Algonquin Water Song With Lyrics

Algonquin Water Song  With Phonetic Lyrics 

Sing four times, each time facing one of the four directions in the order: EAST, SOUTH, WEST, NORTH 

Nee Bee Wah Bow 
En die en 
Aah key mis kquee 
Nee bee wah bow 
Hey ya hey ya hey ya hey 
Hey ya hey ya hey ya ho




“We sing this song like a lullaby. 
The song means the water is the life's blood of our mother the earth. 
Water is the life's blood of our own bodies” — Grandma Nancy 

History of the Water Song 

There are many women’s water songs from many different cultures, and they all have deep meaning and beauty. 
 The Water Song in this video has a lyric that is easy to learn and does not take a long time to sing. 
At the 2002 Circle of All Nations Gathering, at Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg in Ottawa, Canada, Grandfather William Commanda asked Irene Wawatie Jerome, an Anshinabe/Cree whose family are the Keepers of the Wampum Belt to write a song that women attending the gathering would learn and spread it throughout the world. 

Grandmother Louise Wawatie taught the Water Song to Grandmother Nancy Andry so she could begin her mission of spreading this powerful practice. 

Recently, in 2017, although Grandfather William and Grandmother Louise have crossed over, Grandmother Nancy met with the Elders again in Canada, and they were unified in agreement that a video of the song should be made to hasten the teaching and widen the circle of women singing it because of the increasingly grave dangers our waters are facing. 
The Wawatie and Commanda families gave permission to record the song on this video.