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Half breed

by Hot Mess!

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about

Half breed is an acknowledgement to the Indigenous people of Canada specifically, for lead singer Cole, the Canadian prairies as that is her ancestral land. As a Metis, northern Cree womyn with Blackfoot ancestry, Cole has written this song in acknowledgement, support and solidarity with those who have come before her, who are here now and for future generations.

For Cole, as an Indigenous woman from Turtle Island (specifically Winnepeg, Manitoba, Canada) standing up on stage, using her voice and speaking her truth is powerful medicine. Playing loudly and singing loudly has proven to be a potent outlet for calling out colonisation and sexism.

This is a personal song for Cole because her bloodline was considered by the Canadian government to be “half breeds” as the women before her were not even given names on the official documentation that she holds. To this day Indigenous women are still going missing, their bodies found in landfills. By all the efforts of the Canadian government, Cole says, “I am not even supposed to exist.”

Jo and Sarah are standing in solidarity with Cole and with the messages of this song. We all acknowledge that the violences called out in this song are faced by Indigenous people globally including in Gumbaynggirr Country where the band now lives. The spirit of resistance and Indigenous strength also lives on.

lyrics

Don't you fucking dare call me half breed
I stand strong before you, matriarchal seed
Your colonizing is getting pretty old
Your heart's beating but it's fucking cold
Taking what you want, when you want
Our culture won't be sold

Want our culture but not our pain
Opportunist, you're not awake
Displacement, strategy
Feel the land beneath my feet
Call you on your shit but you can't take the heat

I'm the voice they couldn't use
Fear of your abuse
Ignorance is alive and well,
Makes our lives a living hell
Enjoy your clean drinking water
Get sick, see a doctor
Missing murdered sisters
And white privilege misters

How much more can we take?
Rape the lands and poisoned the lakes
Forest gone, soil destroyed
No recognition, just avoid
Our mother's crying out
Respect integrity
We are sacred and worthy
And your capitalism fucking sucks

I'm the earth and she is me
Wake your soul, go deep
Ancestors won't be silenced
Your ignorance fuels violence
You were Native American in a past life?
Fuck off!
You ever been to Turtle Island?

Residential school survivors,
no one wants to look for them
Forced sterilization, fucking us into assimilation
Appropriate our sacredness?
You're making such a fucking mess
Get your head out of your ass and give this shit a rest

Pretend sweat lodges and plastic dream catchers
Internet headdresses and mimicking our drums
Your ignorance ass sells our medicine
Tell me when's it gonna end
Wake up, get your spirit on the mend

Clan mothers have risen and matriarchs reclaim position
It's our time, we are renewed to take our ancestral role
We're not taking no for an answer
Will she stand back? Ask her
We won't bow down
Get out of the way, we'll run you down

Don't you fucking dare call me half breed
I stand strong before you, matriarchal seed
The voice of my relations, seven generations
To the manipulation, resistance, our reputation

credits

released September 12, 2023
Thanks to Finn Rhodes for recording us and producing this track. We acknowledge Gumbaynggirr Country where we wrote and recorded this work, and pay our respects to Indigenous Elders past, present and future.

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Hot Mess! Bellingen, Australia

Hot Mess are a three-piece womyn’s punk band from the Bellinger river, Bindarray Yurruun, on Gumbaynggirr Country on the mid- North coast of NSW. We are Cole Flett (vocals, guitar), Jo Ware (vocals, drums) and Sarah Wright (vocals, bass) and we play feminist, menopausal, garage, punk rock. We have a lot to say and we reckon that an old school, womyn’s punk band is the perfect way to say it, loudly! ... more

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