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Where I Come FromStormy Ogden, Tule River Yokuts & Kashaya Pomo, Ex-prisoner & SurvivorWhere I come from I come from those tears that my mom shed as she hid in the fields her belly round with life As my dad chased after her to beat her once again because he was drunk I come from that anger that my dad holds in his heart because he was left behind to be raised by a white family because his mother died giving him life I come from the pain of these two people that had the cards stacked against them from the beginning because she was a white woman and he was an Indian man I come from that bitter-sweet love of these two people that brought a half-breed child into this world Where I come from I come from that burning as the first swallow of whiskey slides down my throat taking me along with it for 18 years I come from that shame and fear as I sit in a bath full of cold water washing the blood away from my torn and beaten 12 year old body after 4 boys raped me I come from that special place that I go to as the ones that say they would always love me hits, kicks, shoots, and rapes me one more time I come from that blood that runs down my fingers as I slide that razor blade across my wrist one more time Where I come from I come from too many bars and back seats of cars too many lovers that had no names and always not enough whiskey I come from jails, prisons, mental institutions boarding schools the reservation system, the mission system extermination, assimilation, relocation, self-determination all meaning GENOCIDE I come from I will never forget you my Sisters as I leave them behind at the gate Where I come from I come from HEY I'm Indian too, I just do not know what tribe can you teach me how to be Indian can you give me an Indian name can you take me to a sweat lodge HEY what do you mean that you will not take me to ceremonies Where I come from I come from the water that travels over the rocks that my Auntie listens to because they teach her the songs that will heal our people I come from hot acorn soup and dried seaweed that our women made to feed the people I come from the sounds of the elderberry clapper sticks that our men play as the women dance upon the lands I come from that pebble that Raven carried in his mouth then dropped on the land to give to my people Last updated February 14, 2005 06:47 PM |
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