Can You Count Five Fingers?
Count to Five in Five Different Yukon Languages
Written By: Ms. Paula Thompson, Yukon Education Mathematics Consultant
Can you count five fingers?
Don’t forget the thumb!
Speak in Northern Tutchone as
you count them one by one.
 łígï (hEE-gey)
 łä́ki (hlAW-key)
 tadech’i (taw-day-chee)
 łénínch’i (HLEE-NIN-chee)
 hulák’o (who-LAW-ko)

Can you count five salmon,
swimming up to spawn.
Count the salmon from one to five
but count them in Hän.
 ìhłëk (i-fli)
 nä̀nkąy (non-keye)
 chäk (ju-ck)
 däng (dung)
 łonlà’ (hloan-LEh)
+
Can you count five ravens
flying in the sky?
Count each one in Kaska
before they pass you by!
Quic kT i me™ and a
dec om pres s or
are needed t o s ee thi s pi c ture.
Quic kT i me™ and a
dec om pres s or
are needed t o s ee thi s pi c ture.
Quic kT i me™ and a
dec om pres s or
are needed t o s ee thi s pi c ture.
 ełígé’ (e-HLI-KEH)
 łíget’ē (HLI-ge-ta)
 tā́dét’ē (taw-det-ta)
 łânt’ē (hlawn-ta)
 łṓlá’ (hlow-la)
+
Quic kT i me™ and a
dec om pres s or
are needed t o s ee thi s pi c ture.
Can you count five caribou antlers
sitting on the shore?
Speak in Gwich’in as you count them
one, two, and three more.
QuickTi me™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see thi s pi ctur e.
QuickTi me™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see thi s pi ctur e.
QuickTi me™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see thi s pi ctur e.
ch’ìhłak (TEE-cluck)
neekaii (nay-keye)
tik (tick)
daang (dong)
ch’ihłoogwanlì’ (TEE-hlow-guan-LEE)
+
QuickTi me™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see thi s pi ctur e.
QuickTi me™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see thi s pi ctur e.
Can you count five foxes
hunting in the snow?
Count them in Tlingit.
Ready, Set, Go!
tlêx’ (kLAYh)
dêxh (desh)
nás’k (NE-sk)
dàx’ùn (DA-coon)
kìjín (KEY-GIN)
+
Now you’ve counted one through five
in many different tongues,
but no matter how you say it
counting can be fun!
QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.


Northern Tutchone
Hän
hulák’o
däng
(who-LAW-ko)
(dung)
Quic kT i me™ and a
dec om pres s or
are needed t o s ee thi s pi c ture.
Quic kT i me™ and a
dec om pres s or
are needed t o s ee thi s pi c ture.
QuickTi me™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see thi s pi ctur e.
Quic kT i me™ and a
dec om pres s or
are needed t o s ee thi s pi c ture.
QuickTi me™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see thi s pi ctur e.



Kaska
Gwich’in
Tlingit
tā́dét’ē
neekaii
tlêx’
(taw-det-ta)
(nay-keye)
(kLAYh)
Can you count each language?
Count them one by one.
Spot them and you will learn
where they speak each tongue.
QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
FOR ADULTS AND KIDS
If you would like to have fun with the math concepts presented in Can You Count Five Fingers? Count to Five in Five Yukon
Languages, here are several suggestions:
 Practice counting to five in five of the Yukon languages.
Northern Tutchone (Big Salmon Dialect)
 łígï
http://www.ynlc.ca/materials/lessons/tomg/07mar/03num1/marnum01.html
 łä́ ki
http://www.ynlc.ca/materials/lessons/tomg/07mar/03num1/marnum02.html
 tadech’i
http://www.ynlc.ca/materials/lessons/tomg/07mar/03num1/marnum03.html
 łénínch’i
http://www.ynlc.ca/materials/lessons/tomg/07mar/03num1/marnum04.html
 hulák’o
http://www.ynlc.ca/materials/lessons/tomg/07mar/03num1/marnum05.html
Hän (Moosehide Dialect)
 ìhłëk
http://www.ynlc.ca/materials/lessons/henryp/07mar/03num/marnum.html
 nä̀ nkąy
 chäk
 däng
 łonlà’
Kaska (Ross River Dialect)
 ełígé’
http://www.ynlc.ca/materials/lessons/smithtg/07mar/03num1/marnum01.html
 łíget’ē
http://www.ynlc.ca/materials/lessons/smithtg/07mar/03num1/marnum02.html
 tā́ dét’ē
http://www.ynlc.ca/materials/lessons/smithtg/07mar/03num1/marnum03.html
 łânt’ē
http://www.ynlc.ca/materials/lessons/smithtg/07mar/03num1/marnum04.html
 łṓlá’
http://www.ynlc.ca/materials/lessons/smithtg/07mar/03num1/marnum05.html
Gwich’in (Old Crow Dialect) 
ch’ìhłak
http://www.ynlc.ca/materials/lessons/peterl/07mar/03num1/marnum01.html
neekaii
http://www.ynlc.ca/materials/lessons/peterl/07mar/03num1/marnum02.html
 tik
http://www.ynlc.ca/materials/lessons/peterl/07mar/03num1/marnum03.html
daang
http://www.ynlc.ca/materials/lessons/peterl/07mar/03num1/marnum04.html
ch’ihłoogwanlì’
http://www.ynlc.ca/materials/lessons/peterl/07mar/03num1/marnum05.html
Tlingit (Teslin Dialect)
tlêx’
http://www.ynlc.ca/materials/lessons/johnstons/07mar/03num1/marnum01.html
dêxh
http://www.ynlc.ca/materials/lessons/johnstons/07mar/03num1/marnum02.html
nás’k
http://www.ynlc.ca/materials/lessons/johnstons/07mar/03num1/marnum03.html
dàx’ùn
http://www.ynlc.ca/materials/lessons/johnstons/07mar/03num1/marnum04.html
kìjín
http://www.ynlc.ca/materials/lessons/johnstons/07mar/03num1/marnum05.html
 Read the story together and ask your child to count the five things on each page.
 Ask: What number comes before five? What number that comes after five?
 Give the child five objects and ask them to replicate one of the combinations of five from the story. For example, a pile of four
and a pile of one would be a model for the salmon picture. Ask your child to identify the number represented for each pile.
Ask: How many in both piles. Repeat this for some of the other combinations.
 Have five objects on the table. Cover some of them with your hand. Ask the child how many you are hiding.
 Find all of the combinations pictured in this book that make 5. Are there any other ways to make five?
 Find a set of five in the book. Find a set of four in the book. Find a set of three in the book. Find a set of two in the book. Find
a set of one in the book.
 Write a page for a book called “Can You Find Some Sums of Five?”
Following are some activities that will help you extend the concepts presented in Can You Count Five Fingers? Count to Five in
Five Yukon Languages into a child’s everyday life.
 Cooking: Place five freshly baked cookies on a plate and show five in two parts. For example, have two cookies in one group
and three cookies in the other then ask your child to name how many are in each group. Repeat this for some other
combinations of five.
 Families: How many people are in your immediate family? Show this number on your fingers or with other objects.
 Games: Five Frame Fill @ http://illuminations.nctm.org/activitydetail.aspx?id=74.
The following stories include some of the same concepts that are presented in Count to Five in Five Yukon Native Languages:
 MATH FABLES by Greg Tang
 MATH FABLES TOO by Greg Tang
 12 WAYS TO GET TO 11 by Eve Merriam
Contributors
Eliza Van Bibber School
Shirley Joe
Heidi Kilsby
Denise Waldner
2011 – 2012 Kindergarten Class on November 2, 2011
Robert Service School
Melissa Hawkins
Mary Henry
Sue Dragoman
2011 - 2012 Kindergarten Class on November 1, 2011
Yukon Education
Paula Thompson
Shereen Hill
Jeanette McCrie