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AMBIVALENT

Articles Posted: 94  Links Seeded: 766
Member Since: 6/2008  Last Seen: 5/16/2012

Drums Beyond the Mountain

Sun Feb 12, 2012 1:17 PM EST
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By ambivalent

A song that tells it how it was for the American Indians back in 50s and 60s and this is my tribute to not forget who you are Drums - Floyd RedCrow Westermen Originally done by the Man In Black

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From the Indian reservation to the governmental school
Well they're goin' to educate me to the white men's Golden Rule
And I'm learning very quickly for I've learned to be ashamed
And I come when they call Billy though I've got an Indian name
And there are drums beyond the mountain Indian drums that you can't hear
There are drums beyond the mountain and they're getting mighty near
And when they think that they'd changed me cut my hair to meet their needs
Will they think I'm white or Indian quarter blood or just half breed
Let me tell you Mr teacher when you say you'll make me right
In five hundred years of fighting not one Indian turned white
And there are drums...
Well you thought that I knew nothing when you brought me here to school
Just another empty Indian just America's first fool
But now I can tell you stories that are burnt and dried and old
But in the shadow of their telling walks the thunder proud and bold
And there are drums...
Long Pine and Sequoia Handsome Lake and Sitting Bull
There's Magnus Colorado with his sleeves so red and full
Crazy Horse the legend those who bit off Custer's soul
They are dead yet they are living with the great Geronimo
And there are drums...
Well you may teach me this land's hist'ry but we taught it to you first
We broke your hearts and bent your journeys broken treaties left us cursed
Even now you have to cheat us even though you this us tame
In our losing we found proudness in your winning you found shame
And there are drums...

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ambivalent

Great song, filled with protest and history. Thanks Johnny and Floyd!

  • 4 votes
Reply#1 - Sun Feb 12, 2012 1:24 PM EST
Al-316

Nice video and song. It is filled with history, determination, and strength. Thank you, ambivalent.

  • 3 votes
#1.1 - Sun Feb 12, 2012 2:35 PM EST
ambivalent

Makes me sad, glad, and mad all at the same time.

  • 3 votes
#1.2 - Sun Feb 12, 2012 2:52 PM EST
Reply
Ian F WalterDeleted
mf-3735877

From the Indian reservation to the governmental school
Well they're goin' to educate me to the white men's Golden Rule

I'm 1/8 native American. My great grandfather was taken off a reservation and sent to a government school. I don't know much about him or the details of the story but I intend to find out some day. Thanks for the inspiration and reminding me.

  • 3 votes
Reply#3 - Sun Feb 12, 2012 3:08 PM EST
Dale95

And those drums... are getting closer... as we come... full circle here....

  • 3 votes
Reply#4 - Sun Feb 12, 2012 4:38 PM EST
Tex-988483

Back atcha. A couple from the Sioux Poet, John Trudell:

John Trudell: Crazy Horse

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ku8ga-krBe4

John Trudell: Living in Reality

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFVCWmR-63A&feature=related

  • 2 votes
Reply#5 - Sun Feb 12, 2012 5:54 PM EST
Dale95

Awesome links Tex, Thanks. The drums are getting closer.

  • 2 votes
#5.1 - Sun Feb 12, 2012 7:16 PM EST
ambivalent

Thank you for these links. Trudell is great.

  • 2 votes
#5.2 - Sun Feb 12, 2012 7:25 PM EST
Tex-988483

You are most welcome. Thanks for yours as well. I have been remiss in my manners. Shoulda said that before.

Yeah, I've been a Trudell fan from way back. The AIM days and then musically when he teamed up with Jesse Ed Davis....

Jesse Ed Davis: Keep Me Comin

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmFdkhR-qsM

Jesse Ed Davis: She's a Pain

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJ-WaG1qbkA&feature=related

  • 1 vote
#5.3 - Sun Feb 12, 2012 8:18 PM EST
Reply
Kavika

The old guard is ''walking on''.....Growing up Indian in the 40's, 50' and 60's was not the best of times. I well remember signs where we lived that read ''No Dogs or Indians''...we would not be served in restaurants, most towns were ''sundown towns''...In other words don't be in town or on the street after sundown..I have been called a ''timber nig*ger'' among other choice words. And yes, I remember the ''boarding schools'' whose main mission was to''save the child, kill the Indian''...They were brutal, you were abused, beaten, if we spoke our language the punishment was horrific....I remember the awaking of the American Indian, the taking of Alcatraz, the marches, and the defining moment that changed our history forever. ''The Second Wounded Knee 1973'' a 71 standoff with the BIA, FBI, Marshall Service, the Goons and yes the U.S. Army with General Alexander Haige in charge. The ''Walleye Wars'' of the late 1980's and early 90's..Signs that read ''Save a fish, spear a Squaw'' or ''Save two fish, spear a pregnant Squaw.'' I remember Dennis Banks well, now an old man, Leonard Peltier in prison for life. Yes, I remember it all.

Floyds words ring loud in my mind. Soon most of us, the elders will be walking on. We leave behind our children, grandchildren and great grandchildren, it will be up to them to continue the fight. To remember the elders as men and women that fought for our rights and changed history. We have survived as a people, we are ''The People''....

  • 5 votes
Reply#6 - Mon Feb 13, 2012 12:13 AM EST
Al-316

Kavika, gete niijii, I am ashamed for my country that you and other Native Americans were treated as though you don't belong. You do belong.

Gakina Awiiya (We are all related)

  • 3 votes
#6.1 - Mon Feb 13, 2012 1:55 AM EST
ambivalent

Terrible, should be unspeakable, yet necessary to speak about it Kavika. The making of this country for the white man (and woman) is filled with great shame. If only we felt that shame, acted upon it, but it continues every day, and there is no way to change history. We can only make new history. So far it is not so very good.

  • 2 votes
#6.2 - Mon Feb 13, 2012 3:56 AM EST
Reply
Grisham

It's shameful what happened to the Native Americans and sadly, we continue to shame ourselves by treating them nearly as badly today.

  • 4 votes
Reply#7 - Mon Feb 13, 2012 6:16 AM EST
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