Ballad of Crowfoot
Willie Dunn Lyrics

Comes the Spring, and it's warm thaw,
With the arrival of spring comes the thaw of the ice and snow.

Around your neck, the eagle claw,
A symbol of strength and courage, you wear an eagle claw as a necklace.

Upon your head, the buffalo horn
A symbol of leadership and authority, you wear a buffalo horn on your head.

Today a great new chief is born.
A new leader is born today with potential to unify and guide the Blackfoot people.

So raise him fast toward the sun,
A ritual to invoke strength and power, the newborn leader is raised towards the sun.

A heart now beats, a life's begun.
A new life has started with the birth of this new leader.

It's eighteen hundred twenty-one,
The year is 1821, marking a significant moment for the Blackfoot people.

Today a Blackfoot soul is born.
The birth of the new leader is a momentous occasion for the Blackfoot people.

Crowfoot, Crowfoot, why the tears?
As a respected and brave leader, it's unusual to see you cry. What troubles you?

You've been a brave man, for many years.
You've been a strong and courageous leader for a long time, earning respect from your people.

Why the sadness? Why the sorrow?
What is causing you to feel this sadness and sorrow?

Maybe there'll be a better tomorrow.
Perhaps there is hope for a better future, despite current struggles.

The years have gone, the years have past,
Time has passed and many things have changed since the birth of the new leader.

Your heart has set, your soul is cast,
Your heart is resolute and your destiny is determined.

You stand before the Council Fire,
As a distinguished leader, you participate in important council meetings.

You have the mind and the desire,
You possess both intelligence and motivation to lead your people.

Of notions wise you speak so well
You are skilled at expressing wise ideas and thoughts.

And in brave deeds you do excel
You have accomplished many brave feats, earning admiration from your people.

And it's eighteen hundred fifty-three,
The year is 1853, marking another significant moment for the Blackfoot people.

And you stand the chief of Confederacy,
You are now the chief of the Confederacy, leading all Blackfoot tribes.

You are the leader, you are the chief,
You hold a position of great authority and responsibility.

You stand against both lier and thief,
You face opposition from both dishonest people and those who would steal your land.

They trade braves whiskey and steal your land,
They use alcohol to manipulate and take advantage of your people, while encroaching on your land.

And they're coming in swift like the wind-blown sand,
The outsiders are quickly and aggressively taking over Blackfoot land, like the windswept sand.

They shoot the buffalo and kill the game,
The outsiders are killing off the buffalo and other animals, depriving your people of crucial resources.

And send their preachers in to shame,
They also try to impose their religious beliefs on your people, causing shame and conflict.

And it's eighteen hundred sixty-four,
The year is now 1864, signifying ongoing struggles for the Blackfoot people.

And you think of peace and you think of war.
As a wise and experienced leader, you consider both peaceful and confrontational options in your response to outsiders.

See the settlers in more numbers
You witness an increasing number of outsiders, putting more pressure on your people.

He takes whatever he encounters,
The outsiders take whatever they want, disregarding the rights and needs of the Blackfoot people.

You've seen the Sioux all battered, beaten,
You observe the struggles of other Indigenous tribes, such as the Sioux, who face similar challenges.

They're all in rags, they haven't eaten,
Their living conditions are poor, with hunger and poverty widespread.

The Nez Perce' are much the same,
Another Indigenous tribe, the Nez Perce, face similar hardships and difficulties.

It seems like such a heartless game,
The outsiders' actions towards Indigenous people feel cruel and unfeeling.

And it's eighteen hundred seventy-six,
The year is now 1876, indicating ongoing struggles for Indigenous people.

And the enemy's full of those death-dealing tricks.
The outsiders employ deadly tactics to gain an advantage, making it difficult for the Blackfoot people to defend themselves.

Today the treaty stands on the table,
A new treaty proposal is offered for consideration.

Will you sign it, are you able,
You must decide whether to sign the treaty or not and if you have the power to refuse.

It offers food and protection too,
The government promises to provide your people with food and security as part of the treaty offer.

Do you really think they'll hold it true?
You question whether the government will actually follow through on their treaty promises.

It offers a reserve, now isn't that grand,
As part of the treaty, the government offers a reserve for the Blackfoot people to live on, which sounds appealing.

And in return you cede all your land,
However, in exchange for the reserve, your people must give up all rights to their original land.

And it's eighteen hundred seventy-seven,
The year is now 1877, another momentous time for the Blackfoot people.

And you know the scales are so uneven.
You recognize the imbalance of power between the government and Indigenous people and the unfairness of their treaty proposals.

Well, the buffalo are slaughtered, there's nothing to eat,
The outsiders have effectively decimated the buffalo population, depriving the Blackfoot people of their primary food source.

The government's late again, with the meat,
The government promised to provide your people with food, but their delivery is slow and unreliable.

And your people are riddled
Your people are afflicted

With the white man's disease,
Your people suffer from illnesses brought by the outsiders.

And in the summer you're sick,
Your people suffer from illness more frequently during the summer months.

And in the winter you freeze,
Your people also suffer from the harsh winter conditions.

And sometimes you wonder why you signed that day,
You question your decision to sign the treaty in light of the ongoing struggles and hardships for your people.

But they broke the treaties themselves anyway,
Even though your people signed the treaties, the government does not follow through on their promises.

And it's eighteen hundred eighty-nine,
The year is now 1889, signifying the ongoing effects of the broken treaties.

And your death star explodes and then it falls.
Your death marks the end of your leadership and great loss for the Blackfoot people.

A nation since has swiftly grown,
Time has passed, and the nation as a whole has developed and progressed.

But for the native, it's all the same,
Despite overall progress, Indigenous people continue to face persistent struggles and hardships.

There's still the hardship, there's still the pain,
Even with the passage of time, Indigenous people continue to experience hardships and suffering.

It's bitterness shines like a whetted knife,
The bitterness and resentment felt by Indigenous people is sharp and cutting.

There's still the hypocrisy, and still the hate,
Indigenous people still face unfair and hypocritical treatment from the government and society at large.

Was that in the treaties, was that our fate?
The broken treaties and ongoing struggles of Indigenous people make you question whether this was always the intended outcome.

We're all unhappy pawns in the government's game,
Indigenous people feel like powerless pawns in a game rigged against them by the government and those in power.

And it's always the native who gets the blame,
Indigenous people are often scapegoated for social and economic problems, even when they are not at fault.

It's a problem which money can never lessen,
The ongoing struggles and challenges faced by Indigenous people cannot be solved by simply throwing money at the problem.

And it's nineteen hundred seventy-one,
The year is now 1971, indicating that Indigenous people are still fighting for their rights and struggling against systemic oppression.

Maybe one day you'll find honesty,
There is hope that one day, the government and society at large will be honest and transparent in their treatment of Indigenous people.

Instead of the usual treachery,
Rather than employing deceit and betrayal, there is a desire for honesty and good faith in relations between Indigenous people and the government.

Perhaps one day the truth may prevail,
There is optimism that one day, the truth about the ongoing struggles and injustices faced by Indigenous people will come to light and be properly addressed.

And the warmth of love which it does entail.
This progress and resolution will be accompanied by feelings of love, acceptance, and mutual understanding.

Crowfoot, Crowfoot, why the tears?
As a respected and brave leader, it's unusual to see you cry. What troubles you?

You've been a brave man, for many years.
You've been a strong and courageous leader for a long time, earning respect from your people.

Why the sadness? Why the sorrow?
What is causing you to feel this sadness and sorrow?

Maybe there'll be a better tomorrow.
Despite years of struggles and hardships, there is hope for a better future for Indigenous people and their communities.