Chief Joseph Quotations

I believe much trouble would be saved if we opened our hearts more.

I did not want my people killed. I did not want bloodshed.

The first white men of your people who came to our country were named Lewis and Clark. They brought many things that our people had never seen. They talked straight. These men were very kind.

You might as well expect rivers to run backwards as any man born free to be contented penned up.

It does not require many words to speak the truth.

Hear me, my chiefs! I am tired. My heart is sick and sad. From where the sun now stands, I will fight no more forever.

An Indian respects a brave man, but he despises a coward.

The earth is the mother of all people, and all people should have equal rights upon it.

My father... had sharper eyes than the rest of our people.

From where the sun now stands I will fight no more.

I pressed my father's hand and told him I would protect his grave with my life. My father smiled and passed away to the spirit land.

Treat all men alike. Give them the same law. Give them an even chance to live and grow.

It makes my heart sick when I remember all the good words and the broken promises.

Let me be a free man - free to travel, free to stop, free to work.

I hope that no more groans of wounded men and women will ever go to the ear of the Great Spirit Chief above, and that all people may be one people.

When an Indian fights, he only shoots to kill.

All men were made by the Great Spirit Chief. They are all brothers.

We did not know there were other people besides the Indian until about one hundred winters ago, when some men with white faces came to our country.

A chief called Lawyer, because he was a great talker, took the lead in the council, and sold nearly all the Nez Perce country.

If the white man wants to live in peace with the Indian, he can live in peace.....Treat all men alike. Give them all the same law. Give them all an even chance to live and grow. 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.......Let me be a free man, free to travel, free to stop, free to work, free to trade....where I choose my own teachers, free to follow the religion of my fathers, free to think and talk and act for myself, and I will obey every law, or submit to the penalty.

I have heard talk and talk, but nothing is done.

I only ask of the government to be treated as all other men are treated.

I am tired of talk that comes to nothing.

We gave up some of our country to the white men, thinking that then we could have peace. We were mistaken. The white man would not let us alone.

War can be avoided, and it ought to be avoided. I want no war.

We soon found that the white men were growing rich very fast, and were greedy.

I saw clearly that war was upon us when I learned that my young men had been secretly buying ammunition.

Good words will not give me back my children.

We had a great many horses, of which we gave Lewis and Clark what they needed, and they gave us guns and tobacco in return.

For a short time we lived quietly. But this could not last. White men had found gold in the mountains around the land of winding water.

My father was the first to see through the schemes of the white man.

Some of you think an Indian is like a wild animal. This is a great mistake.

The white men told lies for each other. They drove off a great many of our cattle. Some branded our young cattle so they could claim them.

We had good white friends who advised us against taking the war path. My friend and brother, Mr. Chapman, told us just how the war would end.

I would have given my own life if I could have undone the killing of white men by my people.

Our people could not talk with these white-faced men, but they used signs which all people understand.

General Howard informed me, in a haughty spirit, that he would give my people 30 days to go back home, collect all their stock, and move onto the reservation.

Governor Isaac Stevens of the Washington Territory said there were a great many white people in our country, and many more would come; that he wanted the land marked out so that the Indians and the white man could be separated.

We gathered all the stock we could find, and made an attempt to move. We left many of our horses and cattle in Wallowa. We lost several hundred in crossing the river.

Lawyer acted without authority from our band. He had no right to sell the Wallowa country.

I labored hard to avoid trouble and bloodshed.

It required a strong heart to stand up against such talk, but I urged my people to be quiet and not to begin a war.

I cannot tell how much my heart suffered for my people while at Leavenworth.

I will obey every law, or submit to the penalty.

We damaged all the big guns we could, and carried away the powder and the lead.

I want the white people to understand my people.

Words do not pay for my dead people.

A man who would not love his father's grave is worse than a wild animal.

I would give up everything rather than have the blood of white men upon the hands of my people.

I said in my heart that, rather than have war, I would give up my country.

When my young men began the killing, my heart was hurt.

I saw that the war could not be prevented. The time had passed.

She was in fear for her life, ... She had been told many times by Rafael that if she left him that harm would be done to her sister in Guatemala, or once she got to the United States that her mother would be harmed.

She was in fear for her life, ... She had been told many times if she left him, harm would come to (her relatives).

There is a legitimate place for him in a law enforcement agency. He is a unique individual and there are a number of things he could do for a community. From what I have seen, he is into law enforcement. He could have come and gone today but he stayed for beyond what I would have expected. We know he is not in this for the money.

We're trying to bring all of that back, ... We've had teams come in, and we're encouraging public participation. It's a big community effort that's great for morale. It's good to have the townspeople come out to see our firefighting skills and get some good food and fellowship, too.

Let me be a free man, free to travel, free to stop, free to work, free to trade where I choose, free to choose my own teachers, free to follow the religion of my fathers, free to talk, think and act for myself — and I will obey every law or submit to the penalty.

We do not want churches because they will teach us to quarrel about God. We do not want to learn that. We may quarrel with men sometimes about things on this earth, but we never quarrel about the Great Spirit. We do not want to learn that.

I am ready to talk today. I have been in a great many councils, but I am no wiser. We are all sprung from a woman, although we are unlike in many things. We can not be made over again. You are as you were made, and as you were made you can remain. We are just as we were made by the Great Spirit, and you can not change us ; then why should children of one mother and one father quarrel ? — why should one try to cheat the other ? I do not believe that the Great Spirit Chief gave one kind of men the right to tell another kind of men what they must do.

We were taught to believe that the Great Spirit sees and hears everything, and that he never forgets, that hereafter he will give every man a spirit home according to his deserts; If he has been a good man, he will have a good home; if he has been a bad man, he will have a bad home. This I believe, and all my people believe the same.

Suppose a white man should come to me and say, "Joseph, I like your horses. I want to buy them." I say to him, "No, my horses suit me; I will not sell them." Then he goes to my neighbor and says to him, "Joseph has some good horses. I want to buy them, but he refuses to sell." My neighbor answers, "Pay me the money and I will sell you Joseph's horses." The white man returns to me and says, "Joseph, I have bought your horses and you must let me have them." If we sold our lands to the government, this is the way they bought them.

Our chiefs are killed. . . . The little children are freezing to death. . . . My people have no blankets, no food. . . . My heart is sick and sad. . . . I will fight no more forever.

The country was made without lines of demarcation, and it is no man's business to divide it... Do not misunderstand me, but understand me fully with reference to my affection for the land. I never said the land was mine to do with it as I chose. The one who has the right to dispose of it is the one who created it. I claim a right to live on my land and accord you the privilege to live on yours.

I am tired of talk that comes to nothing It makes my heart sick when I remember all the good words and all the broken promises. There has been too much talking by men who had no right to talk. It does not require many words to speak the truth.

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 content when penned up and denied liberty to go where he pleases.

Good words do not last long unless they amount to something.

We live, we die, and like the grass and trees, renew ourselves from the soft earth of the grave. Stones crumble and decay, faiths grow old and they are forgotten, but new beliefs are born. The faith of the villages is dust now... but it will grow again... like the trees.

I do not believe that the Great Spirit Chief gave one kind of men the right to tell another kind of men what they must do.

The Great Spirit Chief who rules above all will smile upon this land... and this time the Indian race is waiting and praying.

Whenever the white man treats the Indian as they treat each other, then we will have no more wars. We shall all be alike-brothers of one father and one another, with one sky above us and one country around us, and one government for all.

The earth was created by the assistance of the sun, and it should be left as it was. The country was made without lines of demarcation, and it is no man's business to divide it.

The earth and myself are of one mind. The measure of the land and the neasure of our bodies are the same

When the last deer disappears into the morning mist, When the last elk vanishes from the hills, When the last buffalo falls on the plains, I will hunt mice for I am a hunter and I must have my freedom.

We do not want churches. They will teach us to quarrel about God.

The earth is our mother. She should not be disturbed by hoe or plough. We want only to subsist on what she freely gives us.

We were like deer. They were like grizzly bear.

We were contented to let things remain as the Great Spirit Chief made them. They were not; and would change the rivers and mountains if they did not suit them.

I have asked some of the great white chiefs where they get their authority to say to the Indian that he shall stay in one place, while he sees white men going where they please. They cannot tell me.

The Indian race are waiting and praying.

When I think of our condition, my heart is heavy. I see men of my own race treated as outlaws and driven from country to country, or shot down like animals.

The eye tells what the tongue would hide.

We are going by you without fighting if you will let us, but we are going by you anyhow!

Good words will not give my people good health and stop them from dying. Good words will not get my people a home where they can live in peace and take care of themselves. I am tired of talk that comes to nothing. It makes my heart sick when I remember all the good words and broken promises.

It takes few words to tell the truth.

I believe much trouble and blood 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.

Cursed be he that scalps the reputation of the dead.

Look twice at a two-faced man.

I am not a child, I think for myself. No man can think for me.

Big name often stands on small legs.

Finest fur may cover toughest meat.

I only ask of the Government to be treated as all other men are treated. If I cannot go to my own home, let me have a home in a country where my people will not die so fast.

I know that my race must change. We cannot hold our own with the white men as we are. We only ask an even chance to live as other men live. We ask to be recognized as men. We ask that the same law shall work alike on all men. If an Indian breaks the law, punish him by the law. If a white man breaks the law, punish him also.

Whenever the white man treats the Indian as they treat each other then we shall have no more wars. We shall be all alike - brothers of one father and mother, with one sky above us and one country around us and one government for all. Then the Great Spirit Chief who rules above will smile upon this land and send rain to wash out the bloody spots made by brothers' hands upon the face of the earth. For this time the Indian race is waiting and praying. I hope no more groans of wounded men and women will ever go to the ear of the Great Spirit Chief above, and that all people may be one people.

Our fathers gave us many laws which they had learned from their fathers. These laws were good.

I know that my race must change.

If the white man wants to live in peace with the Indianwe 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.

My people were divided about surrendering.

We ask only that the law shall work alike on all men.

I will speak with a straight tongue.

We ask to be recognized as men.