Raushan Trail Of Tears Lyrics

Chorus

So far away, so far away
(Chickasaw, Seminole, Mojave, Navajo)
So far away, into a grave (The Trail of Tears)
(Illinois, Iroquois, Nez Perce, Missiquoi)
So far away, so far away
(Aleut, Yupik, Eyak, Inuit)
So far away, into a grave (The Trail of Tears)
(Miwok, Quapaw, Natchitoches, Choctaw)

V1

As America expanded from it's 13 original colonies
it stole more territory, forcing Native tribes to flee
history only tells America's side, it's deals and their purpose
but what about the people who already lived in the Louisiana Purchase?
that would be like me and a friend deciding who gets your house and land
even though your family still lives there, cuz once they agreed to a plan
they sent their men to "settle" that land, empowering them with incentives and weapons
intervening if tribes resisted, promising peace for land concessions
saying the tribes could keep their land as long as that tribe still existed
then they'd turn around and kill them, seize that land, and the cycle continued
so of course the Natives fought back, otherwise they'd be devoured
there was no United Nations to turn to and the other global powers
all were doing the same things during this time of colonization
like today's illegal Israeli settlements in Palestine's occupation
in 1829 Andrew Jackson, the slave owning, Native butcher
had won the presidency, ending the fragile peace that stood, the
Supreme Court sided with the Cherokees, ensuring their independence
but Jackson simply refused to enforce it, letting the states continue
cuz gold had been discovered throughout the Southeast and the West
and once again, the Natives had to flee or else they'd meet their deaths

Chorus

So far away, so far away
(Alibamu, Peoria, Kiowa, Otoe-Missouria)
So far away, into a grave (The Trail of Tears)
(Iowa, Chippewa, Cheyenne, Omaha)
So far away, so far away
(Arikara, Shinnecock, Ottawa, Sauk & Fox)
So far away, into a grave (The Trail of Tears)
(Mohegan, Massachusett, Spokane, Narragansett)

V2

With every year, there were more broken promises from America’s governments
more than 500 broken treaties, invading more of the southern lands
the Georgia Gold Rush was the final straw, and peace collapsed
in 1830 when Congress passed the Indian Removal Act
then sent troops to force the Natives to relocate to reservations
located throughout the West but many tribes refused to take it
the Seminoles refused to leave, led by Chief Osceola
til they lost the 2nd Seminole War and most were forced to go, the
Potawatomi Tribe was forced to march 660 miles
across 4 states at gunpoint, down to the last child the Choctaw were promised everything west of the Mississippi Valley
in the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek, yet still were sent packing
and the Cherokees were forced to leave their capital Red Clay, Tennessee
on foot for more than 1,000 miles, at least 20,000 refugees
and 4,000 died before they reached their destination
those who made it were pressured to give up their cultures, forced assimilation
forced religious conversions for some, the same was done to Canada’s Natives
but that wasn’t enough for the colonists, who even claimed that land as States, and
now we’ve paved over their holy sites, erased their ancient languages
so their heritage is lost forever on that Trail of Tears

Chorus

So far away, so far away
(Ponca, Klamath, Suquamish, Niantic)
So far away, into a grave (The Trail of Tears)
(Pueblo, Miscogee, Erie, Chickamauga Cherokee)
So far away, so far away
(Catawba, Tonkawa, Coushatta, Chittamacha)
So far away, into a grave (The Trail of Tears)
(Oneida, Lakota, Seneca, Dakota)

V3

As time passes, our people and our cultures are forgotten
leaving us trapped on reservations like garbage you've discarded
now your history books ignore me, and your leaders do nothing for me
while you desecrate our lands, using our tribal names as trophies
driving Cherokees and Pontiacs, pretending you care Thanksgiving Day
while cheering for the Redskins, the Cleveland Indians, and the Braves
and then you go to war, flying Apaches and Comanches
launching Tomahawk missiles, disrespecting all of our families
several hundred places, lakes, and counties with our words or names
stole our land, robbed us of our cultures, then looted our graves
to this day, American museums and private estates
gladly place the stolen art and artifacts on display
it's disgusting, and yet I truly fear we'll never get justice
since it took 300 years for our South American brothers
to revolt and break free from the European colonies
and finally gain their independence, escaping the tyranny
ironically, Hispanics, the descendants of the Natives
now are hated by some Americans for returning through immigration
and repopulating their homeland, like the colonists are scared
that the Natives have returned to reclaim the land that's rightfully theirs

Chorus

So far away, so far away
(Comanche, Apache, Mississippi, Apalachee)
So far away, into a grave (The Trail of Tears)
(Pascagoula, Cayuga, Delaware, Calusa)
So far away, so far away
(Cree, Cherokee, Biloxi, Miami)
So far away, into a grave (The Trail of Tears)
(Kansa, Shawnee, Ute, Pawnee)