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Luther Standing Bear

Luther Standing Bear Biography

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“Hollow Horn Bear knew that to be leader and adviser of his people he must be honest and reliable, and that his word once given in promise must never be taken back. He knew that he must be a man of will-power, standing for the right no matter what happened to him personally; that he must have strength of purpose, allowing no influence to turn him from doing what was best for the tribe. He must be willing to serve his people without thought of pay. He must be utterly unselfish and kind-hearted to the old and poor and stand ready to give to those in need. Above all, he must be unafraid to deal equal justice to all.”

LeadershipJusticeHonestyIntegrityPromiseBraveryGenerosityServiceWill PowerUnselfishnessKind HeartedStand For RightStrength Of Purpose
Book:My Indian Boyhood
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“Now all these virtues mean one thing, and that is bravery. A Sioux boy was taught to be brave always. It was not sufficient to be brave enough to go to war. He must be brave enough to make personal sacrifices and to think little of personal gain. To be brave was the supreme test of a Sioux boy, and this bravery might receive a greater test in times of peace than in times of war.”

WarPeaceCourageBraveryPersonal Sacrifice
Book:My Indian Boyhood
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“The American Indian is of the soil, whether it be the region of forests, plains, pueblos, or mesas. He fits into the landscape, for the hand that fashioned the continent also fashioned the man for his surroundings. He once grew as naturally as the wild sunflowers, he belongs just as the buffalo belonged.”

MenHandsNatureHe ManGrewFitEnvironmentalForestsLandscapeIndianSoilNativeRegionsContinentsNative AmericanSurroundingsAmerican IndianGreat AmericanNative American WisdomBuffaloNative AmericaNative American IndianGreat Native AmericanNative American EarthSunflowerIndian WisdomNative WisdomNative American Indian InspirationalNative American DreamAmerican Landscape
Book:Land of the Spotted Eagle
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“Conversation was never begun at once, nor in a hurried manner. No one was quick with a question, no matter how important, and no one was pressed for an answer. A pause giving time for thought was the truly courteous way of beginning and conducting a conversation. Silence was meaningful with the Lakota, and his granting a space of silence to the speech-maker and his own moment of silence before talking was done in the practice of true politeness and regard for the rule that, "thought comes before speech."”

WayGivingImportantMatterDoneMomentsSpaceAnswersSilenceTalkingPracticeConversationSpeechRegardMeaningfulNativeMakersNative AmericanPausesSilence IsPolitenessConductingCourteousNative AmericaNative American IndianGreat Native AmericanNative American EarthIndian WisdomMoment Of SilenceLakotaGiving Time
Author:Luther Standing Bear
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“The old Lakota was wise. He knew that a man's heart away from nature becomes hard.”

MenHeartHardEnvironmentWiseStandingNativeSustainabilityNative AmericanOur EnvironmentMother EarthAmerican IndianNature And EnvironmentNative American WisdomGreat SpiritNative AmericaSave Mother EarthNative American IndianGreat Native AmericanIndian CultureNative American EarthIndian WisdomNative WisdomNature ConservationGreen LivingSustainable LivingMan And NatureModern CultureNative American SpiritualLakotaLack Of RespectProtect Nature
Book:Land of the Spotted Eagle
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“The old people came literally to love the soil and they sat or reclined on the ground with a feeling of being close to a mothering power. The soil was soothing, strengthening, cleansing and healing.”

PeopleFeelingsHealingIndianSatSoilNativeNative AmericanOld PeopleSoothingStrengtheningAmerican IndianCleansingMotheringNative American WisdomGreat SpiritNative AmericaNative American IndianGreat Native AmericanNative American EarthIndian WisdomNative WisdomNative American SpiritualBare FeetNative American DreamSpiritual IndianLakota
Book:Land of the Spotted Eagle
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“Only to the white man was nature a "wilderness" and only to him was the land "infested" with "wild" animals and "savage" people. To us it was tame. Earth was bountiful and we were surrounded with the blessings of the Great Mystery. Not until the hairy man from the east came and with brutal frenzy heaped injustices upon us and the families that we loved was it "wild" for us. When the very animals of the forest began fleeing from his approach, then it was that for us the "Wild West" began.”

PeopleMenEarthJusticeWhiteAnimalMysteryLandBlessingApproachSocial JusticeWestInjusticeEastForestsWildernessBrutalSavagesWhite ManFrenzyWild AnimalFleeingWild WestLakota
Author:Luther Standing Bear
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“The old Lakota was wise. He knew that man's heart, away from nature, becomes hard; he knew that lack of respect for growing, living things soon led to lack of respect for humans too.”

MenHumansHeartHardEnvironmentWiseGrowingStandingEnvironmentalNativeSustainabilityNative AmericanLiving ThingsOur EnvironmentMother EarthAmerican IndianNature And EnvironmentNative AmericaSave Mother EarthNative American IndianIndian CultureNature ConservationGreen LivingSustainable LivingMan And NatureModern CultureNative American SpiritualLakotaLack Of RespectProtect Nature
Book:Land of the Spotted Eagle
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“We did not think of the great open plains, the beautiful rolling hills, and winding streams with tangled growth as wild. Earth was beautiful and we were surrounded with the blessings of the Great Mystery.”

ThinkingEarthBeautifulGrowthMysteryBlessingStandingHillsIndianStreamsNativeWildernessNative AmericanRollingAmerican IndianTangledNative AmericaNative American IndianGreat Native AmericanIndian CultureNative American EarthModern CultureLakotaRolling Hills
Book:My People the Sioux
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“The old people came literally to love the soil and they sat or reclined on the ground with a feeling of being close to a mothering power. It was good for the skin to touch the earth and the old people liked to remove their moccasins and walk with bare feet on the sacred earth. Their tipis were built upon the earth and their altars were made of earth. The birds that flew into the air came to rest upon the earth and it was the final abiding place of all things that lived and grew. The soil was soothing, strengthening, cleansing and healing.”

PeopleMadeFeelingsEarthWalksHealingAirFeetGrewBirdBuiltAll ThingsSkinsSacredFinalsSatSoilRemoveOld PeopleAltarsAbidingFlewSoothingStrengtheningCleansingMotheringNative American EarthNative American SpiritualBare Feet
Book:Land of the Spotted Eagle
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“Kinship with all creatures of the earth, sky and water was a real and active principle. In the animal and bird world there existed a brotherly feeling that kept the Lakota safe among them. And so close did some of the Lakotas come to their feathered and furred friends that in true brotherhood they spoke a common tongue.”

WorldRealFeelingsEarthWaterAnimalCommonPrinciplesSkySafeCreaturesBirdStandingActiveTongueSpokesBrotherhoodAmerican IndianKinshipNative American IndianIndian CultureNative American EarthBrotherlyIndian WisdomModern CultureNative American SpiritualLakotaSky And WaterTrue BrotherhoodCreatures Of The Earth
Book:Land of the Spotted Eagle
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