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Nov. 7, 2022

The Good Life (Ne Ionnhí:io) – Song and Lyrics by Cara Loft

Verse 1 (Mohawk)
Shonkwaia’tison, Shonkwaia’tison,
Way ya hey ya ho. [x2]
Nia:wen Kowa, Nia: Wen Kowa,
Way ya hey ya ho. [x2]

Bridge
Away ya hey hi, Away ya hey hi,
Way ya hey ya ho. [x2]

Verse 2 (Ojibwe)
Gitchi Manitou, Gitchi Manitou,
Way ya hey ya ho. [x2]
Chi Miigwetch, Chi Miigwetch,
Way hey hey ya ho. [x2]

Bridge
Away ya hey hi, Away ya hey hi,
Way ya hey, ya ho. [x2]

Verse 3 (English)
Creator, Creator,
Way ya hey ya ho. [x2]
We thank you, We thank you,
Way ya hey ya ho. [x2]

Closing

Onkwehón:we, Onkwehón:we,
We are the People, We are the People.

The Good Life (Ne Ionnhí:io) – Poem by Cara Loft

The text below has the English version of each line followed by the Kanenkehake (Mohawk) version of each line.

Before the beginning
Ohén:ton á:se’ shahathwentsiá:tate
There was the Creator’s thoughts
Kí:ken tsi rawéhton ne roteweienoktà:on

And this thought
Táhnon kí:ken tsi nahò:ten rawéhton
Brought forth Life
Néne enionnhiióhake
And a Good Way of living
Ne ón:kwe onhwentsiá:ke taiakotawén:rie’

A Good Life
Ne onhwentsiá:ke teká:neron
Coinciding to the land
Ne enionnhiióhake
Honoring the spirits
Tahnon aotisatsténhsera iorihwakwenniónhston
That reside
Néne akwé:kon etho tkontinakerénnion
In every living being
Tsi kaientáties

Beings that give their lives
Aotisatsténhsera enionatkawenháhseke
So that the First People may live
Eniakoia’takenhnhónhake ne Onkwehòn:we

And the First Peoples
Onkwehòn:we
Coincide
Thatinakerénnion
In the Longhouse
Né:’e tsi tkanonhséhsne
The Bighouse
Ne Kanonhsowanénhne
In the Tipi
Ne Tiwa’tóhserote
In the Wigwam
Táhnon ne iona’watsihstarhó:ron tkanónhsote

They coexist
Ratikwé:kon eh nihati’teróntonnion’
And clash
Tehatirihwahskénnhas
They come together
Ronnenna’nikonhrakwe’nónnions
And fall apart
Táhnon tenhatitsiohkwakhashionkohá:ton

Like the crashing waves
Ne ní:ioht tsi ne kahwé:tsia’ks
That carry strangers
nontahonatià:thewe’ ne tehonnonkwe’tóien

From strange lands
ó:ia niiohwentsiatennión:ke
To the untouched shores
kén:tho
Of Turtle Island
A’nó:wara Ao’nowá;ke

Who have yet to know
oh nahò:ten ó:ia kén:tho enwa’kerhánnion,
What the waves
táhnon ó:ni oh neniá:wen’ne’ ohén:ton iawenonhátie
And the future brings
ienkahá:wihte’