DOCSLIB.ORG

Net Charms in Cree and Ojibwe Language, Culture, and Worldview

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text

Load more

Net Charms in Cree and Ojibwe Language, Culture, and Worldview GEORGE FULFORD University of Winnipeg This paper is dedicated to my dear friend Cath Oberholtzer, who died on August 18, 2012.1 Her work provides a foundation for my own exploration of various threads of ethnographic, linguistic and arachnological evidence that together contribute to understanding the semiotic signicance of net charms (the precursors of dream catchers) in East Cree, Swampy Cree and Ojibwe language and culture.2 The metaphorical signicance of knots and string was a focus of much of Cath’s research. It occupied a chapter of her PhD thesis (1994), three articles (1993, 1995, 1996) and a recent book (2012). In all of these works Cath explored the symbolic, mythic, and material signicance of knots and string, most especially in the amulets suspended from cradle boards which she called net charms and which have entered the lexicon of popular North American culture as “dream catchers” but which are termed asabikeshiiwas- abiig ‘spider nets’ in Ojibwe (Baraga 1878:179; Wilson 1874:363; Lienke 1. First and foremost, I would like to acknowledge Cath Oberholtzer’s important work on net charms, which continues to inspire me. Special thanks to Louis Bird for the wisdom and insight he shared in his telling of the Ahap story and so much more. Many thanks to Jennifer Brown, Chris Buddle, Dick Preston, and two anonymous reviewers for their thoughtful comments on earlier drafts of this paper. Kevin Brousseau, Mary Ann Corbiere, Charles Fiero, Bill Jancewicz, and Mark Ruml provided invaluable help in ascertaining the correct spelling and meaning of the words for “spider” and “spiderweb” in Ojibwe, East Cree, and Swampy Cree. Finally, thanks to Dana Sandu for her skillful rendering of net charms in several of the diagrams in this paper. 2. Expanding on Hobsbawm and Ranger’s (1983) idea of an “invented tradition,” Cath stressed that contemporary dream catchers are a “reinvention” of more traditional net charms used by Cree and Ojibwe peoples to ward off various illnesses. The dream- catcher phenomenon, she speculated (2012:70), dates back no earlier than the 1960s while net charms likely have pre-contact origins. 67 68 GEORGE FULFORD 1977:121; Charles Fiero, personal communication) or simply ahnapiy ‘nets’ or ahaapiish ‘little nets’ in Swampy Cree and East Cree (Ellis 1995:445; Brousseau, personal communication).3 My paper is organized into ten sections. The rst discusses Cath Oberholtzer’s contributions to the study of Cree material culture. Follow- ing this, I examine the metaphorical importance of conjoinment and string, as expressed in the East Cree word for “knot” and “great grandparent,” which has cognates in Swampy Cree and Ojibwe. I explore how the root for ‘string’ also appears in East Cree, Swampy Cree, and Ojibwe words for spider webs, nets, and net charms. These schemas converge in Swampy Cree elder Louis Bird’s interpretation of an origin story about how Ahap the giant spider lowered the rst humans from the sky to the earth on a silken lament. The association of being lowered on a string and the act of being born is made explicit in Louis’s deeply poetic analysis of the story. Moving to Douglas Ellis’s analysis on a different version of the same story, I discuss the signicance of a formulaic ending used in such stories. This ending likens narrative episodes to lengths of string. A discussion of the animacy of the East Cree, Swampy Cree, and Ojibwe words for “nets,” “knots,” and “string” follows. I then examine how the structure of two kinds of orb-weaving spider webs is replicated in the form of net charms documented in various museum collections. Following this, I discuss how the moss bags in which Crees and Ojibwes traditionally tie their babies are symbolically like spider egg sacs, and associate the “ballooning” behavior of spiders to the symbolic importance of string in the Ahap story. I conclude by attempting to draw these diverse lines of thinking together to develop a general statement about Cree and Ojibwe language, culture, and worldview. 3. Ojibwe words in this paper are transcribed using Nichols and Nyholm’s (1995) orthography. The southern coastal dialect of East Cree is used in this paper and is tran- scribed from Junker et al. (2012). Swampy Cree words are based on Ellis (1995) with two notable exceptions. Long vowels marked by Ellis using the circumex have been transcribed using double vowels. Since /e/ is only long in Swampy Cree it is marked by a single character. Second, where Ellis uses /c/ to mark alveopalatal affricates, I have used the symbols ߧchߨ This has been done to eliminate the use of diacritics and provide a degree of consistency in the transcription of Ojibwe, East Cree and Swampy Cree words. It should be noted that Ellis’s lexicon is based mainly on Moose Cree and that /n/ is substituted for /l/ to render most Swampy Cree words from Moose Cree. NET CHARMS IN CREE AND OJIBWE LANGUAGE, CULTURE, AND WORLDVIEW 69 CATH OBERHOLTZER’S ETHNOGRAPHIC AND MUSEUM RESEARCH Cath comprehensively documented East Cree artifacts in North American and European museums. Inuenced by exhibitions involving collaboration between museums and First Nations communities, she felt a responsibility to include ethnographic eldwork in her museum research. Her goal was to involve First Nations people in interpreting the artifacts she was document- ing. The importance of this practice is widely understood today, but in the 1990s, when Cath was doing the bulk of her research, it was not. Cath visited various communities on the east and west coasts of James Bay to glean Cree people’s insights into the artifacts she photographed. She documented (1995:195–6, 1996:66, 2012:43) how, when showing women from these communities images of dream catcher-style net charms from museum collections, she received quite different responses depending on where they were from. East Cree women from the upper east coast of James Bay (from Eastmain north) said they did not traditionally use such net charms. Instead they used a knotted thread or tiny shnet called nituchikan4 which may have been used to prevent a baby’s spirit from wandering too far from its body. Cath speculates (1995:202) that knotted strings were symbolically associated with game trails (the knots representing an animal’s footprints and the string representing its path in the snow). She says this symbolism is also attached to the cord used by hunters to drag beavers and other small game. This cord is known in East Cree as niimaapaan ‘my string’. East Cree women on the lower east coast of James Bay, like Swampy Crees on the west coast of James Bay and Ojibwes from the upper Great Lakes area to their south, told Cath that they traditionally used spider-web style net charms to protect their babies. They did not use knotted thread or shnet-style amulets for this purpose. These observations are borne out by Cath’s reading of the ethnographic literature on the subject, as well as by artifacts in museum collections (Oberholtzer 1995:195). A similar 4. Cath (2012: 43) transcribes this word as natutshikan, but this spelling seems idio- syncratic (no entry for this term can be found in the online East Cree dictionary (Junker et al. 2012). In the south coastal dialect of East Cree entries do appear in the dictionary for words with the root naata- meaning ‘to fetch’ and nitu- meaning ‘to heal or cure’. While either root could be used for the protective amulets Cath discusses, the most likely term for them is nituchikan ‘curing device’, which I use throughout this paper. 70 GEORGE FULFORD o bservation about the distribution of shnet and spider-web styles of net charms is made by Kevin Brousseau (personal communication). THE IDEA OF CONJOINMENT In both her PhD dissertation (1994:191) and her recent book (2012:56), Cath quoted Frank Speck (1935:245) who, quoting an East Cree phrase, wrote that “from great grandparents to great-grandchildren we are only knots on a string.” Regrettably, Speck does not provide the original wording in East Cree. However, it is clear that this statement is based on the East Cree stem aaniskutaapaan which is used in the words for ‘a knot’, ‘great grandparent’, and ‘great grandchild’ (Junker et al. 2012). The correspondence of meanings in these three East Cree words is linked to the twin ideas of “conjoinment” (expressed by the root aanisku-) and the action of “pulling” (expressed by the stem -taapaan). Taken together, the roots in this word represent the action of making a knot by pulling together and conjoining the ends of a length of string.5 This idea is metaphorically extended to encompass great grandparents and great grandchildren as symbolic “knots” marking the maximal span of conjoinment between living relatives. This in turn evokes the ideas of generational continuity and the umbilical cord which literally and metaphorically enables this. THE AHAP STORY In her dissertation Cath noted the resemblance of net charms to spider webs. She briey discussed the prominence given to spider silk in a version of the Swampy Cree story of Ahap (1995:200). Longer versions of this story, told by Simeon Scott, were recorded by Ellis (1989:5–10; 1995:2–13). Louis Bird (2002) tells an abbreviated version, and also provides an extensive commentary on its meaning. Louis’s story, which corresponds closely to Mr. Scott’s, describes the descent of the rst humans on a silken thread from a place in the sky to the earth. They are lowered to earth by a giant spider referred to alternately as Ehep or Ahap.6 5.
Recommended publications
  • Indigenous Languages

    Indigenous Languages

    INDIGENOUS LANGUAGES PRE-TEACH/PRE-ACTIVITY Have students look at the Indigenous languages and/or language groups that are displayed on the map. Discuss where this data came from (the 2016 census) and what biases or problems this data may have, such as the fear of self-identifying based on historical reasons or current gaps in data. Take some time to look at how censuses are performed, who participates in them, and what they can learn from the data that is and is not collected. Refer to the online and poster map of Indigenous Languages in Canada featured in the 2017 November/December issue of Canadian Geographic, and explore how students feel about the number of speakers each language has and what the current data means for the people who speak each language. Additionally, look at the language families listed and the names of each language used by the federal government in collecting this data. Discuss with students why these may not be the correct names and how they can help in the reconciliation process by using the correct language names. LEARNING OUTCOMES: • Students will learn about the number and • Students will learn about the importance of diversity of languages and language groups language and the ties it has to culture. spoken by Indigenous Peoples in Canada. • Students will become engaged in learning a • Students will learn that Indigenous Peoples local Indigenous language. in Canada speak many languages and that some languages are endangered. INDIGENOUS LANGUAGES Foundational knowledge and perspectives FIRST NATIONS “One of the first acts of colonization and settlement “Our languages are central to our ceremonies, our rela- is to name the newly ‘discovered’ land in the lan- tionships to our lands, the animals, to each other, our guage of the colonizers or the ‘discoverers.’ This is understandings, of our worlds, including the natural done despite the fact that there are already names world, our stories and our laws.” for these places that were given by the original in- habitants.
  • Master of Arts

    Master of Arts

    SOUI\D CHAI\IGE IN OtD MOI\ITAGITAIS by Christopher W. Haryey A Thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies ln Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF ARTS I)epartment of Linguistics Ilniversity of Manitoba \ffinnipeg, Manitoba @ Christopher'W. Harve¡ 2005 THE UNTVERSITY OF MANITOBA FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES ?t*itJrrt COPYRIGHT PERMISSION SOUND CIIANGE IN OLD MONITAGNAIS BY Christopher W. Harvey A ThesislPracticum submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies of The University of Manitoba in partial fulfillment of the requirement of the degree Master Of Arts Christopher W. Harvey O 2005 Permission has been granted to the Library of the University of Manitoba to lend or sell copies of this thesis/practicum, to the National Library of Canada to microfilm this thesis and to lend or sell copies of the film, and to University Microfilms Inc. to publish an abstract of this thesis/practicum. This reproduction or copy of this thesis has been made available by authority of the copyright owner solely for the purpose of private study and research, and may only be reproduced and copied as permitted by copyright laws or with express written authorization from the copyright owner. SOUND CHANGE IN OLD MONTAGNAIS Chris Harvey ABSTRACT This thesis looks at the sound changes which occurred from reconstructed Proto- Algonquian to Old Montagnais. The Old Montagnais language was recorded by the Jesuits during the seventeenth century in the region of Québec City, Lac Saint-Jean and the lower Saguenay River at the Tadoussac mission. Their most important works which survive to this day are two dictionaries, Díctionnaire montagnais by Antoine Silvy and Racines montagnøises by Bonaventure Fabvre.
  • Directory – Indigenous Organizations in Manitoba

    Directory – Indigenous Organizations in Manitoba

    Indigenous Organizations in Manitoba A directory of groups and programs organized by or for First Nations, Inuit and Metis people Community Development Corporation Manual I 1 INDIGENOUS ORGANIZATIONS IN MANITOBA A Directory of Groups and Programs Organized by or for First Nations, Inuit and Metis People Compiled, edited and printed by Indigenous Inclusion Directorate Manitoba Education and Training and Indigenous Relations Manitoba Indigenous and Municipal Relations ________________________________________________________________ INTRODUCTION The directory of Indigenous organizations is designed as a useful reference and resource book to help people locate appropriate organizations and services. The directory also serves as a means of improving communications among people. The idea for the directory arose from the desire to make information about Indigenous organizations more available to the public. This directory was first published in 1975 and has grown from 16 pages in the first edition to more than 100 pages in the current edition. The directory reflects the vitality and diversity of Indigenous cultural traditions, organizations, and enterprises. The editorial committee has made every effort to present accurate and up-to-date listings, with fax numbers, email addresses and websites included whenever possible. If you see any errors or omissions, or if you have updated information on any of the programs and services included in this directory, please call, fax or write to the Indigenous Relations, using the contact information on the
  • Of the University of Manitoba in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Àrts

    Of the University of Manitoba in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Àrts

    PHONOTOGICÀt VÀRIÀNTS I PUKATÀI^IÀGÀN WOODS CREE by Jennifer M. Greensmith A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studíes of the University of Manitoba in partial fulfiLlment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Àrts Winnipeg, Maniloba 1 985 (e) Jennifer M. Greensmith, 1985 PHONOLOGICAL VARIANTS IN PUKATAI.IAGAN I^IOODS CREE BY JENNIFER I"f . GREENSMITH A thesis subntitted to the Faculty of Craduate Studies of the Ulriversity of Ma¡ritoba in partial fulfill¡nent of the requirenrents of the degree of MASTER OF ARTS o teg6 Pernrission has bee¡r granted to the LIBRARY OF THE UNIVER- SITY OF MAN¡TOBA to lend or sell copies of this thesis. to the NATIOTT-AL LIBRARY OF CANADA ro microfilnr this thesis and to lend or sell copies of the film, and UNIVERSITY lvf ICROFILIvf S to publish an abstract of this thesis. Thc' author reserves other publicatiort rights, alld neithe r tire tlesis nor extensive extracts fronl it may be ¡lrinted o¡ othc'r- wise reproduced without the author's writte¡l pernrissiorr. 111 PREFACE This thesis is a first attempt at a study of the phonological contrasts and surface variants of Woods Cree, based on the dialect spoken at Pukalawagan, Manitoba. The analysis is based on direct elicitation and on narrative texts, one of whieh is included as an appendi x . Few studies of Cree phonology exist, and no phonological st.udy has been made of the Woods dialect. Traditionally, Woods Cree has been identified as t.hat dialect of Cree which has the p-reflex of Proto Àlgonquian *1.
  • Aboriginal Languages in Canada

    Aboriginal Languages in Canada

    Catalogue no. 98-314-X2011003 Census in Brief Aboriginal languages in Canada Language, 2011 Census of Population Aboriginal languages in Canada Census in Brief No. 3 Over 60 Aboriginal languages reported in 2011 The 2011 Census of Population recorded over 60 Aboriginal languages grouped into 12 distinct language families – an indication of the diversity of Aboriginal languages in Canada.1 According to the 2011 Census, almost 213,500 people reported an Aboriginal mother tongue and nearly 213,400 people reported speaking an Aboriginal language most often or regularly at home.2,3 Largest Aboriginal language family is Algonquian The Aboriginal language family with the largest number of people was Algonquian. A total of 144,015 people reported a mother tongue belonging to this language family (Table 1). The Algonquian languages most often reported in 2011 as mother tongues were the Cree languages4 (83,475), Ojibway (19,275), Innu/Montagnais (10,965) and Oji-Cree (10,180). People reporting a mother tongue belonging to the Algonquian language family lived across Canada. For example, people with the Cree languages as their mother tongue lived mainly in Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Alberta or Quebec. Those with Ojibway or Oji-Cree mother tongues were mainly located in Ontario or Manitoba, while those whose mother tongue was Innu/Montagnais or Atikamekw (5,915) lived mostly in Quebec. Also included in the Algonquian language family were people who reported Mi'kmaq (8,030) who lived mainly in Nova Scotia or New Brunswick, and those who reported Blackfoot (3,250) as their mother tongue and who primarily lived in Alberta.
  • Scottish Spiders - Oonopspulcher 15Mm

    Scottish Spiders - Oonopspulcher 15Mm

    Scottish Spiders BeesIntroduction and wasps to spider families There are approximately 670 species of spider in 38 different families in the UK. This guide introduces 17 families of spiders, providing an example of a species or genus to look for in each. Please Note: The vast majority of spiders in the UK need examination under a microscope of mature adults to confirm species. Immature specimens may be identified to family or to genus level and often only by an expert. This guide has been designed to introduce several families with information on key features in each and is not an identification guide. Woodlouse spiders (Family Dysderidae) 4 species in 2 genera Rather elongate looking spiders with no clear markings or Woodlouse spider (female) pattern on their cylindrical abdomen. They have six eyes that are clustered together in a circular formation. Often found under stones, logs, tree bark and other debris. Typical body length in family ranges from 6-15mm. Species to look out for - Woodlouse spider (Dysdera crocata) A distinctive species with a red cephalothorax and legs and forward projecting chelicerae. This species feeds on woodlice and can be found under stones and debris in warm (and sometimes) slightly damp situations. Generally nocturnal - look for them in gardens and on walls where they may be found sheltering in silken retreats. This species is common in England but less so in Scotland, being absent from the very north. Look out for Harpactea hombergi which although similar in Male: 9—10mm Female: 11—15mm appearance has a narrower cephalothorax and with less Falk © Steven prominent chelicerae.
  • Pollinator Survey Report Year 3

    Pollinator Survey Report Year 3

    January 2017 Gabrielle Flinn Saving the small things that run the planet 1 Summary Fife’s Buzzing is a three year project and during this time aimed to create wildflower meadows at 16 parks totalling over 12 hectares across Fife. Sites for meadow creation were selected across the Kingdom of Fife to deliver multiple benefits for both wildlife and people. The creation and enhancement of meadows through this project has involved planting a diverse range of native wildflower and grass species of known origin that will provide vital foraging and nesting habitat for pollinating insects and other wildlife. Surveys to record invertebrates, focusing on pollinating insects, before and after meadow creation have identified species using the meadows as well as changes within the meadow over the project lifetime. During pollinator surveys in August 2016, a total of 23 sites, selected for meadow creation, enhancement and management in autumn 2015 and spring 2016, were surveyed for pollinators. Baseline surveys were also undertaken in Haugh Park in Cupar, Bankie Park in Anstruther and at Tayport Common in Tayport. A total of 122 species of invertebrate were recorded during this survey and this total includes 65 species of pollinating insect. A higher number of species of invertebrate were recorded within areas of wildflower rich-grasslands (122 species) than in areas of amenity grassland (five species). 2 Contents Page Page Number 1. Project introduction 3 2. Pollinator survey method 5 2.1 Sweeping vegetation 7 2.2 Direct observations 7 3. Results 8 4. Discussion 10 5. Conclusion 12 Acknowledgements 13 Appendix 1. Complete list of invertebrate species 14 References 24 3 1.
  • The Syntax of Innu-Aimun Locatives∗ Will Oxford University of Toronto

    The Syntax of Innu-Aimun Locatives∗ Will Oxford University of Toronto

    The syntax of Innu-aimun locatives∗ Will Oxford University of Toronto This paper provides a description and preliminary analysis of the syntax of locative phrases in the Algonquian language Innu-aimun (Montagnais). The paper establishes a taxonomy of locative categories and describes the properties of each category. It also sets out the ways in which these categories combine to form locative phrases, which are then analyzed as pPs in a model based on recent work by Svenonius (2006, 2010). Several syntactic patterns that affect locative phrases are described, including word-order variations and an apparent locative licensing effect. 1 Introduction This paper examines the syntax of locative expressions in Innu-aimun, an Algonquian language spoken in Quebec and Labrador. Innu-aimun, also known as Montagnais, is a member of the Cree- Montagnais-Naskapi dialect continuum, and is thus closely related to Cree proper. Aside from brief discussions in Clarke’s (1982) grammatical sketch (33–34, 134–36), the grammatical properties of Innu-aimun locatives had not been described in the literature prior to Oxford 2008; the current paper is a further development of the description begun in that work. My data comes from fieldwork and texts from the community of Sheshatshiu, Labrador, where Innu-aimun is still spoken as a first language by approximately 90% of the population (Burnaby 2004; Thorburn 2005). The main claim of the paper is that locative expressions in Innu-aimun form a grammatical system. There are three CORE LOCATIVE CATEGORIES, which form locative phrases: locative nouns, locative demonstratives, and locative prepositions. There are also two PERIPHERAL LOCATIVE CATEGORIES, which introduce or refer to locative phrases: locative presentatives and locative preverbs.
  • The Six Seasons of the Woodland Cree: a Lesson to Support Science 10

    The Six Seasons of the Woodland Cree: a Lesson to Support Science 10

    The Six Seasons of the Woodland Cree: A Lesson to Support Science 10 by Duane Johnson 2008 Teaching Materials from the Stewart Resources S106.22 Centre These lessons were developed by the following team of teachers, Elders, and cultural advisors: Yvonne Chamakese, David Hlady, Anna-Leah King, Duane Johnson, Marcia Klein, Lana Lorensen, Sally Milne, Joseph Naytowhow, Lamarr Oksasikewiyin, Stuart Prosper, Ron Ray, Ted View, John Wright, and Laura Wasacase. Support was provided by Dean Elliott from the Ministry of Education, and Margaret Pillay from the Saskatchewan Professional Development Unit. All resources used in these lessons are available through the Stewart Resources Centre: http://www.stf.sk.ca/services/stewart_resources_centre/online_catalogue_unit_plans/index .html Information regarding the protocol when inviting Elders into the classroom can be found in the document: Elders in the Classroom by Anna-Leah King (attached as Appendix A). Further information can be found in the Saskatchewan Learning document: Aboriginal Elders and Community Workers in Schools. Table of Contents Overview ......................................................................................................................... 4 Foundational Objectives.................................................................................................. 4 Timeframe .......................................................................................................................4 Resources .......................................................................................................................4
  • Cathkin Marsh Invertebrate Survey Report 2012

    Cathkin Marsh Invertebrate Survey Report 2012

    SWT Cathkin Marsh: Invertebrate Survey Report 2012 Ref: CC0032/R1 25th March 2013 Prepared by: Chris Cathrine BSc(Hons) MIEEM FLS, Director Glenn Norris BSc(Hons), Assistant Ecologist Scott Shanks BSc(Hons) PhD, Associate Ecologist Louis Kitchen BSc(Hons), Associate Ecologist Suzanne Bairner MSc, Associate Ecologist Cale donian Conservation Ltd E: [email protected] T: 01698 457 553 M: 07789 77 11 66 A: Unit 6, Beckford Street Business Centre,i iiiii28 Beckford Street, Hamilton, ML3 0BT PHOTO: Northern arches (Apamea zeta) © Scott Shanks Scottish Wildlife Trust Cathkin Marsh Invertebrate Survey Report 2012 25th March 2013 Ref: CC0032 Caledonian Conservation Ltd Scottish Wildlife Trust Cathkin Marsh Invertebrate Survey Report 2012 Report prepared by Caledonian Conservation Ltd. Report content, figures and data © SWT 2013. 25th March 2013 Ref: CC0032 Caledonian Conservation Ltd Scottish Wildlife Trust Cathkin Marsh Invertebrate Survey Report 2012 25th March 2013 Ref: CC0032 Caledonian Conservation Ltd Scottish Wildlife Trust Cathkin Marsh Invertebrate Survey Report 2012 Contents Summary ................................................................................................................... 1 1 Introduction ......................................................................................................... 2 2 Methodology ....................................................................................................... 3 2.1 Aerial netting ..............................................................................................
  • Supplementary Resources 2 Connect

    Supplementary Resources 2 Connect

    March 2015/Mars 2015 SUPPLEMENTARY RESOURCES 2 CONNECT • "Apihawikosisan" Law, Language, Life: A Plains Cree Speaking Metis Woman in Montreal apihtawikosisan.com This blog follows the life of a Metis teacher and has information on how to attend her "language nest" style Plains Cree language course in Montreal. The site also lists a wide variety of links to Cree language and cultural resources. • Cree Cultural Institute http://creeculture.ca/ This site is an excellent destination for learning about the culture and language of Crees living in the James Bay and Hudson Bay regions of Quebec. Among the many features of this website are an archive of historical photographs, an online exhibition of Cree artifacts from the region, and translated traditional stories. • Centre for Race and Culture http://www.cfrac.com/ This organization based in Edmonton, AB organizes programs and projects to help minority, immigrant, and refugee communities. One of these projects is on-site Cree language lessons. • The Nehiyawewin (Cree) Word/Phrase of the Day https://www.facebook.com/groups/18414147673/ This Facebook group brings together users from across the world to share their favourite Cree words and phrases as a way to promote and strengthen the language and the people it represents. 3 LEARN • A-mowin Virtual Language Classroom http://learncreeonline.blogspot.ca This blog offers free online Cree language lessons every Thursday at 9 pm EST. • Alberta Language Technology Lab http://altlab.artsrn.ualberta.ca/?page_id=150 This team at the University of Alberta has created a number of Plains Cree language tools including a Cree/English dictionary and linguistic generation tools.
  • MOT Proceedings Paper-Current

    MOT Proceedings Paper-Current

    Allophony and Contrast without Features: * Laryngeal Development in Early Grammars Heather Goad McGill University SUMMARY This paper examines the development of laryngeal allophony and contrast in Amahl’s grammar of English (Smith 1973). It is shown that, before contrast has been established, laryngeal allophones display unexpected distributions: marked allophones appear in ‘weak’ positions, whether defined in prosodic, articulatory or perceptual terms; unmarked allophones appear in ‘strong’ positions. Further, when laryngeal contrasts begin to emerge, they initially develop in non-optimal positions. The solution proposed lies in the formal expression of allophony and contrast: certain phonological relations among segments arise without the features seemingly involved being employed by the grammar; allophony and early contrast are expressed solely in structural terms. Once laryngeal features are projected, at later stages in development, a less surprising pattern of behaviour emerges, one that is more consistent with perceptual and articulatory considerations on optimal positions for contrast. RÉSUMÉ Cet article considère le développement des allophones et contrastes laryngiens dans la grammaire d’Amahl, un enfant anglophone (Smith 1973). On montre que, avant que les contrastes soient établis, les allophones laryngiens observent des distributions inattendues : les allophones marqués se trouvent dans les positions «faibles» si les positions sont déterminées en termes prosodiques, articulatoires ou perceptuels ; les allophones non-marqués se trouvent dans les positions «fortes». De plus, quand les contrastes laryngiens commencent à apparaître, initialement ils se développent dans les positions non- optimales. On propose que la solution à ce problème se trouve dans l’expression formelle d’allophonie et de contraste : certaines relations phonologiques entre les segments émergent sans les traits qui semblent être utilisés par la grammaire ; l’allophonie et les premiers contrastes sont exprimés uniquement en termes structurels.