150,000

You snatched us

Away from the arms

of those we call our. own

Into the darkness

that we were not able to break free from

Into the pitfalls

of what you called reform

Into the hands

of what was deemed religious

Into the grave that silenced the horrors

Horrors of what you put us through

In the name of assimilation

In the name of integration

In the name of abolition

Domination.

Extinction.

Your ways kept us locked

Even when we were released

Back to the arms of our people

Who we no longer knew

The language whose melody

And words we couldn’t even say

To a tribe that welcomed our arrival

Yet surprised at the hollow shell

Surprised at the disdain

Surprised at the apathy

The disrespect

The cruelty

The disconnect

The place we’ve been is hell

Ran by people in robes and shrines

where blood of our people flowed