By Colton Swiderski

Shooting trial may be heard in Cree

Mar 7, 2016 | 1:48 PM

A court case in Meadow Lake has the possibility of taking place in Cree. Gordon Joseph Fiddler, on trial for allegedly shooting and killing Tommy Fiddler on the Waterhen Lake First Nation on Feb. 25, speaks Cree.

There are numerous differences between Cree and English, said Eleanor Sunchild, owner of Sunchild Law. “Some words in Cree could mean a whole sentence in English, and there are some words that can have two different meanings so it’s very important to have the chance to have a Cree case.

“They are…more effective for the person giving testimony because they are able to describe and testify exactly what they seen, heard, or observed in their own language,” Sunchild added.

If the case continues in Cree it will be directed to the Saskatchewan Cree Courts, which formed in 2001 under the leadership of the then newly appointed Judge Gerald Morin.

Morin used the basis of bilingualism to form how the court hearings tend to progress. Often during cases the dialect will switch between English and Cree, depending on which way the person testifying can best articulate their statement.

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“I know some people can articulate a lot better in Cree. Sometimes the words they use cannot easily be converted into Cree so they go back to English,” Morin said.

“If a person wants a Cree trial the court will arrange an interpreter for the non-speaking lawyers. We have a couple clerks that speak Cree fluently who work as interpreters. On occasion we also try to get an outside interpreter for the other parties involved,” he added.

Since forming, the court has evolved into including Judge Dawn Berg who works in the Meadow Lake area.

cswiderski@jpbg.ca

On twitter: @coltonswiderski

by Colton Swiderski

Shooting trial may be heard in Cree

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