Passamaquoddy Girl
By Mary Ellen Socobasin,
Passamaquoddy (1947-1988)
6 April 1995
Mary Ellen's death was a loss to our community and in her honor I post her words so that others may learn from her.
A proud Indian girl grows up on the reservation
Takes a walk to the white community
She knew nothing of
She was greeted with laughter
She was treated unfairly
For she did nothing to
She was called a redskin
She looked upon herself saw only brown skin
She wonders what is wrong with
She is called an Apache with a sneer.
She says, I am Passamaquoddy eyes full of tears.
She asks herself what have I done to
They make funny noises imitating her language.
She says to
Doesn't that mean anything to you.
But to
The language of hate.
She asks herself what have I done to
They don't know her. Still they condemn.
She committed no crime still they prosecute
Stones of injustice are thrown at her
Her heart starts to fill with bitterness.
She proclaims her hate for
Years of ignorance go by.
Then she realized what was happening.
She was getting to be just like
She says I am not one of
I will not condemn all of
For I am Passamaquoddy
A proud Indian woman.
Takes a walk to the white community
She knew nothing of
them
She was greeted with laughter
She was treated unfairly
For she did nothing to
them.
She was called a redskin
She looked upon herself saw only brown skin
She wonders what is wrong with
them.
She is called an Apache with a sneer.
She says, I am Passamaquoddy eyes full of tears.
She asks herself what have I done to
them.
They make funny noises imitating her language.
She says to
themI know two languages.
Doesn't that mean anything to you.
But to
them,they only understood one language.
The language of hate.
She asks herself what have I done to
them.
They don't know her. Still they condemn.
She committed no crime still they prosecute
Stones of injustice are thrown at her
Her heart starts to fill with bitterness.
She proclaims her hate for
them.
Years of ignorance go by.
Then she realized what was happening.
She was getting to be just like
them.
She says I am not one of
them.
I will not condemn all of
them.
For I am Passamaquoddy
A proud Indian woman.
--Mary Ellen Socobasin
Passamaquoddy
1947-1988
Passamaquoddy
1947-1988
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