They Call This Social Justice

Once our land stretched from coast to coast and the drums of the people beat proud we were mighty and we were strong we were happy . . . then the white came to our shores they thought our land was theirs to take they called it Canada they brought disease unknown to us when we fought for what was ours they killed us and we killed to . . . we were a savage people true and skilled at death many of our chiefs were tricked to come in peace many of our chiefs were hung . . . they called this justice the whites stole our land and our way of life they massacred the buffalo and bear only for their fur and left their rotting bodies and we wept for them the ancestors of our people fly with the eagles drifting and falling on the wind their cry is our cry . . . we were herded into reservations like cattle starved into submission and left a broken people and they called this justice but in each of us burns a fire bright that can never die in each of us is a strength and courage a tranquility and serenity we accept the past as the white acknowledge the wrongs and the Prime Minister of Canada is trying to say sorry with tears he apologizes to the people for the hangings the killing of our people the stealing of our land the 1960 scoop of our children the residential schools of abuse the highway of tears that goes on and on yet, the social injustice to the people is still present today when they steal the land we have left for pipelines, and other projects without our agreement we want to keep our lands pristine for wildlife we do not want polluted water where the fish die some of us are living in third world conditions still with no water, electricity, heat . . . still on reservations so you tell me where the justice is . . . I am just a girl of the here and now but but I hear the drums of my ancestors beating in my heart . . . _____________________ April 1, 2018 Poetry/Free Verse/They Call This Social Justice Copyright Protected, ID 18- 1009-383-01 All Rights Reserved. Written Under Pseudonym. Written for the contest, Social Justice sponsor, John Hamilton First Place