The clearing of the land

Though they didn't come at once, well they all brought sporting guns
And their own police and army came in with them
On our roads, their horses trod, but still, they needed to be shod
So they hired us to feed and breed and smith them
And some of us, on seeing our cousins stung
Were all too quick to scrabble up that bottom ladder rung
And we learned our lessons wrong behind their hedge
And the first mistake was giving them a place to drive the wedge

Then they turned their language loose to ennoble the abuse
And their papers called a people, now, a "problem"
Just the word would give them cause to enforce their penal laws
So they could start accusing us of trying to rob them

And some of us refused to see they'd planned
To kill us all or drive us, year by year, off of the land
And in exile, we would wallow in our shame
While in all their halls, they sing our songs and steal our heroes' claims and loved ones' names

Satellites and TV towers program fealty to the powers
They get paid for the charade that they're projecting
And when our patience starts to sour; years to months, days to hours
In the end, friend, really what were you expecting?
And who is it you want to be protecting?