 |
by Sandra Palkowski |
As the eagle soars,
as the buffalo roam,
as the fish swim,
and the coyote hunts its prey,
we have been given the right
to live on from generation to generation.
You claim we can't keep our word,
but it is you who can't keep promises.
As we shared land, you took it away.
You gave us your diseases
in return for a small area.
You gave us the right to die.
You took away all our rights.
Now we cannot live
where our ancestors lived.
We cannot stay where they are buried
to keep it sacred.
We are people with different ways,
and no one cares to understand us.
For you make fun of our ways
and call wars on us.
To understand others, first you
have to understand yourself.
Can you change yourself, your religion,
language and way of life?
As the eagle soars,
as the buffalo roam,
as the fish swim,
and the coyote hunts its prey,
we have been given the right
to live on from generation to generation.
We all shared the world.
©1999 TG Magazine/Le Magazine TG
tgmag@tgmag.ca