Best American Indian Quotes | Short & Famous Sayings Page 4

“It's important as a writer to do my art well and do it in a way that is powerful and beautiful and meaningful, so that my work regenerates the people, certainly Indian people, and the earth and the sun. And in that way we all continue forever.”

People Way Wells Art Important Earth Beautiful Powerful Sun Forever Meaningful Indian American Indian

Author:Joy Harjo

“Before AIM, Indians were dispirited, defeated, and culturally dissolving. People were ashamed to be Indian. You didn't see the young people wearing braids or chokers or ribbon shirts in those days. Hell, I didn't wear 'em. People didn't Sun Dance, they didn't Sweat, they were losing their languages. Then there was that spark at Alcatraz, and we took off. Man, we took a ride across this country. We put Indians and Indian rights smack dab in the middle of the public consciousness for the first time since the so-called Indian wars.”

“The turn of the century was the lowest point for the devastation of Indian culture by disease and persecution, and it's a wonder to me that they survived it and have not only maintained their identity, but are actually growing stronger in some ways. The situation is still very bad, especially in certain geographical areas, but there are more Indians going to school, more Indians becoming professional people, more Indians assuming full responsibility in our society. We have a long way to go, but we're making great strides.”

“The Indian Bureau system is wrong. The only way to adjust wrong is to abolish it, and the only reform is to let my people go. After freeing the Indian from the shackles of government supervision, what is the Indian going to do: leave that with the Indian, and it is none of your business.”

People Way Government Reform Indian Abolish American Indian Shackles Supervision None Of Your Business

Author:Carlos Montezuma

“We were told that they wished merely to pass through our country. . . to seek for gold in the far west . . . Yet before the ashes of the council are cold, the Great Father is building his forts among us. . . . His presence here is . . . an insult to the spirits of our ancestors. Are we then to give up their sacred graves to be allowed for corn?”

Giving Country Spirit Father Building Cold Giving Up Gold Sacred West Graves Our Country Indian Insult Ancestor Ashes Council Corn American Indian Forts Great Father

Author:Red Cloud

“Brothers, we must be united; we must smoke the same pipe; we must fight each other's battles; and more than all, we must love the Great Spirit.”

Spirit Fighting United Brother Battle Smoke Native Native American Pipe American Indian Great Spirit

Author:Tecumseh

“Trouble no one about their religion; respect others in their view and demand that they respect yours.”

“Indians and wolves are both beasts of prey, tho' they differ in shape.”

Shapes Beast Prey American Indian

Author:George Washington

“If ever we are constrained to lift the hatchet against any tribe, we will never lay it down till that tribe is exterminated, or driven beyond the Mississippi... in war, they will kill some of us; we shall destroy them all.”

Ifs War Lays Driven Lifts Tribes Mississippi American Indian Hatchet

Book:The writings of Thomas Jefferson

Source: The writings of Thomas Jefferson

“There has been a vigorous acceleration of health, resource and education programs designed to advance the role of the American Indian in our society. Last Fall, for example, 91 percent of the Indian children between the ages of 6 and 18 on reservations were enrolled in school. This is a rise of 12 percent since 1953.”

Children Has Beens Age School Lasts Fall Roles Example Percent Resources Program Indian Our Society Vigorous American Indian Reservations Acceleration

Book:Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1960-1961

Source: Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1960-1961

“For a subject worked and reworked so often in novels, motion pictures, and television, American Indians remain probably the least understood and most misunderstood Americans of us all.”

Novel Subjects Television Understood Presidential Misunderstood American Indian Motion Pictures

Author:John F. Kennedy

“The American Indian, once proud and free, is torn now between White and tribal values; between the politics and language of the White man and his own historic culture. His problems, sharpened by years of defeat and exploitation, neglect and inadequate effort, will take many years to overcome.”

Source: Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: Lyndon B. Johnson, 1968-1969

“What we have done with the American Indian is its way as bad as what we imposed on the Negroes. We took a proud and independent race and virtually destroyed them. We have to find ways to bring them back into decent lives in this country.”

Way Country Done Race Proud Independent Destroyed Indian Decent American Indian Decent Life

Author:Richard M. Nixon

“It is the fundamental right of every American, as guaranteed by the first amendment of the Constitution, to worship as he or she pleases... This legislation sets forth the policy of the United States to protect and preserve the inherent right of American Indian, Eskimo, Aleut, and Native Hawaiian people to believe, express, and exercise their traditional religions”

Source: Jimmy Carter

“This government to government relationship is the result of sovereign and independent tribal governments being incorporated into the fabric of our Nation, of Indian tribes becoming what our courts have come to refer to as quasi-sovereign domestic dependent nations. Over the years the relationship has flourished, grown, and evolved into a vibrant partnership in which over 500 tribal governments stand shoulder to shoulder with the other governmental units that form our Republic.”

Years Government Form Nations Results Becoming Independent Court Shoulders Indian Dependent Republic Partnership Fabric Units Sovereign Tribes American Indian Over 50 Indian Tribes

Author:George H. W. Bush

“Let us rededicate ourselves to the principle that all Americans have the tools to make the most of their God-given potential. For Indian tribes and tribal members, this means that the authority of tribal governments must be accorded the respect and support to which they are entitled under the law. It means that American Indian children and youth must be provided a solid education and the opportunity to go on to college. It means that more must be done to stimulate tribal economies, create jobs, and increase economic opportunities.”

“Tribal sovereignty means that. It's sovereign. You're a... you're a... you've been given sovereignty and you're viewed as a sovereign entity.”

Mean Given Entity Sovereign Sovereignty American Indian Bushism Funny Bush Popular Sovereignty Sovereignty Means

Book:Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States, George W. Bush, 2004, Book 2, July 1 to September 30, 2004

Source: Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States, George W. Bush, 2004, Book 2, July 1 to September 30, 2004

“We also recommit to supporting tribal self-determination, security, and prosperity for all Native Americans. While we cannot erase the scourges or broken promises of our past, we will move ahead together in writing a new, brighter chapter in our joint history.”

“All things are connected. Whatever befalls the Earth, befalls the children of the Earth.”

Children Earth All Things Climate Change Connected Native Native American American Indian Seattle Nature And Environment Native America Native American Indian Native American Earth Web Of Life

Author:Chief Seattle

“I heard stories from my mother's mother who was an American Indian. She was spiritual, although she did not go to church, but she had the hum. She used to tell me stories of the rivers.”

Stories Spiritual Used Mother Church Heard Rivers Indian American Indian

Author:Tina Turner

“What the American Indian Movement says is that the American Indians are the Palestinians of the United States, and the Palestinians are the American Indians of Europe.”

States United United States Movement Europe Indian Palestinian American Indian American Indian Movement

Author:Russell Means

“You see the one thing I've always maintained is that I'm an American Indian. I'm not a Native American. I'm not politically correct. Everyone who's born in the Western Hemisphere is a Native American. We are all Native Americans. And if you notice, I put American before my ethnicity. I'm not a hyphenated African-American or Irish-American or Jewish-American or Mexican-American.”

Ifs Born One Thing Western African American Indian Native Native American Mexican Ethnicity American Indian Politically Correct Hemisphere Mexican American

Author:Russell Means

“Above all, I wanted to be appreciated as a prima ballerina who happened to be a Native American, never as someone who was an American Indian ballerina.”

Wanted Happened Indian Native Native American Appreciated American Indian Ballerina

Author:Maria Tallchief

“There are more American Indians alive today than there were when Columbus arrived or at any other time in history. Does this sound like a record of genocide?”

Doe Today Sound Records Alive Stupid Genocide Hateful Live For Today American Indian Columbus

Book:See, I Told You So

Source: See, I Told You So

“Everything on the earth has a purpose, every disease and herb to cure it, and every person a mission. This is the Indian theory of existence.”

Source: Mourning Dove: A Salishan Autobiography

“Only to the white man was nature a 'wilderness'.”

Source: Land of the Spotted Eagle

“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.”

Source: Land of the Spotted Eagle

“We know our lands have now become more valuable. The white people think we do not know their value; but we know that the land is everlasting, and the few goods we receive for it are soon worn out and gone.”

“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.”

Source: My People the Sioux

“While public school history courses in the United States stress the horrors of the German Nazi murder of 6 million Jews and Josef Stalin's pogroms against racial minorities and political dissidents in the Soviet Union, the facts that the U.S. Army's solution to the 'Indian Problem' was the prototype for the Nazi 'Final Solution' to the 'Jewish Problem' and that the North American Indian Reservation was the model for the twentieth century gulag and concentration camp, are conveniently overlooked.”

“White domination is so complete that even American Indian children want to be cowboys. It's as if Jewish children wanted to play Nazis.”

Ifs Want Children Play Wanted White Indian Nazi Cowboy Domination American Indian

Book:Fantasies of the master race: literature, cinema and the colonization of American Indians

Source: Fantasies of the master race: literature, cinema and the colonization of American Indians

“REPARTEE, n. Prudent insult in retort. Practiced by gentlemen with a constitutional aversion to violence, but a strong disposition to offend. In a war of words, the tactics of the North American Indian.”

War Strong Violence Indian Gentleman Insult Disposition Tactics Prudent Aversion American Indian Repartee Retorts

Book:The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary

Source: The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary

“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, and in my heart he put other and different desires. It is not necessary for eagles to be crows.”

“Like almost everyone else in America, I grew up believing the myth of the objective scientist. Fortunately I was raised on the edges of two very distinct cultures, western European and American Indian.”

Believe Two America Culture Grew Grew Up Scientist Raised Western Edges Myth Objectives Indian American Indian

Author:Vine Deloria Jr.

“If the white man wants to live in peace with the Indian, he can live in peace. There need be no trouble. Treat all men alike. give them all the same law. Give them all an even chance to live and grow.”

“So live your life that the fear of death can never enter your heart. Trouble no one about their religion; respect others in their view, 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 its purpose in the service of your people. Prepare a noble death song for the day when you go over the great divide.”

“So, one of the things I was doing with the aliens in The Quiet Invasion was creating that advanced society which had ideas about morality and proper use of natural resources that were radically different from ours, as the Europeans were from the American Indians.”

Ideas Different Use Natural Morality Quiet Creating Resources Aliens Invasion Natural Resources American Indian

Author:Sarah Zettel

“A few scattered accounts, collected and combined together, may lead us to two certain conclusions: 1. That all the American Indians are one kind of people; 2. That they are the same as the people in the northeast of Asia.”

People Kind May Two Together Certain Accounts Conclusion Asia American Indian

Author:Ezra Stiles

“I hear Republicans and Libertarians and so forth talking about property rights, but they stop talking about property rights as soon as the subject of American Indians comes up, because they know fully well, perhaps not in a fully articulated, conscious form, but they know fully well that the basis for the very system of endeavor and enterprise and profitability to which they are committed and devoted accrues on the basis of theft of the resources of someone else. They are in possession of stolen property. They know it. They all know it. It's a dishonest endeavor from day one.”

“The power of the world always works in circles.”

Source: Black Elk Speaks: Being the Life Story of a Holy Man of the Oglala Sioux

“Each soul must meet the morning sun, the new sweet earth and the Great Silence alone.”

Inspirational Soul Earth Silence Morning Sun Sweet American Indian Native America Native American Indian Morning Sun Spiritual Indian

Book:The Soul of the Indian

Source: The Soul of the Indian

“The idea of hunting and gathering as the best way for life has become quite popular recently, much more populare in some circles than the idea of simple farming as the best way of life. Many of the new primitives regard the beginnings of agriculture as one of humanity's major steps in the wrong direction. Most of the people who are drawn to such ideas do their actual hunting and gathering in grocery stores, but the *feeling* is there; it takes the form of a religion...expressed by particpating in American Indian rituals - or primitive-style rituals that are created anew.”

“We don't intend to always keep this necessarily African oriented. Originally I had hoped to have African American Indian of this area, and the Appalachian of this area, but at the same time, just as we have the Haitian room, we will always have room for another exhibit.”

Rooms Areas African American Indian Exhibits American Indian Appalachia Haitian

Author:Katherine Dunham

“We do not want riches, we want peace and love.”

“The one thing I've always maintained is that I'm an American Indian. I'm not politically correct.”

One Thing Indian American Indian Politically Correct Mexican American

Author:Russell Means

“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.”

Source: Land of the Spotted Eagle

“Gary Cooper was a good friend. He was a great nature lover. He was like an American Indian, he knew every leaf that was turned over. It was an education to go for a walk with him.”

Walks Education Lovers Indian Over It Good Friend Leafs Alaska American Indian Gary Nature Love Nature Lover

Author:Richard Widmark

“Knowledge was inherent in all things. The world was a library.”

World Knowledge Standing All Things Library Inherent American Indian Native American Wisdom Native American Indian Great Native American Indian Culture Native American Earth Indian Wisdom Native Wisdom Modern Culture Lakota

Book:Land of the Spotted Eagle

Source: Land of the Spotted Eagle

“Everything the Power of the World does is done in a circle.”

World Doe Done Circles Native Native American American Indian Native American Wisdom Native America Native American Indian Indian Wisdom Native Wisdom Native American Spiritual

Author:Black Elk

“Everything the Power of the World does is done in a circle. The sky is round, and I have heard that the earth is round like a ball, and so are all the stars. The wind, in its greatest power whirls. Birds make their nest in circles... The sun comes forth and goes down again in a circle. The moon does the same and both are round. Even the seasons form a great circle in their changing, and always come back again to where they were.”

American Indian Quotes

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American Indian Quotes