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Ista (the first mother)

from Vine of Your Soul by Sohan Ko and the Band

/

about

The origin stories of the Nuxalk people tell of a place called Ista [pronounced ee-sta] where the first woman descended to the earth. In 1995, Nuxalk elders, youth and hereditary chiefs, along with their invited supporters, traveled to this remote island to protect the sacred area from clearcut logging. I remember the elders talking about this as a sense of duty rather than an act of defiance. Their courage and determination inspired many people around the world to take action to help save the Great Bear Rainforest, the world’s largest coastal temperate rainforest.

With deep humility, I wrote this song as an offering to the Nuxalk people, the forests and the spirits, past, present and future. I also wrote this as a way to process a deep and transformative period of my life that I am still trying to understand today.

The words of the chorus are borrowed from the Nuxalk welcome song, which was sung by the youth with an indescribable combination of strength and humility while the RCMP approached to arrest and jail everyone.

In memory of Qwatsinas, Nuximlayc, Nunanta (Amanda Siwallace), Skwucwlikwana (Lucy Mack) and Rita Snow.

lyrics

Hear the drums echoing in the trees.
Feel the spark of the fire that we need
To stay warm through the night and share our dreams
That the trees grow strong and the rivers…
Rivers runs free

Wayala wayala wayala wayala
Wayala wayala wayala wayala
Wayala wayala wayala wayala
Wayala wayala heyawalaa wayala
Wayala wayala heyawalaa wayala

Hear the ancestors singing through the trees.
Smell the rain, the mist, the cedar and the sea
Where the masks of the raven and the thunderbird tell me
To dance with the Earth and let her…
Let her dance with me

Wayala wayala wayala wayala
Wayala wayala wayala wayala
Wayala wayala wayala wayala
Wayala wayala heyawalaa wayala
Wayala wayala heyawalaa wayala

Hear the stories that are weaving through the trees.
Trees that fill the land and help us to breathe
In the air that gives us courage to believe
That we are the Earth and she…
She’ll always be free

Wayala wayala wayala wayala
Wayala wayala wayala wayala
Wayala wayala wayala wayala
Wayala wayala heyawalaa wayala
Wayala wayala heyawalaa wayala

credits

from Vine of Your Soul, released September 16, 2022
Written by Greg Higgs
Vocals: Sohan Ko and Greg Higgs
Guitar: Greg Higgs and Richard Bruce
Violin: Nella Banner
Hand drum: Sohan Ko

license

all rights reserved

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Sohan Ko Nelson, British Columbia

Music has always been with me through the darkest times of my life, it turns the most difficult emotions into something workable. Music softens my heart and helps me to feel like a faithful friend who embraces me through my loneliest time, offering me comfort and friendship. Music allows me to express my soul. ... more

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