Three California Writers:

Gone Are The Days
by Wa-Wa Chaw

Edited by: Cindy Beck

Back to the ANPA Digital Library homepage
Terms of Use

GONE ARE THE DAYS

Gone are the days when Father Junipero Serra¹

Instructed Indians to build these ways

And to forget their will treatment of gone days,

When treaties were made for Indians that had no say.

Father Junipero said, “Indians, the sun shall shine some day.”

The words were molded in the Mission Indian² soul.

There Father Junipero was worth more than the pale face gold.

Gone are the days when the Mission Dolores

Was Indian and always thought to help and bind

And to gather all Indians within the Mission boundary line.

When words were sent by pale face birds

A new treaty was signed on an open line.

Cho-o-po-, Tu-Trop, Joaquin,

The land was for a few brass rings.

No-chow-we, Ya-wil-chi-ne Mariano,³

A seal was placed to end the race.

Gone are the days when Father Junipero

Said, “Indians, be thou Indians

Tried and build your ways,

For gone are the days.

I cannot always live and say,

Build, my Indians,

Build your high-minded ways.[”]

1. Father Junipero Serra was a Spanish Franciscan priest and explorer of California where he was the founder of many missions. During his lifetime Junipero Serra established nine missions over a span of 800 miles and converted thousands of Native Americans to Christianity.

2. “Mission Indians” was a general term applied to the California tribes, referring to the fact that many Native Americans were subjugated by Spanish mission officials. Native people were rounded up by soldiers, brought to the missions, and forced to work and accept “instruction.”

3. Apparent references to the names of treaty signers.

Three California Writers:

Gone Are The Days by Wa-Wa Chaw

Edited by: Cindy Beck

GONE ARE THE DAYS

Gone Are The Days
by Wa-Wa Chaw