Section 3.4 Cree - APSCH AKICHIKIWAN IKWA KAMISIKTIT KOSKEWNTOWAN METAWEWINA
Written by: Veselin Jungic and Mark MacLean
Illustrated by: Jean-Paul Csuka
Cree translation by: Barry Cardinal, Bigstone Cree Nation
Apsch Akichikiwan esa mana ikenatohkunkeet kawaseewit. Uhkuma ikwa umsah (Koyask Akihtasowin) esa wetohkeemat, Misiyk esa oteenow eta kaweekitaw. Aya esa man, neheyaw wechiwakanikumkohk intaw weechi metawemat wechiwakuna.
Small Number is a young boy who gets into a lot of mischief. He lives in a big city with his mother and his older sister Perfect Number. Twice a week, after school, he goes with his friends to the Aboriginal Friendship Centre.
Pita esa mana imeetsutaw, ikwatowchih iksihnahamasootaw tansi kysakichiketaw. Kymahk akihtasowin esa meena koynstohtakaw askow. Natohksi akichikewan metawewna esa askow metaweetaw.
There the boys first have a snack and then they do mathematics for half an hour. Sometimes they do algebra in their workbooks, but usually they play mathematical games.
Apsch Akichikiwan esa mewetahk metaweet akihtasowin metawewna ohi. Weya esa mamowachi nihtameetaweet ohi metawewna.
Small Number’s favorite game is “Set.” He enjoys finding patterns faster than anyone else!
Napisak esa mewetahkaw metawetaw neheyaw wechiwakanikumkohk. Newo esa tapikwepinkuna ikwita eta kameetawetaw. Newo ayuk esa mana metaweetaw seemak.
What the boys like the most is playing basketball in the Centre’s gym. There are four basketball hoops in the gym, which allows each group of players to use just a fraction of the court.
Apsch Akichikiwan esa mamowachi apseesit eta uma kaweechihooweet, maka esa weya mamoowach chastapeet. Koy-asinowat esa mana weechiwakun “Misiwasakameyak” mamowachi isohkapeyweet eta kawechehoweetaw.
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.
Metawewna esa nohtemeetaweetaw napisak neheyaw keesikihki, maka esa nikootawsihk ka-yitustaw pohkoh, ikwa keetsk neyanan itustaw. Nistoh esa keetsk pakitinitaw kameetawetaw peyukaw metawewnihk. Aya esa ikoymskoytahkaw aweenhi uma kakoychimatow kawechimeetawemkotaw.
A big half-court basketball tournament will happen on Aboriginal Day and the boys want to enter it. Each team must have six players, but only three players are allowed on the court at one time. There are only five boys in Small Number’s group of friends.
Misiwasakameyak kitoyeet “kintawemanoo awiyuk, chastapeet ikwa kinoosit maka aschi kanihta poosoweepinat pohkoh koskoyntowana tapikwepinkunihk”. Maka esa kiya ikskitakaw aweenhi kakoychimatow.
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.
Katuksihk esa wekowahk Apsch Akichikiwan, umamawa ikskitumeet keekoy mooskachikoot. Kakoychimat esa, tanseekwa? Intohtakoot esa ikwa. Intoonowayahk awyuk kinoosit chastapeet, ikwa aschi kanihta poosooweepinat koskwentowana tapikwipinkunihk. Kawihtumakoot esa, “niteeteen kikskiteenow aweena awa kahkikoychimow.” Kanowapimkootaw esa Koyask Akihtasowina, keetsk esa kees iksinahamasoot akichikiwan.
When Small Number comes home, his mom notices that he is quieter than usual. “What happened?” she asks. After listening to Small Number’s explanation, mom 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.
“Kisakitin ama” itat esa umamowa ikwa akoskitinat. Koyask Akihtasowin esa kanoowapimat, tansi maka okihk teehtakow teehtahk esa?
“I love you, mom!” yells Small Number and he hugs his mom tightly. Perfect Number looks at them, very puzzled.
Kotahk keesikow esa Apsch Akichikiwan kanaskowat oweechiwakuna, wihtumoowat esa “Taniki kiya kakoychimyuhk nimiss Koyask Akihtasowin?” itat esa.
The following day Small Number says to his friends, “Why not ask my sister, Perfect Number?”
“Makana iskwees ikona” kytoyt esa Misiwasakameyak. Chastup tehe-puyt esa paskutch. “Tapoy iskwees maka, kinohsoo, ikwa chatupew, ikwa aschih nahaskoo.” Kuytooytaw esa napisak kotakak.
“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.
“Koyask Akihtasowin weech metawemkoyaki.” Itweet esa Apsch Akichikiwan,“Neestanoo mamowih kuytatintoowuk umeetaweewuk seemak ikwa moya awiyuk kaneestohsoo.” Itweet esa.
“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!”
Misiwasakameyak cheecheekinuhk esa ustihkon, “Tansi maka isakihtumun ohi keekoya? Ikwa neya mamowachi nihtameetowyan, moya tooki nyweepin, sooskwatch tooki nametawan!” Itoyt esa.
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!”
“Iksi tooki mitataht kotakak umetawewuk kametawewuk. Ikwa keesta meena sowatch mewemsk.” Itat esa Apsch Akichikewan Misiwasakameyakoh. Iksimat esa ikwa tupuseet. Napisak esa papihataw.
“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.
Tansi? isikskitum? Apshc Akichikiwan, keespin weechmetaweenkootaw Koyask Akitasowina, neestanoo mamowih seemak kakih-metawewuk umetawewuk?
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?
