User:Neechie Definition

The term "Neechie" is a modern slang word derived from the Plains Cree language. A positive word used to promote friendship especially between people of First Nations (Canada) or Native American (U.S.) ancestry. No longer confined to either the Plains Cree, nor even Plains First Nations, the term "Neechie" is used throughout most of North America most often in context of introducing oneself as a First Nation or inquiring on one's ancestry as being First Nations origin. This wider usage is due in large part to both widespread use of internet media as well as being associated with the popular clothing brand 'Neechi gear" popularized by Neal McLeod and Kendal Netmaker Etymology The closest English translation of the cree word 'nichi' suggests the idea of personhood such as in: 1. nichi aya ᓂᒋ ᐊᔭ N one of my kind. (MD) or 2. nichinapew ᓂᒋᓇᐯᐤ N my fellow man. (MD) Being an  agglutinative language which construct words by stringing morphemes together in chains, 'nichi' ᓂᒋ, pronounced Nee-chee expresses an idea rather than any one word dependent upon the voicing context.  Generally speaking however, in the idea of personhood is that of trustworthiness, reliability, and honor.  Prior to European contact, survival depended upon these qualities and thus was assumed in the concept of the morpheme attached to whatever else it was attached to.  In the slang context however the nobler context of the word is lost and now simply refers to one's ancestry.