Sunday 13 September 2009

AKIMEL O'ODHAM

Akimel O'odham

Crossing the Maricopa line
Feeling like its all a lie
The buckeyes grin
Take it on the chin
Don’t even question why

Pima county here I come
Not too sure if I'm the one
The sign in town says no solicitin'
But you go diving in


Salt River sings
Look what deadwood river brings
You find your roots with saguaro fruits
Coyote rides on in

I don’t know, don’t understand
How could they be underhand
You’d be amazed by
The Man in the maze
To see that we’re all lost like that man


This song was born of a dream- I wasnt even sure where Maricopa was or indeed if it existed until I looked it up, but it was clearly meant to be. It is dedicated to all First Nations people in the Americas who still suffer from discrimination and misunderstanding.
The Akimel O'Odham people were called the Pima by the first settlers- 'Pima' means 'I dont understand' and is deeply symbolic of the multiplicity of misunderstandings between First Nations and Colonisers.