Songs

Songs (Nagamowinan)

To find songs right for you look under the section that best describes your voice or your group: men’s traditional, women’s traditional, popular songs or children’s. Many songs can be sung by anyone, but since our list was growing we thought this would help singers and students.

All of the songs posted on this site are intended to be shared. They are songs with stories and beginnings and we hope their journey continues. As they travel into your life it would be nice if you share each song’s story when you sing it. We always like to know when you use a song, but we put them here as gifts to all of you so, please, practice, sing and share them.

Weweni anishinaabemaazan nindan miinwaa gaa minowaadaaman nagamwinan abjikaazanan.
Carefully sing in Anishinaabe these and in a good way look on them the songs you use.
Sing these songs in Anishinaabe and look well on them as you use them.


Note: For music educators, transcriptions have been created of songs where appropriate to aid you in learning them. Many of the scores were made possible through a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. The notated music should not be used as the primary material for teaching in the classroom as these songs come from aural/oral tradition. In the places where a choral arrangement has been added, those scores may be copied for your ensemble with all copyright information included and proper credit given in your concert programs. We love to know that the pieces are being performed. Sing them well.

Recent Additions

  • Ruffed Grouse drumming on log taken in central MN

October Song

Binaakwe-giizis Nagomowin (October Song) Binaakwe-giizis is a song for the season when the wind causes more leaves to be on the ground than in the trees, moose calls are made by [...]

  • A woman holds her toddler on her lap and they are looking at one another and smiling. They are both wearing spider hats on their heads.

Asabikeshiihn (The Itsy Bitsy Spider)

Asabikeshiihn (The Itsy Bitsy Spider) Asabikeshiinh (The Little Bitty Spider) is an old children's song commonly sung to babies and toddlers with gestures as they learn to put words with [...]

  • An otter with his head up singing while a stone sits near his paw.

Basabaagise (Bounce Back) Song

Basabaagise (Bounce Back) Song This is the Basabaagise or Bounce Back song. It reminds us even when we are struggling the earth still turns, the sun and moon still hang [...]

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