Shannon M Houle: #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)

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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)

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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

University nuhelot’įne thaiyots’į nistameyimâkanak Blue Quills

Let the Facebook posts, videos and pictures tell the story

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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