So live your life so the fear of death
can never enter your heart. Trouble no
one about their religion; respect others
in their views, and demand that they
respect yours. Love your life, perfect
your life, beautify all things in your
life. Seek to make your
life long and of service to your people.
Prepare a noble death song for the day
when you go over the great divide.
Always give a word or sign of salute
when meeting or passing a stranger if in
a lonely place. SHOW RESPECT TO ALL
PEOPLE, BUT GROVEL TO NONE. When you
arise in the morning,give thanks for the
light, for your life and strength. Give
thanks for your food and for the joy of
living. If you see no reason for giving
thanks, the fault lies in yourself.
Touch not the poisonous firewater that
makes wise ones turn to fools and robs
them of their visions.
When your time comes to die, be not like
those whose hearts are filled with fear
of death, so that when their time comes
they weep and pray for a little moretime
to live their lives over again in a
different way. Sing your death song, and
die like a hero going home.
-TECUMSEH-
"I believe much trouble would be saved
if we opened our hearts more. I will
tell you in my way how the Indian sees
things. The white man has more words to
tell you how they look to him. But it
does not require many words
to speak the truth."
Chief Joseph - 1879
All men were made
by the same Great Spirit Chief.
They are all brothers.
The earth is the mother of all people,
and all people should have
equal rights upon it.
Chief Joesph
January 14, 1879
Washington DC
"There are many things to be shared with
the Four Colors of humanity in our
common destiny as one with our Mother
the Earth. It is this sharing that must
be considered with great care by the
Elders and the medicine people who carry
the Sacred Trusts, so that no harm may
come to people through ignorance and
misuse of these powerful forces."
Elders Circle 1980
"When we Indians kill meat, we eat it
all up. When we dig roots, we make
little holes. When we build houses, we
make little holes. When we burn grass for
grasshoppers, we don't ruin things. We
shake down acorns and pine nuts. We
don't chop down the trees. We only use
deadwood. But the white people plow up
the ground, pull down the trees, kill
everything. ... the White people pay no
attention. ...How can the spirit of the
earth like the White man? ... everywhere
the White man has touched it, it is
sore."
Wintu Woman: 19th Century
"I am a red man. If the Great Spirit had
desired me to be a white man he would
have made me so in the first place. He
put in your heart certain wishes and
plans, in my heart he put other and
different desires. Each man is good in
his sight. It is not necessary for
Eagles to be Crows. We are poor..but we
are free. No white man controls our
footsteps. If we must die...we die
defending our rights."
Sitting Bull Hunkpapa: Sioux
"The ground on which we stand is sacred
ground. It is the blood of our
ancestors."
Chief Plenty Coups, Crow
" We must protect the forest for our
children, grandchildren and children yet
to be born. We must protect the forest
for those who can't speak for
themselves, such as the birds, animals,
fish and trees."
Qwatsinas (hereditary Chief Edward
Moody) Nuxalk Nation
"A people without history is like wind
on buffalo grass"
~Crazy Horse: Oglala Sioux
"Our land is everything to us... I will
tell you one of the things we remember
on our land. We remember that our
grandfathers paid for it.--with their
lives."
John Woodenlegs: Cheyenne
