Southern East Cree Bible (CRJWBTSE)

Overview

The Southern East Cree Bible is a New Testament translation in the Southern dialect of Eastern James Bay Cree, written in Canadian Aboriginal Syllabics. The text was published in 2001 by the Canadian Bible Society in partnership with Wycliffe Bible Translators. [1] The syllabics writing system used for this translation was originally created by British missionary James Evans in 1840 for Cree speakers in Manitoba. Within ten years, the system spread across northern Canada through Cree communities teaching one another. [2] Wycliffe Canada and the Canadian Bible Society have served as facilitators, trainers, and translation consultants for Cree Bible translation projects. [3]

Language and People

Southern East Cree (ISO 639-3: crj), also known as Eastern James Bay Cree (Southern dialect), is an Algonquian language spoken in Quebec, Canada, on the east coast of lower James Bay. The Southern Inland dialect is spoken in communities including Mistissini, Ouje-Bougoumou, Waswanipi, and Nemaska, while the Southern Coastal dialect is spoken in Nemaska, Waskaganish, and Eastmain. [4] East Cree syllabics represent consonant-vowel combinations, with nine consonants shown through character shape and four vowels indicated by character orientation. [2]

References