- [Speaker 1] Don't need to sit to- - [Bear In The Forest] Mine are so good.

- [Speaker 1] Good, good.

(light guitar music) - [Speaker 2] All right, we ready?

- [Speaker 1] We are ready.

(guitar tuning) - I am Bear In the Forest, and this is "Wild Rice Flower."

(soft guitar music) ♪ Stepping by myself ♪ ♪ You were ♪ ♪ Curious what I was sending over ♪ ♪ You were curious ♪ ♪ What I was bringing up on the phone that day ♪ ♪ Don't need no pretty features to talk about ♪ ♪ Pretty frames of what it's all about ♪ ♪ You were a ♪ ♪ Rare, rare sight on my days ♪ ♪ A rare, rare sight on my mind ♪ (soft guitar music continues) ♪ Seems like yesterday ♪ ♪ We were camped out with people ♪ ♪ Screaming from the river to the sea, they shall be free ♪ ♪ Well ♪ ♪ You were the wild rice flower woman ♪ ♪ Saw you in my dreams ♪ ♪ Shepherd of the wild rice flowers blooming ♪ ♪ Saw you through the trees, yeah ♪ ♪ It's a big, big world ♪ ♪ Now it's closer to me ♪ ♪ You wear your soldier well ♪ (soft guitar music continues) ♪ Seeded a bed in my heart today ♪ ♪ Echoes of that star lake where her people found ♪ ♪ With the good berry bloomed ♪ ♪ You're a gift to my heart today ♪ ♪ I think the spirits give offerings ♪ ♪ Those wild rice flowers played on my mind every time ♪ ♪ I'd see you through the mirror ♪ (soft guitar music continues) ♪ Seems like yesterday ♪ ♪ Saw how you love people ♪ ♪ Screaming from the river to the sea, they shall be free ♪ ♪ Yeah ♪ ♪ Well ♪ ♪ You are the wild rice flower woman ♪ ♪ Saw you in my dreams ♪ ♪ Shepherd of the wild rice flowers blooming ♪ ♪ Saw you through the trees, yeah ♪ ♪ It's a big, big world ♪ ♪ Now it's closer to me ♪ ♪ Yeah ♪ (soft guitar music continues) ♪ Wear your soldier well, love ♪ ♪ It's a big, big world ♪ ♪ It's a big, big world ♪ ♪ But now it's closer to you and me, girl ♪ ♪ You and me ♪ ♪ You and me ♪ ♪ 'Cause we are the wild rice flowers blooming ♪ ♪ We are the wild rice ♪ ♪ Yes, we are the wild rice flowers blooming ♪ ♪ We are the wild rice ♪ ♪ We are the wild rice ♪ ♪ We are the wild rice ♪ ♪ We are the wild rice ♪ ♪ We are the wild rice ♪ ♪ Wear your soldier well ♪ (soft guitar music continues) - "Wild Rice Flower" is is a love song that I wrote about someone I was falling in love with, and just kind of the absolutely special nature at which we came together.

We met at a protest for the Palestinian movement, and we also were both involved in environmental work in the city.

And we ran into each other at, at both being a part of an event in Madison.

She studies wild rice and plants, and goes out ricing, and she's native.

And I just thought the whole story of what she does and how we met each other was so special.

And as any songwriter, when you see something like that happening so vibrantly and the colors of just like someone being, like, someone that takes care of wild rice and being caring so deeply about people and the land, and feeling this love for them as well, that song came out through that.

And so it talks about all of those things in kind of a kaleidoscopic way I'd say.