Native Speaks Truths

Native Speaks Truths She's not your princess or your squaw; She is respected clan mother of the Chippewa. He's not your chief, buck, or redskin: He is a proud warrior of the Algonquin. We're not your fashion trend or mascot; We are the original peoples, have you forgot? Racism comes to us in many ways; Often disguised with passive aggressive praise. You demand that we forgive and forget; And with your good book you preach and beset. You say to stop living in the past; But continue to treat us as social outcasts. You claim that you've learned from what your ancestors did; Yet you repeat it world wide and the truths forbid. You judge my frustration and anger with ease; But continue selfish ways and to do as you please. You celebrate men who massacred my tribe; Your holidays confirm your need to inscribe. You cry that you are the current day victim; That reversed racism is your affliction. You moan that we don't understand what it's like; But your greed has caused the mistrust and dislike. All the while you refuse to admit; That what you ignore is what you permit. Are you so different than those that turned away; While my people were the cavalry's prey? How much have you really changed; When history repeats and so much is still the same? Perhaps you only wish to silence my voice; Because guilt today can be a weapon of choice. Does white privilege still exist today; Do you still want us to assimilate and obey? If I am bitter it is with good cause; It is because you continue with hypocrisy and faux pas. Should one day you learn that all lives truly matter; I will consider forgiving the lives you have shattered. When you can learn to love the brown, black, yellow, and red; I will then forget the broken promises and the massacres you've led. Until that day do not patronize me with lies; I will only believe what I see with my own eyes. When colonization is no longer forced upon; We can then let bygones be bygones. By: Darlene Doll Smith