Nova Scotia/Nunavut Command of The Royal Canadian Legion www.ns.legion.ca 25 continued ... continued ... We Are Still Here In honour of our Indigenous Veterans We are still here We are still living people We fought for you We killed for you We fought in wars beside you All we ask for is recognition Why don’t people see that we are the same Even if the war is over We are still fighting We are still at war We are at war with ourselves as a country It needs to stop Now put down your guns, and step off the battlefield. This poem is about how indigenous people of Canada are still at war for our treaty rights that are being ignored. The fact is that we were being treated like animals, physically and verbally assaulted, and being called “Savage” or “Dirty Indian”. The fact is that I’ve already been called both of those, and I’m only 12 years old. It doesn’t matter the age, no one should ever be mistreated because of their race or the colour of their skin. It needs to stop. We’ve been here for thousands of years, and we’re still trying to build peace. It’s showing up in our schools, and it’s disgusting. When you learn how to talk, you learn it from an influence like an adult. Same goes for racism. It gets passed down. Is this really what you want our generation to look like? We fought and died alongside you for peace, but where is ours? “Now put down your guns, and step off the battlefield.” What does that mean to you? Ask yourself that. To me, it means to end the fighting and come to peace. We still have that warrior in us. You can burn down our homes, take our rights away, but we will still thrive. We’re not going anywhere. You can waste your breath, and voice, talking about how natives are in the wrong. It’s not everyday I can use mine to be heard, so I’ll be using it on a problem that’s been going on for generations. If I’m lucky, I’ll live long enough to see a difference. No matter what, my spirit will forever be fighting. 1st Place Intermediate Essay, Cadence Davidson, Submitted by Shubenacadie Br. 111, District C 2nd Place Intermediate Essay, Aaliyah Thompson, Submitted by Enfield Br. 133, District F
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