We the People
We the People
The summer months are an excellent time to rest, recreate and spend some much-needed quality time with the family . Whether your family consists of one or two key relatives, a group of 100 (or more) aunts, uncles, siblings and cousins, or extends beyond blood relations to encompass your entire community, we at AIANTA thought this was a good time to celebrate the people who help define who we are.
We were a people, before “We the People.”
–Jefferson Keel, 2013
20th President of the
National Congress of American Indians
We queried our tribal partners and other language experts and asked how they say “The People” in their Native languages. (Thanks to all who participated, and as always, it’s never too late to submit your own additions.)
Catawba Language, Catawba Indian Nation, South Carolina
| People | yéwa (yAY- wah) |
Chickasaw Nation, Oklahoma
| People | ima aok la | |
| All People | hattak moma |
Inupiat Language, North Slope, Alaska
| Real Person | Inupiaq | |
| Real People | Inupiat |
Mahican Dialect, Stockbridge – Munsee Tribe of Wisconsin
| People of the Tidal River (Hudson) | Maʔeekunew Ninãapaak |
Ojibwa, Wisconsin
| People | Anishinaabe |
Northern Paiute, Nevada
| The People | Numa |
‘Ōlelo Hawai‘i (Hawaiian Language)
| The People | Ka Lāhui |
Tunica, Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana
| The People | Tonisɛma |
Note: The words and phrases in this post were provided by members of the tribes listed. Spellings and translations may vary. Some words may be missing accents or symbols due to limited characters on a keyboard.
We’re happy to add your language and/or hear corrections and suggestions on spellings and translations, so feel free to contact us at info@aianta.org.
Year of Indigenous Languages
Learn more about the year of Indigenous Languages and view more posts in AIANTA’s Native Greetings series here.
Photo credits: Top image: Indian Summer Festival, Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Featured image: The Yurok Tribe.