kâ-pî-isi-kiskisiyân / The Way I Remember

by Solomon Ratt

A residential school survivor finds his way back to his language and culture through his family's traditional stories.



When reflecting on forces that have shaped his life, Solomon Ratt says his education was interrupted by his schooling. Torn from his family at the age of six, Ratt was placed into the residential school system--a harsh, institutional world, operated in a language he could not yet understand, far from the love and comfort of home and family. In kâ-pî-isi-kiskisiyân / The Way I Remember, Ratt reflects on these memories and the life-long challenges he endured through his telling of âcimisowin--autobiographical stories--and also traditional tales.

Written over the course of several decades, Ratt describes his life before, during, and after residential school. In many ways, these stories reflect the experience of thousands of other Indigenous children across Canada, but Ratt's stories also stand apart in a significant way: he managed to retain his mother language of Cree by returning home to his parents each summer despite the destruction wrought by colonialism.

Ratt then shifts from the âcimisowina (personal, autobiographical stories) to âcathôhkîwina, (sacred stories) the more formal and commonly recognized style of traditional Cree literature, to illustrate how, in a world uninterrupted by colonialism and its agenda of genocide, these traditional stories would have formed the winter curriculum of a Cree child's education.

Presented in Cree Th-dialect Standard Roman Orthography, syllabics, and English, Ratt's reminiscences of residential school escapades almost always end with a close call and a smile. Even when his memories are dark, Ratt's particularly Cree sense of humour shines, making kâ-pî-isi-kiskisiyân /The Way I Remember an important and unique memoir that emphasizes and celebrates Solomon Ratt's perseverance and life after residential school.

Genres: Indigenous

264 pages, Paperback

Published January 28, 2023

About the author

Solomon Ratt was born on the banks of the Churchill River just north of the community of Stanley Mission. His parents were hunters and fishers who lived off the land, spending their winters on the trapline and summers fishing in La Ronge. Solomon spent the first six winters of his life with his parents, who didn’t speak English. They knew the ways of the land, including the traditional stories passed down through generations, which they told to Solomon and his siblings.

Reviews

[Anne Smith-Nochasak · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is presented first in Woods Cree syllabics, and then in Cree using the Roman Orthography, with an English translation. That English translation was the part I read, but for the sake of my two mentors, I occasionally explored the Cree sections, seeking out remembered phrases. What an opportunity for language preservation and language learning this is!

Especially, The Way I Remember is an open introduction to Cree culture. The author sifts through his experiences in life to share the things that nourish his life – family, community, environment, Language, and the Sacred Stories. And he shares the things that have hurt his growth – the residential school experiences. Yet even here, his essential humour is present.

I highly recommend this book .

[Jaelynne Wormenor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an incredible book!!!! Even though I don't read or speak Cree in either of the 2 dialects it was simply beautiful to see it in print form. Powerful and important...this book should be added to a must read list for all Canadians.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s in Cree Syllabics and English. I read the English half. A mixture of Ratt’s memories and traditional teachings. It’s a good and important read

[Reagan Lyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ratt writes with such childlike wonder. This book is a marvelously touching and at times gut-wrenching read. I am so moved by its contributions to the preservation of the Cree dialect.

[Robyn Tocker · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm glad I read Solomon's book; it reminded me why I enjoyed having him as my Cree professor 10 years ago! I liked how he included traditional stories he heard as a child before he went to residential school. It was also helpful to hear him speak about the book and his reasons for writing it before I read the book, as it added more context for the poems/thoughts he included. I wish I remembered enough of my Cree language skills to have read the Plains Cree section of the book, but at least I was able to enjoy the English translation!