FOR THE MOST PART I AM CHEROKEE,
BUT PART OF ME IS WHITE,
MIXTURES OF MANY WORLDS AM I,
THAT MAKES ME UP JUST RIGHT...
I HAD NO CHOICE IN WHO I AM,
OR WHO MY ANCESTORS WERE,
THEY CAME FROM THIS VAST LAND OF OURS,
AND FROM OVER THE SEAS THAT STIR...
MY HEART TELLS ME I AM RED,
THIS IS THE PATH I CHOSE,
TO LEARN ABOUT THIS PART OF ME,
IN WHICH MY RED BLOOD FLOWS,
WHITES TELL ME I AM A HALF BREED,
AND INDIANS SAY IM WHITE,
ALL I WANT IS TO BE WHO I AM,
I WILL DO THIS WITH ALL OF MY MIGHT...
THIS PART OF ME WANTS TO BE ACCEPTED,
INTO THE RED RED ROAD,
BUT IT IS HARD FOR ME TO FORGET,
THE ROWS THAT I HAVE HOED...
I WAS RAISED TO BE WHITE,
MY FATHER FORBID ALL ELSE,
ALTHOUGH HE HIMSELF WAS RED,
IT WAS PROTECTION FOR HIMSELF,
FROM ALL THE CRUELTY AND PREJUDICES,
THAT SO MAY NATIVES FACED,
FOR MANY YEARS THERE WAS NO WHERE,
THAT AN INDIAN COULD HAVE PEACE...
I MISSED OUT ON ALOT OF THINGS,
NOT LEARNING THE RED WAY OF LIFE,
I AM NOT A WANNA BE,
I'M TRYING VERY HARD TO GET IT RIGHT...
I READ OF THINGS LIKE CULTURAL THEFT,
I UNDERSTAND THE RIGHTS,
OF ALL THE PURE BLOODS OF THIS EARTH,
AND THEIR ANCESTORS AWFUL STRIFES...
BUT THEY ARE MY ANCESTORS TOO,
AND ALL I WANT IS TO LEARN,
TO GIVE ME THE CHANCE THAT I NEVER HAD,
TO SATISFY MY YEARNS...
WHEN I WEAR MY NATIVE CLOTHES,
PEOPLE LOOK AT ME AND GAZE,
THIS IS JUST ANOTHER PART OF MY HERITAGE,
WHY DO THEY STARE AT ME AMAZED...
BECAUSE MY ANCESTORS HAD PRIDE,
AND SIGNING ROLLS WAS NOT THEIR PLAN,
AND THERE ISN'T ANY PROOF OF MY LINAGE,
IT DOES NOT MEAN THIS IS NOT WHO I AM...
SO PLEASE DONT BE SO QUICK TO JUDGE,
ON WHO YOU THINK I AM,
IT IS MY DREAM AND MY RIGHT,
TO WALK AMOUNG THE RED MAN...
SO TAKE A GOOD LONG LOOK,
FOR AN INDIAN IS WHAT YOU SEE,
I'LL NOT ASK YOU TO ACCEPT JUST ONE PART,
BUT TO ACCEPT "ALL OF ME".
BY:
JOYCE MOUNTAIN LION KOZIC
JULY 1999
REFLECTIONS OF MOUNTAIN LION
Email: mlwatchs@aol.com
