Prayers in a Song 2 Lyrics

Gichi-manido wiidookawishin

Ji-mashkawiziyaan, mii dash

Bami'idiziyaan, miizhishinaam zaagi'iiwewin

Ganoozhishinaam, bizindawishinaam

Mii-wenji nagamoyaan, nimishomis

Wiidookawishinaam ji-aabajitooyaang

Anishinaabe izhitwaawin, mii-ji-bi-gikendamaan

Keyaa Anishinaabe bimaadiziwin

I feel the latent effects of assimilation

Inner city Native raised by bright lights and 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

Ganoozhishinaam, bizindawishinaam

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

Ganoozhishinaam, bizindawishinaam

Mii-wenji nagamoyaan, nimishomis

Wiidookawishinaam ji-aabajitooyaang

Anishinaabe izhitwaawin, mii-ji-bi-gikendamaan

Keyaa Anishinaabe bimaadiziwin