~Native Americans~

Native Americans

We once roamed the plains, mountains and hills
Deer, Buffalo, and Antelope, our food to kill
Rivers, creeks, ponds and lakes
water free for all to take
Brother Bear his fur kept us warm
Buckskin dressing on legs and arms
Our dwellings were made from such as this
Fires would warm us into sweet bliss
Wood carried loads down rutted trails
along with babies, and elders who ailed
It gave us spears, bows and arrows
Crafted to be light, slim and narrow
Trees provided more than fire
treated with care never sold for hire
Children were taught to cherish the old
keeping them warm and out of the cold
Elders who taught us Dignity well
lessons to keep us from being shells
Great Spirit was always worshipped and praised
for peace and contentment, no social craze
We credited him with honor and thanks
Land it was valued as home for all
So many trees majestic and tall
All Creation lived in the world we knew
Her Bounty was shared not by a few
Mother, Daughter, Father, Son
lived in harmony with nature as One,
Creatures then were free to run
Now we race from work to bank
Joining the frong of social rank
Lessons we learned from our New Brother
forgetting that we knew the Other.
It saddens this world and tears at the heart
what is it we are as we all live apart
Brother, sister, it’s time to make a new start

Shirley F. Haley
Absentee Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma
September 2006