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A great deal of police violence against indigenous people has happened here and all over. This is specifically speaking to the violence that has occurred over the CGL pipeline. It includes some the finest Ts’msyen insults. To be ancestor-less is a huge one, that is possible the biggest insult. Having no grandmother is another very harsh one - it is implied that a person with no grandmother has never learned about respect and has never learned how to treat people in a good way. The line “we don’t have guns, but marshmallows will burn” alludes to the railway blockades in Gitksan territory. Gitksan were violently arrested, thrown to the ground and cuffed. And before that, guns were pointed at them. The people arrested were unarmed, and there were children present who were roasting marshmallows over a fire. Some more insults like “you have no ears” is said to someone who never listens. “Quit walking so proud” is said to someone who thinks they are better than everyone else. Also worth noting, a house is a political entity. People are ancestrally tied by matrilineal descent to their clan, and their house. Oftentimes there are multiple house groups within a clan. There are 3 clans in Hartley Bay - Eagle, Raven and Blackfish. But other villages also have Wolf clan. Beneath those clans are the house groups, which each have their own set of hereditary leaders, matriarchs, songs, rights to land, etc. In the song i use the word “g̱olda” - meaning to break down a building, or tear it down. I use that word metaphorically, because I am really talking about the word Waap (Waaba, in context), as the political structures of the police force (the RCMP), which was originally created to suppress indigenous resistance. That was their objective in the early days of settling what is called “Canada.”

lyrics

Txa’nii Watsmen Sm’wa̱’ayin.
Akadit łooda na laxyuubm

T’ilgooti, ‘ap luk’wil ‘wah ‘nts’iitst
Awil akadit łooda ła ‘wiileeksit

Ałkadi sgüüł gabilah da k’am
Da'al dm gwelgm mashmallows
'Nüün int 'wah ts'muun
Ndo'o yaan, gyiloo ts'iks yaan

Laandza dip g̱olda na waaba gwa̱soo, dm g̱olda na waaba gwa̱soo


All police, true ancestor-less people
Because they don’t respect our land

Let’s all tear the pig’s houses down

I think you (they) really have no grandmother
Because they don’t respect elders

Let’s all tear the pig’s houses down

We don’t have guns, but marshmallows will burn
You are one who has no ears, go on and quit talking so proud

Let’s all tear the pig’s houses down

credits

from G​̱​al'u​̈​u​̈​nx Wil Lu Holtga Liimi, released July 1, 2023

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