By Justin Neely, CPN Language Department Director
Bozho Jayek, (Hello everyone),
We just wrapped up the OU language Fair.
First place: Prestynn Neely, modern song, Pre-K-second grade
First place: Prestynn Neely and Peyton Neely, prayer, third-fifth grade
First place: Peyton Neely, puppet show, third-fifth grade
Second place: Peyton Neely, book, third-fifth grade
Second place: Peyton Neely, modern song
Third place: Online TikTok
There were also some students from Moore who were Potawatomi who submitted cartoons/posters. Elora Stewart got second place for her cartoon. The CPN CDC got first for their poetry entry Pre-K-second grade. Also, Tayson Embree had a nice poster entry from Moore.
Congratulations to all our young Potawatomi folks for not only having the courage to participate but for also taking home trophies and medals!
We are wrapping up our six-week Spring Beginner Class. We had a nice core group of folks who stuck with it every Tuesday and Thursday as well as some who popped in and out. We had about 10 on site and another 15 online who joined us for class. Nice job, Cole Rattan, Josey Wood and Shelly Watson on teaching the class.
For those of you who missed the course, the entire six-week course is posted on our YouTube channel. Search Justin Neely and Potawatomi language and you should find one channel more geared for adult learners and one more geared for kids. It is on the adult learner page; look under playlist and you will find the whole six-week course.
We are getting close to starting up our eight-week master apprentice immersion course. If you are going to be in the area during this time and would like to be part of it, we would welcome your participation. We will be starting towards the end of May and will run all of June and part of July. We selected three paid interns to be with us for this program. Two are returning from last year and one is new this year. We also will have three staff members taking the course.
We are working on Winnie the Pooh in Potawatomi. The story is now in public domain. We are making it into video episodes. There are 10 chapters so there will be 10 episodes. We have already released the first three chapters and will be doing more in the next few weeks.
If you haven’t tried out the sentence builder in our online dictionary, try it out. Some of the verbal patterns in Potawatomi can be kind of hard so the conjugator will help you conjugate VTA verbal patterns in the Independent.
We recognize our new year based on the arrival of the thunders in spring. So, this is a time of celebration and a time to be happy to have survived another harsh winter. In fact, when we talk about how old we are, we say a person is so many snows old. Scan the QR code to hear how to pronounce the words.
Mnokme kedwnen — Spring words
Mnokme — Spring (literally, “good earth time” or time to plant)
Gtegan — Garden (guhtuhgan)
Waskonédo — Flower
Waskonédoyen — Flowers
Jigwek bmosewat — The thunders are walking.
Niskadet — It is stormy.
Gmowen — It’s raining.
Amo — Bee
Amoyek — Bees
Mekchako — Frog (The frogs returning is another sign that spring has arrived.)
Jejak — Crane (as well as the cranes returning)
Gtege — He/she is gardening/planting
Mno majishka — It is growing well.
Zagki — Sprout
Pskazhé — Bloom, it does.
Tkabawton — Water something
Swéswéwébnan — Sow something (spread seeds)
Minkan — Seed
Migwetch (Thank you)