Give Me The Wolf's Life
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By James H. Starkey

Give me the Wolf's life; hunted, hungry, and free,
Keep your sled dog, and lap dog far from me,
I am Lakota, call me by the name of my kin,
Sioux I am not, nor American nor Inidan,
Not native, nor tribal, nor other generic terms,
Oceti Sakowin, our ways our life confirms,

My freedom is not dependent upon your whim and will,
I am free because I love and my love you cannot kill,
I am the Wolf, and to the Wasicu I will not bow,
Intrinsic to my nature, and nature won't allow,
Chained, caged, or trapped, my spirit still runs free,
No way that you can dampen, the freedom within me,

Give me the Wolf's life; flee from now greedy foe,
For there are many of us, far more than you could know,
Quietly we are born, and quietly we watch and learn,
Quietly we are growing, and quietly we yearn,
Yet if you listen to the earth, a rumble does grow more and more,
Quietly no longer, arrive we now to the fore,

Seven generations, attacked and reviled,
All my relation, unspeakably defiled,
Never surrendering hope, our Canunpas still intact,
Remembering every Inipi, and our sacred ancient pact,
Awakening now anew, fresh as the sun arised,
Shaking off deep slumber, our death had been surmised,

Give me the Wolf's life; related, a hoop, a Hocoka,
Learning every wisdom, when beset by the Heyoka,
Hunger, and thirst, and heat and even cold,
Create within me strength, and make my footprints bold,
I live not for myself, I seek not gold or wine,
I cherish very little, only the affinity that is mine,

Hunt me, and seek my downfall, poison even my game,
Delight in my sorrow, but call me by my name,
Again, I say, I am Lakota, you can't forget although you try,
For even your own memory, knows how much you like to lie,
Wasicu your time is short, taking fat for your tomorrow,
What stores have you laid up, to banish your coming sorrow?

Give me the Wolf's life; lash upon me no tether,
Seek me not at your footstool; find me facing instead the weather,
Strength and fortitude await me, relatives of mine they are,
Recognize me easily enough, remember they my every scar,
I fear not but for the fat-taker, what will be his poor lot,
When finally that day comes, and he realizes he owns not?

Note:
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-Oceti Sakowin: "seven council fires," is the Indian name for the great Sioux Nation.
-Wasicu: whiteness as I see it, white man, greedy fat taker.
-Canunpas: sundance.
-Inipi: sweat lodge.
-Hoop: spotted wood, Lakota sacred hoop dancer,
-Hocoka: sacred circle.
-Heyoka: a group of Lakota-Sioux who have had a vision.