“True Pride”

I am proud to love the land,

to love the sea, the sky,

there is and always has been

enough to share with our sisters,

our brothers

for centuries we have loved and

been one with the simple inspiring

beauty of the Great Spirit’s Creation

what we used we respected,

when we killed

it was out of necessity

we always asked for forgiveness

and tried to return in equal measure

like the earth, the sky, the sea,

we were pure, living as The Creator instructed,

we did not waste, nor destroy needlessly,

we did not rampage and rape,

did not murder the trees, the hillsides,

Yes!  Even the creeks and rivers were victims

of your heedless greed,

We are a proud race from a beautiful place,

We've lived here in harmony for milleniums,

Not one of us conceived of such things
as firewater, nor personal gain,

That was, until the white man came!

© Sam Hyde

    02-05-10