WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:00.750 align:middle line:90% 00:00:00.750 --> 00:00:09.000 align:middle line:84% So early on when I started writing, 00:00:09.000 --> 00:00:15.210 align:middle line:84% one of the inspirations that I had, 00:00:15.210 --> 00:00:22.380 align:middle line:84% that I got inspiration from was from traditional O'odham songs. 00:00:22.380 --> 00:00:28.410 align:middle line:84% And I envied my O'odham friends who were all wonderful singers, 00:00:28.410 --> 00:00:31.350 align:middle line:84% and they came from families of singers. 00:00:31.350 --> 00:00:35.190 align:middle line:84% Back then, that's how songs were passed on, 00:00:35.190 --> 00:00:38.220 align:middle line:84% and now sometimes people learn songs but not 00:00:38.220 --> 00:00:41.460 align:middle line:84% that way they learned listening to a recording 00:00:41.460 --> 00:00:45.060 align:middle line:90% or something like that. 00:00:45.060 --> 00:00:47.950 align:middle line:84% Anyway, so these O'odham women and men 00:00:47.950 --> 00:00:52.770 align:middle line:84% would sing beautiful songs, and I never learned to sing. 00:00:52.770 --> 00:00:56.910 align:middle line:84% No one in our family was a singer, and so no one back then 00:00:56.910 --> 00:01:01.140 align:middle line:90% and no one is a singer now. 00:01:01.140 --> 00:01:06.210 align:middle line:84% I have been offered by some of the best 00:01:06.210 --> 00:01:11.040 align:middle line:84% singers on the reservation to tutor me, 00:01:11.040 --> 00:01:16.030 align:middle line:84% but I don't think that that's the right way to do it. 00:01:16.030 --> 00:01:21.210 align:middle line:84% So instead, what I do is just listen to their songs, 00:01:21.210 --> 00:01:24.210 align:middle line:84% and I take as much from it that I can. 00:01:24.210 --> 00:01:29.650 align:middle line:84% And then I move it into the form that I'm more comfortable with. 00:01:29.650 --> 00:01:33.430 align:middle line:84% And so this next piece, which is also about, 00:01:33.430 --> 00:01:37.845 align:middle line:84% I think it's also about rain and our land here. 00:01:37.845 --> 00:01:41.700 align:middle line:90% 00:01:41.700 --> 00:01:48.210 align:middle line:84% The way that I set it up is to honor the songs, the singers, 00:01:48.210 --> 00:01:51.390 align:middle line:90% and of course, the land. 00:01:51.390 --> 00:01:53.504 align:middle line:84% It's called "Ñeñe'i Ha-ṣa:gid". 00:01:53.504 --> 00:01:59.080 align:middle line:90% 00:01:58.580 --> 00:02:02.550 align:middle line:90% Ha-ka: ‘ac g ñeñei’i mo ’am kaidaghim. Am kaidaghim taṣ hudñig wui 00:02:02.580 --> 00:02:11.550 align:middle line:90% Am kaidaghim si’alig ta:gio. Am kaidaghim ju:piñ ta:gio. Am kaidaghim wakolim ta:gio. 00:02:12.080 --> 00:02:18.050 align:middle line:90% Am ’ac ha’icug ’id ṣa:gid, mo ’am kaidaghim. S-ap ta:hadag ’o g t-i:bdag. 00:02:18.080 --> 00:02:24.050 align:middle line:90% S-ape ’o g t-cegǐtodag. S-ape ’o g t-jeweḍga. S-ke:kaj ’o, ñia ’an g ‘i- ñeid. 00:02:24.080 --> 00:02:26.850 align:middle line:90% S-ju:jpig ’o, nia ’an g ‘i- ñeid. 00:02:28.080 --> 00:02:34.850 align:middle line:90% Ka: ’ac g ka:cim ṣu:dagǐ t-miabǐ ’at. Ka: ’ac g ge’e jegos t-miabǐ ’at. 00:02:34.880 --> 00:02:39.850 align:middle line:90% Ka: ’ac g s-ke:g hewel t-miabǐ ’at. Ka: ‘ac g s-ke:g ñeñe’i t-miabǐ ’at. 00:02:39.880 --> 00:02:43.850 align:middle line:90% Ka: ‘ac g s-ke:g ñeñe’i t-ai ’at. 00:02:44.230 --> 00:02:48.550 align:middle line:84% "In the Midst of Songs." We hear the songs resounding. 00:02:48.550 --> 00:02:50.800 align:middle line:84% They are resounding toward the sunset. 00:02:50.800 --> 00:02:53.500 align:middle line:84% They are resounding toward the sunrise. 00:02:53.500 --> 00:02:55.990 align:middle line:84% They are resounding toward the north. 00:02:55.990 --> 00:02:58.660 align:middle line:84% They are resounding toward the south. 00:02:58.660 --> 00:03:00.760 align:middle line:90% We are in the midst of songs. 00:03:00.760 --> 00:03:02.560 align:middle line:90% Our heart is full of joy. 00:03:02.560 --> 00:03:03.940 align:middle line:90% Our mind is good. 00:03:03.940 --> 00:03:05.470 align:middle line:90% Our land is good. 00:03:05.470 --> 00:03:08.260 align:middle line:84% The land is all beautiful, take a look. 00:03:08.260 --> 00:03:11.680 align:middle line:84% There is a light rain all around, take a look. 00:03:11.680 --> 00:03:13.850 align:middle line:84% We hear the ocean in the distance. 00:03:13.850 --> 00:03:15.350 align:middle line:90% It has come near us. 00:03:15.350 --> 00:03:18.350 align:middle line:84% We hear the beautiful wind in the distance. 00:03:18.350 --> 00:03:19.910 align:middle line:90% It has come near us. 00:03:19.910 --> 00:03:22.220 align:middle line:84% We hear the dust storm in the distance. 00:03:22.220 --> 00:03:23.590 align:middle line:90% It has come near us. 00:03:23.590 --> 00:03:26.450 align:middle line:84% We hear a beautiful song in the distance. 00:03:26.450 --> 00:03:27.910 align:middle line:90% It has come near us. 00:03:27.910 --> 00:03:31.160 align:middle line:84% We hear a beautiful song in the distance. 00:03:31.160 --> 00:03:33.960 align:middle line:90% It has come upon us. 00:03:33.960 --> 00:03:35.000 align:middle line:90%