KEYWORDS: native american poetry Indian poetry native american poem Indian poem leadership poem cultural poetry
AUTHOER: Lone Eagle
When I was a young boy,
I would listen to the elders talk of the days of the Longhouses.
They would tell the stories that I held in my heart
And I would listen for hours as they spoke.
My Grandfather was a wise man…he would always tell me…
The Shadow Horse is coming for our people!
The Shadow Horse will take our young ones’ minds!
The Shadow Horse will take away our culture!
The Shadow Horse will take our way of life……….
As I grew into a young man, I would do the foolish things
That young men do.
I would follow my friends, not my heart or my heritage.
My Grandfather watched,
And he warned me………
The Shadow Horse is taking our people!
The Shadow Horse takes our young ones’ minds!
The Shadow Horse takes away our culture!
The Shadow Horse takes our way of life……….
As I grew into a man, I could see the benefit
of the old men’s wisdom
I could see cultures of our First Nation dying,
Falling by the wayside.
My Grandfather told me as he was passing to the beyond….
The Shadow Horse has taken our people!
The Shadow Horse took our young ones’ minds!
The Shadow Horse took away our culture!
The Shadow Horse has taken our way of life……….
Now I am old and I see many changes in the People.
We are few in number by nation, but many in the whole.
We have a chance to keep our heritage and culture rich,
But it must be with the elders, the leaders to have it taught
In the home……..where it started and will finish.
We won’t let Shadow Horse take our people!
We won’t let Shadow Horse take away our culture!
We won’t let Shadow Horse take our culture!
We won’t let Shadow Horse take our way of life!
