So early on when I started writing,
one of the inspirations that I had,
that I got inspiration from was from traditional O'odham songs.
And I envied my O'odham friends who were all wonderful singers,
and they came from families of singers.
Back then, that's how songs were passed on,
and now sometimes people learn songs but not
that way they learned listening to a recording
or something like that.
Anyway, so these O'odham women and men
would sing beautiful songs, and I never learned to sing.
No one in our family was a singer, and so no one back then
and no one is a singer now.
I have been offered by some of the best
singers on the reservation to tutor me,
but I don't think that that's the right way to do it.
So instead, what I do is just listen to their songs,
and I take as much from it that I can.
And then I move it into the form that I'm more comfortable with.
And so this next piece, which is also about,
I think it's also about rain and our land here.
The way that I set it up is to honor the songs, the singers,
and of course, the land.
It's called "Ñeñe'i Ha-ṣa:gid".
Ha-ka: ‘ac g ñeñei’i mo ’am kaidaghim. Am kaidaghim taṣ hudñig wui
Am kaidaghim si’alig ta:gio. Am kaidaghim ju:piñ ta:gio. Am kaidaghim wakolim ta:gio.
Am ’ac ha’icug ’id ṣa:gid, mo ’am kaidaghim. S-ap ta:hadag ’o g t-i:bdag.
S-ape ’o g t-cegǐtodag. S-ape ’o g t-jeweḍga. S-ke:kaj ’o, ñia ’an g ‘i- ñeid.
S-ju:jpig ’o, nia ’an g ‘i- ñeid.
Ka: ’ac g ka:cim ṣu:dagǐ t-miabǐ ’at. Ka: ’ac g ge’e jegos t-miabǐ ’at.
Ka: ’ac g s-ke:g hewel t-miabǐ ’at. Ka: ‘ac g s-ke:g ñeñe’i t-miabǐ ’at.
Ka: ‘ac g s-ke:g ñeñe’i t-ai ’at.
"In the Midst of Songs." We hear the songs resounding.
They are resounding toward the sunset.
They are resounding toward the sunrise.
They are resounding toward the north.
They are resounding toward the south.
We are in the midst of songs.
Our heart is full of joy.
Our mind is good.
Our land is good.
The land is all beautiful, take a look.
There is a light rain all around, take a look.
We hear the ocean in the distance.
It has come near us.
We hear the beautiful wind in the distance.
It has come near us.
We hear the dust storm in the distance.
It has come near us.
We hear a beautiful song in the distance.
It has come near us.
We hear a beautiful song in the distance.
It has come upon us.