“Moccasin Flat”
(a song of the Blackfeet)

Sad memories fill my mind
memories of my ancestors

I see my great grandfather’s grandfather
a young brave strong and bold
living free
moving with the buffalo
in the days before white men
taking life as it came
his spirit clean and pure
nature’s purity gave life’s beauty
to the soul of the Blackfeet
he heard them beating
LOUD AND FREE
the drums of harmony
on Moccasin Flat
His memories flood my mind
thoughts of his world
of what he passed down to his son

I see my grandfather’s grandfather
a young brave strong and bold
living free
moving with the buffalo
til white men came
with whiskey
living day to day
his spirit clean and pure
nature’s beauty gave life’s purity
to the soul of the Blackfeet
He also heard them
strong and proud
the drums of his people
on Moccasin Flat
Their memories fill my mind
I think of what they knew
would surely come to pass

I see my great grandfather
a young brave strong and bold
watching freedom die
with the buffalo
as whiskey poisoned the soul of his tribe
living as he was forced to
his spirit brave
but no longer pure
white men’s’ greed took life’s beauty
from the soul of the Blackfeet
He surely heard them
GETTING LOUDER!
the drums of war
on Moccasin Flat
I can’t escape sad memories
I think of what broke his heart
as he passed it down to his son

I see my grandfather
a young brave strong and bold
and sad
the reservation has no freedom
the buffalo are long dead
on Moccasin Flat are
neglected houses, broken homes,
and twisted souls
the white mans’ legacy
living from drink to drink
spirits blinded by whiskey
white men’s’ poison almost killed
the soul of the Blackfeet
he really heard them
through tears he heard them
the children crying
on Moccasin Flat

Grandpa’s memories are the hardest ones to take
I think of what he passed down to my dad

I see my father
a young brave strong and bold
sad memories came to him
memories of our ancestors
when Indians were free
and moving with the buffalo
of days before the white men
when spirits were clean and pure
when nature’s purity gave life’s beauty to the soul of the Blackfeet
YES!!!!
He heard them
as our forebearers heard them
the drums of life
on Moccasin Flat

My Father taught me a lesson
as I stood there strong and bold
He said: “Just because the buffalo are gone
and the Blackfeet have no freedom
doesn’t mean we must drink
Just because white mans’ whiskey
tried to kill the soul of the Blackfeet
doesn’t mean that we must die
if our hearts are Blackfoot
if our souls are Indian
we can still be free
if we take life as it comes
our spirits clean and pure
if we let nature’s beauty restore life’s purity to the soul of the Blackfeet
Again we’ll hear them
in our hearts we’ll hear them
the drums of PRIDE
on Moccasin Flat”
Sad memories give me hope.

© Sam Hyde
01-05-87