I also found quite a few compelling quotes from Chief Joseph himself, here are a few of my favorites:
"All men were made brothers. The earth is the mother of all people, and all people should have equal rights upon it. You might as well expect the rivers to run backward as that any man who was born free should be contented when penned up and denied liberty to go where he pleases."
"I am not a child, I think for myself. No man can think for me."
"It does not require many words to speak the truth."
"The earth and myself are of one mind."
As moving as these quotes are, their power is often lost to time. I'm surprised that it was hard to even find myself reading Chief Joseph's words, and how much easier it is to look up famous quotes from many well-known "white" leaders. Why is it that I feel so uneducated in the areas of American history when it comes to the people that were here before my family? It makes me sad to think that a huge part of the story is being continuously left out, and at the same time glad that I am able to at least now learn more about the important history of these people who are so seemingly foreign to me, and yet live (lived?) on the same land as I do.
No comments:
Post a Comment