO THIS
4
THE 7 GENERATIONS BEFORE US
AND
THE 7 GENERATIONS AHEAD


TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE...



Every time an Elder or Knowledge Keeper passes on to the other world, a library leaves with them...




TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE!



ᑳᔭ ᑑᒧᐠ ᐋᑲᒣᔨᒧᐠ
kâya pômok âkameyimok
(Don't give up, persevere/keep trying)

*****

kinanaskom'tinawaw mistahi niwahkomakanak ekwa nitôtemak
💖 kikâsâkihitin 💕 kahkiyaw kahkîke
(Thank you with a lot of great appreciation my relations & friends, I will love you all forever)

and on behalf of my apsis denésuline blood also - maci cho 😙

ᐋᐧᐱᒪᐦᐃᐦᑲᐣ
(wâpimahikan)

keyâpic ôma esihtoskâtoyahk ekwa kinanâskom’tinâwâw mistahi
(We are still here and I am very grateful to you all)

mîna kihtwâm
(See you later and if not, I will see you in the next world)


ekosi mâka

(That’s all for now)


ay ay
(Thank you)