A Prayer for Piestewa

We fought for our land

We fought for our survival

 

Today they told us that

We, were the warriors

modern day heroes

armed with education

every group of people

need some education

in order to succeed,

but one thing they forgot to

mention was that some

would still pick up a gun

in the name of freedom.

This poem is a tribute to one

A true native heroine

I never knew your name until

it was said she was missing

That was the day my

whole world changed, she was

taken from her world of family

and friends, and in my

prayers she remained.

 

Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse, WWII

Code Talkers, Geronimo

Let us honor her in the way

we honor them.

Wilma Mankiller, Sherman Alexie,

Joy Harjo, John Harrington,

The idols of the 21^st Century

Lori Piestewa,

a hero of the 7^th generation,

whose roots and traditions run

as deep as the ocean, from

now on it is she who deserves

to be a part of every

warrior women society.

 

She is the epitome of what

every native girl should aspire to be,

this strong woman

this courageous woman

this heart-filled woman

this selfless woman

this Hopi woman

this young native woman

this lady warrior

 

No matter the reason she fought,

the point is that she did,

she knew the risks going in,

but she looked fear in the eye

and demolished it with her pride;

pride for herself,

pride for her family,

pride for her people

 

It was amazing to see,

this one touch native cookie

was out there being all

she could be,

and more

 

The media said,

you were the first Native American

woman to die in combat

The first,

native woman to die in combat,

my heart dropped to the floor,

and I began to question,

Why did she have to go to war?

What the hell was this war for?

And why?

Why did this beautiful person

have to die?

Then I realized, I should not question

the life of another,

or have anger in my heart,

rather I should celebrate,

for heaven just gained a radiant angel

who may not have realized what she did.

through their beautiful diversity,

from the four winds each tribe stood,

United

Hopi, Dakota, Lakota, Navajo, Arikara, Mandan,

Pueblo, Hidatsa, Crow, Cheyenne, and Seminole

to pay respect to a girl with a genuine soul.

 

You gave your life in the name of

Our mothers, daughters,

fathers, and sons,

You gave your life in the name of

a red, white, and blue nation

I know you are heaven

with the creator

hopefully feeling this vibe,

this maybe in vain,

I wished I could have known you,

no matter what,

always remember what I told you,

In our hearts and minds,

you will always be

Our warrior,

Our one-woman soldier.

Vicki M. Alberts is an enrolled member of the Three Affiliated Tribes and is pursuing her bachelor’s degree in environmental science at Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College.