John Trudell was a Native American author, poet, actor, musician, and political activist. He was the spokesperson for the United Indians of All Tribes‘ takeover of Alcatraz beginning in 1969, broadcasting as Radio Free Alcatraz. During most of the 1970s, he served as the chairman of the American Indian Movement. I would describe his music as Native American blues & spoken word poetry. My favorite of his stuff musically is with his band Bad Dog but all his poetry will hopefully make you think and feel the plight of the Native Americans in this country. Now more than ever, the similarities in their plight seem too similar to what we all may face soon. I posted the song Look at Us on Wed. Steel but it is worth revisiting the lyrics:
Look at us
We are of earth and water
Look at them
It is the same
Look at us
We are suffering all these years
Look at them
They are connected
Look at us
We are in pain
Look at them
Surprised at our anger
Look at us
We are struggling to survive
Look at them
Expecting sorrow be benign
Look at us
We are the ones called pagan
Look at them
On their arrival
Look at us
We are called subversive
Look at them
Descending from name callers
Look at us
We wept sadly in the long dark
Look at them
Hiding in technologic light
Look at us
We buried the generations
Look at them
Inventing the body count
Look at us
We are older than America
Look at them
Chasing a fountain of youth
Look at us we are embracing earth
Look at them
Clutching today
Look at us
We are living in the generations
Look at them
Existing in jobs and debt
Look at us
We have escaped many times
Look at them
They cannot remember
Look at us
We are healing
Look at them
Their medicine is patented
Look at us
We are trying
Look at them
What are they doing
Look at us
We are children of earth
Look at them
Who are they
Thanks for your support of DUAN. Keep up the good fight!
Todd Snider – Conservative, Christian, Right-Wing Republican, Straight, White, American Males
Tanya Tagaq – Retribution
I have no doubt that John would have loved this!
Arise Roots – Indigenous People
Hey, I recognized Amy Goodman’s voice in there! This is very cool.
Great stuff. Those are incredibly powerful lyrics. Here’s a Native American band that’s been largely forgotten.
XIT – “We Live”
I was not aware of this band. I will be going down another Native American rabbit hole! Thanks Jonee!
They only released a couple albums in the 70’s, but they rock.
and this might belong in tomorrow’s “Rant & Roll” from our fearless leader RIP but is kind of in this theme…
Chuck Billy and Joey Belladonna both have Native American parents.
Damn, @loveshaq. I’m just so happy that others know of Trudell and AIM in this day and age. Peter Matthiessen’s “In the Spirit of Crazy Horse” had a big impact on me as a print journalist, and I kinda loosely followed Trudell after that.
At a young age my older brother taught me about Native Americans & how my Dad’s John Wayne movies were not what really happened. When he found out we had Native American blood in a DNA test he was all in on tracking that history. We both always related more to the “Indians” than the “cowboys” Growing up w/ the plight of the Hawaiian’s fight for rights was also a constant reminder of what has been lost. I didn’t know much of Trudell until listening to Native Voice One & the show Undercurrents which is named after this song.
that sent me down the rabbit hole of his music, poetry & amazing life story.
https://www.undercurrentsradio.net/about#bio-shift
That book had a big impact on me as well. It infuriates me that Manafort and Cohen are out of jail and Peltier with all his health problems is still incarcerated.
Oh, don’t get me started on Janklow….
