Wade Fernandez performs 'Sawaenemiyah'

[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 (We should never have to wonder) Kespentaeh Sawaenemiyah (If 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 (We should never have to wonder) Kespentaeh Sawaenemiyah (If 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, (We should never have to wonder) Kespentaeh Sawaenemiyah (If 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]