Quote

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.

Chief Joseph

Change background

T
T
T

Change font

TAGS & TOPICS

Chief Joseph
Age: 64 †
Born: 1840
Born: March 3
Died: 1904
Died: September 21
Tribal Chief
Wallowa Valley
Joseph Buruzagia
Hin-mut-too-uah-lat-kekht
Thunder Rolling in the Mountains
Heinmot Tooyalaket
Joseph the Younger
Hands
Tears
Would
Protect
Life
Told
Pressed
Land
Smiled
Hand
Grave
Father
Graves
Away
Passed
Spirit
Dad

More quotes by Chief Joseph

Image
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.
Chief Joseph
Image
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.
Chief Joseph
Image
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.
Chief Joseph
Image
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.
Chief Joseph
Image
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.
Chief Joseph
Image
I would have given my own life if I could have undone the killing of white men by my people.
Chief Joseph
Image
I labored hard to avoid trouble and bloodshed.
Chief Joseph
Image
I saw clearly that war was upon us when I learned that my young men had been secretly buying ammunition.
Chief Joseph
Image
Look twice at a two-faced man.
Chief Joseph
Image
You might as well expect rivers to run backwards as any man born free to be contented penned up.
Chief Joseph
Image
I did not want my people killed. I did not want bloodshed.
Chief Joseph
Image
Our fathers gave us many laws which they had learned from their fathers. These laws were good.
Chief Joseph
Image
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.
Chief Joseph
Image
Cursed be he that scalps the reputation of the dead.
Chief Joseph
Image
I saw that the war could not be prevented. The time had passed.
Chief Joseph
Image
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.
Chief Joseph
Image
We were like deer. They were like grizzly bear.
Chief Joseph
Image
The first white men of your people who came to our country were named Lewis and Clark.
Chief Joseph
Image
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.
Chief Joseph
Image
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.
Chief Joseph