Lesson 2: Okâwîmâw Askiy (Mother Earth)
- Sherryl Sewepagaham
Background
“Okâwîmâw Askiy (Mother Earth) began as a vocable song and Cree words were added to bring more meaning. The intention of the song is love, hope and standing in unity to take better care of our mother earth, Okâwîmâw Askiy. A first-person plural perspective is intentional for us to speak directly to her as we sing to her as her children: Mother Earth, we are your children. We love you.
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Okâwîmâw Askiy (Mother Earth) is intended to be performed outside on the land, using the gifts of the land (such as leaves) in performance. If performing inside, it should be performed without shoes to have a softer sound and paper leaves can be made to simulate the sound of leaves falling on the forest floor. Body percussion is to be used instead of a frame drum to symbolise the peoples’ connection to the land”.
- Silent Dawn Publishing on Okâwîmâw Askiy (Mother Earth)
Lesson: 2
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Intended grade: Grade 2
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Weather permitting, this lesson should be held outside! Have your students sit somewhere on the ground in a group or in a circle together. Explain to your students the meaning of this song as explained by Silent Dawn Publishing—that this song is about appreciating our earth. Students can be instructed to think of anything they love about the earth, ie. the grass, the water, the park, their animals, their family, their school, etc, as a way to connect to the music and meaning of the song.
Ask students tap along to the pulse of the song using leaves, or through body percussion, in order to engage with the music in a way that connects us to the land. This song allows students to engage with Cree music and composers, and can serve as a beginning to learning about traditional Cree teachings about the earth and land, which you can further explore with your class.
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Resources (song and background): https://silentdawn.ca/composition/okawimaw-askiy-mother-earth/
Read more about Sherryl Sewepagaham here: https://nac-cna.ca/en/bio/sherryl-sewepagaham