Island poet and songwriter expresses the anger and frustration of Canada Indigenous relations in song

Talk, Trust, Feel

Don’t talk, don’t trust, don’t feel was the law we lived by.

Back in the 40s that was a government law

And that is what most First Nations lived by

And we were the ones who broke it.

As many were not allowed to talk their language

And we were the one that spoke it

Or to speak their language

So can you relate to it?

Don’t talk, don’t trust, don’t feel was the law we lived by

And that’s what most “First Nations” lived by.

When a different way of life was shoved down their throat

And a different language shoved down their throat

So back in the 40s that’s what it was all about.

It was so discriminating that you could shout

A difference, often unfair, in the treatment of persons

To discriminate between good and evil

To do that to a living person is

What the government and church did to the first nation people was plain evil, not good.

When a different way of life was shoved down their throat

And a different language, shoved down their throat.

“Shame on you the Government”

And shame on the churches

The government of a nation

And school government

Shame, shame, shame

Lyman Corbiere

M’Chigeeng