The Indian

Gary D Foster

Nov. 13, 1973

This great land called America, so proud and so true,

Once belonged to the Indian Nations, and not to you.

Many tribes and nations over this land did roam.

It fed us and clothed us, and we called it home;

We had our religion, we believed in the Great Father above,

We treated our familys and other people with love.

Then came the day, from out over the oceans swell,

We spied a very large canoe, I remember it well,

And when you landed, we saw your faces, all hairy and white;

To see a sight such as this, it sure gave us a fright.

But as we were a great nation, and you were so few,

We said,” Let us greet them as friends, it’s the proper thing to do.”

When at last came the winter, and the cold winds did blow;

The skies were all dark, the lands covered with snow,

The winter was long, and it was hard for you to fare,

But we had plenty, and with you we did share.

Then came the spring, and the warm winds did blow,

You brought over your livestock, and your crops you did sow.

Then came the day you said we must all go,

You said you needed all this land, for your crops to grow.

We packed all our belongings and over the mountains we fled;

We heard your guns behind us and our people lay dead.

So over the mountains and to the plains we did ride,

There were no white men around, we did not have to hide.

The white man was greedy and he headed on West;

The Indian fought to live in the way he knew best.

Then gold was discovered in the valleys and hills,

So the white man made treaties, passed laws and bills,

They said, ”We can’t have those Indians roaming ‘round free,

We’ll make us a law called Manifest Destiny.”

So the war was on and the battles they raged,

But our weapons were poor and our chiefs were aged,

So on we fought bravely, but the war was lost,

Our dead women and children showed us the cost.

They hearded us to reservations, where we couldn’t be free,

Then came the last great slaughter at Wounded Knee.

You said,”I’ve got all the land and now you will see

What a really great nation, America can

But you made the land poor, it’s turning to dust,

Because all your people were full of greed and lust;

And when you fall because your Ideals were not sound,

Just look through the hills, a few Indians will be found.

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