Category: Cree Legends

The Starvation Story

The Shaman and the Frost

The Hunter Who Always Slept

The Legend of the Snowshoes

The Legend of Aayaashaau

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 ››

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 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 ››