Tansi – hello song – Our Grade 2/3’s amazing Kinanaskomin to our First Nation Collegiate Music Academy.
Tansi – hello
Tansi kiya – how are you
Namoya Nantow – I am fine
Pihtikwe – come on in
Api – sit down
Maskihkiwapoy minihkwe – have some tea
Tapwe miyawsin ipi Kihokawiyin – Its nice that you’ve come to visit
Tante ikitohtiyin – Where have you been?
Mahti acimo kiwiyiositayin – Please tell me what you’ve been doing.
Mahti acimostawin – Please tell me a story
Tansi – hello
Tansi kiya – how are you
Namoya Nantow – I am fine
Pihtikwe – come on in
Api – sit down
Maskihkiwapoy minihkwe – have some tea
Harmonizing Tradition and Future: How Kapawe’no Nehiyawak School Music Academy’s Tansi Song Paves the Way for Nêhiyawak Storytelling
Kapawe’no First Nation – The Kapawe’no Nehiyawak School Music Academy is combining today’s education with the sounds of music. One of its latest achievements has been the introduction of the Tansi song in Nêhiyawêwin, a Grade 2/3 performance led by Mr. Fred Mack.
The Tansi song focuses on greetings and basic interactions in the Nêhiyawêwin language. “Tansi kiya – how are you?” or “Namoya Nantow – I am fine” aren’t mere phrases; they are the opening lines to countless stories waiting to be told. They are the starting point for dialogue, for sharing, and for Nation-building.
The genius of incorporating the Tansi song into the school’s curriculum lies in its dual role: It serves as both an introduction to the language and an entryway into the deeper, rich tradition of Nêhiyawak storytelling. Students learn not just how to greet, but why these greetings are significant. Every “Api – sit down” is an invitation to share and listen, to begin the essential steps of storytelling that has been the backbone of Nêhiyawak way of life.
As the Music Academy moves forward, the Tansi song becomes more than a foundational step; it serves as a blueprint. Plans are already underway to integrate more original Nêhiyawak compositions, each embedding key narratives and teachings. These songs, like the Tansi song, will be the initial greetings in an ongoing conversation between the past, the present, and the future.
In doing so, Kapawe’no Nehiyawak School Music Academy is igniting a continuum of storytelling, ensuring that the next generation is fluent not just in the Nêhiyawêwin language but in the rich stride of stories that language can tell. The Tansi song is our greeting to the world, an opening note in a symphony of stories yet to be told by our children at our school.
Last modified: October 28, 2023
