The Earth is Our Mother

U.S.A.

HISTORY AND SONG NOTES

The Earth is Our Mother is an American folksong, often sung to celebrate nature or for Earth Day. The song is often attributed to the Native American Hupa Tribe from Northern California. However, it is also likely that this song is an American song that was written in the style of Native American musical traditions, rather than a traditional Native American piece.

This song is easy for young children to learn and to sing independently, as it has a narrow vocal range and lots of repetition. Click here to read more about group singing activities. You may also choose to use additional verses, or for the children to create their own. Other lyrics that are commonly used are:

Her sacred ground we walk upon, with every step we take…

The Sky is our Father, we will take care of him…

The Sea is our Sister, we will take care of her…

The Forest is our Brother, we will take care of him…

The Earth is Our Mother also works well as a group instrument playing activity, as it has a strong and consistent beat. Click here to read more about instrument playing activities.

AUDIO RECORDING FOR LISTENING, SINGING ALONG, AND LEARNING:

You’ll notice that in the recording below The Earth is Our Mother is paired with two other folksongs, Shalom Chaverim, and Wade in the Water. These songs share the same harmonic structure, and can be sung together. Young children will not be able to sing two or more overlapping songs independently as you hear in this recording without considerable practice and teacher help; however, listening to overlapping songs or songs with different vocal parts is one way that we first introduce children to the concept of harmony.

PIANO ACCOMPANIMENT:

DOWNLOADS:

• PDF of Score: The Earth is Our Mother

• mp3 of piano accompaniment: The Earth is Our Mother