Free for Everyone: Poignant Quotes from American Indians
Red Cloud, responding to being told to become like a white man, said, “You must begin anew and put away the wisdom of your fathers. You must lay up food and forget the hungry. When your house is built, your storeroom filled, then look around for a neighbor whom you can take advantage of and seize all he has.” (Andrist, The Long Death, p. 134.)
Some of you may think this is out of pocket, but I will remind you that Abrahamic morality can be summed up as to the victor goes the spoils in Luke 11:21-22, “When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace: But when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils.”
Sitting Bull, when asked why he didn’t surrender to the United States to live on a reservation, said, “Because 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.” (Armstrong, I Have Spoken, p. 112.)
Chief Joseph, when asked why the Nez Percé banned missionaries, said, “They will teach us to quarrel about God, as Catholics and Protestants do on the Nez Percé Reservation (in Idaho) and other places. We do not want to do that. We may quarrel with men sometimes about things on earth, but we never quarrel about the Great Spirit. We do not want to learn that.” (Ib. 95.)
Red Jacket, responding to a missionary’s speech persuading the Senecas to accept Christianity, said, “You say there is but one way to worship and serve the Great Spirit. If there is but one religion, why do you white people differ so much about it? Why not all agree, as you can all read the book? Brother, we do not understand these things. We are told that your religion was given to your forefathers, and has been handed down from father to son. We also, have a religion which was given to our forefathers, and has been handed down to us, their children. We worship in that way. It teaches us to be thankful for all favors we receive; to love each other, and be united. We never quarrel about religion, because it is a matter which concerns each man and the Great Spirit. Brother, we have been told that you have been preaching to the white people in this place. These people are our neighbors: We are acquainted with them. We will wait a little while and see what effect your preaching has upon them. If we find it does them good, makes them honest and less disposed to cheat Indians, we will consider again of what you have said.” (Washburn, The Indian and the White Man, pp. 209-214.)
Seton cited Tom Newcomb (The Gospel of the Red Man, pp. 26, 27.), “I tell you I never saw more kindness or real Christianity anywhere. The poor, the sick, the aged, the widows and the orphans were always looked after first. Whenever we moved camp, someone took care that the widow’s lodges were moved first and set up first. After every hunt, a good-sized chunk of meat was dropped at each door where it was most needed. I was treated like a brother; and I tell you I have never seen any community of church people that was as really truly Christians as that band of Indians.”
The entire Spirit Whirled series explores the origins of religion and the universal system, but the book that brings it all together is A Godsacre for Winds of the Soul (click the image).
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