Lakota and medicine
Wakan Tanka
Nick Barbachano, in Lakota
A Lakota-inspired medicine song of gratitude, prayer, and healing plants.
- Category
- Medicine song
---
title: "Wakan Tanka"
artist: "Nick Barbachano"
key: "C"
tags: ["medicine song", "chant", "sacred", "participatory"]
description: "A Lakota-inspired medicine song of gratitude, prayer, and healing plants."
language: "lkt"
tradition: "Medicine song"
date_added: "2026-07-19"
---
## About this song
The lyrics mix Lakota phrases, vocables, and plant names; the repeated final chorus is expanded from the source's closing chorus marker.
```chords
[Verse 1]
Cmaj7
Wakan Tanka
Gmaj7 Cmaj7
Pilámaya yeló
[Verse 2]
Tunkašila
Ómakiya yo
[Chorus]
Ya-na he-ne-ne
Ya-na hu-ya-na-yo
Ya-na he-ne-ne
Ya-na hu-ya-na-yo he
[Verse 3]
Ayawaska
Pilámaya yeló
[Verse 4]
Yagecito
Pilámaya yeló (he)
[Chorus]
Ya-na he-ne-ne
Ya-na hu-ya-na-yo
Ya-na he-ne-ne
Ya-na hu-ya-na-yo he
```
About this song
The lyrics mix Lakota phrases, vocables, and plant names; the repeated final chorus is expanded from the source's closing chorus marker.
Verse 1
Wakan Cmaj7Tanka
Gmaj7Pilámaya yeCmaj7ló
Verse 2
Tunkašila
Ómakiya yo
Chorus
Ya-na he-ne-ne
Ya-na hu-ya-na-yo
Ya-na he-ne-ne
Ya-na hu-ya-na-yo he
Verse 3
Ayawaska
Pilámaya yeló
Verse 4
Yagecito
Pilámaya yeló (he)
Chorus
Ya-na he-ne-ne
Ya-na hu-ya-na-yo
Ya-na he-ne-ne
Ya-na hu-ya-na-yo he