Native Hearts Will Survive

NATIVE HEARTS WILL SURVIVE


MANY YEARS HAVE PASSED,
SINCE WE WERE FREE,
WE REMEMBER THE TRAIL OF TEARS,
AND WOUNDED KNEE...

OUR ANCESTORS CRIED,
AND WALKED MANY DAYS,
THEY WERE MADE TO FLEE,
AND COULD NOT STAY...

SOME WENT INTO HIDING
FROM THE PERILS OF WAR,
AND LIVED OFF THE LAND,
SUCH HEARTACHE IN STORE...

A PRINCIPLE PEOPLE,
THEY WERE CALLED,
THEY HAD RESPECT AND HONOR,
AND WITH PRIDE THEY STOOD TALL...

THEY LOVED THEIR LAND,
AND CARED FOR IT WELL,
TILL THE WHITE MAN CAME
AND TURNED IT INTO A HELL...

THE SOLDIERS BROUGHT GUNS,
CANNONS AND FIRE,
THEY TRIED TO GIVE PEACE BUT TO NO AVAIL,
MANY DIED FROM THE GOVERNMENT'S HAIL...

OUR PEOPLE WANTED ONLY,
TO SHARE WHAT THEY HAD,
THEY GAVE OF THEMSELVES,
IT IS ALL SO SAD...

WOMEN AND CHILDREN,
AND THE OLD ALIKE,
WERE TAKEN AWAY
IN THE HORRIBLE FIGHT...

DRIVEN LIKE CATTLE
DOWN A LONG LONELY ROAD,
THOUSANDS OF MILES
WITH HEAVY LOADS...

THEY WALKED AND THEY SANG
OF BETTER DAYS TO COME,
THE WAGONS WERE THERE
SO THEY COULDNT RUN...

THEIR SICK AND THEIR DEAD,
SOLDIERS WANTED TO HAUL,
BUT PRIDE NEVER CAME
BEFORE THE FALL...

THEY REFUSED TO ALLOW
THE WHITE MAN TO WIN,
THEY CARRIED THEIR FAMILIES
ON THEIR BACKS, AND THEN...

WHEN THEY REACHED THE END
MANY HAD PERISHED,
THE LOVE OF OUR PEOPLE
WE WILL ALWAYS CHERISH...

HARDSHIPS AND PAIN,
SICKNESS AND DEATH,
THEY HELD THEIR HEADS HIGH
WITH EACH GASPING BREATH...

THEY WALKED EVERY MILE
WITH PAIN AND FEAR,
THEIR FEET WERE BLEEDING,
AND SO MANY TEARS...

CONDITIONS FOR OUR PEOPLE
TODAY HAVE NOT MUCH CHANGED,
WE FOUGHT FOR OUR RIGHTS,
MANY ARE STILL IN CHAINS...

THEY TRIED TO DEFEND US,
AND MAKE IT ALL RIGHT,
THE HARDER THEY TRIED,
THE HARDER THE FIGHT...

THE RESERVATIONS THEY SAY,
ARE FOR OUR OWN GOOD,
OUR RIGHTS ARE PROTECTED,
AND THINGS WILL BE AS THEY SHOULD...

BUT OUR BABIES ARE STARVING,
WE HAVE NO FOOD OR HEAT,
NO SHIRTS ON OUR BACKS,
OR SHOES ON OUR FEET...

OUR OLD ARE SICK,
AND NEED MEDICINE TO SURVIVE,
THEY PROMISED A GOOD LIFE,
WE ARE BARELY ALIVE...

BUT WE WON'T GIVE UP,
THIS IS OUR LAND YOU SEE,
WE WILL FIGHT TO THE DEATH,
TO KEEP OUR PEOPLE FREE...

TO HAVE RESPECT, HONOR AND PRIDE,
TO DANCE AND SING BY GRANDFATHER'S SIDE,
TO WALK OUR PATHS IN HOPES THAT THEY WILL SEE,
THAT WE ARE RED IN OUR HEARTS, AND ALWAYS WILL
BE!!!

THE END

BY: JOYCE MOUNTAIN LION KOZIC
SOUTHEASTERN CHEROKEE
JUNE 1999



Ladyhawkcj