Section 1.3 Blackfoot - POKSSKAAKSINI KIIPIPO ITO’TOKSTAKIIWA
Written by: Veselin Jungic and Mark MacLean Illustrated by: Simon Roy Blackfoot translation by: Connie Crop, Eared Wolf, and Eldon YellowhornAma sahkomapii anista “Poksskaaksini.” Aisistoiisstoyimii kii ikkattsisskiwa. Ohpokitaopiimiiwa maaahsiksi. Otsiiksiiyiiponiisakiaksi.
Small Number is a 5-year-old boy who gets into a lot of mischief. He lives with his Grandma and Grandpa, who patiently put up with his antics, in a small settlement with 7 tipis arranged in a circle.
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Ami mahsa oomattstaaka mahkitsipstaopissaiyi ami niitoyiss, ikkommaikottsskimima. Sottamitsiikippaiyotahkattsiwaayi, manistakksiisama’pisspi. Otsitaakohkannaikakoiyisspi ami makksimoiyi. Issksinnoiyiiwaayi ohkottsito’toksstakki kiipipoyi. Itannistsiiwayi mahkokssto’sii amiistsi niitoyiistsi.
Grandma doesn’t want Small Number spending time in their tipi until he smells better, so she decides to set him a task she thinks will take him a long time. She knows Small Number can count to 100.
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Aakanistappootakkoo amooka aamsskaapohtsi. Aakstammatsistao’takoowa, kiasappanistsookstaakiisi kiipipo, kiannimaiyi aakitsokaipii. Aakitannistsiwa ami maaahsa ami niitoyis otsitsiikoksstaaksspi.
His task is to count the tipis going round and round until he can tell her which tipi he gets to when he reaches 100.
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Q: KIPPANIKIT TSA NITSSKSINIMMA AMA POKSSKAAKSINI OTAAKITSSIKOKSSTAAKSI OMI NI’TOIYISS POOKISSTSIWA OOSTOOWAAWAAYI AMI OOKOOWAAWAAYI, KII MAATSSINNAOSTOOM AMIISTSI NIITOYIISTSI?
Question: How did Small Number know that the 100th tipi is the one just south of his grandparents’ tipi without actually counting them?
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