Oppressed human

Voices of a Gitxsan Woman

Super not in a good mood,  
Sick of the state of my loved ones,  
Gitxsan and all our kin,  
Bearing the weight of a world so cruel,  
A world where racism and discrimination loom.  

I won’t pretend it’s not there,  
Just to ease your fears or soothe your soul.  
Today, I feel moments of fear—  
For me and my children,  
Life is tough, and shadows loom near.  

We’ve learned to live and die  
With this socially accepted racism,  
To the point where we are murdered,  
Our stories silenced, our voices hushed.  
Don’t tell me to word things right,  
Don’t tell me not to feel angry,  

I’m a human, an Aboriginal woman,  
And this is my reality.  
We struggle to help our loved ones,  
Advised and forced to let go,  
Feeling hopeless as we watch them fall,  

Knowing they’ve been raped,  
Knowing they’ve been abused,  
Suffering the impacts of the IRS,  
Carrying the weight of great loss,  
And we are powerless to help them.  

We don’t have the means to fight,  
So we follow the advice we’re given,  
And watch them slip away,  
Into the depths of pain,  
Into despair’s cold embrace.  

We live in poverty,  
With high suicide rates,  
Being killed, oppressed,  
Facing the horrors of human trafficking.  
#IdleNoMore, I say—  
I’ve had enough of this oppression.  

Outside of work, I will speak my truth,  
And if that makes you uncomfortable,  
Feel free to unfriend me,  
I will do the same.  

God help us,  
Ancestors be with us,  
As we rise up,  
With voices strong,  
To demand a future where we belong.  

We will not be silenced,  
We will not be ignored,  
Together we stand,  
In hope and in strength,  
For a better tomorrow,  
For our children, our people,  
For the love that we hold forevermore.

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