6-Month Adult Cree Immersion Employment Project 2025

Sponsored by Chief Red Bear Children’s Lodge

Purpose 

To promote, preserve, reclaim, and revitalize the Cree language by training individuals to become fluent Cree speakers.

Goal

Develop a language learning experience centred on the Cree language and Cowessess culture for all participants, including instructors and facilitators.

Description

This project is a six-month Cree language training program developed for K’Awasis Early Learning & Childcare Centre parents, guardians, staff, and any others who meet Chief Red Bear Children’s Lodge criteria.

The program helps participants become proficient in the Cree language through training and employment. Selected participants will be compensated while they learn Cree and cultural concepts specific to Cowessess First Nation, with paid opportunities to share this knowledge with children attending K’Awasis.

How to Apply

We are seeking applicants who are dedicated to learning Cree and passionate about sharing Cowessess language and culture with others. The selection process below helps us identify those applicants who are truly committed to their Cree language journey, which is essential to the program’s success.

  1. Fill out the initial application form ↗
    After you submit the initial application, you’ll get an email to schedule an interview with the Language Team hiring committee.
  2. Learn the Cree phrases.
    Practice translating the 20 Cree phrases between English and Nêhiyawêwin (Cree) in both directions.
  3. Complete the oral admission test.
    The passing requirement is correctly translating at least 16 of the 20 phrases (80%).

Oral Admission Test


Learn and practice the following phrases shown in Cree Standard Roman Orthography (SRO), Cree Syllabics, and English. Click the speaker icon beside each Cree phrase to hear its pronunciation.

To get started, click the link below and follow the instructions exactly as provided on the webpage.
Click here to download a printable version.

1st person

1 nimicison

nimîcison
ᓂᒦᒋᓱᐣ

I eat

1st person

2 nikimicison

nikî-mîcison
ᓂᑮᒦᒋᓱᐣ

I ate

1st person

3 niwimicison

niwî-mîcison
ᓂᐑᒦᒋᓱᐣ

I am going to eat

1st person

4 nimacimicison

ni–mâci-mîcison
ᓂᒫᒋᒦᒋᓱᐣ

I start eating

1st person

4 nimacimicison

nikî-mâci-mîcison
ᓂᑮᒫᒋᒦᒋᓱᐣ

I started eating

1st person

6 niwimacimicison

niwî–mâci-mîcison
ᓂᐑᒫᒋᒦᒋᓱᐣ

I am going to start eating

2nd person

7 kimicison

kimîcison
ᑭᒦᒋᓱᐣ

You eat

2nd person

8 kikimicison

kikî-mîcison
ᑭᑮᒦᒋᓱᐣ

You ate

2nd person

9 kiwimicison

kiwî-mîcison
ᑭᐑᒦᒋᓱᐣ

You are going to eat

2nd person

10 kimisimicison

ki–misi-mîcison
ᑭᒥᓯᒦᒋᓱᐣ

You eat lots

2nd person

11 kikimisimicison

kikî–misi-mîcison
ᑭᑮᒥᓯᒦᒋᓱᐣ

You ate lots

2nd person

12 kiwimisimicison

kiwî–misi-mîcison
ᑭᐑᒥᓯᒦᒋᓱᐣ

You are going to eat lots

3rd person

13 micisow

mîcisow
ᒦᒋᓱᐤ

She/he/it eats

3rd person

14 kimicisow

kî-mîcisow
ᑮᒦᒋᓱᐤ

She/he/it ate

3rd person

15 wimicisow

wî-mîcisow
ᐑᒦᒋᓱᐤ

She/he/it is going to eat

1st person

16 nikakwemicison

ni-kakwê-mîcison
ᓂᑲᑿᒂᒦᒋᓱᐣ

I try to eat

1st person

17 nikikakwemicison

nikî–kakwê-mîcison
ᓂᑮᑲᑿᒂᒦᒋᓱᐣ

I tried to eat

1st person

18 nikikakwemicison

niwî–kakwê-mîcison
ᓂᐑᑲᑿᒂᒦᒋᓱᐣ

I am going to try to eat

3rd person

19 kakwemicisow

kakwê-mîcisow
ᑲᑿᒂᒦᒋᓱᐤ

She/he/it tries to eat

2nd person

20 kikakwemicison

ki–kakwê-mîcison
ᑭᑲᑿᒂᒦᒋᓱᐣ

You try to eat

Click here for Printable Download

Cree Language Oral Admission Test

STUDY GUIDE

This guide will help you prepare for the oral admission test. You will be asked to translate 20 Cree phrases between Nêhiyawêwin and English. To qualify for the program, you must correctly translate at least 16 of the 20 phrases (80%).

Understanding Cree Verb Structure

Cree is a polysynthetic language, meaning it expresses complex ideas by combining many parts (morphemes) to create words, phrases, and sentences.

Morphemes are the smallest parts of a word that carry meaning. Each piece tells part of the story: who, when, how, and what.

All 20 test phrases are built from the verb root mîciso (to eat), modified by person markers, tense indicators, and preverbs.

PERSON MARKER TENSE MARKER PREVERB VERB ROOT + ENDING
ni- (First)

ki- (Second)

∅ (Third)

 ∅ (present)

kî- (past)

wî- (future)

 mâci– (to start)

misi– (a lot)

kakwê– (to try)

 mîciso (to eat)

+ -n (1st/2nd)

+ -w (3rd)

Example:  ni + kî + misi + mîcison  →  nikî-misi-mîcison  “I ate a lot”

The 20 Test Phrases

First Person (ni-…-n)  —  9 phrases

nêhiyawêwin (SRO) ᓀᐦᐃᔭᐍᐏᐣ (syllabics) English
1 nimîcison ᓂᒦᒋᓱᐣ I eat
2 nikî-mîcison ᓂᑮ ᒦᒋᓱᐣ I ate
3 niwî-mîcison ᓂᐑ ᒦᒋᓱᐣ I am going to eat
4 ni-mâci-mîcison ᓂ ᒫᒋ ᒦᒋᓱᐣ I start eating
5 nikî-mâci-mîcison ᓂᑮ ᒫᒋ ᒦᒋᓱᐣ I started eating
6 niwî-mâci-mîcison ᓂᐑ ᒫᒋ ᒦᒋᓱᐣ I am going to start eating
7 ni-kakwê-mîcison ᓂ ᑲᑵ ᒦᒋᓱᐣ I try to eat
8 nikî-kakwê-mîcison ᓂᑮ ᑲᑵ ᒦᒋᓱᐣ I tried to eat
9 niwî-kakwê-mîcison ᓂᐑ ᑲᑵ ᒦᒋᓱᐣ I am going to try to eat

Second Person (ki-…-n)  —  7 phrases

nêhiyawêwin (SRO) ᓀᐦᐃᔭᐍᐏᐣ (syllabics) English
10 kimîcison ᑭᒦᒋᓱᐣ You eat
11 kikî-mîcison ᑭᑮ ᒦᒋᓱᐣ You ate
12 kiwî-mîcison ᑭᐑ ᒦᒋᓱᐣ You are going to eat
13 ki-misi-mîcison ᑭ ᒥᓯ ᒦᒋᓱᐣ You eat a lot
14 kikî-misi-mîcison ᑭᑮ ᒥᓯ ᒦᒋᓱᐣ You ate a lot
15 kiwî-misi-mîcison ᑭᐑ ᒥᓯ ᒦᒋᓱᐣ You are going to eat a lot
16 ki-kakwê-mîcison ᑭ ᑲᑵ ᒦᒋᓱᐣ You try to eat

Third Person (…-w)  —  4 phrases

nêhiyawêwin (SRO) ᓀᐦᐃᔭᐍᐏᐣ (syllabics) English
17 mîcisow ᒦᒋᓱᐤ S/he eats
18 kî-mîcisow ᑮ ᒦᒋᓱᐤ S/he ate
19 wî-mîcisow ᐑ ᒦᒋᓱᐤ S/he is going to eat
20 kakwê-mîcisow ᑲᑵ ᒦᒋᓱᐤ S/he tries to eat

Passing Requirement: 16 of 20 correct (80%)

Study Strategies

  • Practice speaking aloud. The admission test is oral, so focus on pronunciation and verbal recall rather than written memorization.
  • Learn the patterns, not just individual phrases. Understanding how morphemes combine will help you construct phrases systematically.
  • Use the audio recordings. The website provides audio for each phrase—use these to ensure accurate pronunciation.
  • Study in groups. Practice with family or community members by quizzing each other in both directions.
  • Master one section before moving on. Start with first-person phrases, then second-person, and finish with third-person.

For questions about the admission process, contact Chief Red Bear Children’s Lodge.

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Cowessess First Nation

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