Culture Ain't Optional

Verse

To whomever holds the power,

Listen close — this ain’t just ink on a page,

This is a father’s fight,

A nation’s wound,

A history still paid.

Verse

My name is Brandon Benson,

Elspigtog First Nation born,

And I’m standing here demanding justice

For the children torn from home.

Verse

They took my babies —

Placed ’em in a house where identity is muted,

Where foster parents said under oath,

In words cold and undisputed:

Verse

“Indians?

We don’t talk about that in our home.”

Verse

That’s not silence —

That’s a strike at the bone,

A reminder of every era

Where our culture was overthrown.

Verse

I’ve done everything required —

Every class, every test,

Every hoop they built to doubt me,

I passed every one,

But still I’m kept from my kids

While assimilation’s being done.

Verse

So I’m callin’ for intervention —

No delay, no hesitation:

Verse

• Emergency culturally grounded housing support

• A reassessment under ICWA-style protections

• A review of a placement that rejects my children’s identity outright

Verse

Because culture ain’t optional—

It’s medicine, memory, survival,

It’s the drumbeat in our bones

That keeps every spirit vital.

Verse

I’ve attached the court files,

The statements, the truth,

But understand:

This fight ain’t just for my children —

It’s for every stolen youth.

Verse

For the ones who never came back,

For the ones still fighting to return,

For a future where culture isn’t something

We have to beg the system to learn.

Verse

Act now.

For my family.

For thousands like us.

For truth-telling that’s long overdue.