The Ways
Prayers in a Song
Special | 4m 2sVideo has Closed Captions
Tall Paul of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe raps about language and Native identity.
In “Prayers in a Song,” Minneapolis-based hip-hop artist Tall Paul (Paul Wenell Jr.) raps about his struggle to learn his Indigenous language, Anishinaabemowin. Learn about his journey toward a deeper understanding of his Native identity.
The Ways
Prayers in a Song
Special | 4m 2sVideo has Closed Captions
In “Prayers in a Song,” Minneapolis-based hip-hop artist Tall Paul (Paul Wenell Jr.) raps about his struggle to learn his Indigenous language, Anishinaabemowin. Learn about his journey toward a deeper understanding of his Native identity.
How to Watch The Ways
The Ways is available to stream on pbs.org and the free PBS App, available on iPhone, Apple TV, Android TV, Android smartphones, Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire Tablet, Roku, Samsung Smart TV, and Vizio.
[engine starts] ♪ ♪ [Tall Paul performing "Prayers in a Song"] [rapping] ♪ I feel the latent effects ♪ Of assimilation ♪ Inner city Native ♪ Raised by bright lights ♪ Skyscrapers ♪ Born with dim prospects ♪ Little peace in living ♪ As a child, hot headed ♪ About the fact ♪ I wasn't wild ♪ Like they called my ancestors ♪ Imagined what it'd be ♪ To live nomadic off the land ♪ And free ♪ Instead I was full of heat ♪ Like a furnace 'cause ♪ I wasn't furnished ♪ With language and traditional ♪ Ways of my peeps ♪ Yeah I used to feel ♪ Like I wasn't truly Indigenous ♪ Now I say ♪ Miigwech gichi-manidoo ♪ For showing me my true roots ♪ Definitely Native ♪ Take responsibility ♪ For being educated ♪ My people and customs ♪ Originating from early phases ♪ Of history ♪ It's deeper than frybread ♪ And contest powwows ♪ Tears shed in the sweat lodge ♪ Prayers go out to ♪ All those I've wronged ♪ And who have wronged me ♪ Gotta treat 'em like family ♪ Gichi-manido wiidookawishin ♪ Ji-mashkawiziyaan ♪ Mii dash bami'idiziyaan ♪ Miizhishinaam zaagi'iiwewin ♪ Ganoozh ishinaam ♪ Bizindaw ishinaam ♪ Mii-wenji nagamoyaan ♪ Nimishomis wiidookawishinaam ♪ Ji-aabajitooyaang anishinaabe ♪ Izhitwaawin ♪ Mii-ji-bi-gikendamaan ♪ Keyaa anishinaabe bimaadiziwin ♪ Becoming aware of a heartbeat's ♪ Fragility so I ♪ Pray for my creator's will ♪ And humility ♪ It seems my prayer's weak ♪ I can't speak ♪ Not a linguist ♪ Does he hear my English ♪ When I vent I fear ♪ The answer to the question ♪ This is symbolic of anguish ♪ I feel regarding language and ♪ The obligation of revitalizing ♪ Something sacred ♪ Failure to carry through ♪ Is disgracing a nation ♪ My first tongue's in need ♪ Of a face lift but ♪ Deciphering conjugations ♪ Like trying to find my way ♪ Through a maze in the matrix ♪ Complex hard to start without an ♪ End aside from being fluent ♪ I gotta push the limit ♪ If I'm gonna keep pursuing ♪ So I use it in a way that ♪ Relates to my life and vocab ♪ Bring some entertainment to it ♪ Spit it on a track ♪ And I take it out the class ♪ Can't let what I lack ♪ Become a self-defeating habit ♪ That'll make me want to quit ♪ Gichi-manido wiidookawishin ♪ Ji-mashkawiziyaan ♪ Mii dash bami'idiziyaan ♪ Miizhishinaam zaagi'iiwewin ♪ Ganoozh ishinaam ♪ Bizindaw ishinaam ♪ Mii-wenji nagamoyaan ♪ Nimishomis wiidookawishinaam ♪ Ji-aabajitooyaang anishinaabe ♪ Izhitwaawin ♪ Mii-ji-bi-gikendamaan ♪ Keyaa anishinaabe bimaadiziwin ♪ It's far fetched but grandfather ♪ Please help me learn it ♪ Help me assist in keeping it ♪ From burning, don't let me quit ♪ And flee from working ♪ For a worthy purpose ♪ Enlighten me and help me ♪ Comprehend effects of my ♪ Service, I need a spark in my ♪ Desire from something higher ♪ Prior to negative reminders ♪ Killing my stride ♪ Sometimes I'm the type that ♪ Likes getting results overnight ♪ Without sweating or stressing ♪ Overnight, so I pray, creator ♪ Give me strength ♪ Then I can move on ♪ Creator show us love ♪ So it can spread around ♪ Communicate with us, from above ♪ Hear me now, my prayers ♪ In a song I speak 'em out loud ♪ Grandfather help us to ♪ Revitalize the language ♪ And ways so we walk the red road ♪ That you paved, communicate ♪ With us from above hear me now ♪ My prayers in a song ♪ I speak 'em out loud [fading beat]