Prayers In A Song
I feel the latent effects of assimilation
Inner city Native raised by bright lights, sky scrapers
Born with dim prospects, little peace in living
As a child, hot headed about the fact I wasn't wild
Like they called my ancestors, imagined what it'd be
To live nomadic off the land and free
Instead I was full of heat like a furnace cause I wasn't furnished
With language and traditional ways of my peeps
Yeah I used to feel like I wasn't truly indigenous
Now I say miigwech gichi-manidoo
For showing me my true roots, definitely Native
Take responsibility for being educated
My people and customs originating from early phases
Of history it's, deeper than frybread and contest pow-wows
Tears shed in the sweat lodge, prayers go out to all those I've wronged
And who have wronged me, gotta treat 'em like family
Gichi-manido wiidookawishin
Ji-mashkawiziyaan mii dash bami'idiziyaan
Miizhishinaam zaagi'iiwewin
Ganoozh ishinaam, bizindaw ishinaam
Mii-wenji nagamoyaan
Nimishomis wiidookawishinaam
Ji-aabajitooyaang anishinaabe izhitwaawin
Mii-ji-bi-gikendamaan keyaa anishinaabe bimaadiziwin
Becoming aware of a heart beats fragility
So I, pray for my creator's will and humility
It seems my prayer's weak I can't speak, not a linguist
Does he hear my English when I vent I fear the answer to the question
This is symbolic of anguish I feel regarding language
And the obligation of revitalizing something sacred
Failure to carry through is disgracing a nation
My first tongue's in need of a face lift but
Deciphering conjugation's like trying to find
My way through a maze in the matrix, complex
Hard to start without an end aside from being fluent
I gotta push the limit if I'm gonna keep pursuing
So I, use it in a way that relates to my life and vocab
Bring some entertainment to it, spit it on a track
And I take it out the class, can't let what I lack
Become a self-defeating habit that'll make me want to quit
Gichi-manido wiidookawishin
Ji-mashkawiziyaan mii dash bami'idiziyaan
Miizhishinaam zaagi'iiwewin
Ganoozh ishinaam, bizindaw ishinaam
Mii-wenji nagamoyaan
Nimishomis wiidookawishinaam
Ji-aabajitooyaang anishinaabe izhitwaawin
Mii-ji-bi-gikendamaan keyaa anishinaabe bimaadiziwin
It's farfetched but Grandfather please help me learn it
Help me assist in keeping it from burning
Don't let me quit and flee from working for a worthy purpose
Enlighten me and help me comprehend effects of my service
I need a spark in my desire from something higher
Prior to negative reminders killing my stride
Sometimes I'm the type that likes getting results overnight
Without sweating or stressing overnight
So I pray, Creator give me strength, so I can move on
Creator show us love, so it can spread around
Communicate with us, from above, hear me now
My prayers in a song I speak 'em out loud
Grandfather help us to revitalize the language and ways
So we walk the red road that you paved
Communicate with us from above, hear me now
My prayers in a song I speak 'em out loud
Gichi-manido wiidookawishin
Ji-mashkawiziyaan mii dash bami'idiziyaan
Miizhishinaam zaagi'iiwewin
Ganoozh ishinaam, bizindaw ishinaam
Mii-wenji nagamoyaan
Nimishomis wiidookawishinaam
Ji-aabajitooyaang anishinaabe izhitwaawin
Mii-ji-bi-gikendamaan keyaa anishinaabe bimaadiziwin
Creator give me strength, so I can move on
Creator show us love, so it can spread around
Communicate with us, from above, hear me now
My prayers in a song I speak 'em out loud
Grandfather help us to revitalize the language and ways
So we walk the red road that you paved
Communicate with us from above, hear me now
My prayers in a song I speak 'em out loud