The Young Linguist

A girl, perhaps five,

whose father will later tell me she speaks

English, French, and Armenian,

approaches me at Fort Edmonton Park.

“How do you say ‘Hi’ in the teepee way?”

she asks. Near the entrance

to the Indian Trade Store, guarded

by a six-sided stronghold, fortified

by twenty-foot bulwarks, and four

towering, aloof bastions, we regard

each other. I crouch down.

“Around here,” I reply, “the Cree say,

‘tânisi,’ or if you want to say,

‘Hello, how are you?’

we say, ‘tânisi kiya?’”