This Page is for our Drumming Circle
– a small group of women who come together (as often as we can) to drum!
Getting together in our Drumming Circle is a powerful experience of community and fellowship.
It is a time to connect to our inner selves, to one another, and to the ancestors
– a time of sharing.
We recently drummed for a special friend, Kim.
The following is a small selection of the songs we are learning. The Table of Contents is linked to each song. You can read the lyrics directly from this site or, if you prefer, you can download the song book by clicking the button below.
Songs for Our Drumming Circle
Table of Contents - top 10
There are often different versions of the same songs used by other circles and groups. However, we have included only the ones we use in our Circle. The songs are in Mi’Kmaq and other languages. Some were passed on to us long before there was a written version. They have been sung from generation to generation and are another of our connections to the ancestors.
Giveaway Song
Note: This song is in the Pasawuqeme language
See o dans de ma so wee no ma gil wah yo (2)
Ja gig awah sun sisk ka mish
Na gopsi det nee gon ya
Maylanya yo dee dah gay
Chorus:
a-way-ah-hey-ah
a-way-ah-hey-ah-hey-ah-hey
a-way-ah-hey-ah
a-way-ah-hey-ah-hey-ah-hey
a-way-ah-hey-ha
a-way-ah-hey-ha
a-way-ah-hey
a-way-ah-way-ah-hey-ah-hey-ah-hey
See o dan eej a nah gil wah yo (2)
Ja gig awah sun sisk ka mish
Na gopsi det nee gon ya
Maylanya yo dee dah gay
See o dan de deej we no de gee gil wah yo (2)
Ja gig awah sun sisk ka mish
Na gopsi det nee gon ya
Maylanya yo dee dah gay
See o dan opi gee gil wah yo (2)
Ja gig awah sun sisk ka mish
Na gopsi det nee gon ya
Maylanya yo dee dah gay
See o dan ski de me gil wah yo (2)
Ja gig awah sun sisk ka mish
Na gopsi det nee gon ya
Maylanya yo dee dah gay
See o dan vermah so we no ma gil way yo (2)
Ja gig awah sun sisk ka mish
Na gopsi det nee gon ya
Maylanya yo dee dah gay
Honour Song
Geb-me-day-de-mah-nej don delly ull-nole-deek
Ni-gah-mahj-dood (gay) mah-wee-dah-nej
Geb-me-day-de-mah-nej don wed-ah-beck-sool-deeg
Ni-gah-mahj-dood (gay) ah-bone-mah-dole-dee-nej
Ah-bone-mah-dolt-dee-nej don Gee-soolk delly ee-gah-loog-seeg
oo-lah wis-geet-ah-moo way-yah-hey-yoh
Way-yoh-way-hi-yah
Way-yoh-way-yoh-way-hi-yah
Way-yoh-way-hi-yah
Way-yoh-way-hi-yah
Way-yoh-way-hi-yah
Way-yoh-way-hi-yah
Way-yoh-way-hi-yah-hay-yoh
(Repeat four times)
English Translation
Let us greatly respect our being L’nu
My people let us gather
Let us greatly respect our native roots
My people let us help one another
Let us help one another as Creator intended when he put us
on this earth
Green Corn: Song to Honour Mother Earth
Yoney Yoney ya hey ha igano laya
Yoney Yoney ya hey ha igano lay
Yoney Yoney ya hey ha igano laya
Yoney Yoney ya hey ha igano lay
He gon naj gik doonn gek igano lay
He gon naj gik doonn gek igano lay ya
Strong Woman Song
Whey hey ya, Whey hey ya hey yo
Whey hey ya, Whey hey ya hey yo
Whey hey ya, Whey hey ya
Whey hey ya, Whey hey ya Whey hey ya
Whey hi yo
Whey hey ya whey hey ya whey hi ya
Whey hey ya, whey hey ya whey hey ya
Whey hi yo
(Repeat 4 times)
What we know about the Strong Woman Song:
“That’s actually an old song. It was a social song that was sung at Round Dances. I stand to be corrected but this is what I was told: Maggie Paul, an elder from Saskatchewan, brought the song into the women’s penitentiary and taught it to them. She spent a lot of time with them, keeping them connected to their culture, music and whatnot. It had another title at the time but what I guess had happened is that there were riots and … things were going on in the women’s prison. They were being raped and ridiculed and all this sort of stuff (by the prison guards). What happened is that a group of women basically stepped together and sang that song continuously while this was happening and they were left untouched. I guess this secret energy came over them and that is how the song become known as “The Strong Woman’s Song.”
~ Kym Grouchie
friendshipcentre.ca
Welcome Song
Kwan oh dey-ey, kwan oh dey-ey
Kwan oh dey-ey, kwan oh diya
Kwan oh dey-ey, kwan oh dey-ey
Kwan oh dey-ey, kwan oh diya
Kwan oh dey-ey ey kwan oh dey hey
Kwan oh dey-ey kwan oh dey-ey
Kwan oh dey-ey, kwan oh diya
Feast Song
He go He gon day
Way o way way o hey
Gwan a lee a gwan oh day
Gwan a lee a gwan oh day
Gwan a lee a gwan oh day ney hey a tay ho
Hey a kay day a ka
Gwan a lee a gwan oh day
Gwan a lee a gwan oh day
Gwan a lee a gwan oh don ney hey a tay ho
Hey a ka day a ka
Gwan a lee a gwan oh day
Gwan a lee a gwan oh day
Gwan a lee a gwan oh don ney hey a tay ho
Hey a ka day a ka
Gwan a lee a gwan oh day
Gwan a lee a gwan oh day
Gwan a lee a gwan oh don ney hey a tay ho
Ta Hoe!
Note: This is a song to thank the Creator for all that the Creator provides. It also symbolizes the tradition of sharing all resources among our people
Mi’kmaq Prayer Song
Way Hey Ya Hey Hey Nu
Way Hey Ya Hey Hey Nu
Way Hey Ya Hey Hey Nu Yah
Hey nu yah, hey nu
Hey nu yah, hey nu … nu yah
Hey nu yah, hey nu
Hey nu yah, hey nu … yah
Hey nu yah, hey nu
Hey nu yah, hey nu … nu yah
Hey nu yah, hey yah
Hey nu yah … ahey nu yah
Travelling Song
Wey hey ya hey ya hey yo
Wey hey ya hey ya hey yo
Wey hey ya hey ya hey yo-o
Wey hey ya hey ya hey yo
(Repeat 4 times)
Water Song - fast
Wishita do a do ya do ya
Wishita do ya do ya hey
Wishita do a do ya do ya
Wishita do ya do ya hey
Wisha teneya heya heya
Wisha teneya heya hey
Wisha teneya heya heya
Wisha teneya heya hey
Water Song - slow
Medah somaguan
Skoo wee jun
Shoo way jun
Medah somaguan
(Repeat 7 times)
