Bad Indians, a poem by Ryan Red Corn

I was told by those old ones
that every song has a special time and a place where its sang
this is our song
and this our time
they used to say the only good indian is a dead indian
i must be a no good at being indian
cuz I feel alive and kicking
we are the bastard reject children of manifest destiny
the offspring of fornicating aimsters
raised by our grandparents who told us
not to confuse being warriors with gangsters
the edward curtis groupies get jazzed by anyone fitting the bill
and America gets jazzed by every Bury My Heart at Walmart film
here i stand before you
this crowd of nations
this life of sanctions
an awkward patience
like five hundred BIA buildings vs. a fathers' unfiltered hate
right next to the IHS building with a two and a half week wait.
a cinderblock battlefield where few are left standing
and the people its failing, its' marginalized estate.
i am armed to the teeth with words from the ivory tower
and those good indians told me its borrowed power if...
if i talk loud enough
if i talk clear enough
that i would be heard
that for some talking is singing
that for some singing is praying
but i guess that depends on who is doing the talking
and i guess that depends on who is doing the listening
...so understand me in english,
you have been robbed of your tongues
the taproot of thought
in the middle of resisting
the language got caught
and she only shows her face during ceremony
like she's ashamed of her scars
like what she has to say is never really heard. at all.
and the violence she knows is enough to never sing again
but i killed the cameraman and stripped him of his lense.
i photographed the body and asked him to forgive.
forgive me as i cut out your tongue
forgive me as i put you in this powdered wig
forgive me when i put your body in a museum
forgive me of all my sins
for not being a good indian
the balls of your forefathers will be traded for whiskey
to fuel the molotov cocktails to be tossed at your cities
and the breasts of your mothers severed and bloody
will be sold to the freak show for the revelers money
your children will witness their whole world collapse
as kidnapped siblings must erase names off maps
so forgive me of all my sins
for not being a good indian
i was taught better than that
i have more respect than that
there is no history book with my story
there is no newspaper to give me my glory
because no one has heard this language in years
cept kokopelli, dream catchers and a trail of beers
my voice is a small pox blanket
that spreads like fire on the prairie
infecting both fist and hatchet
in the spirit of fucking crazy

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• NativeAmerican
• Indigenous
• poetry
• RyanRedCorn
• Osage
• Pawhuska
• Reservation
• Oklahoma
• BadIndians

[HELLOmynameisALAINA]

@THExxPALExxRIDER lmbo, "Native Americans should be thankful to have loss their country to such a nice government," really? Oh my gosh that's hilarious! Why would anyone in their right mind be thankful that something was taken from them and that someone tried to kill off their race? Lol that was a good one. But Native Americans fought to keep the race alive, and it is. Yea, it's not the dominant race, but it's still here, and we're not conquered, because we're here and we still have our culture.

[purtyblackfoot]

@THExxPALExxRIDER I pity you, I truly do. Your mind is so narrow and closed that you will never see the world in all its beauty. You listen to the propaganda that the government has spoon fed you since you were born. You are a sheep that is blind to the truth, refusing to learn anything from anyone, and that fact that you take pride in provoking others shows you are an insecure person who must bash others so you can feel like you have "power" over them, truly pitiful. I'll pray for you.

[THExxPALExxRIDER]

Some one needs to take this false propaganda off of the internet.

[THExxPALExxRIDER]

@purtyblackfoot I dont know anything about that I know what I know because I have mingled with the grassroot people of the reservations I have been to.Worcestor vs Georgia was a big case if was between Cherokees and the state of Georgia but i bet it had something to do with lands being taken or the right to practice tradition.This case got recongized but the government so atleast it was taken to court.Now here something you find in the history books.Who was John Collier? What was he known for?

[Kellyangelface]

Anyone know who the gorgeous man at 1.04 is?

[oldstock1607]

I am 1/4 Native. And I really don't see what's with all the animosity between Indians and whites. what happened between our people was an ugly, but historically inevitable outcome of the confrontation between two previously unfamiliar peoples at different stages in technological progress and with different immunities to disease. Even Stephen Hawking advises us against trying to contact life on other planets. As he says, "if we did meet, it might not work out so well for us."

[purtyblackfoot]

@THExxPALExxRIDER wow you know how to use google! Congrats! No you don't my good sir. I have lived on a reserve my entire life and I know more then you ever will about how first nations are treated. I agree that without support from the Govt that FN would be in a more dire situation however don't think we would slip so easily in a history book. Let's test your "knowledge" what was the decision of the Worcestor v. Georgia Case?? and What did the US govt do to the Cherokee Nation? have fun ;)

[numberr088]

"in the spirit of fucking crazy" eeyahh great poem.

[princebe2]

Amazing



[shubham121s]

sale haramio kitni baar hare hooo aur kahte ho ki indians are bad agar ham chahte toh kasab ko mar sakte the lekin indians are best and forgivefullll nature wee indians have seen your conditions..................

[Mongo17]

Indigenous people of the world, please stop referring to yourselves as Indians. Stop feeding the flames of others' ignorance. P.S. Your entire culture inspires me. Peace and love.

[THExxPALExxRIDER]

@n0rseman99 North Eastern A&M college=Shit hole of america. Thats the thing I have been to reservation. I lived on one for a month. I konw more about it then you ever will.