As part of their Martin Luther King Day program, a 5th grade class in Los Angeles sings "Water Is Life" for Standing Rock.
Water Is Life ~ Mni Wičoni (lyrics)
by Sara Thomsen
All my relations, come
Every nation, come
All my relations under the sun
We are one
We are praying, come
We are praying, come
We are the song and we are the drum
We are one
We are the river, come
We are the river, come
We are the boat, the paddle, the shore
We are one
Chorus:
Mni wičoni, sing (Mitakuye Oyasin…)
Mni wičoni, sing
Mni wičoni, “water is life” for everything
We are the water, sing
We are the water, sing
We are the water
We are where all life begins
We are the ancient ones
We are the ancient ones
In your breath and bones we sing on
We are one
We are the meadow, come
We are the meadow, come
We are the lark that sings
the new day has begun
We are the new day, run, run, run
We are the new day, run, run, run
We are the old and we are the young
We are one
Chorus
We are the earth and sky
We are the thunder cries
We are the fire,
We are the light in your eyes
We are standing strong
Like a rock, like a stone
On this sacred ground we belong
We are home
Chorus
All my relations, come
Every nation, come
All my relations under the sun
We are one
(c) 2016 Sara Thomsen
The chorus contains two Lakota phrases:
Mni wičoni (mini we-cho-nee) - “Water is life”
Mitakuye Oyasin (mee-tah-koo-yeh o-yah-seen)
-“All My Relations”
echoesofpeace.org/water-is-life