nêhiyawêwin (Cree) language learning resources

Folks regularly ask me for resources to help them learn Cree, so I thought I’d post some here.

The University of Regina Press has made a number of excellent resources available online for open access. These resources, developed by Jean Okimâsis include a grammar guide, a workbook, and links to audio resources.

Here is the grammar guide, available as a PDF for download:

Cree Language of the Plains/ nēhiyawēwin paskwāwi-pīkiskwēwin

Here is a link to the Language Lab user guide:

Language Lab User Guide

Here is the workbook:

Language Lab Workbook

This is the Soundcloud link:

Cree Language of the Plains audio sessions

And finally, here is a link to a page that has all the above resources available in different formats.

Open Access Cree language textbook and resources

Jean Okimâsis and Arok Wolvengrey also wrote a fantastic resource “How to Spell it in Cree“, which you can download as a PDF. It lays out the rules of a standardized written Cree, but also does important work of addressing the criticisms of standardization. It challenges the notion that we can ever use English to ‘phonetically’ represent the Cree language, champions a specific orthography for Cree, and describes how standardization, rather than destroying or degrading the language, will help ensure Cree continues to survive. Honestly I think the intro to “How to Spell it in Cree” should be read far and wide.

I’d highly recommend, if folks want to study Cree, and they can’t afford or access the few courses available at post-secondary institutions, that they form a group and dive into these materials. Doing it alone is daunting, but having a group to motivate you, and to keep you accountable, is a wonderful thing. It’s as close to a complete introductory Cree course “online” outside of a University as you can get right now. And I might know someone who’d be willing to do video calls with such groups every once in a while, just saying…