If you haven’t heard of Dead Pioneers yet, now’s the time to tune in. Fronted by the electrifying Gregg Deal, this Native punk powerhouse is rewriting the rules of resistance music. Their latest release, “My Spirit Animal Will Eat Your Spirit Animal,” lands like a sonic sucker punch: sharp, loud, and uncompromising.
Dead Pioneers have made a name for themselves by fusing biting social commentary with a relentless punk sound, and this track is no exception. With lyrics that dissect cultural appropriation, celebrate Indigenous resilience, and call out injustice, the song is equal parts battle cry and reckoning.
Vocalist Gregg Deal explains:
“‘My Spirit Animal Ate Your Spirit Animal’ is scathing, funny, and, above all, honest. It covers ground, from the assertion that taking anything from Native culture without permission is thievery, to observing that one of our great Indigenous actors, Lily Gladstone, was robbed of the Best Actress Award at the 2024 Oscars. The sentiments throughout the song are a big middle finger to the dismissiveness of Native issues like existence, representation, and the continued thriving—and surviving!—of our living and breathing culture.”
And the lyrics don’t hold back:
“Burning sage because you think we do / Thinking you just had a breakthrough / Your gain shouldn’t be my loss / Your gain shouldn’t be my cost.”
Built on razor-sharp guitars and a driving rhythm, the track captures the energy of a band unafraid to tackle the hard conversations. It’s a fearless anthem for anyone who’s ever felt silenced, dismissed, or erased.
As we come off the Thanksgiving weekend - a time loaded with contradictions about history and gratitude - Dead Pioneers are here to remind us that the fight for Native representation and respect is far from over.