By Justin Neely, CPN Language Department Director
Bozho Jayek, (Hello everyone),
We have several new class options coming up. We are just wrapping up our fall eight-week class with Cole Rattan. He did the course online and also on-site. We are getting ready to offer a basic Potawatomi course at the Cultural Heritage Center every Tuesday from Oct. 15 to Nov. 19 from 5 to 7 p.m. We are also starting a family class being taught by Josey Wood every Thursday from Oct. 17 until Nov. 21 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at Citizen Place North Community building. We also have an online self-paced course which can be done at any time. It’s located at learning.potawatomi.org and there is an introduction course, grammar based course and middle school course.
We are starting a new school year here in Oklahoma with our Potawatomi Language high school course being offered in Shawnee, North Rock Creek and Tecumseh this school year. It’s always exciting that we can make the language available to count for the language credit needed for graduation. So instead of a student having to take Spanish or French, they can take Potawatomi.
If you haven’t checked it out, make sure to look at our online Potawatomi dictionary at potawatomidictionary.com. We are constantly working to add words, audio, example sentences, videos and images. We also have a verb conjugation tool on the side of the dictionary, which is really helpful with Independent TA verbs. TA verbs can be some of the most complex to conjugate and have more than 34 forms in their base form. This tool will allow a person to choose different TA verbs, which end in MA, and it will conjugate them out. This is a very handy tool as this particular verbal pattern can be a challenge for students.
Some everyday words you can say daily
Nasena! — Be careful (Nah sin ah)
Dokem! — Be quiet (Doe kum)
Mno gishget — It is a nice/beautiful day. (Mino geeshgit)
Waseya mget. — It’s bright/ sunny. (Wahsay yamgit)
Gbekte ne? — Are you hungry? (guh buck tay nay)
Ehe Mbekte. — Yes, I am hungry. (eh heh muh buck tay)
Wé ni je o? — Who is that? (Way knee juh oh)
Wé ni je o kwe? — Who is that woman? (way knee juh oh kway)
Wé ni je o nene? — Who is that man? (Way knee juh oh nuh nay)
Nekshe ibe — Look over there. (Nuck shay eebuh)
Kyénep! — Hurry! (Kay nup)
Ni pi je ezhyayen? — Where are you going? (Knee pee juh ezh zhee yah yin)
Ni je ga zhewébek? — What happened? (Knee juh gah zheh way buck)
Ni je na? — How are you? (Knee juh nah)
Nmno ye — I am well. (nuh mih no yay)
Anwe she shena. — I am well. (ahn way sheh shina)
Nde-yekwes. — I am tired. (nduh yuck wis)
Bgéji ndaknoga. — I am a little sick. (Buh geh gee nuh dack no gah)
Byan shode — Come here. (bee yawn sho duh)
Wijeweshen! — Come with me/accompany me. (Wee juh way shin)
Migwetch (Thank you)