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SAVED FROM OUR SAVAGE WAYS

THEY USED THEIR SCHOOLS AS TOOLS

TO TEACH, TO PREACH, TO REACH

INTO OUR DEEP BELIEFS

TO CHANGE OUR HEARTS AND MINDS

TO REDEFINE OUR KIND

THEY TAUGHT US HOW TO PRAY THEIR WAY

TO SEE THEIR DEMONS

TO BE AFRAID OF OUR ANCESTORS GRAVES

WHICH THEY DUG UP

FOR CRANIAL MEASUREMENTS AND DNA

FOR ARCHAEOLOGISTS TO DISPLAY

IN SOME MUSEUM SHOWCASE

IN A FAR-OFF PLACE

THEY CUT OUR HAIRS’ TO MATCH THEIR’S

MILITARY CLOTHES, ESPRIT DES CORPS

TOOK OUR PICTURE AFTER AND BEFORE

MADE US LOOK LIKE EUROPEANS, AMERICANS

SO THE PUBLIC COULD UNDERSTAND

HOW THEY HAD KILLED THE INDIAN

BUT SAVED THE MAN

THEY BEAT THEIR BELIEFS

TIME AFTER TIME, RYHME AFTER RYHME

INTO OUR LIVES

MADE US FORGET WHO WE WERE,

OUR NATIVE WORDS

WE FELT SO BAD INSIDE

THAT WE’D RUN AWAY AND HIDE

AND SOMETIMES, WE’D EVEN COMMIT SUICIDE

THEN THEY SENT US BACK TO THE REZ

ALIVE OR DEAD

IF WE WERE LUCKY ENOUGH TO SURVIVE

AND MAKE IT HOME ALIVE

WE COULD TELL OUR FAMILIES

HOW WE WERE TAUGHT

TO READ AND WRITE

AND ACT LIKE THE WHITES

HOW WE HAD BEEN TAKEN AWAY

BEATEN AND RAPED

AND SAVED FROM OUR SAVAGE WAYS