Gate of the north Onondaga I was alone, I knew the names of my loves Four-legged and wings Mycelium branches and fins Under the ocean, totems of what we would call God The Creator Who just happens to be neighbors With the law of nature She's a painter, after all When the mountains knew our names And the rivers sang our songs As they crashed into the ocean Where the whales would sing along We're the people of the salmon We're the people of the rice We're the people of the kalo And this is our life I will be there when the work is done What I leave for my grandchildren Honor the Earth The mother comes first Live in a good way for her Honor the Earth The mother comes first Live in a good way for her Live in a good way for her, oh-oh Live in a good way for her Gate of the west The Salish Sea The planet was warmin' by a couple degrees From cedar and stone Our actual origins unknown Lookin' for answers in triangular lights in the sky No bees were buzzin' They were strugglin' to survive The data showed the shift in poles Back when the coral was alive We're the people of the water We're the people of the maize We're the people from the stars And the keepers of the old ways I will be there when the work is done What I leave for my grandchildren Honor the Earth The mother comes first Live in a good way for her Honor the Earth The mother comes first Live in a good way for her Live in a good way for her, oh-oh Live in a good way for her Live in a good way for her, oh-oh Live in a good way for her