Section 3.3 Blackfoot - POKSSKAAKSINI ITSINSSIWA KI’TSA’KOMOOTSIISINI
Written by: Veselin Jungic and Mark MacLean
Illustrated by: Jean-Paul Csuka
Blackfoot translation by: Connie Crop, Eared Wolf, and Eldon Yellowhorn
Maa Poksskaaksini iikatsiskiiwa. Itsstsoapii ami aakaitapissko. Ihpokitaopiimii oksissta kii ami onssta, Mattsowookstaksini. Nato’kiiksistsiko’si maa Poksskaaksini itaitapoowa ami Niitsitapiiwa Otsitaohkannohpi’aawa.
Small Number is a young boy who gets into a lot of mischief. He lives in a big city. He lives with his mother and his older sister Perfect Number. Twice a week, after school, he goes with his friends to the Aboriginal Friendship Centre.
Ohpokoomiiwa amiksi otakaiksi. Ai’tto’tosaawa itai’naksooyiiyaawa, kii ita’po’tsimmiaawa amiisti naapiookstaksini. Anno’ko’takohsini niitaisama’po’takiyaawa.
He goes with his friends. When they get there they have a snack, then they work on mathematics. Half an hour they work.
Toksskaistsi ita’po’tsimiaawa okstakiaapo’taksini kii maa Poksskaaksini ikaiyahssikahtsi “Set”. Iikaittaami’tsima otaikkamohkooniisi nitsipo’takohto’piaawa. Ohkanaisskitsimiwa otsikohtsimaiksi.
Sometimes they work on math games. Small Number likes to play “Set”. He enjoys finding patterns. He always beats his friends!
Amiiksi saahkomaapiiksi isstohkannaitaami’tsimiaawa ki’tsa’komootsiisini. Itawaakomootsiiyaawa ami itawaakomootsiiyo’pa. Niisoo amistsi itaisapohkomio’pistsi. Amiiksi sahkomaapiksi akohtsiinaksissitapiiyaawa ami itawaakomootsiiyo’pi.
What the boys like the most is playing basketball. They play at the Centre’s gym. There are four basketball hoops in the gym. The boys use a fraction of the court.
Naa Poksskaaksini isstohkanaikkaksiiwa amiiksi otohpokakomootsimaiksi kii iksikkamsiiwa. Iikaiyikakima mahkohkitsiissto’tsikammssii amii otsitsowa’pakkaawa Omahko’taksskaksini kianniya isstohkanaikkammsiiwa.
Small Number is the shortest boy in his group, but he is very fast. He tries hard to be as good a player as his best friend Big Circle, who is the biggest boy on the team.
Niitsitapiiksi otsitaiksisstsikomato’piaawa otsiitsitapiikoanso’waawayi aakitomahkakomootsiiyo’pa ki’tsa’komootsiisini kii amiiksi saahkomapiksi aista’yaawa mahkitsinnsa. Amiiksi akaakomootsiiksi naoao aakanistsitapiya iitomanistohkimmaiksi kii niooksaitapiiksi aakaisstsooksasiya. Naa Poksskaaksini naamanistsiitaapi aakohpokohkimmamiiwa.
On National Aboriginal Day there will be a basketball tournament and the boys want to enter it. Each team must have six players but only three players play at once. There are only five boys in Small Number’s group of friends.
Amiiski saahkomapiksi ihtsitomatapiipo’yiyaawa ami otaakamohpiaawa mahkohkitohsaapanistsiitapiihpiaawa. Maa Omahko’taksskskaksini itaniiwa, “Aakksstsinaapssapio’pa maa matapii isspitaawa, ikammsiwa kii aohkinnohkommiwa.” Amiiksi saahkomapiksi ihkaanaisapiitsiiyaawa kakitsaissksini’miayaawa ami itsitooma otaakkamohpiaawa.
The boys start talking about who they might ask to be their sixth player. Big Circle says, “We need somebody who is tall, fast, and a good shooter!” All the boys agree, but they can’t think of anyone to join their team.
O’toahkiassini maa Poksskaaksini ami oksissta otsitohkoissksino’ka otssohtsissii kii otsinsspapsini. Otsitaisopowahtsiisakkaiyi, “Iikiaapiwa?” Aiyisstsiwatsi ami Poksskaaksini otomahtaipoiysai manistohkoyihpiaawa.
When Small Number comes home, his mom notices that he is quieter than usual. “What happened?” she asks. She listens to Small Number’s answer.
Aiksistsistsiwatsi ami Poksskaaksini, ami okskistaa itsistsikksskiaakiiwa: “Ikksooksiwa? Isspitaawa? Kii ikohkinnohkommiwa? Aahkammitsstsi’pa annahkiaya aiyakssksino’wa?” Ai’tappssapiiwa ami onnssta Mattsowookstaksini Maanaiksista’po’tsimma amistsi otsinakiapo’taksini, oksstakiapo’taaksini.
After listening to Small Number his mother smiles, “Good? Tall? Fast? And a good shooter? I think we both know a person like that!.” She looks at Small Number’s sister Perfect Number, who is just finishing her math homework.
“Na’aa, kitsikakomimma!” Maa Poksskaaksini anniwa kii attatto’to’yiwa mii oksistaa. Maa Mattsowookstaksini aiyssammiwaaiksi skaisoimmitsitakiiwa.
“I love you, mom!” yells Small Number and he hugs his mom tightly. Perfect Number looks at them, very puzzled.
Nii mattsiksistsiko maa Poksskaaksini itannistiiwa amiksi otakkaiksi, “Ahkonnsopohtsisataawa naa ninssta Mattsowookstaksini?”
The following day Small Number says to his friends, “Why not ask my sister, Perfect Number?”
“Kii, akiikoan!” Maa Omahko’taksskaksini, oisskitsipahp nitsikkammohpi. “Aa kitsimaani akiikoan kii ikksipitaawa, ikksikammisiiwa, kii iikohkinohkomii!” Amiksi saahkomapiksi ni’tsikkakoisskayaawa.
“But she is a girl!” says Big Circle, feeling his heart beating a bit faster. “Yes, she is a girl but she is also tall, fast, and a good shooter!” respond the rest of the boys in one voice.
“Naa Mattsowookstaksini kammitsinaako’mo’tsiisi aakitsitsstsipa naatsipii amiksi isstakomootsiiksi kii mataakitsstsipa iisistsikoowa!”
“With Perfect Number playing with us,” continues Small Number, “we can have twenty different teams on the court and nobody is ever going to get tired!”
Maa Omahko’taksskaksini aksstsiksskinniwa. Kii itaniiwa, “Tsa akanistakkohto’pa moitsihka okstakiisinaakiatsistsi? Kii nitsitohkannaikkammssa, nitaakstsinaawako’mo’tsi nimataako’no’waissiko’pihpa.”
Big Circle scratches his head and says: “How can you calculate things like that? And, since I’m the best player, I have to play all the time!”
“Kianni kamaakanistsiisi, aakohkotsikaksikippitapiiyi amiksi aipo’takomo’tsiiksi kii kitsikakkomimmo’ka!” maa Poksskaaksini aisskiyimmiwa kitsiistapokksskasiiwatsiiwa mii Omahko’taksskaksini, issko’kiitakkiwa. Miiksi otakkaiksi itahkannaomatapikkohsi’takiiyaawa.
“In that case, we can have ten different teams on the court… And she likes you too!” says Small Number as he runs away from a very angry Big Circle while their friends start laughing.
Tsa nitssksinimma naa Poksskaaksini kamitsinaakomo’tsiisii nii onnssta Mattsoowookstaksini kii niiksi otakkaiksi naatsipii amiiksi ihkanohkiimaiksi aakohotaakomo’tsiiyi aipo’tako’mo’tsiisa?
Question: How does Small Number know that if Perfect Number were to play with him and his friends, they would be able to have twenty different teams on the court during the tournament?
