Solomon Ratt's new book was released on Sept. 1. (Image Credit: Submitted photo/Solomon Ratt)

By Derek Cornet

book release

Cree language book focuses on ‘th’ dialect

Sep 8, 2026 | 4:51 PM

A new book has been published by the Lac La Ronge Indian Band’s (LLRIB) Solomon Ratt.

The book, mâci-nîhithawîwin / Beginning Woods Cree, was officially released on Sept. 1. It is essentially a redo of his previous book mâci-nêhiyawêwin / Beginning Cree: Plains Cree, which was released in 2016 and focuses on the ‘y’ dalect.

“The book is good for the Cree language teachers in the ‘th’ dialect country,” Ratt explained.

“There are very few materials available for teachers to teach any language, basically, but more so for the ‘th’ dialect, although the LLRIB does have materials available through their education branch. They have books available there, but those books are locally accessed. Most people don’t know about those books outside of the community of Lac La Ronge and Stanley Mission. This book is more readily available for other people in other communities.”

The ‘th’ Cree dialect is spoken in all LLRIB communities, as well as in Deschambeault Lake, Flin Flon, Montreal Lake, Pelican Narrows and Southend. It is the dialect Ratt grew up speaking in Stanley Mission.

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“The book itself deals with general grammar that we normally cover in language classes, plus it also offers a few stories in the back where teachers can read the stories and ask questions of the students about the story,” he noted.

“This is one of the best ways of retaining a language is if you read a story and ask questions about the story. It worked for me when I was learning English.”

Ratt began work on the book after he retired as an associate professor at the First Nations University of Canada in 2023. He did have some assistance from his students with proof reading, as well as suggestions on how to improve its content.

Ratt added there is a high need for his book in the classroom setting.

“Teachers are crying for materials to use in the classroom,” he said.

“Lots of schools are now teaching the Cree language, which is very nice to see. It was something that was not there in the 70s and into the 80s. Interest just picked up in the last few years and more people want to teach classes. They just don’t have the materials to work with and some of us have been able to provide those materials.”

A book launch will be held Wednesday at noon at the John Archer Library at the University of Regina.

derek.cornet@pattisonmedia.com

by Derek Cornet

Cree language book focuses on ‘th’ dialect

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