To our elders who teach us of our creation and of our past so that we may
Preserve it for ancestors yet to come
This is dedicated to our relatives before us, thousands of years ago
And to the 150 million who were exterminated across the Western Hemisphere
In the first four hundred year's time, starting in 1492
To those who have kept their homelands
And to the nations extinct due to mass slaughter, slavery, deportation and
Disease unknown to them
And to the ones who are subjected to the same treatment today
To those who survived the relocations
And those who died along the way
To those who carry on traditions and live strong among their people
To those who left their communities by force or by choice and through
Generations no longer know who they are
To those who search and never find
To those who turn away the so-called "non-accepted"
To those who bring us together
And to those living outside, keeping touch, the voice for many
To those that make it back to live and fight the struggles of their people
To those that give up
And those who do not care
To those who abuse themselves and others
And those who revive again
To those who are physically, mentally, or spiritually incapable, by
Accident or by birth
To those who seek strength in our spirituality and way of life
To those who exploit it
– even our own
To those who fall for the lies and join the dividing lines that keep us
Fighting amongst each other
To the outsiders who step in
– good or bad
And those of us who don't know better
To the leaders and prisoners of war, politics, crime, race and religion
– innocent or guilty
To the young
The old
The living
And the dead
To our brothers and sisters in all living things across Mother Earth and
Her beauty we've destroyed and denied the honour that the Creator has given
Each individual:
The truth that lies in our hearts
All my relations