Stolen Land
Bruce Cockburn Lyrics

From Tierra del Fuego to Ungava Bay
The history of colonization in North and South America.

The history of betrayal continues to today
The legacy of colonialism and the continued disregard for Indigenous rights.

The spirit of Almighty Voice, the ghost of Anna Mae
The memory and strength of Indigenous leaders who fought for their people.

Call like thunder from the mountain, you can hear them say 'it's a stolen land'
The voices of the ancestors who remind us that this land was taken from Indigenous peoples.

Stolen land
The reality that the land we live on was taken from its original inhabitants.

Apartheid in Arizona, slaughter in Brazil
Examples of the ongoing oppression and violence against Indigenous peoples around the world.

If bullets don't get good PR there's other ways to kill
The ways in which colonization and Indigenous oppression continue today, even if the tactics have changed.

Kidnap all the children, put 'em in a foreign system
The history of residential schools and the forced removal of Indigenous children from their families and communities.

Bring them up in no-man's land where no one really wants them, it's a stolen land
The erasure of Indigenous culture and identity that resulted from these colonial tactics.

It's a stolen land, but it's all we've got
The acknowledgement of the reality that we live on stolen land that cannot be undone.

And there's no going back
The recognition that we cannot undo the past but must move forward.

And we'll never forget
The commitment to remembering and acknowledging the harm done to Indigenous peoples.

And we're not through yet
The continued struggle to achieve justice, sovereignty, and decolonization.

In my mind I catch a picture, big black raven in the sky
Symbolizing the deep connection between Indigenous cultures and the natural world.

Looking at the ocean, sail reflected in black eye
How colonization changed the relationship of Indigenous peoples with the land and sea.

Sail as white as heroin, white like weathered bones
The violence and cruelty of colonization that forever altered the Indigenous way of life.

Rum and guns and smallpox gonna change the face of home in this stolen land
The weapons and disease that were used to subdue and dominate Indigenous peoples.

If you're like me you'd like to think we've learned from our mistakes
The hope that we can learn from the past and do better.

Enough to know we can't play god with others' lives at stake
The recognition that our actions have real consequences and affect real people.

So now we've all discovered the world wasn't only made for whites
The awakening to the fact that Indigenous peoples have been erased and oppressed by colonial powers.

What step are you gonna take to try and set things right in this stolen land?
The call to action to work towards justice, reparations, and decolonization.

Oh, it's a stolen land, and there's no going back
The acknowledgment that we must face the reality of Indigenous dispossession.

It's a stolen land, but it's all we've got
The recognition that the land we live on, despite its history, is still the only home we have.

It's a stolen land, and we'll never forget
The commitment to acknowledging and remembering the ongoing legacy of colonization.

It's a stolen land, and we're not through yet
The continued struggle for Indigenous justice and sovereignty.

It's a stolen land
The repeated emphasis on the reality of Indigenous dispossession.