Saw the falling snow in winter
On the meadow and the forest,
On the river and the mountain,
For the Indian and the Whiteman.
Saw the ever changing seasons
Meet the Indian and the Whiteman.
Saw the fox and busy beaver,
Saw the deer along the meadow,
Fashioned by the Great Jehova.
Saw the trout within the river,
Made by Manito, the Mighty,
For the Indian and the Whiteman.
Heard the Great Jehova speaking,
Like Great Manito, the Mighty,
To the Indian and the Whiteman,
In the flashing of the lightning
And the rolling of the thunder;
Found that Manito, the Mighty,
And the god the Whiteman worshipped
Were the same, the great Creator
Of the Whiteman and the Indian.
Then he weekly called assembly,
Talked of Manito, the Mighty,
And the god the Whiteman worshipped,
Saying, "Listen, O my children,
Lo! There is but one Great Spirit
For the Indian and the Whiteman,
Let us worship him together."
"If you doubt my words of wisdom,
If you think I am mistaken,
Watch and listen when I'm dying.
If you hear the rolling thunder,
If you see the flashing lightning,
Know that I am not mistaken.
If you hear no rolling thunder,
If you see no flashing lightning,
Know that I have spoken vainly."
In the year of seventeen sixty,
In the warm and pleasant autumn,
When the yellow leaves were falling,
When the sun was bright at noon-day,
And the sky was clear and cloudless,
Aged Tomo died at ninety.
All the people watched and listened,
Waiting for the rolling thunder
And the flashing of the lightning
Proving Tomo's words of wisdom.