Aboriginal - Girls Action Foundation

28 Hannah Lazare
False Images
By Hannah Lazare
They say there are people starving in Kandahar,
But there are First Nations people starving in Canada.
They tell me kids out in Africa are living in huts,
I know families on some Reservations who can’t afford a door that shuts.
We send millions overseas to give third world countries financial aid,
But I just read a statistic that said there is an increase for First Nations peoples dying from
AIDS.
I’m not trying to take away the severity of all the degradation,
But my own people are suffering so don’t come to me asking for a donation.
If I’m going to give something I’ll give it to my people,
We’ve been dying out for years and have never been treated as another nation’s equal.
Clinton, Bush and Obama have all made many promises,
But Leonard Peltier’s still in prison for the government’s false charges.
Ever since Columbus has landed on this earth
We’ve been treated poorly even though we were here first.
Imperialism and Greed should be considered a vocation
For the mindless thoughts of others with their stereotypes and fake religions.
Just for once I’d like to be treated as if I were an equal,
And not seen as living as the stereotype created by inferior people.
If I act like a stereotypical “Indian” then I must have no shame,
But if I try to show that we are educated, intelligent and talented,
Then I must be tainted all the same.
They try to take away our culture and replace it with another,
Their ignorance is like a pillow and it’s our way of life they are trying to smother.
In Colleges and Universities they have courses on musicians and their lyrics,
But even in the 21st century they are trying to figure out how to take away our spirit.
They give us all kinds of money to keep their foots in the door,
So we’re dependent on the governments handouts, we’re nothing but their “whores”.