The Place Where My Spirit Breathes

Posted on by Joi T. Arcand

maskéko-sákahikanihk.

This summer, I took a four day intensive néhiyawéwin class. I’m learning my language, slowly. This class was the beginning of a commitment to push myself further towards this goal.

I live in Ottawa now, but I’m a prairie girl through and through. Going back home is a necessity in staying grounded and connected to what calms my soul. The language is in the land, in the vast prairie skies, the water. nipiy. my veins.

Don’t bother writing the words down. Just listen. You’ll remember.

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péyak. níso. nisto.

I’m in kindergarten, my favourite class is Cree class. We learn numbers, greetings, animals. Those words come flooding back in my memory.

I’m grateful to the educators that provided us with the opportunity to be exposed to our language and culture.

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Thirty years later, the class is full of eager students willing to learn néhiyawéwin. The instructors are passionate about passing on the language. It’s a beautiful and safe environment to learn and make mistakes.

Living thousands of kilometers away from my home, I have to make an effort to practice and hear the language, so I don’t forget again.

When discussing the struggles I’m having with this distance, one of my classmates told me that home is “the place where your spirit breathes”. He was right.

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149 thoughts on “The Place Where My Spirit Breathes”

  31. I really went in to this post and read it deeply and I am truly impressed how the writer expressed the place also I want to thank the writer for an outstanding post. E
    Well done.

    Liked by 4 people

  44. “The place where ur spirit breathes…” Very true…home is the place where ur soul can be free to do anything it actually wants without thinking of anything…u don’t need to care if u r looking gud or bad,doing nice or not…just be urself….thnk u so much for sharing this with us…

    Liked by 5 people

  46. Wonderful! This is beautiful and the pictures are breathtaking! As a psychic medium I can tell you that making your soul happy is one of the best things you can do. To write and visualize places that make your heart sing is the next best thing to physically being there. Love and Light to you!

    Liked by 4 people

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