nēhiyaw Language Conventions

There are fourteen letters of the Roman alphabet that make up nēhiyawēwin, whereas twenty-six letters are used to make up the English language. These letters represent seventeen distinct sounds in nēhiyawēwin. The consonants are c, h, k, m, n, p, s, t, w, and y (10), and the four symbols used to accommodate the long and short vowel sounds of Cree are a, i, e and o. Most of the consonants are pronounced similar to the English, with the exception of c, k, p and t which have different pronunciations. Those used in nēhiyaw language there are nouns, pronouns, verbs and adverbs. Nouns in nēhiyawēwin are classified as animate or inanimate. Animate nouns usually refer to living things, such as animals, birds, people, plants, fish, and insects. However, stones, rocks, celestial bodies, sun, moon, stars, northern lights, some items of clothing, some utensils, some body parts and some machine parts are also animate. nēhiyawēwin is a highly derivational language which becomes most apparent in the way new nouns can be formed either by adding a suffix to a verb, particle, or another noun or even by joining parts of two verbs. With the verb form, either the first person imperative or the third person independent is used.

Instructional Strategies Oral Communication

nēhiyawēwin 10, 20, 30 emphasizes the development of the oral communication skills learners need to understand and interact with others, to express themselves clearly and with confidence, and to use the various media to communicate their ideas. Development of oral language provides the foundation that enables learners to learn to read and write. Listening and speaking are inseparable in real-life situations, these skills are developed together in the classroom.

Learners perform more successfully when they have an adequate “listening period” before they are expected to communicate in nēhiyawēwin. Strategies such as (facial expression, body language, pictures, intonation, context, and familiar words) are developed to deduce the meaning of new words and to make sense of the spoken language. Learners benefit from numerous opportunities to use nēhiyawēwin for real purposes and in real situations. For example learners should be provided with opportunities:

• to listen to nēhiyawēwin spoken by live and recorded voices, and by people of different ages in a variety of contexts;
• discuss subject matter, reading materials, personal concerns and interests;
• prepare and archive oral presentations;
• role-play in dramatization and simulations;
• conduct surveys and interviews; and,
• develop an appreciation for all cultures.

“Indigenous storytelling is rooted in the earth. Years upon years of a kinship with the land, life, water and sky have produced a variety of narratives about intimate connections to the earth. In a call and response lasting through time, First Nations peoples have experienced a relationship of give and take with the natural world” (Circle of Stories, Many Voices. n. d.).

Oral tradition has been the most important method of passing on knowledge and information from one generation to the next. Oral tradition has been the means of communication by which First Nations cultures along with many other cultures have survived throughout the years. Each time the traditional Indigenous narratives of the nēhiyaw people are shared, the audience learn something about the beliefs, values, cultures and the way of life practiced by a group of people in past generations. This is how cultural knowledge is passed on and shared with others. Narratives were used to help explain the creation of plant and animal life, and to help explain natural phenomenon that otherwise could not be explained. Many narratives were used to teach lessons, to entertain and to help listeners learn about the nēhiyawēwin way of life.