Word Alive Magazine - Spring 2017

Wycliffe Bible Translators of Canada
Jan-Apr 2017
A CREE
INITIATIVE
Helping First Nations people give
mother-tongue Scriptures to their
own communities.
3,000-plus Languages with Scripture + Naturally, its Better + First Nations Bible Translation is Essential
Contents
Jan-Apr 2017 Volume 35 Number 1
On the cover: Jessie Atlookan
and Ruth Kitchekesik lead a
procession during the Anglican
Sunday morning worship at Saint
Matthews Church in Kingfisher
Lake, Ont. The two are also on the
Features team leading translation of Gods
Word into their Oji-Cree language,
Stories by Dwayne Janke part of the Wycliffe Canada-
sponsored Cree Initiative project.
Photos by Natasha Ramrez
Photo by Natasha Ramrez.
6 A Cree Initiative In Every Issue

Helping First Nations people give Gods Word to
their own communities in their mother tongue.
2 Foreword
11 Shapes of Scripture What Step You Gonna Take?

By Dwayne Janke
16 I Almost Lost My Language 4 Watchword

Residential school experiences serve as a
Languages with Scripture a
backdrop for several motivated Oji-Cree Pleasant Surprise
Bible translators.
33 Beyond Words
25 What Residential Schools Did Naturally, Its Better
to Aboriginal Languages
34 A Thousand Words
26 Dear Diary Moose Mentorship
What do they do at a training workshop
for First Nations mother-tongue translators? 35 Last Word
Bible Translation is Essential

31 Translation Update: God for First Nations
Speaks Directly to Us By Roy Eyre
Three New Testaments and one Bible
completed with Canadian involvement.
By Janet Seever
In Others Words
It is blessed work supplying the aborigines
of any country with the Word of Life; that
Word which reveals to them Jesus, and
raises them in spiritual things. . . .
John Horden (1828-1893), Anglican Bishop of

Moosonee Diocese (James Bay region), about
his Bible translation work in Moose Cree
2 Word Alive Jan Apr 2017 wycliffe.ca
Foreword
What Step You Gonna Take?
Dwayne Janke, Editor
I
ts a song that still haunts me encouraged cultural genocide. Using Canadas largely
every time I hear it. In Stolen mainline churches to run these schools, the government
Land, Canadian singer-songwriter aimed to essentially transform young Indian students
Bruce Cockburn calls out the into whites.
colonial powers for their treatment of If you have read the TRCs reports or have seen the news
indigenous people. coverage about them, you know that the residential school
Among other things, the song system was a failed experiment that went very, very badly.
alludes to one of the saddest chapters Riddled with cases of abuse, residential schools ripped apart
in our countrys mistreatment the social fabric of many indigenous communities.
of First Nations people: residential Key to the identity-purging aims of residential schools was
schools. Kidnap all the children, put em in a foreign system an effort to eliminate pupils use of their native languages.
/ Bring them up in no-mans land where no one really wants Responding to this, the TRC has called for action to promote
them / Its a stolen land. . . . mother-tongue languages among First Nations people.
Its easy for us to view We at Wycliffe Bible Translators couldnt agree more with
the sad treatment of the TRC. Our organization has always upheld the importance
First Nations people of the heart languagethe mother tongueto a peoples
in Canada, including
Key to the identity. This includes Aboriginal languages spoken right here
residential schools, as identity-purging from coast to coast.
acts of a past history Through donations from Canadian believers, Wycliffe
committed by previous aims of residential Canada is helping to sponsor an effort called the Cree
generations. But Initiative, featured in this issue of Word Alive. This language
Cockburn asserts we all
schools was an cluster project is training and assisting First Nations people,
still have a part to play effort to eliminate from Alberta to Ontario, to revitalize their languages
today: So now weve all and translate the Scriptures for use in their churches and
discovered the world pupils use of their communities. These local believers are eager to see God
wasnt only made for speak His Word into the hearts of their people.
whites / What step you
native languages. No doubt it will take more than language revitalization,
gonna take to try and including Bible translation, for First Nations people to
set things right / In this completely recover from past mistreatment. But these efforts
stolen land. can play an important role.
On our national stage, the federal government launched So, to quote Cockburn again: What step you gonna take to
the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) to try and set things right / In this stolen land? For starters, you
investigate the impact of residential schools that operated can read the stories that follow. God may be calling you to
from 1883 to the late 1990s. What became clear in hearings become a partner with the Cree Initiative.
across the country was that the governments policy
Wycliffe Canada links the Canadian Church with the world's

minority language groups, to see community transformation
Word Alive is the official publication of Wycliffe Bible Translators of Canada, through Bible translation, use of translated Scriptures,
informing, inspiring and involving the Christian public as partners in the worldwide mother-tongue literacy and education. Canadian Head Office
Bible translation movement. Editor Dwayne Janke Designer Cindy Buckshon 4316 10 St NE, Calgary AB T2E 6K3. Phone (403) 250-5411
Senior Staff Writer Doug Lockhart Staff Writers Nathan Frank, Janet Seever or toll free 1-800-463-1143, 8:30 a.m.4:30 p.m. mountain
Staff Photographers Alan Hood, Natasha Ramrez. Word Alive is published three time. Email info@wycliffe.ca. French speakers call toll free
times annually by Wycliffe Bible Translators of Canada, copyright 2017. Printed 1-877-747-2622 or email francophone@wycliffe.ca. For people with disabilities,
by McCallum Printing Group, Edmonton, Alta. For permission to reprint magazine Wycliffe will make written and non-written information
content, email editor_wam@wycliffe.ca. For additional copies, email media_ accessible upon request, consulting with the requester
resources@wycliffe.ca. For address changes, email circulation@wycliffe.ca, or use to determine what format or communication support
the reply form. For Word Alive online, visit wordalive.wycliffe.ca. is suitable, and then providing this in a timely manner,
at no additional cost.
Word Alive Jan Apr 2017 wycliffe.ca 3

Watchword
LANGUAGES WITH SCRIPTURE papers about linguistic theory, she demonstrated keen insight
herself and is credited with helping solve numerous linguistic
A PLEASANT SURPRISE and translation challenges.
N early half of the worlds living languages now have some of Pike also taught classes at the University of Oklahoma in
Gods Word, according to new statistics from Wycliffe Global Norman for many years, and in countless workshops around
Alliance (WGA). the world. She served as a passionate advocate for minority
As of November 2016, WGA reported that 3,223 (45 per language groups well into her retirement years.
cent) of the 7,097 languages spoken on the globe have some
Scripture portions. NEPAL QUAKE VICTIMS
The international umbrella organization (to which Wycliffe RECEIVE TRAUMA HEALING
Canada belongs) expected to see this number surpass the
3,000 mark in 2016, but was pleasantly surprised to discover
it was much higher. I n April 2015, a 7.8 earthquake struck Nepal, killing
thousands and destroying more than 600,000 homes. In
response, Wycliffes key partner organization, SIL International,
By combining key lists, we identified some previously
unreported Scripture. . . , WGA explained. This year we have partnered with a Nepalese ministry to facilitate a trauma
also included Scripture in languages previously excluded from healing workshop this past May. During 14 small group
Wycliffes counts due to a lack of known first-language speakers, sessions (pictured below), participants heard and discussed
and we have expanded our definition of portions. stories, created songs and shared their own stories.
WGA statistics now include a wider range of initial products as
portions, such as translated Scripture from within a book of the
Bible, or a selection of Scriptures from across several books.
Of the languages with some of Gods Word, WGA says 636
have a complete Bible, 1,442 have a New Testament, and
Photo courtesy of SIL International

1,145 have portions and stories. More than 2,400 known
active translation/language programs are in progress, with WGA
organizations involved in 83 per cent of these.
Across the globe, however, 1.5 billion people do not have the
full Bible in their first language. And between 1,700 and 1,800
languagesspoken by 160 million peoplestill need Bible
translation to begin.
For complete statistics, visit www.wycliffe.net/statistics.
NOTED SIL LINGUIST DIES AT 101 The Healing the Wounds of Trauma workbook and workshops
E
were originally developed by SIL staff and professional
velyn Griset Pike, the widow of world-renowned scholar counsellors to help communities that had been traumatized
Kenneth Pike, died on June 3, 2016, at the age of 101. by war. Resources have been translated into more than 150
Evelyn (pictured below), who was also the niece of Wycliffes languages and two new versions are now available: one for
founder, William Cameron Townsend, made her own mark in those working with children, and an oral story version for
the field of linguistics and Bible translation. communities with no written language.
Along with Townsend and her husband, Evelyn Pike helped SIL continues to work with partners worldwide to train and
found SIL International, Wycliffes key partner organization. certify facilitators to care for traumatized people.
Although she co-authored some of her husbands books and
UNICEF REVIEW AFFIRMS VALUE

OF MOTHER-TONGUE EDUCATION
A recent review of 400 African languages commissioned
by UNICEF supports global evidence that mother-tongue
education is a critical aspect of quality education.
Authored by Dr. Barbara Trudell of SIL International, Wycliffes
Photo courtesy of SIL International
key partner, the report entitled The Impact of Language Policy

and Practice on Childrens Learning: Evidence from Eastern
and Southern Africa, reviews language policies in 21 African
countries. It concludes that although the number of children
attending primary school in Eastern and Southern Africa has
risen significantly, the quality of education has not.
One of the major reasons for this discrepancy, reports Trudell,

NO WORD FOR KING
H ow do you translate the word kingdom when a language

has no word for king? The Tigak people of Papua New
Guinea have wrestled with this very issue, along with several
other key terms encountered when translating Scripture.
Key terms are words in the Bible that are especially important
for understanding its message, such as grace, forgiveness,
and salvation, and they are often difficult to translate.
At one point, community members from several Tigak villages
joined the discussion in a series of workshops. Although a
Photo courtesy of UNICEF
final decision was not reached at that time, the community was
energized to continue talking about translation and how to best
communicate key terms in their language.
While the Tigak continue their search for the right word for
kingdom, translators are using the phrase, the place where
God rules.
. . . is the use of international languages as languages of
instruction, as early as Grade 1 and even in preschool. PANAMAS KUNA PEOPLE RECEIVE
These languages are unfit to serve as a medium for learning
for the millions of kids who dont speak them.
JESUS FILM
SIL has been a strong advocate for mother-tongue education
for many decades. T he JESUS film in Panamas San Blas Kuna language
premiered this past July at a major theatre in Panama
City. Since then, the film has been shown in various Kuna
TONGANS MOBILIZE FOR BIBLE TRANSLATION communities throughout Panama.
T
About 50,000 Kuna speakers live on 49 major islands of the
his past May, the Bible Translation Organization of Tonga San Blas archipelago, while another 100,000-plus live elsewhere
appointed Maxy Koloamatangi (pictured below) as director of in Panama.
the five-year-old indigenous agency. The 35-year-old Tongan man Wycliffes involvement with the San Blas Kuna began in 1982
heads a small team that promotes the work of Bible translation when Keith and Wilma Forster, from South Africa and Canada
in local schools and churches, as well as Tongan communities respectively, began working with local partners to translate the
in New Zealand and Australia. New Testament. Four years after its completion in 1995, a team
A monolingual people, Tongans have had the Bible in their led by the Forsters began translating the Old Testament.
language since 1862. The translation of the entire Bible was dedicated in 2014.
I have a heart and a passion for people who don't have any
Bible, says Maxy, for the people who are . . . still waiting for
someone to bring
the Good News.
Lupe 'Ovalau
Mokena is preparing
to do just that in 78
Papua New Guinea.
The Tongan woman 13
will be the first
WORD
Language groups
Bible translation Number of Wycliffe potentially impacted by
missionary to be Canada-sponsored this focus area work.
projects in its world
sent out from Tonga.
It is a nation of 170
islands36 are
focus areas.
COUNT
inhabitedin the
South Pacific Ocean,
located about two- 107+ $547,769
thirds of the way
from Hawaii to New
million
Else Patten Photo
Zealand.
What Canadians gave in FY
Population potentially impacted 2016 for work in focus areas.
in these focus areas.
Source: Wycliffe Canada

A Cree Initiative
Wycliffes Bill Jancewicz and Ruth Kitchekesik scan
the large frozen expanse while ice fishing near
Kingfisher Lake in northern Ontario. Bill is helping
Helping First Nations people give Gods Word to their to train Ruth and the rest of the Oji-Cree Bible
own communities in their mother tongue. translation team how to translate the Scriptures
into their mother tongue. Facilitating, training and
translation consulting are the main roles being played
Stories by Dwayne Janke by Wycliffe and the Canadian Bible Society staff in the
Photos by Natasha Ramrez Cree Initiative project.

A
s a training workshop effects of oppression and forced programs of assimilation
(such as the residential schools tragedy), have produced toxic
for First Nations conditions in many places.
mother-tongue Bible These are at the heart of the ministry challenges the gospel
faces in First Nation communities today, says MacDonald.
translators was winding The way many Aboriginal people look at the Christian Church
has been deeply marred by the residential school experience
down this past April in Guelph, in Canada, he says. Today, however, many separate the gospel
Ont., Zipporah Mamakwa of the and Jesus from that experience, and look to faith as essential to
rebuilding indigenous life and community.
Oji-Cree translation team eagerly And, crucial to deepening faith among First Nations are
shared something with her the Scriptures in the mother tongue, stresses MacDonald.
colleagues on other teams.

The soft-spoken teacher from Kingfisher Lake, Ont., said a
I believe that the 'Word
tribal elder had asked her to come to his house to talk about
the Oji-Cree Bible translation project there. The elder said
made flesh requires local
something came to hima dreamin the middle of the
night. He told Zipporah: I want to encourage the translators
languages. The Pentecostal
to continue on at this Bible translation project, because God is
doing something wonderful and powerful in this land.
truth that God speaks to us in
When an elder says something like that, it represents the most
powerful support you can get, Zipporah told a dozen peers at
the mother tongue is a part of
the workshop.
And he continues to encourage me to make sure that I pass it
the Churchs foundation."
on to others, she added. So thereI have passed it on: God is
doing something powerful and wonderful in this land amongst Indigenous theology depends on indigenous language.
our people. Revitalization of language and a vital and effective faith depend
The Oji-Cree elders dream-inspired comment may sound on each other.
grand, but it is no overstatement. After several hundred years I believe that the Word made flesh requires local languages.
of missionary and church ministry among Cree First Nations The Pentecostal truth that God speaks to us in the mother tongue
people, finally there is an increasing local push to see heart- is a part of the Churchs foundation. Everyone wants to hear the
language translations of Gods Word reprinted, completed, gospel in their language, even if that language is being lost.
or started. MacDonald asserts that every major language among First
Called the Cree Initiative, this project could impact 100,000- Nations in Canada should have a mother-tongue translation that
plus people in five related Cree language groups, from Alberta meets the communitys stated need.
to Ontario (see map on pg. 10). They include: Northern Alberta
Cree (spoken in 20-plus communities); Plains Cree (70-plus LOCALLY DRIVEN PRIORITIES
communities); Woods Cree (20-plus communities); Swampy MacDonald helped to set the initial goals for the Cree Initiative,
Cree (20-plus communities) and Oji-Cree (12-plus communities). when he gathered with First Nation representatives at a mid-
This cluster of languagesamong the largest and most viable in June 2014 meeting in Prince Albert, Sask. Staff with Wycliffe
North Americafeatures grammatical structures that are very Bible Translators, the Canadian Bible Society (CBS) and others
much alike, with speakers who share similar indigenous cultures. were also there.
Myles Leitch, CBS director of Scripture translation, says the
INDIGENOUS FAITH NEEDS goal was to hear what the First Nations leaders in attendance
INDIGENOUS LANGUAGE wanted done and for them to identify what help they needed.
While Bible translation efforts in this project may eventually Its not about us wanting to send missionaries in there to do
expand to other First Nations languages, the Cree Initiatives focus a job no matter what. Its them saying, We really need to have
for the foreseeable future is on the five Cree languages. Whatever Scriptures in our language.
languages are involved, Mark MacDonald, the Anglican Churchs The Cree church leaders requested technical training and
national indigenous bishop, is eager to see it happen. assistance from Wycliffe and CBS, including providing mother-
MacDonald says that Christian faith is quite vibrant in a lot tongue translator (MTT) training workshops (see related story,
of communities. However, poverty and the inter-generational pg. 26) and translation consulting.

Michael Hudson for General Synod Communications
(TOP) Bill Jancewicz shows mother-tongue translators in the Cree Initiative how Gods Word in their peoples mother tongues, a key to making
to work with Paratext, a computer program widely used by Bible translators. churches truly indigenous. (ABOVE) As translation of Scriptures
(BOTTOM, LEFT) National Indigenous Bishop Mark MacDonald, of the Anglican advances, biblical words and phrases are being discussed and
Church of Canada, is eager to see Aboriginal translators trained so they can bring standardized in Oji-Cree, which, like other Cree languages,
uses syllabics.

Arctic Ocean
Beaufort Sea
Baffin Bay
(LEFT) The five languages that

are the current priorities for work
North Atlantic
in the Cree Initiative project
Ocean
are spoken in widely scattered
communities from Alberta to
f of
Ontario. (ABOVE) This means
ska
considerable travel for project
Northern staff, such as facilitators Bill and
Norma Jean Jancewicz of Wycliffe,
Alberta Labrador Sea
who must take expensive flights
Cree Hudson Bay to isolated Cree communities. A
Woods goal for the project is to recruit
Cree Swampy additional staff who can live in
Cree some of these communities to
provide ongoing training and
assistance to local Cree translators.
Plains
Cree Oji-Cree

Wycliffes Bill and Norma Jean Jancewicz, who are facilitating
the effort, have led two such workshops so far, as well as onsite
training for MTTs. The Jancewiczes draw on more than 28 years
of experience with the Naskapi people of Quebec, who speak
a related language in the Algonquian family of languages that
includes Cree (see Word Alive, Spring 2013). Shapes of Scripture
T
Translators with the Naskapi, who already finished a New
o outsiders, they look like triangles, arrow points, canes,
Testament and are working on the Old Testament, attend the Cree
upside down Ls and joined hooks. To Cree language
MTT workshops. The Naskapi representatives both encourage the
speakers across Canada, however, these symbols are parts
Cree translators and share insights from their own experience.
of their own unique and indigenous writing system. Which is why
Canadian syllabics is used as the text for translations of Gods
The power of the Word in Word in many Cree language varieties.
Canadian syllabics is commonly used for Aboriginal languages
our language changes our in the language families of Athabaskan, Inuit and Algonquian
(the latter includes the various Cree languages). Syllabics
thought patterns, and it is represent consonant+vowel combinations, suitable for Cree
languages where words are usually composed of consonant-vowel,
more meaningful and relevant consonant-vowel sequences.
In syllabics, the nine consonants are represented by character
to who we are as aboriginals." shape. The four vowels in these languages are represented by
character orientation (rotations or flips). So, for example, in Cree,
pi is , po is , pa is and pe is . Vowels appearing alone
Bill hopes for increased Naskapi involvement. I envision them are represented as hollow triangles similarly oriented by direction.
becoming trainers themselves at some point, but theyre not For example, i is , o is , a is and e is .
there yet. They dont have the confidence or capacity to train at Its very easy to teach just those shapes . . . and four directions,
a workshop. But they will. Right now they can share what God is says Bill Jancewicz, facilitator for the Cree Initiative Bible
doing in their lives and their project. translation projects.
To that end, Silas Nabinicaboo, one of five Naskapi Bible Syllabics can be learned in a few days, while the Roman
translators, shares some advice for the other First Nations letter-based writing system of English takes much longer. This
translators, based on his 20 years of experience. Ask God to is the reason syllabics easily spread over great distances after
give you strength, courage, to do that. If you get stuck with the writing system was created by British missionary James
[translating] any words, seek the help of an elder. I like to use Evans in 1840, for Cree living in Manitoba. From two hunters
elders because they know the language more than I do. who Evans taught to read syllabics, the system radiated outward.
Watch video of First Nation speakers in this Cree taught other Cree, from one group to another.
project reading translated verses of Gods Word So in 10 years, says Jancewicz, syllabics spread all across
WWW northern Canada. Not primarily because of missionaries, but
in their language at
wordalive.wycliffe.ca/stories/a-cree-initiative. because of Cree speakers, who were so excited about being
able to read [and write] their own language, that they taught it
to one another. The people began to use syllabics to write on
He says that in the end, Bible translation will be worth all tree bark with burnt sticks, leaving messages on hunting trails.
the hard work, because it will be able to deepen Christian faith Evans created a printing press out of a discarded Hudson Bay
among the Cree. Its important to have Gods Word in their own fur press, fitted with hand-made syllabic type and ink made from
languagein their heart, in their heads. soot and fish oil. He produced many hymnals and prayer books in
Cree. In 1862, 15 years after Evans died, the British and Foreign
NOT YET OR JUST STARTING Bible Society published a Cree Bible in syllabics.
The Jancewiczes hope to help spawn a vision for Bible translation Considered as part of their Cree cultural identity, syllabics are
among the Northern Alberta Cree and Swampy Cree at some viewed by some as a gift from the Creator to two Cree elders,
point. However, there are still no local Bible translation project hundreds of kilometres apart, about the same time as Evans
committees or trained mother-tongue translators in place, which came to Canada. They dreamed in two different parts of the
are crucial to championing and doing the work in those languages. country that a message would come to them that would be
So we pray a lot, says Norma Jean. Lord, if you open that written down, says Jancewicz.
door, then were going to step through it. As Gods Word is translated into syllabics for various Cree
In Woods Cree, work is in the very early stages. A key player languages, that dream continues to come true nearly two
in future Bible translation will surely be Rev. Sam Halkett of the centuries later.
Anglican Church, who ministers in Cree communities near Prince
Albert, Sask.
In our communities, there is an
emptiness . . . our children need
to find the Creator to fill that
emptiness. I think that is the
strength of this Bible translation
work. Its a way to pass on our
faith to future generations
thats our legacy."
An avid teacher of his language for years, Halkett is responsible
for three church services each Sunday. English Scriptures, says
Halkett, provide many Woods Cree speakers with only a surface
understanding of Christian truth.
I think theyre missing the real heart of the gospel itself, in the
language of our people, he says. The power of the Word in our
language changes our thought patterns, and it is more meaningful
and relevant to who we are as aboriginals. And God is the Word,
God is the Spirit, and He is in our languageit is a gift to us.
He hopes to assemble a team of translators to bring Gods
Word to his people in their heart language.
MOST RECENT TRANSLATION

Oji-Cree is the latest language to see translation begin. The
visionary behind the effort is Lydia Mamakwa, area bishop
for the Anglican Churchs Indigenous Spiritual Ministry of
Mishamikoweesh, the first completely indigenous diocese. She
leads a team of six mother-tongue translators at Kingfisher Lake,
Ont. Mamakwa and a colleague had personal experience in
residential schools where their mother tongue was prohibited
(see story, pg. 16).
Since 2015, with a strong community translation committee
behind them, the team has translated 2,000-plus verses into
Oji-Cree for their churchs Bible readings each Sunday. This is a
welcome change from using Scriptures translated for other types
of Cree, which the Oji-Cree dont fully understand.
People are very happy with it, says Mamakwa. People say it
makes it so much clearer to understand the message and what
God is saying. It becomes so real.
Her Bible-translating sister, Zipporah, says Oji-Cree Scriptures
will play a key role in the crucial work of maintaining the language.
It is my belief as a language teacher that the language amongst
our children brings a sense of identity, a sense of belonging, a
sense of security and comfort.
Without our language we are lost, our children are confused,
adds Zipporah. We dont feel whole without our language.
The Cree Initiative is already blessed with strong Cree advocates to
PLAINS CREE ON THE WAY encourage and staff mother-tongue translation teams. (TOP) Rev. Sam
Halkett is keen to see Bible translation start for Woods Cree speakers
The Plains Cree portion of the Cree Initiative received a boost by in northern Saskatchewan, where he ministers with the Anglican
being named a priority at the Prince Albert meeting. Since the Church of Canada. (ABOVE) Zipporah Mamakwa is a school teacher
early 1970s, CBS, Wycliffe and First Nations church leaders have who is on the team that has already translated several thousand
been involved in Bible translation efforts for this largest of Cree verses into Oji-Cree for Sunday Anglican church lectionary readings
languages in Canada. in Kingfisher Lake, Ont. In her spare time, Zipporah loves doing
traditional beadwork.

The First Nations groups that make up the Cree Initiative do not only speak related languagesthey enjoy
similar cultures and ways of life, as well. These include such traditional practices as trapping, fishing and
hunting. For example, members of Kingfisher Lake First Nation (located more than 500 km north of Thunder Bay,
Ont.) gather each fall for a festival that coincides with moose-hunting season. They enjoy eating such favourite
dishes as moose-oatmeal porridge and moose stew, along with freshly caught fish.

This is a chance for reparations
In the 1980s, Cree speaker and Anglican Church minister,
Stan Cuthand, started work on a contemporary Plains Cree that will lead to revitalization,
translation. He completed a first draft of the New Testament
and about half of the Old Testament. Many workshops have that will bless and enhance the
been held to involve additional Cree speakers in the process of
reviewing and giving input to improve the translation. whole Church in Canada."
This review process is now the focus of Dolores Sand and Gayle
understanding the older language or the syllabic writing system,
Weenie (who live in or near Saskatoon, Sask.) with ongoing input
so it cant meet the needs of all Cree speakers.
at consultations with groups of Cree speakers. Ruth Heeg of
Nonetheless, because of the Mason Cree Bibles stature, it is
CBS has served as co-ordinator and translation consultant, but
a priority of the Cree First Nations for CBS to reprint it. These
because of her retirement, other CBS translation personnel will
Scriptures will also be a searchable, digital reference for current
be filling these roles as required.
First Nations translators.
Both retired teachers, Sand and Weenie are painstakingly
checking Cuthands draft translation for spelling and grammar, as CHANCE FOR REPARATIONS
well as for accuracy and clarity. These two Catholic lay leaders,
Whatever Bible translation work they are part of, the MTTs involved
who grew up in Cree communities in Saskatchewan, are passionate
are thankful for the prayers and financial donations of Canadian
about giving fellow Plains Cree speakers the Word of God.
Christians, including those coming through Wycliffe Canada.
In our communities, says Sand, there is an emptiness . . . our
Until Zipporah Mamakwa discovered how the work was
children need to find the Creator to fill that emptiness. I think
funded, she didnt realize that the broader Canadian Church
that is the strength of this Bible translation work. Its a way to
cared about First Nations believers and their communities. I
pass on our faith to future generationsthats our legacy.
would say that the help and support that we get from them is
Weenie says working on the translation is also a way to reverse
way beyond what we can express our thanks for.
the impact of residential schools, which prohibited her own
Bishop MacDonald says non-Aboriginal Christian support for
parents from speaking Plains Cree as children, in an attempt to
the Cree translation work acts as one way to make amends for
break personal links to their culture. I think about that often
the past mistreatment First Nations people have experienced.
and I say, Im getting the last laugh because I still know the
This is a chance for reparations that will lead to revitalization that
language and Im trying to pass it on.
will bless and enhance the whole Church in Canada.
And for me personally, the Bible is the way of getting a deeper
understanding of God.
As the translation checking progresses and Scriptures are
distributed, the two colleagues hope to see Gods Word in Plains
Cree used in church lectionary readings.
Heeg says that people respond best to the gospel in their
mother tongue. The indigenous languages are still the mother
tongue for a large number of people [in Canada], she stresses.
LEGACY BIBLE GETS REFRESHED

Sand, assisted by CBSs Heeg, is also helping to check CBS-
keyboarded syllabics text of the Scriptures from the out-of-print
Mason Cree Bible from the 1860s.
Bill Jancewicz describes this legacy Bible as a Cree equivalent
of the English King James version, because it is highly regarded
and honoured. As a result, it is found in many churches of First
Nations communities no matter the variety of Cree spoken there.
Its an Indian Bible, he says.
It was translated in 1862 for speakers of a now-archaic Cree
on the plain of Canada, by Rev. William Mason and his part-
Cree wife Sophia, at Norway House, Man. In 1908, the translation
was reprinted after a revision by Rev. John Alexander Mackay.
The Mason Cree Bible has been read in First Nations services
by generations of catechists, deacons, lay-readers and clergy, who
then explained it in the local Cree language. However, younger
speakers of these Aboriginal languages have grown up not

(OPPOSITE) Mother-tongue translators involved in the Cree Initiative say the (ABOVE) Dolores Sand and Gayle Weenie take a break from a mother-tongue Bible
100,000-plus speakers of their languageswhether young or oldwill benefit from translation training workshop held this past year in Guelph, Ont. (see related story,
Bible translation. Gods Word in the various varieties of Cree can provide spiritual pg. 26). Dolores and Gayleboth retired teachers in the Saskatoon, Sask., area
help for the social challenges faced by First Nations people. Moreover, mother- are painstakingly checking a draft translation of the New Testament and part of
tongue Scriptures will play a key role in revitalizing their languages, which are so the Old Testament in contemporary Plains Cree. It was done by Anglican minister
crucial to a much-needed sense of identity, security and belonging. Stan Cuthand in the 1980s. The two Catholic lay leaders see the work as part of a
personal legacy to pass their faith on to future generations.

I Almost Lost
Residential school experiences serve as a backdrop
for several motivated Oji-Cree Bible translators.

My Language
Illustration by Anita Ho
Elements of the residential school experiences of Rev. Lydia Mamakwa and Ruth
Kitchekesik are represented in a composite illustration by Anita Ho. The 22-year-
old artist did the drawing after pondering their stories and reviewing archival
photos of Poplar Hill residential school. Anita is a recent graduate of Emily Carr
University of Art and Design.

O
ften, it began with a
morning knock on the
door of a First Nations
family home. Outside
stood the local Indian agent,
the local clergyman, or maybe
even an RCMP officer. The
children inside were to leave
for residential school, the event
their parents had long been
dreading. It was unnerving, even
if the children had been given
advanced warning. But now, it
was time to go.
For 150,000-plus Aboriginal children in Canada over more
than a century, this was often how their residential school
experience started. They were taken from their parents and
transported to a strange learning and living environment, where
their language and culture would be demeaned and oppressed.
Some would suffer abuse, illness and even death in these 130-
plus, government-financed boarding schools, usually run by
Canadas largest mainline churches.
Ruth Kitchekesik and Lydia Mamakwa, Oji-Cree from the
community of Kingfisher Lake in northern Ontario, were more
fortunate. Their residential school stories are not as harrowing as
many others across Canada. Nonetheless, their experiences are a
backdrop for a personal passion to serve on a team of Oji-Cree
mother-tongue Bible translators, part of the Wycliffe Canada-
sponsored Cree Initiative project (see story, pg. 6).
I almost lost my language when I was 10 years old when I came
back from residential school, says Ruth. Thats part of the reason
I want to work in translation. That one time I almost lost my
language, and my language is the most important thing to me.
DESTINATION: POPLAR HILL

As young girls, Lydia and Ruth attended Poplar Hill Development
School. It was located in Ontario, near the corner where the
provinces border with Manitoba bends sharply to the northeast.
Poplar Hill residential school was operated from 1962-1989 by
the Mennonite-affiliated Northern Light Gospel Mission. The
organization, an outgrowth of the work that Mennonites from
Pennsylvania had being doing in Minnesota, established three
residential schools in northwestern Ontario.
It was 1971 when both Lydia and Ruth left Kingfisher Lake on
the same plane to make the 300-km trip southwest to Poplar Hill.
An Indian agent visited Lydias parents, pressing them to send
their daughter to Poplar Hill rather than continue at the small, one-

room school at Kingfisher Lake. Some of Lydias friends had gone
to Poplar Hill several years earlier, but her parents initially resisted
letting her attend. Two of their children had died from illness; they
couldnt handle the absence of another child at that point.
One day I got caught speaking my

language and was made to write, I
will not speak my native language,
on the blackboard a hundred times.
Lydia was 14 years old when she finally went to Poplar Hill.
At first, I was very excited to leave, to go, because I thought it
was a big adventure, recalls Lydia, who is now the bishop for the
Anglican Churchs first indigenous diocese (called the Indigenous
Spiritual Ministry of Mishamikoweesh). But upon arrival at the
school, she was less enthusiastic with the rules laid down by staff.
We couldnt wear our own clothes, except on Sundays. They
provided the clothing. I had to wear a dress, Lydia remembers.
There was really no privacy. They would dig through our stuff.
ONLY ENGLISH
Like all residential schools, Poplar Hill had one especially difficult
rule: students were to speak only English. No matter which First
Nations community the pupils were from, their languages were
banned outright.
This was a shock to Lydia, who even as a teen felt her mother
tongue was beautiful. Under threat of punishment, Lydia secretly
talked with her friends in Oji-Cree.
One day I got caught speaking my language and was made to
write, I will not speak my native language, on the blackboard a
hundred times, says Lydia. I didnt question it, being a 14-year-
old. All I remember is that my arm was getting tired and I was by
myself in the dining room.
Though Lydia may have missed enlarging her Oji-Cree
vocabulary because of her time at Poplar Hill, she didnt lose
her language. For that, she partly credits writing letters to her
parents every few months. Because her father and mother didnt
understand much English, Lydia was permitted to write in syllabics,
the writing system of the Cree (see related sidebar story, pg. 11).
Poplar Hill teachers used a First Nations person on staff who
could read syllabics to translate the letters, recalls Lydia. Our
correspondence was censored.
(TOP, LEFT) Rev. Lydia Mamakwa left Poplar Hill residential school with
an imposed mindset that European culture was superior. She has since
realized her Oji-Cree culture and language are gifts from God. Now she
pushes for her mother tongue to be used in everything her people do.
(TOP, RIGHT) Ruth Kitchekesik reads Scripture at her church in Kingfisher
Lake, Ont. As a 10-year-old student at Poplar Hill (see inset of her school
yearbook photo), she almost lost her Oji-Cree language. (LEFT) Members
of the Oji-Cree team review some of their drafted Bible translation.
They are (counter clockwise from upper left): Zipporah Mamakwa, Ruth
Kitchekesik, Jessie Atlookan, Theresa Sainnawap and Dominick Beardy.

The Bible teaching and the
teaching of hymns was a good
thing. . . . It played a big part in
where I am today.
During her time at Poplar Hill attending Grades 7 and 8,
Lydia never felt abused. The staff were traditional Mennonites,
including conservatively dressed female instructors who wore
their hair in buns under small head coverings.
For the most part they were very nice. Only when you broke
a rule did you get the strap, she recalls. It seems like some
[residential] schools were more harsh than others. [But] I
probably have more fond memories than bad.
THE GOOD AND NOT SO GOOD

Lydia says girls at Poplar Hill were taught regular school subjects,
as well as cooking, sewing and home nursing. But it was the
Christian content she most appreciates, looking back now. It
reinforced what she was taught by her parents, who were
Anglicans with a strong faith in God.
The Bible teaching and the teaching of hymns was a good
thing. They would have devotionals with us every evening. It
played a big part in where I am today.
Negating this, however, students at Poplar Hill were prohibited
from acknowledging their own culture. As a result, Lydia says she
developed a mindset that European culture was superior, which
was one of the federal governments hopes for residential schools
right from the beginning.
But it was not too many years ago that my mindset started
to change. I realized that God gave us our language, our own
culture, our own way of life, and that is a gift. I began to
understand what the elders were saying all this time. And from
then on, I began to push that we use our mother tongue, to have
it being first place in whatever we do.
The 60-year-old wife and mother of two grown children says
Oji-Cree is now used in worship services at Kingfisher Lake, and
Gods Word is steadily being translated for Bible readings in
church. The youth and others can better understand what
God is saying in the Scriptures. . . . People say that it makes it so
much clearer to understand the message, and what God is saying
becomes so real.
RUTHS STORY
For Ruth, who went to Poplar Hill when she was 10 years old,
some details about her residential school experience are foggy. I
dont know why I dont remember much, says the 57-year-old.
Maybe Im blocking some stuff.
Ruth Kitchekesik takes a turn blessing her community over the airwaves of
a local radio station in Kingfisher Lake, Ont. She translates on the spot into
Oji-Cree some readings from a prayer book in a related Cree language, and
the Daily Bread devotional booklet and Bible in English. As the Oji-Cree
team continues to move forward with its work, there will be more of their
own mother-tongue materials for these types of spiritual outreaches.

An Apology for Poplar Hill
R
epresentatives of the administration and staff of
the agenciesNorthern Light Gospel Mission and school program was on a downturn across Canada. Earlier,
Impact North Ministriesthat operated Poplar stricter conditions enforced by the government may have
Hill Development School and two other residential been changing.
schools, have issued an apology statement to former Like her older peer from Kingfisher Lake, Ruth fondly
students. It apologizes for how: recalls the Bible teaching, hymn singing and practical
. . . we physically inflicted pain, or added to the pain instruction at Poplar Hill.
of your soul by our actions. . . . The good things were the Christian faithand learning life
. . . we underestimated or ignored the impact on you skills. I think that was important. I dont know if I would have
of your separation from your family. . . .
Im glad that Im able to speak my
. . . our ignorance or negligence caused you to suffer
additional emotional and physical pain at the hands language now. I know that Im not
of other students. . . .
. . . school personnel were not properly screened, going to lose it again.
and when personnel were not adequately trained to
relate to you in culturally appropriate ways. . . . learned how to make a dress otherwise.
She remembers how proud she was having memorized the
. . . we acted as though we were culturally superior names of books in the Bible. I had 100 per cent on the test.
to you. . . . But focusing on English took its toll on Ruth using her
. . . we co-operated with the national plan to force mother tongue. When Ruth was flown back to Kingfisher
your assimilation into Canadian society. . . . Lake for summer break, she struggled to speak Oji-Cree.
The statement concludes: Please consider our apology When I got off the plane, one of my older sisters came to
and our sincere desire for a successful healing journey. meet me, and she hardly understands English. So, I tried to
tell her, There is one more box [of luggage] in there for me
in the plane. I tried telling her and we couldnt understand
each other.
To read the entire apology, visit www.lhnm.org/ Ruth was able to converse with two other siblings who
truth-and-reconciliation/. A related article can be knew a little English. But I couldnt talk to my mother.
WWW found at www.canadianmennonite.org/articles/
mending-sacred-hoop. A MOTIVATING PASSION
After returning and finishing another grade at Poplar Hill,
Ruths time there ended. Her parents insisted she remain in
Ruth does know that a government man came to her family Kingfisher Lake, where a new school had been built. I was
home at Kingfisher Lake. He pushed her parents to send an older glad to be back home and thats where I graduated from
brother to Poplar Hill, but her father resisted. He explained that Grade 8.
he needed his sons help at home. Ruth was sent instead. As Ruth again immersed herself in Oji-Cree at home
Upon arrival at Poplar Hill, Ruth remembers principals and during family trips into the bush, she fully regained
and teachers greeting her and other newcomers, and asking her mother tongue. Im glad that Im able to speak my
questions in English. She could answer yes or no, but could language now. I know that Im not going to lose it again.
not carry on a conversation. Like Lydia, Ruth was made to put on Ruth and her husbandwho she met at a Bible camp
a school dress. never had children of their own, but are raising their nieces
There were a couple girls that were asked to look after me, to sons, ages 16 and seven. The couple have taken the boys to
go change and wash up and all that, recalls Ruth. They made bush camp, where they go each September. At their cabin,
sure we were cleanI remember that. nearly 50 km north of Kingfisher Lake, they hunt and fish
They told me what I had to do, secretly, in my language. The and focus on speaking Oji-Cree.
girls immediately warned Ruth not to speak Oji-Cree around Ruth wants to see the language grow stronger through-
teachers and made it clear she had to quickly learn English. Ruth out her entire community, which is why she is so dedicated
applied herself to do just that. to helping translate Gods Word. Up until recently, their
I decided to go with the flow. There wasnt much [else] I could church has been limited to using Scriptures in other types
do anyway. of Cree.
Ruth recalls hearing from others that conditions at Poplar Our youth and children, they need to understand. If they
Hill may have been worse before her time there attending go to church and they dont understand the language, they
Grades 5 and 6. By the time she arrived, the failing residential get discouraged, explains Ruth.

We hear of other languages going Technology is pressing in on First Nations communities, such as
Kingfisher Lake, Ont., increasing the influence of English among young
extinct. We dont want that to people. The Oji-Cree Bible translation team believes that Gods Word
in their communitys mother tongue will act as a way to boost the
happen to us. languages use among young people, who also need the spiritual direction
Scriptures can provide.
There are younger people who are always having problems.
Some go through a lot. I just hope that it [Gods Word] will
help them to have a better life.
Lydia shares Ruths language passion. She is pleased that
many children and grandchildren among the Oji-Cree still
speak their mother tongue. And, unlike residential schools
such as Poplar Hill, the school at Kingfisher Lake is making
an effort to revitalize the communitys mother tongue
among its students.
We hear of other languages going extinct, Lydia says. We
dont want that to happen to us.

Library and Archives Canada
As translation of Gods Word into Oji-Cree marches on, a new generation of school students at
Kingfisher Lake First Nation is learning to read their languages syllabic writing system used in
the Scripture translation. Several generations ago, this young girl may have been at a residential
school, where her Oji-Cree language would have been prohibited entirely.

What Residential Schools Did to Aboriginal Languages
E
ditors Note: The following are excerpts from Honouring the Aboriginal had reported an Aboriginal language as their first
Truth, Reconciling for the Future: Summary of the Final Report of language learned, and a decade earlier, in the 1996 census, the
the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, 2015 figure was 26 per cent. This indicates nearly a 50 per cent drop
in the 15 years since the last residential schools closed.
Residential schools are a tragic part of Canadas history. But If the preservation of Aboriginal languages does not become
they cannot simply be consigned to history. The legacy from the a priority both for governments and for Aboriginal communities,
schools and the political and legal policies and mechanisms then what the residential schools failed to accomplish will come
surrounding their history continue to this day. This is reflected in about through a process of systematic neglect.
the significant educational, income, health, and social disparities The Commission believes that a multi-pronged approach to
between Aboriginal people and other Canadians . . . the intense Aboriginal language preservation . . . will require full, good-
racism some people harbour against Aboriginal people and in the faith consultation, which recognizes that although Aboriginal
. . . discrimination Aboriginal people regularly experience in this communities have the necessary knowledge, particularly among
country. It is reflected too in the critically endangered status of their Elders, to preserve their own languages, additional support
most Aboriginal languages. is needed.
Aboriginal languages are a tangible emblem of group identity
that can provide the individual a sense of security and continuity CALLS TO ACTION
with the past. . . . Maintenance of the language and group identity 14) We call upon the federal government to enact an
has both a social-emotional and a spiritual purpose. Aboriginal Languages Act that incorporates the following
Residential schools were a systematic, government-sponsored principles:
attempt to destroy Aboriginal cultures and languages and to i. Aboriginal languages are a fundamental and valued
assimilate Aboriginal peoples so that they no longer existed element of Canadian culture and society, and there is an
as distinct peoples. English and, to a far lesser degree, French urgency to preserve them.
were the only languages permitted to be used in most schools. ii. Aboriginal language rights are reinforced by the
Students were punishedoften severelyfor speaking their treaties. . . .
own languages. iv. The preservation, revitalization, and strengthening of
. . . The United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Aboriginal languages and cultures are best managed by
Peoples . . . recognizes that Indigenous peoples have the right Aboriginal people and communities.
to revitalize, use, develop and transmit to future generations
their histories, languages, oral traditions, philosophies, writing
systems and literatures, and to designate and retain their own
names for communities, places and persons. To read the entire report, visit www.trc.ca
Many of the almost 90 surviving Aboriginal languages in WWW and click on Executive Summary.
Canada are under serious threat of extinction. In the 2011
census, 14.5 per cent of the Aboriginal population reported that
their first language learned was an Aboriginal language. In the
previous 2006 census, 18 per cent of those who identified as Cree students and a teacher at the All Saints Indian Residential School,
Lac La Ronge, Sask., 1945.

Dear Diary What do they do at a
training workshop for
First Nations mother-
tongue translators?

Sunday, April 24, 2016
T
heyve come thousands of kilometres, from sometimes iso-
lated communities, spread all the way from Saskatchewan
to Quebec. A dozen First Nations mother-tongue Bible
translators (MTTs) have gathered in a Christian retreat centre
in Guelph, Ont.
For five days, these First Nations men and women will receive
training and encouragement from staff: Bill and Norma Jean
Jancewicz from Wycliffe; Ruth Heeg and Myles Leitch from the
Canadian Bible Society (CBS), which is sponsoring this workshop;
Meg Billingsley, a Wycliffe translation consultant in training; and
Matt and Caitlin Windsor of Wycliffe, who are preparing to serve
as translation project facilitators in a First Nation community.
The goal for this Cree Initiative gathering is ultimately to help
locally run translation projects move forward in four languages
back home: Plains Cree, Woods Cree, Oji-Cree and Naskapi. It will
be a busy week ahead, so after having mingled in the lounge this
evening, participants settled into their rooms for a night of rest.
Monday, April 25, 2016

Everyone took their seats and fired up their laptops in one of the
retreat centres meeting rooms. Its 9:30 and everybodys here,
said Bill Jancewicz, who leads the workshop. Praise the Lord.
Listen to the workshop participants

WWW sing Amazing Grace in Plains Cree at
wordalive.wycliffe.ca/stories/dear-diary.
Like several times daily this week, the group started by singing
a hymn in one of the languages represented; this time its Holy,
Holy, Holy in Naskapi.
This mornings devotional was based on verses in Gen. 2; John
1, and Ps. 8, read in the various languages of the MTTs hereif
they have been translated. The MTTs heard that in Creation, God
used language immediately to express His relationship to man,
but even before Creation, there was language (the Word). Bill
asked what these passages might indicate about the work the
MTTs are doing. Its valued by the Creator, answered Dolores
Sand, one of two Plains Cree translators here.
The MTTs introduced themselves, including Ruth Kitchekesik,
a member of the Oji-Cree Bible translation team from northern
Ontario. I almost lost my language when I was 10 years old, (OPPOSITE) A highlight of the workshop for mother-tongue
translators in Guelph, Ont., this past April was the visit
when I came back from residential school, she explained. It of several Korean-Canadian church leaders interested
took me some time to regain my language and thats why its so in supporting First Nations Bible translation. After a
important to be here. This translation is really helping us. (See large circle of prayer together on the fourth day of the
related story, pg. 16.) workshop, Oji-Cree translator Zipporah Mamakwa gives a
Bill led a session on the basics of Bible translation, reminding welcoming embrace to Han Na Ko from the Toronto Korean
Presbyterian Church.
everyone that God wants to communicate with people in a (TOP) A well-known Bible verse written in Cree syllabics is
language they can understand. This was shown by Jesus coming to taped to one of the laptops at the translators workshopa
live with mankind, ministering in a local culture and local language. reminder of the ultimate reason behind providing mother-
Myles demonstrated the MegaVoice Scripture audio player, tongue Scriptures. (ABOVE) Myles Leitch, director of
for which CBS is the distributor in Canada. He offered to load Scripture translation for the Canadian Bible Society (a
partner in the Cree Initiative), shows off the graphic novel
a few of the devices with translated Scriptures in several of the Good and Evil. The chronological presentation of the
languages for testing by the MTTs in their communities. Bible message could be published in various types of Cree
to encourage engagement with Gods Word.

In a Bible translation principles session, Bill taught that Myles presented another possible way for Cree speakers to
translation has essentially two parts: determining the meaning engage with Gods Word, this time through a graphic novel
in a source language and re-expressing it in a different language. called Good and Evil. The 330-page book is a chronological
For example, in Luke 13:31, Jesus describes Herod as a fox. This presentation of the Bible message. Myles asked if this
does not mean that he is a furry, four-legged animal, but that he paraphrased comic-book-style approach would be useful in Cree
is sly and crafty like that animal which uses stealth to find prey. communities. Several workshop participants nodded their heads.
The Naskapi translators said they used the actual word fox from Finishing the day, Bill led the group through the use of Paratext.
their language in their Scriptures. But grinning team member This computer program is widely used by Bible translators to input
Tshiueten Vachon wondered aloud if wolverine would have their draft translations and review them on-screen with the aid
of biblical source texts, various translations and helpful resource
Jesus has the answer, materials. The MTTs oohs and hmms showed that they
learned some important new things.
God has the answer, After supper, several carloads of MTTs went to shop at a mall,
buying everything from jeans to athletic shoes. It was a special treat
the Scriptures have for those from isolated communities. We dont have stores like
that, explained Ruth Kitchekesik, as she and Oji-Cree colleagues
carried shopping bags to their rooms.
the answer. Wednesday, April 27, 2016
been better, because he heard an elder on the radio compare the
Myles gave a sobering, but encouraging, devotional on the topic
government to that animal!
of suffering and spiritual warfare. The powers of darkness must
The day ended with a translation checking time by the teams.
absolutely hate Bible translators bringing the Word of God into
Bill showed Sam Halkett, who is just starting a Woods Cree Bible
another language. Because think about what were doing . . .
translation effort, how to type syllabics used by Cree languages,
were opening the doors of the Kingdom of Heaven through
on a standard computer keyboard.
the Scriptures, he said. But God has called us, Hes given us His
Spirit. We dont have to be afraid. . . . May God give us all joy
Tuesday, April 26, 2016 and peace and discernment as we carry on this work that we are
Bill shared this mornings devotional based on Romans 15:4 (read called to do.
in several different Cree languages): . . . through the endurance CBS colleague Ruth Heeg led a lesson on Bible translation basics,
taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we this time about communicating with concepts, using examples of
might have hope. We have been hearing a lot about hopeless words in the Bible and in different Cree languages. As translators,
First Nations communities, said Bill, referring to a recent suicide she stressed, we need to understand as far as we can what
watch in Attawapiskat near James Bay. Jesus has the answer, concept the Bible author was trying to communicate. And think
God has the answer, the Scriptures have the answer. about how that can be best translated, best communicated, into
Myles taught more Bible translation basics, this time focusing the concepts and structures of the target language.
on a theory about communication processing effort, benefits This afternoon Bill introduced the MTTs to a guide from SIL
and relevance. He said there is a tension in Bible translation (Wycliffe's key partner organization) that helps groups plan what
between the text being so difficult that people stop engaging they want to do with their languages. He stressed that First Nation
with it, or so easy that no effort is required of the readers at all, communities themselvesnot outsidersneed to take ownership
which can equally cause them to lose interest. For Scripture to to direct and plan this. As an example, Bill pointed to the
be understood, Bible translators strive for readers to experience advanced Naskapi language project in Quebec, where he and wife
enough benefits from it without having to make an unnecessary Norma Jean served with local leaders. The Naskapi benefit from a
effort to process the information it contains. published New Testament used in church and are now translating
Guest lecturer Steve Kempf (a Wycliffe translation consultant) the Old Testament. Moreover, the Naskapi have also created a
began a two-part session on how to deal with various types of dictionary, a legends and stories project, a descriptive grammar of
names in Bible translation. For some names, the best approach their mother tongue, childrens and adult literacy classes, etc.
might be to translate them into the target language, to express This happened because people in your community cared, said
the meaning that the name has in Hebrew or Greek. But for Bill to the Naskapi MTTs, before challenging all the teams. You
other names, a translation team will decide either to borrow need to support each other in this kind of work. Thats part of
using English spellings, or to transliterate them (adapt them to the reason we meet like this.
conform to the rules of the lettering system in that language). Bill finished the day with an overview of how members of the
In Naskapi, for example, Adam is transliterated as Atam Algonquian language familywhich includes languages spoken
(). With thousands of names in the Bible, it is no easy task, by this workshops MTTsare related. For example, very similar
prompting Oji-Cree translator Zipporah Mamakwa to quip: words for rabbit, wolf and knife, among other things, are found
Well all have grey hair after were done translating! throughout Algonquian territory extending through the plains,

(TOP, LEFT) Wycliffes Bill Jancewicz, who leads the workshop, spends names in Bible translation, led by Wycliffe translation consultant Steve
some one-on-one time with Rev. Sam Halkett, who is learning to type Kempf. (ABOVE) At days end, mother-tongue translators Dolores Sand
Woods Cree syllabics with a standard computer keyboard. (TOP, RIGHT) A (at computer) and Gayle Weenie review some Plains Cree Scripture
Cree mother-tongue translator writes names for key persons in Scripture translation with Ruth Heeg, project co-ordinator and translation
as part of an exercise during a presentation on dealing with types of consultant with the Canadian Bible Society.

central and eastern portions of Canada and the U.S. However, from Antioch Church of Edmonton, as he introduced himself
he stressed that while the Oji-Cree and Naskapi people, for to the MTTs: You are my people. God loves you and He
example, can understand some of each others Scriptures, loves me. My goal, my vision is to worship together, for all the
they cannot understand everything. people . . . all the nations, to worship together.
The visiting Koreans asked the MTTs how they can pray for
Thursday, April 28, 2016 them, their communities and their language work. The prayer
request topics were sobering: social problems, addictions, suicide,
As on previous days, the workshop today featured a
illness, greater unity through Christ, healthy minds, bodies and
devotional, singing (Amazing Grace in Plains Cree), a history
souls for the youth, and more MTTs to advance translation.
lesson on Bible translation in North Americas Aboriginal
languages, and more Bible translation training.
But the highlight today was a visit by seven representatives See a video of this impassioned prayer
of several Korean Christian churches from as far away as WWW time for the Cree Bible translators at
Edmonton. They were brought to the workshop by Daniel wordalive.wycliffe.ca/stories/dear-diary.
Yoon and Gyoojun Lee of Wycliffe Canadas Korean ministries,
Obviously moved by this, the Koreans wanted to

You are my people. God pray immediately, forming a large circle with workshop
participants for sustained and emotional intercession. After
loves you and He loves me. their visit, the Koreans met to discuss next steps in supporting
First Nations Bible translation efforts.
who say that increasing numbers of Korean churches are

Friday, April 29, 2016
interested in partnering in ministry, including Bible translation, This half-day morning session was wrap-up time for the
among First Nations. Canadian Korean Christians feel a workshop before everyone headed their separate ways. Meg
connection to First Nations people for two reasons. First, led devotions and Bill taught a bit more on Bible translation
speakers of Canadas aboriginal languages are genetically basics. The MTTs received certificates for participating in
related to people in northeast Asia, such as the Koreans. the workshop and they completed evaluations to improve
Second, like First Nations students at the notorious residential future gatherings.
schools, Koreans were likewise prohibited from speaking their Most importantly, they went home more encouraged, more
mother tongue by Japanese colonizers for 35 years. equipped and more challenged to press forward in providing
This affinity was made very plain by Kwon Choi, a deacon more of Gods Word in their peoples heart language.
Pray for the Cree Initiative Those involved in this important effort need your prayers:
For the health and well-being of the Cree mother-tongue
F
or those of us who have Gods Word in our translators and their families.
mother tongue, it is difficult to know what it is like F
or funding to pay for relatively expensive project-related
to be without the Scriptures that give us a clear travel into and out of the isolated northern Cree communities.
knowledge of God, so we can truly love and serve Him
F
or the next mother-tongue translator workshop (April 2017)
as disciples. It took missionary effort for Gods truth to
for the right staffing, the choice of the right First Nations
come to us, starting with the very first ambassadors of
participants, for the details of the workshop contents, for
God, such as the Apostle Paul.
travel funds and safety, and effective instruction.
From the beginning, that enterprise involved prayer
by those who knew the gospel for those who were F
or co-operation and unity between translation team
spreading it. As Paul writes to the church that he members, facilitators, and other stakeholders in Bible
founded in Thessalonica, . . . brothers and sisters, translation agencies.
pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread F
or open doors in other First Nations communities in Canada
rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you where there is still the need and desire to start their own
(2 Thess 3:3 NIV). Bible translations, and for God's guidance and wisdom to
The message of the Lord is rooted in Gods Word, but meet those needs.
many groups still need this translated into their mother
tongue, their heart languages. This is true for First F
or adequate financial support for Wycliffe staff already called
Nations communities right here in Canada, including to serve in these communities, and for God to continue to
the five related Cree languages of the Cree Initiative lead more support staff to meet current and future needs.
featured in this magazine. F
or God's wisdom and guidance to allocate finances and staff
at the right time to the right project.

Translation Update:
God Speaks key partner organization), plus government, church and
village chief representatives from the two language groups.
Directly to Us
The most exciting thing for me, says Leigh, was
watching the Paama and Southeast Ambrym people come
up and joyfully receive their printed Bibles and audio Bible
Three New Testaments and one Bible players. Tears came to my eyes as I saw them go, one by
one, sit down and begin to read or listen to God speaking
completed with Canadian involvement. to them through His Word.
Southeast Ambrym-speaker Chief Rueben, who greatly
By Janet Seever
values Gods translated Word, said, In the colonial days,
I
n May and June 2016, the Paama and Southeast we learned about God in English or French. He was very
Ambrym peoplewho live on the beautiful Pacific distant. Then, after our country gained independence,
islands of Vanuatureceived Gods translated Word in we began learning more about God through the national
their own languages. pidgin trade language. But today, as we come together to
After 15 years of work, they now have the full New dedicate the Bible in our own languages, God speaks to
Testament, along with selected portions of the Old us directly in our own language.
Testament. The Bible dedications also included much of Following the dedications, Leigh led nine Scripture-use
the two translations in audio form. training seminars in various locations on Paama and
Wycliffe Canada members Leigh and Barbara Labrecque Southeast Ambrym Islands. Many people eagerly came
began serving as translation advisers in 2001, intending to to learn how to use Gods Word. During the seminars,
work on only the Paama language, but ended up working on people practised reading their Bibles, learned to use the
the related language of Southeast Ambrym as well. glossary, discovered several significant events on two
The Paama and Southeast Ambrym people are primarily Bible timelines, and saw how to use cross references to
located in four locations, with several thousand language let Scripture interpret itself.
speakers in each place. For that reason, four dedications Following one of the dedications, Leigh recalls being
were held between May 15 and June 5. Guests at the deeply impacted.
dedications included other colleagues from SIL (Wycliffes
Casey Ellis Photo
Several Ambrym women in Vanuatu eagerly begin using just-published Scriptures in their mother tongue.
In Santo, a place I had only visited once before, a two countries. The translation consultants for this project
Paama man met me at the airport and said that he was are Canadians, who are also working in other sensitive
so touched at the dedication ceremony that he felt God Asian projects.
prompting him to come and tell me thank you, give me a Of the 2,300 New Testaments printed, 300 were air-
gift, and speak a blessing on me. freighted ahead of the main shipment and were available
Wow! Im truly blessed. at the dedication. About 200 were sold at that event. It
is hoped that the audio versions of translated Scriptures
HEARING JESUS WORDS on mp3 players will also have great impact. The Bunong
The Bunong* New Testament in Asia was dedicated in late people are crafting new songs of praise in their own
May. It was an incredible event for those who had worked traditional musical style.
so hard to produce this book. In a beautiful procession,
two young people held the New Testament and were GODS WORD FOR THE LENTOMI*
followed by church leaders, villagers and guests. During In September 2016, the first copies of the full Bible in
the celebration, Bunong people gave testimonies about the Lentomi language of Asia came off the printing press.
how the New Testament has impacted them. Several had The finalized text of both the Old and New Testaments,
been struggling to comprehend Scripture in the national together with supplemental study material, totalled
language, but now they can hear Jesus words in their 1,968 pages. This was the culmination of efforts by many
mother tongue. people over the past 22 years.
Todd and Becky, translation facilitators from the U.S., Lentomi speakers number roughly 25 million and by
commented on the foreign guests from the U.K., Germany, cultural background are Muslim. They have long been one
Australia and the U.S. of the largest ethnic groups in the world without a full Bible
These precious people have stood alongside us and in their language. In 1992 the New Testament, Genesis
our colleagues, faithfully praying and giving over the past and Psalms were released in one volume. Two years later,
14-plus years! they wrote. What a privilege to see a a new project to translate the entire Old Testament got
display of Gods worldwide family gathered to rejoice with a underway with the involvement of personnel from SIL and
group of people in [Asia] receiving Gods message of hope. other agencies. Later the New Testament was revised
The Bunong language is spoken by 140,000 people in with the help of Andy, a Canadian who joined the team
in 2007.
Interest in the complete Lentomi Scriptures was so
World Translation Summary 2016 great that in 2013, the publisher took the unusual
This past year, Scriptures translated with Wycliffe involvement were step of releasing on its website a provisional version of
published in 19 languages spoken by more than 3.5 million people. all 66 books of the Bible. In late 2014, it was reported
The table below gives a regional breakdown of the affected language that in the preceding year more than 45,000 portions
groups with their populations. of the Lentomi Scriptures had been downloaded from
the Internet, including an average of 24 full Bibles
NUMBER OF COMBINED TOTAL every day. Government permission is needed for the
LOCATION importing and distributing of the newly printed Lentomi
GROUPS POPULATIONS
Bible in the country where most Lentomi speakers
NEW TESTAMENTS live. Plans to professionally produce an audio version
depend largely on the Bibles legal status, so official
Africa 7 734,600 approval of the publication is crucial.
God has already been using the Scriptures in the
Asia 3 2,050,240
Lentomi language to communicate the message of His
Pacific 4 18,380 love. Though a very small percentage of the Lentomi
population, the number of Jesus-followers is now likely
Americas 2 8,730 in the tens of thousands, and is growing in the midst
of considerable opposition and pressure.
TOTAL NEW
TESTAMENTS
16 2,811,950 One Lentomi speaker wrote, Though it is possible to
learn a foreign language fairly well, still ones mother
WHOLE BIBLES tongue is the one language which speaks to the heart
and can deeply move. It transforms the message from
Africa 2 139,500
something foreign to familiar.
Americas 1 567,840 I am looking forward to reading and studying the
Word of God in this translation, and will eagerly wait to
TOTAL BIBLES 3 707,340 see how our Lord will use it to build up the Lentomi for
many years to come.
COMBINED TOTALS 19 3,519,290
* Pseudonyms used due to sensitivity
Beyond Words
Naturally, its Better
By Danny Foster
H
ave you ever Mark 13:33, Jesus tells us to be watchful, and this comes
purchased a new out beautifully in my Swahili Bible as equivalent to be
product and found eyesa vivid and far more natural Swahili expression to
the instructions to communicate being on your guard.
be a little humorous? I have Second, some words just seem to go together. In
a very specialized charger for linguistic study we call it collocation. For example,
repowering all kinds of batteries. keep and commandments work well together.
The imported product came All throughout Scripture we are exhorted to keep
with the following warning: Do the commandments, but commandments are not
not attempt to disassemble something that can be kept in every language. Its just
the battery pack arbitrarily. I chuckled and thought to not natural to say it that way. In many languages it is far
myself, Look guys, I promise, if I take this thing apart Ill more natural to say obey rather than keep.
make sure I have a good reason to do so! Third, its not uncommon to discover that languages
Funny English instructions are usually the result of poor assign a natural ordering of certain words. Consider
translation work that happens because English is not English phrases like up and down, ladies and
the dominant language for the product manufacturers. gentlemen, over and out or bread and butter. Its
And its not just English that suffers. Problems happen all oddly hilarious to a
the time when people underestimate the challenges of native English speaker
moving between any two languages, especially when they if you reverse them A translation
lack proficiency in one of them. and say down and
In this series on the qualities of good Bible translation, up, gentlemen and that is natural . . .
Ive covered accuracy and clarity. This time I want to ladies, out and over
talk about naturalness. The English instructions that or butter and bread! speaks to people
came with my battery charger are both accurate and And yet in other in the way that
clear. I have been able to read through the entire manual languages, it would
and successfully use the product. My laughter (and be totally natural to they themselves
sometimes confusion) when reading it, however, can say them that way.
be attributed to its lack of naturalness in my particular Or, perhaps the order speak. God
dialect of English. A translation that is natural expresses may not matter at all. doesnt sound
things in a way that people typically express them in the Making a
target language. Accuracy addresses the question, Is all translation natural foreign.
the information there? Clarity addresses the question, Is means paying
this understandable? Naturalness addresses the question, attention to these
Is this the way people say things? and many other small
Naturalness is the most difficult part of learning a new aspects of language structure. Getting it wrong can be
language. Its also the easiest thing for novice translators disastrous in Bible translation. Imagine someone reacting
to mess up, because they tend to translate word-for- to Gods Word in the same way you might react to those
word. The following are a just a few of the things that we poorly translated instructionslaughing, confused or
need to watch for. even angered.
First, idioms can rarely be translated word-for-word. A translation that is natural is not stilted. It speaks
In Romans 12:20, Paul echoes the Hebrew idiom found to people in the way that they themselves speak. Most
in Proverbs 25:22, heap burning coals on his head. I importantly, God doesnt sound foreign.
can only assume his Greek audience understood it well.
But more than 2,000 years later, the Hebrew idiom lives
on in most of our English Bibles. I strongly doubt that Danny Foster is president of the Canada Institute of Linguistics
many people today, especially those with no church (CanIL), a partner of Wycliffe Canada that trains personnel to
background, would understand it. On the other side of serve in language projects, including Bible translation. CanIL
the coin, sometimes something that is not idiomatic operates at Trinity Western University in Langley, B.C., and
can be translated far better by introducing an idiom. In Tyndale University College and Seminary in Toronto, Ont.

A Thousand Words
Moose Mentorship
A
crowd of curious Oji-Cree youngsters
watches carefullyand eventually
some of them ask to helpas an
elder cuts up moose meat from the autumn
hunting season at Kingfisher Lake, Ont. It
Photograph by Natasha Ramrez is traditional practices such as this that
are handed down from one generation
to another among First Nations peoples.
The older generation among several Cree
communities in Canada is hopeful that their
traditional heart languages will be sustained
and love for God strengthened, thanks to
the Cree Initiative Bible translation project.

Last Word
Bible translation is Essential for First Nations
By Roy Eyre, Wycliffe Canada President
H
ow did we come to this point? think that there is anything you can do today that is as critical as
How can it be that another First the work of Bible translation for the First Nations communities.
Nations community declared a We dont often think of it this way, but Bible translation
state of emergency because of is relevant to the poverty cycle, the deep wounds and the
suicides among its young people? hopelessness common among First Nations people. Wycliffes
Over the past couple of years, such
tragedies have entered the national
conversation. Fortunately, our government "Wycliffes work is relevant to a government
is attempting to address underlying issues struggling to take on the significant challenges
affecting Aboriginal people in Canada. In June, Prime Minister
Trudeau met with First Nations leaders to discuss the suicide of national reconciliation and justice for those
epidemic. He concluded that the key to lowering the rate
of First Nations young people taking their own lives was the they once oppressed."
restoration of indigenous languages: This is something that we
know is essential. As an indicator of pride and identity, belonging work is relevant to a government struggling to take on the
and culture, indigenous languages are essential. And in early significant challenges of national reconciliation and justice
December, Trudeau announced that his government will introduce for those they once oppressed. Our work is also relevant to a
an indigenous languages act to preserve, protect and revitalize Canadian Church embarrassed by its role in a cultural genocide
Aboriginal languages. that continued into our generation. We have something to offer,
This past March, at a meeting in Toronto on First Nations as the stories in this magazine show.
Bible translation needs, I met with some mother-tongue The Plains Cree and Oji-Cree men and women I met recognize
translators from the Plains Cree and Oji-Cree Bible translation that real hope and real solutions will not come from political
teams. Their comments broke my heart: "I almost lost my actions alone. Each one is taking steps to pursue reconciliation,
language" and "Our generation is blaming the Church for losing speak in schools, lead
their language and culture." in the church and
The broader Canadian Church needs to enter this dialogue. work to see Gods
When the Truth and Reconciliation Commission offered their Word expressed clearly
94 calls to action in 2015, several were targeted at Canadas faith in their own language
community. Christians struggle to know how to respond to the and culture.
tragic legacy of residential schools, which were the product of a Addressing
partnership between the Canadian government and mostly large foundational issues
mainline church denominations. We like to pigeonhole the fallout brings real, systemic
of these institutions as something limited to the deeds of a handful restoration. That's
of denominations. But some of these schools were operated by where you and I can
those affiliated with non-mainline churches. play a role, because
Mark MacDonald, national indigenous bishop for the Anglican Wycliffe's ministries
Church of Canada, pulls no punches: "The mission of the Church tackle root causes.
had been to suppress our cultures."
No Christian in Canada can hide from the guilt of cultural
annihilation. History rides on all of our backs; it impairs current
relations with our First Nation brothers and sisters, and it blocks
future healing.
On the first evening of the Toronto meeting, Bishop
MacDonald followed up his blunt negative assessment about
Illustration by Anita Ho
the past mission of the church with more hopeful words:

Translation is absolutely essential for our communities. . . .
It is the incarnation of the Word of God into our lives and
communities. We are on a trajectory of hope; we are on a
trajectory of justice; we are on a trajectory of salvation. I dont
RETURN UNDELIVERABLE ITEMS TO WYCLIFFE CANADA CIRCULATION
4316 10 ST NE
CALGARY AB T2E 6K3
Deliver to:
PM 40062756
Wycliffe Canada Featured Partnership
Invest in the
Cree Initiative
Y
ou can help propel translation of Gods Word
for more than 100,000 people located across
much of Canada, through your gift to this project
(featured in this issue of Word Alive). Here are the basic
details of this important Bible translation partnership,
which you can support through Wycliffe Canada.
Name: Cree Initiative
Location: Canada
Language Groups: Initially five related
Cree groups
Overview: Speakers in these languages are
hindered by a lack of Scriptures that they can clearly
understand. Gods Word needs to speak to their
hearts, which is critical for their spiritual well-being.
The project is building capacity for local First Nations
people to do their own Bible translation and promote
use of Gods Word in their heart language, which
they have identified as a priority at the grass roots
level. To accomplish this, Wycliffe staff, along with key
Bible agency partners, provide training and support
to mother-tongue translators in each language
community. Your donations will be used for salaries,
equipment and travel for mother-tongue translators
serving their own people.
Timeline: Now 2024
Funding Need: $113,600
Your donation today helps spread Gods Word through
this project!
U
se this magazines reply form (fill in the section
that mentions Cree Initiative).
G
ive online at cree.wycliffe.ca.
C
all 1-800-463-1143 toll free and indicate your gift
is for Cree Initiative.
Photograph by Natasha Ramrez
Wycliffe Bible Translators of Canada Inc. is

a registered charity: #10822 3371 RR0001.

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Wycliffe Bible Translators of Canada

6 A Cree Initiative In Every Issue

11 Shapes of Scripture What Step You Gonna Take?

16 I Almost Lost My Language 4 Watchword 

Bible Translation is Essential

John Horden (1828-1893), Anglican Bishop of

Wycliffe Canada links the Canadian Church with the world's

Word Alive Jan Apr 2017 wycliffe.ca 3

Photo courtesy of SIL International

UNICEF REVIEW AFFIRMS VALUE

key partner, the report entitled The Impact of Language Policy

4 Word Alive Jan Apr 2017 wycliffe.ca

H ow do you translate the word kingdom when a language

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colleagues on other teams.

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(LEFT) The five languages that

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MOST RECENT TRANSLATION

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LEGACY BIBLE GETS REFRESHED

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DESTINATION: POPLAR HILL

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One day I got caught speaking my

Word Alive Jan Apr 2017 wycliffe.ca 19

THE GOOD AND NOT SO GOOD

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Monday, April 25, 2016

Listen to the workshop participants

Word Alive Jan Apr 2017 wycliffe.ca 27

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Obviously moved by this, the Koreans wanted to

who say that increasing numbers of Korean churches are

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the past mission of the church with more hopeful words:

Wycliffe Canada Featured Partnership

Wycliffe Bible Translators of Canada Inc. is

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16 I Almost Lost My Language 4 Watchword

John Horden (1828-1893), Anglican Bishop of