ARTICLES BY Cree Legend

The Disturbed Grave

Told by Elsie Duff, Chisasibi Translated and transcribed by Brian Webb In the past, I considered ghost stories unbelievable. I had no concern for them since I had no belief in them whatsoever. Recently, I began considering those stories about spirits were really true. My late mother talked about a certain place where they camped ... read more ››

ᒋᔖᔮᒄ ᑳ ᒨᓈᐱᑎᐦᒃ ᐅᔅᑭᓐᐦ

ᐁᓪᓰ ᑕᕝ ᐋ ᒌ ᑎᐹᒋᒧᑦ, ᒋᓵᓰᐲ ᐱᕌᔨᓐ ᐌᑉ ᐋ ᒌ ᐃᑣᔥᑎᒫᑎᐦᒃ ᑭᔮ ᑭᔮ ᐋ ᒌ ᒥᓯᓂᐦᐊᐦᒃ ᐙᔥᑭᒡ ᐙᔥ ᐊᓂᑖ, ᑖᐹ ᓈᔥᑏᒡ ᓂᐅᐦᒋ ᑖᑆᐦᑖᓐ ᐊᓂᑖ ᒀ ᐋ ᒧᔑᐦᐋᑭᓂᐎᑦ ᐊᐙᓐ, ᐋ ᐊᔨᓈᓂᐎᒡ᙮ ᑖᐹ ᓈᔥᒡ ᓂᐅᐦᒋ ᐃᔮᓐ᙮ ᓂᒥ ᓂᐅᐦᒋ ᐃᔮᐱᑖᔨᐦᑖᓈᒋᒑ ᐊᓐ ᐙᐦᒋ ᐋᑳ ᐅᐦᒋ ᑖᑆᐦᑎᒫᓐ᙮ ᐊᓄᐦᒡ ᒫᒃ ᐐ, ᐄᔮᒄ ᐋ ᐊᑎ ᐃᑖᔨᐦᑎᒫᓐ, ᐊᓐ ᒀ ᐋ ᐊᔨᓈᓂᐎᒡ, ᐊᓂᒌ ... read more ››

Growing Up

Told by Joseph Guanish, Kawawachikamach Translated and transcribed by Brian Webb When you were young, who told you the stories and legends? Our grandmother, of course, the one who raised me. She was the one who brought me up. My parents did not raise me. My grandmother and grandfather took me in and ... read more ››

ᑳ ᐅᐦᐱᒋᓂᑯᐎᔮᓐ

ᒍᓯᕝ ᑯᐙᓂᔥ ᐋ ᒌ ᑎᐹᒋᒧᑦ, ᑳᐙᐙᒋᑲᒫᒡ ᐱᕌᔨᓐ ᐌᑉ ᐋ ᒌ ᐃᑣᔥᑎᒫᑎᐦᒃ ᑭᔮ ᑭᔮ ᐋ ᒌ ᒥᓯᓂᐦᐊᐦᒃ ᑳ ᒌ ᐅᔅᒋᓃᒌᐅᔨᓐ, ᐊᐙᓐ ᑳ ᒌ ᐹᐦᑑᑦ ᒫᓐᐦ ᐋ ᑎᐹᒋᒧᑦ ᑭᔮ ᒫᒃ ᐋ ᐋᑎᔫᐦᒑᑦ?   ᒍᐦᑯᒥᓂᐤ ᑮᑆ᙮ ᐊᓂᔮ ᑳ ᐱᒥᓂᑦ᙮ ᐊᐃ ᑮᑆ, ᑖᐹ ᓂᐅᐦᒋ ᑭᓄᐙᔨᒥᑯᒡ ᓄᐦᑖᐐ ᑭᔮ ᓂᑳᐐ᙮ ᔖᑯᒡ ᓂᒌ ᐅᑎᓂᑯᒡ ᓂᒧᔓᒻ ᑭᔮ ᓅᐦᑯᒻ ᒑ ᑭᓄᐙᔨᒥᒡ᙮ ᐋᐅᑯᓂᒡ ... read more ››

Ga Baygushit

Told by Eliza Webb Translated and transcribed by Brian Webb I was there when a white man arrived at our camp. This was at Ahchigunigip (Seal River). It was during the fall goose hunt. For those who’ve seen Ahchigunigip, the tents were on top of the hill. The hill is clear of ... read more ››

ᑳ ᐹᔨᑯᔑᑦ

ᐃᓛᐃᓵ ᐌᑉ ᐋ ᒌ ᑎᐹᒋᒧᑦ ᐱᕌᔨᓐ ᐌᑉ ᐋ ᒌ ᐃᑣᔥᑎᒫᑎᐦᒃ ᑭᔮ ᐋ ᒌ ᒥᓯᓂᐦᐊᐦ ᐋᐃ ᒦᓐ ᓂᑭ ᑎᐹᒋᒫᐤ, ᓂᒌ ᐃᐦᑖᓐ ᑮᑆ ᐊᓐ, ᐊᓐ ᑮᑆ ᐋ ᒌ ᐅᐦᑎᔒᒥᐦᑦ ᐙᒥᔥᑎᑯᔒᐤ᙮ ᐊᓂᑦ ᐋᐦᒋᑯᓂᑭᐦᐱᐦᒡ, ᐋᑯᑦ ᐊᓂᑦ ᐊᔮᐱᒡ ᑳ ᐃᐦᑖᔮᐦᒡ ᐋᐦᒋᑯᓂᑭᐦᐱᐦᒡ ᐋ ᑎᒀᒋᐦᒡ᙮ ᒫᒀᒡ ᐋ ᓅᒋᐱᔮᓱᐙᓂᐎᒡ᙮ ᐊᓂᒌ ᐙᔥ ᐊᐙᓂᒌ ᑳ ᐙᐱᐦᑎᐦᒡ ᐋᐦᒋᑯᓂᑭᐦᐱᔨᐤ, ᒫᓂᑖ ᐙᔥ ᑭᔮ ᑎᑯᐦᑖᐅᐦᒡ ᑳ ... read more ››

ᑳ ᐴᓂᐱᒫᑎᓰᑦ ᒋᐦᑳᐹᔥ

ᐁᓪᓰ ᑕᕝ ᐋ ᒌ ᐋᑎᔫᐦᒑᑦ, ᒋᓵᓰᐲ ᐱᕌᔨᓐ ᐌᑉ ᐋ ᒌ ᒥᓯᓂᐦᐊᐦᒃ ᑭᔮ ᐋ ᒌ ᐃᑣᔥᑎᒫᑎᐦᒃ ᑎᐦᒀᐹᑭᔑᐤ ᐆ᙮ ᑖᐹ ᓈᓂᑑ ᓈᔥᒡ ᐃᔮᓂᐎᔨᒑ ᐆ᙮ ᒥᒄ ᓂᒌ ᐹᐦᑎᐙᐤ ᐅᔮ ᐊᐙᓐ ᐋ ᐋᑎᔫᐦᒑᑦ᙮ ᑎᐦᒀᐹᑭᔑᐤ ᐆ᙮ ᒫᐅᑖ ᑳ ᐃᑖᑎᔫᐦᒑᑦ᙮ ᐊᓐ ᒀ ᒋᐦᑳᐹᔥ, ᓈᔥᒡ ᐙᔥ ᐋ ᒫᒫᐦᒌᑖᒋᒥᑯᓰᑦ ᐊᓐ ᒋᐦᑳᐹᔥ᙮ ᒥᓯᐙ ᒀ ᒑᒀᔨᐤ ᐋ ᒌ ᐊᑎ ᐃᐦᑎᒃ᙮ ᐊᓂᑖ ᒀ ᑳ ... read more ››

Death of Chikabash

Told by Elsie Duff, Chisasibi Transcribed and translated by Brian Webb This is quite a short legend. It seems this legend is not told very often, but I’ve heard someone tell this legend. This is short and this is how it goes. The legend of Chikabash has many tales. He got into everything. ... read more ››

ᑳ ᒌ ᓂᑑᐦᐅᔮᐦᒡ ᓅᐦᑖᐐ

ᐃᓛᐃᓵ ᑆᐱᔥ ᐌᑉ ᐋ ᒌ ᑎᐹᒋᒧᑦ, ᒋᓵᓰᐲ ᐱᕌᔨᓐ ᐌᑉ ᐋ ᒌ ᐃᑣᔥᑎᒫᑎᐦᒃ ᑭᔮ ᐋ ᒌ ᒥᓯᓂᐦᐊᐦᒃ ᐋᐃ ᒀ ᐊᓐ ᑳ ᐐᐦ ᑎᐹᒋᒧᔮᓐ ᐊᓂᔮ ᑮᑆ ᓅᐦᑖᐐ ᒨᔥ ᐋ ᒌ ᐐᒑᐅᒄ, ᐋ ᒌ ᐐᒋᐦᐄᒃ ᐋ ᓂᑑᐦᐅᑦ᙮ ᐋᑳ ᐅᐦᒋ ᐃᐦᑖᔨᒡᐦ, ᐋᔥᒄ ᐋᑳ ᐅᐦᒋ ᒌ ᓂᑑᐦᐅᒡ ᐊᓂᒌ ᓈᐹᔑᔑᒡ, ᐊᓂᔮᐦ ᑮᑆ ᐅᑯᓯᔅᐦ᙮ ᒥᓯᐙ ᐙᔥ ᒌ ᐊᐙᔑᔒᐅᐎᒡ ᓃᔨ ... read more ››

Hunting with My Father

Told by Eliza Bobbish Webb, Chisasibi Transcribed and translated by Brian Webb Beesum-communications.com/legends I wanted to share the story of the times when I went with my father on the hunt. This was before his sons were capable of hunting. My two brothers were younger than I. He told me to help him ... read more ››

Food Preservation

Told by Maria Scipio Translated and transcribed by Brian Webb www.beesum-communications.com/legends I’ll talk about how food was handled in the past. Everything was kept. This is what I’ll talk about. This was when the Canada Geese were still abundant. In September, the geese were plentiful. Even though so much geese were harvested, every part ... read more ››

ᒦᒋᒻ ᑳ ᒌ ᑭᓄᐙᔨᐦᑖᑭᓂᐎᒡ

ᒥᕌᔮ ᓯᐱᔨᐤ ᐋ ᒌ ᑎᐹᒋᒧᑦ ᐱᕌᔨᓐ ᐌᑉ ᐋ ᒌ ᐃᑣᔥᑎᒫᑎᐦᒃ ᑭᔮ ᐋ ᒌ ᒥᓯᓂᐦᐊᐦᒃ ᐋᐃ ᓂᑭ ᑎᐹᒋᒧᓐ, ᐊᓐ ᒀ ᒦᒋᒻ ᑳ ᐊᑎ ᐃᐦᑐᑖᑭᓂᐎᒡ ᐙᔥᑭᒡ᙮ ᒥᓯᐙ ᑮᑆ ᒑᒀᓐ ᐋ ᒌ ᒥᓈᐦᐅᓈᓂᐎᒡ᙮ ᐋᐅᒄ ᐊᓐ ᒑ ᐐᐦᑎᒫᓐ᙮ ᓈᔥᒡ ᒀ ᐋᔥᒄ ᐋ ᒌ ᐙᔪᑎᓰᑦ ᐱᔮᓯᐤ – ᓂᔅᒃ ᐎᑦ᙮ ᒥᔑᑳᒫᐦᔮᐅᐲᓯᒽᐦ, ᐋᑯᑦ ᐙᔥ ᑳ ᒌ ᐙᔪᑎᓰᑦ ᒀ ᓂᔅᒃ᙮ ᐊᒄ ... read more ››

My Father

Told by Eliza Webb Translated and transcribed by Brian Webb www.beesum-communications.com/legends Another story I’ve heard of my father was during the fall when ice begins to form. People jigged for fish on the river where we stayed. People caught lots of speckled trout. Other people from far away camps came by dogteams to ... read more ››

ᓅᐦᑖᐐ

ᐃᓛᐃᓵ ᐌᑉ ᐋ ᒌ ᑎᐹᒋᒧᑦ ᐱᕌᔨᓐ ᐌᑉ ᐋ ᒌ ᐃᑣᔥᑎᒫᑎᐦᒃ ᑭᔮ ᐋ ᒌ ᒥᓯᓂᐦᐊᐦᒃ ᐋᔪᐎᒄ ᑮᑆ ᒥᒄ ᐊᓂᔮ ᑳ ᐹᐦᑎᒧᒡ ᐊᓂᔮ ᓅᐦᑖᐐ, ᐊᓂᑖ ᑮᑆ ᐋ ᑎᒀᒑᔨᐦᑖᑯᓂᔨᒡ, ᐅᔥᑭᒡ ᐋ ᐊᑎ ᒥᒥᔥᑭᐎᑎᐦᒡ ᐊᓂᑖ᙮ ᑳ ᒌ ᐃᐦᑎᓈᓂᐎᒡ ᐙᔥ ᐊᓂᑖ ᐋ ᐅᒋᒀᒋᒑᓂᐎᒡ ᐊᓂᑖ, ᐊᓐ ᑮᑆ ᓰᐲ ᐋ ᒌ ᐃᐦᑖᔮᐦᒡ᙮ ᓈᔥᒡ ᐙᔥ ᐋ ᒌ ᐅᒋᒀᓱᒡ ᓂᒫᓯᒡ, ᒫᓯᒫᑯᓯᒡ ... read more ››

ᑳ ᐙᐹᐦᐆᑯᓈᓂᐎᒡ

ᓯᐱᔨᐤ ᐋ ᒌ ᑎᐹᒋᒧᑦ, ᒋᓵᓰᐲ ᐱᕌᔨᓐ ᐌᑉ ᑳ ᒥᓯᓂᐦᐊᐦᒃ ᑭᔮ ᑳ ᐃᑣᔥᑎᒫᑎᐦᒃ ᐹᔨᒀᐤ ᓅᐦᑖᐐ ᒌ ᐐᒋᐦᐄᐙᐤ ᐋ ᐙᐹᐦᐆᑯᓈᓂᐎᔨᒡ᙮ ᐋᐅᒄ ᑳ ᒫᒥᔅᑳᑖᔨᐦᑎᒫᓐ ᐊᓐ, ᐊᓐ ᑎᐹᒋᒧᐎᓐ ᐊᓂᔮ ᑳ ᐃᐦᑎᒡ ᐊᓂᔮ᙮ ᔖᔥ-ᐋ? ᐋᐅᒄ ᒑ ᑎᐹᒋᒧᔮᓐ᙮ ᐊᓂᑖ ᐋ ᐃᐦᑖᔮᐦᒡ ᐊᓂᑖ ᒫᓂᐦᐄᑯᔅᑳᑭᒦᐦᒡ᙮ ᑳᑭᔮ ᒑᒃ ᐊᓂᑖ ᐋ ᐃᔅᐱᔨᒡ ᐊᔨᔥᒌᒫᐅᐤᐦ ᐋ ᐃᐦᑖᔨᒡᐦ᙮ ᐙᑎᐦᑖᒡ ᐊᓂᔮᐦ ᐊᔨᔥᒌᒫᐤᐦ᙮ ᑳ ᐙᐱᑯᐦᐅᔑᑦ ᑳ ᐃᑖᑭᓂᐎᑦ, ᐋᔪᐎᒄ ... read more ››

Adrift on the Bay

Told by Harry Scipio, Chisasibi Translated and transcribed by Brian Webb www.beesum-communications.com/legends Once my late father was with a group of hunters on a sheet of ice that drifted away into open water. That story amazed me. I shall tell this story. We were camped at Mânhîkuskâkimî. The men made their way to a ... read more ››

Trapping Beaver in the Winter

Told by Elsie Duff, Chisasibi Translated and transcribed by Brian Webb Beesum-communications.com/legends As far as you can remember, did your family move camp almost every day during the winter? Sometimes we did. During autumn, we settled down to wait for winter to set in. When the days grew longer after Christmas, this was when people ... read more ››

ᑳ ᒸᔅᒑᐱᒋᔮᐦᒡ

ᐁᓪᓰ ᑕᕝ ᐋ ᒌ ᑎᐹᒋᒧᑦ, ᒋᓵᓰᐲ ᐱᕌᔨᓐ ᐌᑉ ᐋ ᒌ ᐃᑣᔥᑎᒫᑎᐦᒃ ᑭᔮ ᑭᔮ ᐋ ᒌ ᒥᓯᓂᐦᐊᐦᒃ ᐊᓂᑖ ᒫ ᐱᔮᒋ ᒋᔅᒋᔨᓐ ᐊᓂᑖ ᒀ ᐋ ᐱᐳᐦᒡ, ᒥᐦᑎᐙᒡ-ᐋ ᐋᔑᑯᒻ ᒌᔑᑳᐤᐦ ᔥᒌ ᐱᒋᓈᐙᐤ? ᓂᔮᓂᑯᑐᓐᐦ ᑮᑆ᙮ ᐊᓂᑖ ᒀ ᐋ ᑎᒀᑭᐱᓈᓂᐎᒡ ᒀ, ᑖᒀᑭᐱᔮᐦᒡᐦ, ᐋᑯᑦ ᓂᒥ ᔖᒫᒡ ᓂᐅᐦᒋ ᐃᔮᔮᓐ᙮ ᐊᓂᑖ ᒫᒃ ᐋ ᐊᑎ ᐲᔥᒌᔑᑳᒡᐦ ᒫᒃ ᐊᓂᑖ, ᐊᓂᑖ ᒀ ᐋ ᐃᔥᒀᒥᑯᔖᒌᔑᑳᒡᐦ, ᑳ ᒌ ... read more ››

The Woman who turned Cannibalistic

Told by Mary Masty Sr. There was once a man with his wife living out on the land. They lived a simple life and were not experiencing any hardship. The couple was living not far from the man’s father-in-law. The man hunted beaver and was successful. A long time ago, it ... read more ››

The legend of Kuikuhâchâu

Told by Sandy Masty of Whapmagoostui   Translation by Brian Webb I will tell the legend of Kuikuhâchâu, the man who took the form of the Wolverine. He was the one who confronted the Giant Skunk called Wâniyûyâu. As the legend goes, the Giant Skunk took human form also, using snowshoes when ... read more ››

The Bear and the Child

A legend told by Joseph Guanish, Kawawachikamach translated by Brian Webb I will tell the legend of the bear. I heard my grandmother tell this one – the one about the bear that lived with a child. This was how she told it. One time, a black bear began feeling lonely and ... read more ››