Shantel's Blog

Understanding the meaning of relations in Nakaway language is very important. In the Nakaway culture, we do not have great aunts and uncles; they are considered as our grandparents because they are the siblings of our parents mother or father. Understanding the importance of our relations.

1. My great-Grandparent: “Nitankopicikan, (n’daahn’goo’pi’ji’gun)
2. My great-Grandparent(s): Nitankopicikan, (n’daahn’goo’pi’ji’gun’nuk)
3. Great-Grand Child(ren): n’daah’goo
4. My Grandfather: Nimisomihs, (ni’mi’shoo’mish)
5. My Grandfather(s): nimihsomihsak, (ni’mi’shoom’shuk)
6. My Grandmother: Nohko, (noo’ koo)
7. My grandmother(s): nohkoyak, (noo’koo’yahk)
8. My parent: ninikik, (ni’nee’keek)
9. My parent(s): Ninikikok, (ni’nee’gee’gook)
10. My father: Nipapa, (nbaa’ paah)
11. My mother: Nimama, (ni’ maa’maa)
12. Me: Nin, (neen)
13. My child: Ninicanins, (ni’nee’chaa’nish)
14. My Children: Ninicanihsak, (ni’nee’chaan’suk)
15. My son: nikosins, (ni’goh’zis)
16. My son(s): nikosinsak, (ni’goh’zih’suk)
17. My daughter: Nitanis, (n’daah’nish)
18. My daughter(s): nitanihsak, (n’daah’nish’suk)

Repeating each word syllable by syllable will help you speak more fluent in the correct dialect. Watching the link also help understand more about the importance of family in a First Nation culture. We are not only related to our “family members” but to everything that is living. For instance, we are related to the animals. Each First Nation come from a certain clan that specifically indicates who they are and where they came from.

When you are learning the Nakaway Language, it is important to learn the basic greeting, introducing yourself, and family terms. First Nation people enjoy hearing other First Nation people greet themselves through their language because it lets them know who they are and where they came from. In Nakaway you will notice that there will be a lot of collapsing of the word.

Resources to leaning Nakaway: Learning Basic Greeting, Introducing Yourself, and Family Terms with Lynn Cote.

Repeat words

Making flash cards are very useful in learning the Nakaway language. Include the English term, each separate word in Nakaway, and the pronunciation of the dialect. For example, “How are you?” “anin (ahh neen) sikwa (shi’ gwuh) kin (geen)?” You can also use notes to guide you through the pronunciation because Nakaway can seem hard to learn but it is quite easy once you get to pronouncing the words syllable by syllable.

A visual example of my flash cards and pronunciation: