Wakanyeja

​[Intro - Kids Chant & Hand Drum]
Wakȟáyeża! (We are here!)
Tokeyahci! (The first!)
Wounspe Tipi! (Where we learn!)
Sicangu! Let's go!
​[Verse 1 - Kid Anthem, singable]
Good morning, relatives, we walk through the door,
Shoes off, hearts open, ready to learn more,
Uŋči Makȟa makes our lunch, fresh from the land,
We wash our hands, we say wopila, we understand.
​We don't just read it, we speak it true,
Lakota words, old and new,
A, B, Č, E, G, H, I — we sing it strong,
This is where we belong.
​[Chorus - All Kids, big and simple]
We are Wakȟáyeża, sacred little ones,
We are the sunrise, we are the suns!
We speak Lakota, hear our voice!
Sičáŋǧu Oyáte, we are your choice!
Wakȟáyeża, we will rise!
With our language, we will fly!
​[Verse 2 - Rez Rap Flow 1 - for women]
Yeah, uh,
2020 they opened doors in Mission town,
Rosebud reservation, we don't mess around,
Four pillars hold the house up, listen how it sound,
Language fluency, identity, wellness, academics — we profound!
​Critically endangered? Nah, we bringing it back,
Sage and the teachers put the language on track,
First fluent generation in a long time,
Every word we speak is a climb,
From the buffalo range to the classroom map,
Wolakota buffalo, we connected like that,
Holistic health, mind, body, spirit in sync,
Wičhózaani — we healthy, what you think?
​[Pre-Chorus - Call & Response for classroom]
Teacher says: Lakȟól'iyapi? (Do you speak Lakota?)
Kids shout: Hą́! We speak it!
Teacher: Tiospáye? (Family?)
Kids: Strong! We keep it!
Teacher: Oyáte? (People?)
Kids: We are! We live it!
​[Chorus - All Kids]
We are Wakȟáyeża, sacred little ones,
We are the sunrise, we are the suns!
We speak Lakota, hear our voice!
Sičáŋǧu Oyáte, we are your choice!
Wakȟáyeża, we will rise!
With our language, we will fly!
​[Verse 3 - Lakota Language Heart - slower, proud]
Tȟuŋkášila oh hear our prayer,
Uŋči Makȟa oh feel us there,
Inípi, sweat, we clean and grow,
Wotakuye, relatives, all we know.
​Wacaŋtognaka — generosity,
Waóhola — respect, you see,
Wowahwa — humility, we stay small,
Woksape — wisdom, hear it call.
​We learn to bead, we learn to drum,
We learn where we came from,
Očhéthi Šakówiŋ, seven fires bright,
Sičáŋǧu Rosebud, our guiding light.
​[Bridge - Whisper to Shout Build]
(whisper) We were quiet... they said we'd fade...
(louder) But we listened... to what our grandmas prayed...
(shout) NOW WE SPEAK! NOW WE SING! NOW WE LEAD!
​[Verse 4 - Rez Rap Flow 2 - Fast, empowerment]
Yeah,
Put some moccasins on the future, watch us run it,
Lakota immersion, yeah, we never done with it,
Pre-K to 2nd grade, but we thinking 12th grade,
Thinking college, thinking leaders that we already made,
​Language Bowl champs, top five, four spots, we took it,
Rapid City heard us, whole Nation looked — we shook it,
This ain't just a school, this a movement in a Tipi,
Children first — Wakȟáyeża Tokeyahci!
​You wanna help? Come support, understand,
Three times the cost cause we feed from the land,
Locally sourced, tribally grown, that's real,
Every dollar helps a sacred seed to heal.
​[Final Chorus - Double, with Drum Break]
We are Wakȟáyeża, sacred little ones, (WAKƄÁYEŻA!)
We are the sunrise, we are the suns! (TOKEYAHCI!)
We speak Lakota, hear our voice! (WOUNSPE TIPI!)
Sičáŋǧu Oyáte, we are your choice!
Wakȟáyeża, we will rise!
With our language, we will fly!
(One more time — louder!)
We are Wakȟáyeża, sacred little ones,
We are the sunrise, we are the suns!
​[Outro - Kids Chant Circle]
Wakȟáyeża ki Tokeyahci... wounspe...
Wakȟáyeża ki Tokeyahci... wounspe...
Mitákuye Oyás'iŋ — we are all related.
We are here. We are Lakota.