boomdidi yada wenonah cuyuna campfires laurentians thik 87483 wigwam campfire boag typify brooms paddle embers cruickshank birch paddling canoeing ainslie intermingled flashing dip gerson ane thee aeolian romanticized winifred scouts
land of the silver birch michael mitchell lyrics
Land of the Silver Birch - wikipedia Land of the Silver Birch Jump to : navigation , search `` Land of the Silver Birch '' is a traditional Canadian folk song that dates from the 1920s . The lyrics are sometimes erroneously attributed to Pauline Johnson , perhaps in confusion with her well - known poem , `` The Song My Paddle Sings '' . It is sometimes sung to keep time while canoeing , and sometimes sung at campfires in a round . It is in Aeolian , or natural minor , but some have performed it with a raised sixth , creating a Dorian feel . Its subject matter is a romanticized vision of nature and the land from the perspective of an Aboriginal person , but it remains popular with the non-Aboriginal majority in Canada . Bonnie Dobson sang this song on her 1972 self - titled album . This song appears in the Paul Gross film Men with Brooms ( 2002 ) . In 2005 , the song was partly re-written by Canadian folk singer Dickson Reid and released on his debut album , Sugar in the Snow . Contents ( hide ) 1 Lyrics 2 Alternative lyrics 3 Silver Birch in the Scouts and Guiding Movement 4 Other Uses 5 Criticism 6 See also 7 Notes 8 External links Lyrics ( edit ) Like most traditional songs the lyrics vary slightly . The following are representative : `` Land of the Silver Birch '' <Td_colspan="2"> Problems playing this file ? See media help . Land of the silver birch Home of the beaver Where still the mighty moose Wanders at will Refrain : Blue lake and rocky shore I will return once more boomdidi yada - boomdidi yada - boomdidi yada deeeeee High on a rocky ledge I 'll build my wigwam ( Alternate version : There where the blue lake lies , I 'll set my wigwam ) Close to the water 's edge Silent and still Refrain My heart grows sick for thee Here in the low lands I will return to thee Hills of the north Refrain `` My Paddle 's Keen and Bright '' It is related to a similar song `` My Paddle 's Keen and Bright '' ( Play ( help info ) ) , written by Margaret Embers McGee ( 1889 - 1975 ) in 1918 , which is used to keep time paddling and is frequently intermingled : My paddle 's keen and bright Flashing with silver Follow the wild goose flight ( some people learn another colloquial version : Follow the pale moonlight ) Dip , dip and swing Dip , dip and swing her back Flashing with silver Swift as the wild goose flies Dip , dip and swing Alternative lyrics ( edit ) The lyrics of this song can be quite different depending on who you talk to and what region of Canada they are from . Some possible variations and additional verses : Down in the forest Deep in the lowlands My heart cries out for thee Hills of the North Swift as a silver fish Canoe of birch bark Thy mighty waterways Carry me forth Though I am forced to flee Far from my homeland I will return to thee Hills of the North High as an eagle soars Over the mountains My spirit rises up Free as a bird Silver Birch in the Scouts and guiding movement ( edit ) Since the 1930s , the song has been popular with Scouts and Girl Guides . Its origin is unclear . It is sung regularly at Canadian Scout and Girl Guide Camps , including Doe Lake , Camp Maple Leaf , Camp Wenonah ( co-educational camp ) and Camp Wa - Thik - Ane in Quebec 's lower laurentians . The song is also sometimes sung at Boy Scout Camps in the United States , and is sung at the opening and closing campfires at Ma - Ka - Ja - Wan Scout Reservation in Pearson , Wisconsin . Cuyuna Scout Camp of Crosslake , Minnesota uses this song as one of the three it uses to close its Sunday and Friday night campfire programs . The translated Italian version `` Terra di Betulla '' is likely frequent campfire song for Italian scouts . Other uses ( edit ) This song is performed by children in American elementary school plays about the First Thanksgiving to typify Native American lifestyle only using the first verses . Criticism ( edit ) In 2017 , school administrators at the High Park Alternative Public School in Toronto , Ontario characterized the song as racist . In a letter to parents they said , `` While its lyrics are not overtly racist ... the historical context of the song is racist . '' Other experts disagreed with this assertion and the music teacher who had the song performed at a school concert sued the administration for defamation . See also ( edit ) Music of Canada portal Anthems and nationalistic songs of Canada Notes ( edit ) Jump up ^ Carole Gerson and Veronica Strong - Boag , eds . E. Pauline Johnson , Tekahionwake : Collected Poems and Selected Prose . University of Toronto Press , 2002 Jump up ^ A scout 's campfire songbook ( PDF ) . p. 7 . Retrieved 26 October 2017 . ^ Jump up to : Read MacDonald , Margaret ; Winifred Jaeger . The Round Book : Rounds Kids Love to Sing . North Haven , CT : Shoe String Press Inc. , 1999 , Page 14 . ISBN 978 - 0 - 87483 - 786 - 5 . Accessed 20 August 2011 . Jump up ^ Template : Girl Scouts of the USA , 1960s Jump up ^ Scouts Canada . `` Land of the Silver Birch '' . Scouts Canada Wiki . Scouts Canada . Retrieved 6 November 2014 . Jump up ^ Cruickshank , Ainslie ( December 7 , 2017 ) . `` Toronto music teacher sues after principal , VP call folk song racist '' . Toronto Star . External links ( edit ) Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Land_of_the_Silver_Birch&oldid=822584658 '' Categories : Canadian folk songs Canadian patriotic songs Traditional children 's songs Sporting songs Songs about animals Songs about indigenous peoples Songs about Canada Canoeing media Hidden categories : Articles with hAudio microformats All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from January 2014 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Español Edit links This page was last edited on 27 January 2018 , at 06 : 58 . Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply . By using this site , you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy . Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation , Inc. , a non-profit organization . About Wikipedia