Coffee and Cree

This weeks special guest is Shirley-Anne Lazaruk. Shirley is originally from Waterhen Lake, Sask but has lived in the Slave Lake, AB area for decades. Shirley is a retired registered nurse who is also a fluent Cree speaker. As one of the only home care nurses who is fluent in nehiyawewin, Shirley was often consulted to also interpret for doctors. Shirley shares some great words related to nursing...

Rick Mirasty is a fluent Cree-speaking criminal defense lawyer based from Big River, Saskatchewan. Rick calls Alberta home and has practiced Law throughout the province and is known for his work in criminal defense, often advocating for Indigenous clients. Rick has been described as a "road warrior" for his extensive legal work in rural communities. Rick has openly shared his personal journey of r...

In this weeks episode we are joined again by Les Skinner. Les is a Cree Teacher with the Canadian Native Friendship Centre as well as the Edmonton Public Libraries.and online classes. Les also teaches nēhiyawēwin classes through Concordia University and Grant Macewan University. Les has been teaching the Cree classes for over ten years, after attending them himself to regain his language. He aims...

Aaron Fay is a Cree language learner with Metis roots in Saskatchewan. Aaron is an advocate for the Cree language and has garnered much notoriety through his social media presence and online learning via ⁠Tiktok⁠ . He currently calls West Kelowna his home but spent much of his life between Edmonton and Rocky Mountain House. Aaron is also the developer of ⁠ Kiyanaw.net ⁠ ( translates to “all of us”...

Aaron Fay (@otipeyimisow) joins us for back-to-back episodes to continue where we left off. In this weeks episode we take an in-depth look at VTAs ( Animate Transitive Verbs ) and also go over some examples, while creating simple sentences combines VTA's and VAIs. We also go over some key survival phrases that you can use in everyday conversations with fluent speakers, which were first created by...

Wayne Jackson is a Cree language teacher from Good Fish Lake First Nation and has also taught at University of Blue Quills. An advocate for the Cree language, he has also created language immersion class and is passionate about preserving nêhiyawêwin. Wayne is also an accomplished musician, performing under the name ⁠ W.T. Goodspirit ⁠ and has numerous albums recorded in the Cree language. Wayne j...

Rebecca George hails from Big Island Lake, Saskatchewan. Rebecca has taught in different schools in her home community to different grades and levels. She learned to speak nehiyawewin in the home around her Mother and Grandmother. She joins Rellik to teach us words related to time and frequencies of time. Not only will you work your way around a clock, but learn how to say words like soon, later,...

In this weeks episode we are joined by Deloris Rain, a fluent Cree speaker and teacher from Maskwacîs, AB. Deloris teaches us the fundamental phonetic sounds in nêhiyawêwin, some great conversational terms we can use in our daily speaking and also treats us to a traditional teaching and story of wîsahkêcâhk. Deloris is available to teach the Cree language in person in both individual, and classroo...

Dan Cardinal is a Cree language teacher who has taught with many schools throughout Alberta including St. Josephs High School, Ben Calf Robe, Concordia University, CNFC, Red Deer College and Portage College . Dan also spent many years as the Vice President of the Metis Nation of Alberta. Dan continues to be a strong advocate for preserving the Cree language since the 1980's. This weeks vocabulary...

Originally from the Peace River region of Treaty 8, Kathy is a Cree language teacher with the Learning Centre in Edmonton and has contributed greatly to the community as not only a teacher but also an advocate seeking justice for the homeless and First Nations women, people and youth. Kathy Hamelin joins Rellik to teach us some feelings and emotions. In this weeks episode, we also discuss tense ma...

Neil Redcrow is a cree language enthusiast and teacher through acimowin opaspiw Society. Neil is from Onihcikiskwapiwinihk (Saddle Lake, AB) but currently residing in Amiskwaciy Waskahikan (Edmonton.) Neil is also heavily involved within cultural and language projects. As a husband and father, Neil Joins us for an episode dedicated to parenting words and positive words of affirmation to teach our...

Les Skinner joins Rellikf or this weeks episode of Coffee and Cree. Les is a Cree Teacher with the Canadian Native Friendship Centre as well as the Edmonton Public Libraries.and online classes. Les also teaches nēhiyawēwin classes through Concordia University and Grant Macewan University. Les has been teaching the Cree classes for over ten years, after attending them himself to regain his language...

Dorothy Thunder joins us for our inaugural episode of Coffee and Cree. Dorothy Thunder is a Plains Cree (nêhiyawiskwêw) from Little Pine First Nation, Saskatchewan and full-time Cree instructor in Faculty of Native Studies at the University of Alberta. She is a Language Keeper, educator, and an Aboriginal woman who practices the traditional way of life. In this episode Dorothy teaches us words rel...