What is man without the beasts? For if all the beast were gone, man would die of a great loneliness of the spirit.
Chief SeattleRead
When the last red man shall have perished from the earth and his memory among the white men shall have become a myth, these shores will swarm with the invisible dead of my tribe. The white man will never be alone. Let him be just and deal kindly with my people, for the dead are not powerless.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the enduring presence and influence of those who have passed away, particularly indigenous peoples, in the memories and actions of the living.
This quote from Chief Seattle reflects a profound sense of connection between the living and the dead, particularly in the context of indigenous peoples and their relationship with nature and history. It suggests that even after physical extinction, the spirits of ancestors continue to inhabit the land and influence the behaviors and moral responsibilities of future generations. The urgency for justice and kindness towards these lost tribes underscores a broader message about the importance of honoring the past and acknowledging the continuing impact of that history on present and future relationships.
Themes
IndigenousMemoryJusticeKindnessAncestry
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in speeches about indigenous rights and the importance of recognizing historical injustices.
More from Chief Seattle
All quotes →We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children
Chief SeattleRead
Let him be just and deal kindly with my people, for the dead are not powerless. Dead, did I say? There is no death, only change of worlds.
Chief SeattleRead
All things are connected, like the blood that runs in your family "The water's murmur is the voice of my father's father." 1854 The rivers are our brothers. They quench our thirst. They carry our canoes and feed our children. You must give to the rivers the kindness you would give to any brother.
Chief SeattleRead
Revenge by young men is considered gain, even at the cost of their own lives, but old men who stay at home in times of war, and mothers who have sons to lose, know better.
Chief SeattleRead
The Indian prefers the soft sound of the wind darting over the face of the pond, the smell of the wind itself cleansed by a midday rain, or scented with pinon pine. The air is precious to the red man, for all things are the same breath - the animals, the trees, the man.
Chief SeattleRead
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