During the ‘wearing us as costumes‘ discussion, one poster suggested to another that he ” kiyam-pi”. To me this word, kiyam, contains a glimpse into a world-view that is very much at the core of Cree-ness. I have had this word explained to me and modelled for me many times. Each Read more…
So, on the topic of ‘ethnic costumes for Halloween’. A certain poster campaign and the spin off posters mocking the message have once more got people discussing whether or not this practice is racist. That you don’t understand why I am offended and upset when you dress up as Pocahontas Read more…
In the Language and Culture Links section of this blog I used to link to a Cree Family Unit site that I stumbled across years ago. Unfortunately it is no longer available, and the site domain which is saskschools.ca has been taken over by some spam site. (I’m keeping the Read more…
One of the most frequently encountered differences between natives and non-natives is how we greet one another. When you meet a non-native for the first time, after learning one another’s names, you invariably get asked, “So, what do you do?” I’ve always felt uneasy about this question. They mean of Read more…
ninikamon, I sing. About thirteen years ago, I finally picked up a guitar and started to learn how to play. I can’t say that over a decade of playing has made me a particularly proficient guitarist though. At times I have spent up to five hours a day practising, and Read more…