§ [guitar playing softly] §

- Wade:
§ Nicianosaeh Whapi-Mahwaewsaeh
(My child, Little White Wolf) §
I chose a song for this project
called, "Sawaenemiyah."
'Sawaenemiyah' means
"we are blessed"
and, it's a Menominee word.
And the song is
all in the Menominee language.
And it's about being aware
of the blessings.

As a,
as a Menominee person,

we went through a lot
with the boarding schools,
we went through a lot
with oppression and racism
and being removed from a lot
of our traditional homelands
and put on a reservation,
but we survived
and a big part
of that survival is,
is being aware
of what's beautiful around us,
being aware
of what we still have.

§ [playing guitar] §

§ Nicianosaeh Whapi-Mahwaewsaeh,
(My child, Little White Wolf) §

§ Maecewatok somekoh
(Creator smiles on you) §
§ Nicianosaeh
(My child) §
§ Waqsepaekecewin
(Clear Pure Sparkling Water) §
§ Penesew mesek wahkamiw
(Pure and clear water) §
§ Kemewenukiw
(Rain Woman) §
§ Pon kekatow kipackiyaenemem
Kespentaeh
(We should never
have to wonder if) §
§ Sawaenemiyah
(We are blessed) §
§ Nicianosaeh Awaesaeh Oskas,
(My child, Bear Claw) §
§ Maecewatok kemenen kaekoh
(Creator gave a gift) §
§ Nicianosaeh Awaesaeh Nepowaew
(My child, Standing Bear) §
§ Kaec menikew
(This beauty grows & grows) §
§ Kemewenukiw
(Rain Woman) §
§ Pon kekatow kipackiyaenemem
Kespentaeh
(We should never
have to wonder if) §
§ Sawaenemiyah
(We are blessed) §
§ Naqsniw anahkok
waqnenam menipaniw
(May the stars light your way) §
§ Mesek Noweqnan kewehnaw
(And the wind cry your name) §
§ Naqsnew kesoq kenatamowim
kewaeqsaehkosem
(May the moon make you shine) §
§ Anah Keskehsekoh waqsahkonawaew
(And the stars
twinkle in your eyes) §

§ Wahkamiw Pamenan,
Nisaehcoq piw mesek mahchi
(As clear waters flow
and tears come and go) §
§ Pameq niyah, enahkah enes
(We fly our own ways) §
§ Kemenen eyom,
kakenaha wapehtum,
(Take these seeds and sow;
let them nourish your souls) §
§ Mesek kitahpahonen
(And plant them
everywhere you go) §
§ Kemewenukiw
(Rain Woman) §
§ Pon kekatow kipackiyaenemem
Kespentaeh
(We should never
have to wonder if) §
§ Sawaenemiyah
(We are blessed) §
§ [humming] §
§ Sawaenemiyah
(We are blessed)§

§ Sawaenemiyah
(We are blessed) §

§ Sawaenemiyah
(We are blessed) §
Mesek
(and)
§ Nepewennukiw
(Lady of the Water) §

§ [humming] §

§ [hums final note] §
§ §

§ Sawaenemiyah
(We are blessed) §