Little Woman Lake

1.Oh. Here by the outflow, where the ash blow,

near the cattails, where Gigoon will nest her

roe: and they will grow

into tall men’s taller tales.

From tiny beads to gitche whales.

All these myths will swell the shore line

in a short time.

 2. Eh, There’s Papasay, in red and grey,

growing fat by thinning bouleau a papier.

And he will prey

on the worms and clear the rot

delousing trees that fall forgot.

And from nest to sire, stoutly

he’ll rout. Oh, he’ll rout.

Chorus 

Oh — time is never dammed

Oh — though we’ll all be damned  (to its endless plan)

Don’t mind Amik’s home, the mud n’ bark n’ twigs

It’s gone flooded ‘Cause Little Woman Lake got big.

Little Woman Lake Got Big.

3. Ah, It’s natural law, upon the thaw,

spring will herald V-shaped flocks of loud Nikag.

As dusk and dawn,

they’ll come home for short reprieve,

avant le vent n’gèle les feuilles d'automne.               

Then fly southward chasing sunsets, while winter grieves.

Winter grieves.

Chorus

About

This song is a transmedia piece that extends the world explored in the 2021 novel Connection at Newcombe.

Connection at Newcombe is a polyphonic novel through which we get different impressions of the communities of Newcombe and Waakamig. This song focuses on the relationship people have with their hometown - how some leave, some never leave, and others come back on a type of migration cycle. The song uses animal behaviour metaphors, with the animals receiving their proper Anishinaabek names. All three languages of the area - English, Anishinaabek, and French - are used in the song to represent the communities in the book and reflect the peoples of northern Ontario.

Note: ‘Little Woman Lake’ is a real lake in Northern Ontario.

Note 2: The above transcription is a rough estimation of the performance by The Pretty Downers.