Weešikitaawi! ('let's build a house!')

You can click on any photograph to see a larger version. Many of the words and phrases also have sound files you can listen to.

At the 2011 day camp, the campers learned about houses and other structures and learned how to make a traditional wiikiaami 'house, home, dwelling.' The word wiikiaami refers to any type of house,traditional or modern. We brought a pre-made frame to the camp, talked about it, and covered it with cattail mats.

 

You make the frame (mantepwayi) by putting a post (apanšayi) into each hole (waali) that you have dug. You bend the poles and tie them together. When the frame is built, you put cattail mats (apahkwayaki) on the side.

 

 

 

waali 'hole, cave'

apanšayi 'lodge pole, tent pole'

apanšaya kihpitoolo 'tie the lodge poles'

mantepwayi 'lodge frame'

apahkwayaki 'cattail mat, cattails'

 

piintikiilo wiikiaaminki 'go in the house!' (notice the -nki ending on wiikiami. These means 'to, towards,into'

 

meehciikiwa 'the house is finished'

Some more photographs: