The Virus
A Tribe Called Red Lyrics

The people
Referring to the Indigenous people of North America and their journey through colonization and its effects on their lives.

The virus took on many shapes
The devastating effects of colonization, which came in many forms, such as land theft, resource exploitation and violence.

The bear, the elk, the antelope, the elephant, the deer
The animals that were hunted and exploited for their skins, meat and other body parts by colonizers.

The mineral, the iron, the copper, the coltan, the rubber
The resources that were mined and extracted from Indigenous lands and sold for profit by colonizers.

The coffee, the cotton, the sugar
The products that were grown on plantations owned and run by colonizers, with forced labor from Indigenous people and enslaved Africans.

The germ traveled faster than the bullet
The spread of diseases brought by colonizers, such as smallpox and measles, which killed many Indigenous people.

They harvest the mountains inside, protect the crops, herd the cattle
Indigenous people's traditional way of life, which included sustainable farming, hunting and shepherding practices, were threatened or destroyed by colonizers.

The women and children were separated from the men
The sexist and patriarchal policies of colonizers that enforced gender roles and disrupted Indigenous family structures.

They're divided as a foot into the regional filters of their minds
The mental and emotional impact of colonization, which caused Indigenous people to internalize and perpetuate harmful stereotypes and divisions among themselves.

The violence of arrogance, crawls into the air, nestles into the geospatial cortex
The lasting effects of colonization on Indigenous people's lands, cultures and identities, which persist to this day.

We are not a conquered people
A declaration of resistance and pride in Indigenous people's resilience and strength in the face of colonization.

Drum beats by region
A nod to Indigenous musical traditions and the importance of drums in Indigenous culture.

I was awakened by my elder brother
A personal anecdote that highlights the traumatic impact of colonization on Indigenous individuals and families.

The compound was on fire
A metaphor for the destruction and chaos that colonization brought to Indigenous people's lives and communities.

The missionaries never hid their perspective
The role of religious institutions in justifying, enforcing and perpetuating colonization and oppression.

Perspectives of land, but rather see us disappear
The colonial perspective that saw Indigenous people as obstacles to be removed or assimilated, rather than respected as independent nations with their own lands, cultures and histories.

Recyclable prayers
A commentary on the superficial and tokenistic nature of colonial religious practices that had little actual respect or understanding of Indigenous culture.

This is my body, which is given for you
A biblical reference that highlights the hypocritical and exploitative nature of colonizers' religious beliefs and actions.

This is my blood
A continuation of the previous biblical reference, which underscores the symbolic violence of colonization against Indigenous people's bodies, lands, and cultures.