Kyra Shaughnessy & Pascal + Sakay Ottawa - Nehirowisiw

from La Rencontre by Kyra Shaughnessy

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about

Nehirowisiw is the song that planted the seed for this whole project! It was written by myself and Pascal Ottawa in 2013 during a project organized by Peace Partners, a Sherbrooke, QC based organization aimed at creating bridges between First Nations and Québecois communities through the arts. Myself, Pascal, his cousin Sakay Ottawa and Montréal artist Juulie Rousseau were together with a support team for an entire week writing songs that evolved into the Manawan 2014 EP (partenairespourlapaix.bandcamp.com/album/manawan-2014).

When Pascal & I began writing the song he explained that Nehirowisiw literally means the state of being in harmony with oneself and with the rest of nature (translated in the lyrics as "child of the earth"). The fact that a single word existed in Atikamekw to describe what for many cultures is a concept requiring several sentences was a huge "eureka!" moment for me. It brought home the way in which languages reflect cultural worldview's, & thus impact our individual experiences of life, in a profound way.

lyrics

*Translation of Atikamek'w lyrics in parentheses - *Traduction des paroles Atikamek’w en parenthèses

Ote nipe otciwin notcimik, Mocak niki takickowaw aski
(Je viens de ses terres, chaque jour j’ai été en contact - I come from these lands, each day I've been in contact)
Niki acamikw, niki nitakohikw, Kaie niki kiconikw
(Elle m’a nouri, elle m’a soigné, elle m’a vêtu - She fed me, she cared for me, she clothed me)

Aujourd’hui je rêve d’appartenir
A un people uni
Un monde sans frontières
Que mes racines traversent la terre
Elle qui nous tient entre ses mains
Elle qui nous connait depuis si longtemps
Elle qui nous connait depuis si longtemps


Nehirowisiw - (2fois)
(L’enfant de la terre - child of the earth)

Niki nihin e otci matisimak (2fois)
(Vivre en équilibre avec elle - to live in balance with her)

Anotc nokon e iti kipitinak, Wetisinaniwon, nama orina asperimonaniwon,
(Aujourd’hui plus personnes ne lui tient la main, tout est facile - Today no one holds her hand anymore, everything is easy)
Kitci acimaitc, kitci nitakohitc, Kaie kitci kiconitc,
(Pour se nourrir, pour se soigner, pour se vêtir - to feed oneself, to care for. oneself, to clothe oneself)

Aujourd’hui je rêve d’appartenir
A un monde où tous les êtres sont sacrés
Où on sait respecter et prendre soin de l’Abondance
Pour pouvoir le léguer aux enfants de demain
Pour pouvoir le léguer aux enfants de nos enfants

Nehirowisiw (2 fois)
(L’enfant de la terre - child of the earth)

Ekoni ke icinakok e ospesian ? (2 fois)
(Serait-ce ainsi à mon réveil ? - will it be this way when I wake? )

credits

from La Rencontre, released February 16, 2020
Paroles et musique: kyra shaughnessy & pascal ottawa
Voix, kyra shaughnessy , pascal et sakay ottawa
Guitare acoustic kyra shaughnessy
Guitare acoustic et electric, bass electrique, tambour, pascal ottawa
Guitare acoustic, tambour, sakay ottawa
Slide bass, cédric dind-lavoie
Arrangements: kyra shaughnessy, pascal ottawa, cédric dind-lavoie

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Kyra Shaughnessy Waterville, Québec

Kyra Shaughnessy’s music and writing invoke presence and awakening. Of mixed heritage, born, raised and unschooled in Québec, composing in multiple languages across genres, Kyra’s work represents a unifying vision of humanity through an artistic practice grounded in a holistic perspective of healing and respect for the interconnectedness of all life. ... more

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