Jimmy Myo

Nêhiyawak Elder, Moosomin First Nation

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Interview Summary
NOTE: Jimmy Myo speaks an old ceremonial Cree dialect. For exploration and discussion of certain words and phrases, please refer to the downloadable pdf entitled ‘Cree words and English explanations”
Start Time	End Time	Topic
00:36	07:41	How were leaders selected prior to the treaties being signed? “Okimâw” – Chief/Leader; “okimâhkân”- pretend Chief following Creator’s laws, Nehiyaw laws and teachings whiteman (“moniyâw”) laws “miyo wîcehtowin” – to get along, good relations How young children are taught from early on about Nehiyaw laws
07:42	20:45	How life has changed money to bait people, divide people housing shortage land (“we only gave up 6 inches of our land . . .”) responsibility to ‘future generations’ weakening of Nehiyaw laws (“kacihkunitaw” – weaken, not believe or follow) importance of Nehiyaw laws, ceremonies, spirituality (“nêhiyawi-mawimoscikêwin” – Cree or Indigenous way of prayer)
20:46	23:53	What was the role of women before treaties? “ochitowiskewak” – women of great status, very influential How everything was gifted to human beings (“ayisiyiniwiwak” – people or human beings)
23:54	30:59	Medicines “pastahon” – act of sinning or breaking nature’s law “kascihkunitamsiu” – Cree word as an act of weakening or neutralizing Nehiyaw Laws) story of Paskwachas protocol for asking for help with medicines “. . . if you start charging stuff like that, it will never work”
31:00	34:26	Story about when he was a young boy and his father invited an Elder to speak to him
34:27	40:36	How can young people use our traditions to help them today? importance of prayer; learning through ceremonies earning rites of access and use of protocols for learning ceremonies “nêhiyawi-mawimoscikêwin” – Cree way of prayer or worship learning just through school/university is not enough impact of alcohol; loss of respect
40:37	46:48	How did the people make a living before treaties? the buffalo and how it provided everything they needed to live
46:49	51:45	What is your understanding of treaty right to education? education meant access to and learning a livelihood, learning about any kind of business or industry to make a living
51:46	1:01:00	What do you want to tell young people, students? learn about Nehiyaw oyasiwîwin (Cree Law); ask Elders for this knowledge know the value of Nehiyaw laws; do not place greater value on whiteman’s laws (moniyâw laws and education) everything has a living spirit (acahk) meaning of “as long as the grass grows; as long as the river flows” “our understanding of treaty was half and half equal sharing” “you are working on your life (pimâtisiwin) and this is part of your work (atoshkakowin)”

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Cree words and
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