I know Great Spirit is looking down upon me from above, and will hear what I say.
Sitting BullRead
Only seven years ago we made a treaty by which we were assured that the buffalo country should be left to us forever. Now they threaten to take that from us also.
Interpretation
This quote reflects on broken promises and the struggles of indigenous peoples in retaining their land.
Sitting Bull's quote highlights the deep sense of betrayal felt by Native Americans when treaties meant to protect their lands were disregarded. It serves as a poignant reminder of the historical injustices faced by indigenous communities, emphasizing the ongoing conflict between their rights and the interests of external forces seeking to exploit their territories.
In practice
During a speech about land rights, one could use this quote to illustrate the ongoing struggles of native populations.
I know Great Spirit is looking down upon me from above, and will hear what I say.
I want to tell you that if the Great Spirit had chosen anyone to be the chief of this country, it is myself.
Is it wrong for me to love my own? Is it wicked for me because my skin is red? Because I am Sioux? Because I was born where my father lived? Because I would die for my people and my country?
When I was a boy, the Sioux owned the world. The sun rose and set on their land; they sent ten thousand men to battle. Where are the warriors today? Who slew them? Where are our lands? Who owns them?
Therefore, I do not wish to consider any proposition to cede any portion of our tribal holdings to the Great Father.
I wish it to be remembered that I was the last man of my tribe to surrender my rifle.
If we spoke a different language, we would perceive a somewhat different world.
If a lion could talk, we could not understand him.
I am, somehow, less interested in the weight and convolutions of Einstein’s brain than in the near certainty that people of equal talent have lived and died in cotton fields and sweatshops.
However, without considering this connection, there is no doubt but that more good than evil, more delight than sorrow, arises from compassion itself; there being so many things which balance the sorrow of it.
The individual's right to pursue his own vision of the best ration of pleasure to pain: utterly sacrosanct.
The native American has been generally despised by his white conquerors for his poverty and simplicity. They forget, perhaps, that his religion forbade the accumulation of wealth and the enjoyment of luxury... Furthermore, it was the rule of his life to share the fruits of his skill and success with his less fortunate brothers. Thus he kept his spirit free from the clog of pride, cupidity, or envy, and carried out, as he believed, the divine decree-a matter profoundly important to him.
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