The Ballad of Crowfoot
Willie Dunn Lyrics

Comes the spring and its warm thaw
As spring comes and the ice and snow melts

Around your neck the eagle claw
You wear the talon of an eagle around your neck as a symbol of strength

Upon your head the buffalo horn
You wear the horn of a buffalo on your head as a symbol of power

Today a great new chief is born
A new leader is born and will grow to be great

So raise him fast towards the sun
Raise him up quickly to the sun as a symbol of hope and growth

A heart now beats, a life's begun
A new life has begun and a heart now beats

It's eighteen hundred twenty-one
The year is 1821

Today a Blackfoot soul is, is born
A Blackfoot person is born and will become a part of the tribe's history

Crowfoot, Crowfoot, why the tears?
Crowfoot, why are you crying?

You've been a brave man for many years
You have been courageous for a long time

Why the sadness? Why the sorrow?
Why do you feel sad and full of sorrow?

Maybe there'll be a better tomorrow
Perhaps there will be a better future

Your years have gone, the years have past
Years have gone by and passed

Your heart is set, your soul is cast
You have set your heart and soul on a certain path

You stand before the council fire
You stand before the tribal council

You have the mind and the desire
You have the intelligence and the drive

Of notions wise you speak so well
You speak with great wisdom

And in brave deeds you do excel
You have done many brave things

And it's eighteen hundred fifty-three
The year is now 1853

And you stand the chief of confederacy
You are now the leader of the confederacy

You are the leader, you are the chief
You are the chief and the leader of your people

You stand against both liar and thief
You oppose those who are dishonest and steal

They trade braves' whiskey and steal your land
They trade whiskey for furs and steal your land

And they're coming in swift like the wind-blown sand
They are coming quickly and fiercely

They shoot the buffalo, kill the game
They shoot and kill the buffalo and other game

And send their preachers in to shame
They bring in their own religious leaders to shame your beliefs

And it's eighteen hundred sixty-four
The year is now 1864

And you think of peace and you think of war
You consider both options of peace and war

See the settlers in more numbers
More settlers are arriving

He takes whatever he encounters
He takes whatever he can, regardless of ownership

You've seen the Sioux all battered, beaten
You have seen the Sioux tribe battered and beaten

They're all in rags, they haven't eaten
They are wearing tattered clothing and have not had much to eat

The Nez Perce were much the same
The Nez Perce tribe is in a similar situation

It seems like such a heartless game
It seems like a cruel and heartless situation

And it's eighteen hundred seventy-six
The year is now 1876

And the enemy's full of those death-dealing tricks
The enemies are using tactics that can result in death

Today the treaty stands on the table
A treaty proposal is being discussed

Will you sign it? Are you able?
Can you sign the treaty, and will it be in your best interest?

It offers food and protection too
The treaty provides food and protection

Do you really think they'll hold it true?
Do you truly believe they will keep their word?

It offers a reserve, now isn't that grand?
The treaty provides a reserve that may seem appealing

And in return you cede all of your land
However, you must give up all of your land

And it's eighteen hundred seventy-seven
The year is now 1877

And you know the scales are so uneven
You know the odds are against you

Well, the buffalo are slaughtered, there is nothing to eat
The buffalo have been killed, and there is no food

The government's late again with the meat
The government has not provided the promised food on time

And your people are riddled with the white man's disease
Your people are suffering from diseases brought by the white man

And in the summer they're sick and in the winter they freeze
During summer, they are sick, and during winter, they are freezing

And sometimes you wonder why you signed that day
Sometimes you wonder why you agreed to the treaty

But they broke the treaties themselves anyway
However, the government did not keep its end of the bargain

And it's eighteen hundred eighty-nine
The year is now 1889

And your death star explodes and then it falls
Your death is imminent, and soon it will occur

The years have gone, the years have flown
Years have gone by and passed quickly

The nation since has swiftly grown but
The nation has grown rapidly, but

Yet for the Indian, it's all the same
For the Native Americans, things have not changed

There's still the hardship, there's still the pain
There is still suffering and difficulty

There's still the hardship, there's still the strife
There is still struggle and conflict

Its bitterness shines like a whetted knife
The bitterness remains, cutting deep like a sharp knife

There's still the hypocrisy, and the hate
There is still hypocrisy and hatred

Was that in the treaties? Was that the fate?
Was this included in the treaties or always destined to be?

We're all unhappy pawns in the government's game
We are all being manipulated by the government

And it's always the Indian who gets the blame
The Native Americans are always blamed

It's a problem which money can never lessen
Money cannot solve this problem

And it's nineteen hundred sixty-seven
The year is now 1967

Maybe one day you'll find honesty
Perhaps one day there will be honesty

Instead of the usual treachery
Instead of deceit and betrayal

Perhaps one day the truth shall prevail
Maybe one day the truth will emerge victorious

And the warmth of love which it does entail
And love will come with it

Crowfoot, Crowfoot, why the tears?
Crowfoot, why are you crying?

You've been a brave man for many years
You have been courageous for a long time

Why the sadness? Why the sorrow?
Why do you feel sad and full of sorrow?

Maybe there'll be a better tomorrow
Perhaps there will be a better future