On December 4th, 2017, Donald Trump announced a reduction of two national monuments in Utah. This lead to a mass protest from both Conservation groups and First Nation organizations. Also multiple groups chose to file a lawsuit against President Trump.
In light of these events, I felt it was appropriate to select “You Got to Run (Spirit of the Wind)”, as my first Daily Dose of Protest entry. This tune is a poignant collaboration of two Native Canadian artists. Buffy Sainte-Marie is an icon of socially conscious music and Tanya Tagaq is a critically acclaimed Inuit throat singer who often addresses indigenous issues.
The song was recorded prior to Utah, but the song talks about the import of standing up to governmental corruption which not only damages the planet, but it show disrespect to native land. One of the outcries heard during the Utah protest was “silence is deadly”. This song definitely embodies that adage. The song appropriately concludes with the cry of “Standing Rock”.
The song appears on Sainte-Marie’s 2017 album, Medicine Songs.