Indigenous Ideas

Luther Standing Bear, the chief of the Oglala, Lakota made a powerful speech about how the native Americans viewed the world different than the white people. To them nothing was 'wild' it just just part of their life. They were never rushed for an answer or rushed to speak out, everything happened with time and thought. The animals had the same rights as the natives and they had more respect for life than any white man ever hoped to. The main point in his statement was that the natives adapted to the world rather forcing the world to adapt to them. [Indigenous People]

H. A. Smith's version of Chief Seattle's speech talks about how he is thankful that the white men want to help his tribe be protected from the other tribe they often go to war with. Chief Seattle thinks it is thoughtful for the white men to be willing to give them a reserved land and does not think the white men coming over to America is a problem. He apologizes for his young men getting angry and wanting to fight  the white men because they see revenge as gain. However, he also brings up the issue of their Great Spirit verses the white man's God and how they can never be the same God. The white man's God does not like his "Red Children" because he does not protect them. He says they will probably accept the proposition but should be able to visit their ancestors' graves when they wish and ask that all of the land not be destroyed because the natives love their land more that with white men ever will. [Chief Seattle]

There is controversy over whether the translations of Chief Seattle's speech is what he actually said. There are many different translations and some have almost the same meaning while other's are extremely different. Some translations are so wrong that the animals and trees he talks about would not even be in the region Chief Seattle is from. Smith's is questionable because he probably would not apologize for his people fighting for what he believed in. Smith's version also sounds close to his own poetry and the ideas mentioned in it were popular among European Americans at the time it was published. [Controversy]

The Northeast Indian says that H.A. Smith's version is the most accurate and has the most citations and reviews. This article states that Smith was actually at the Point Elliot hearings. People that review and agree with the translation say that what Chief Seattle says is not metaphorical the land was truly sacred to them and they respected the world and life a great deal more than any white man ever has. This idea is supported by surrounding tribes and in his speech. [Support]