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

Chief Joseph

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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
Travel
Stop
Free
Work
Men
Native
Indian

More quotes by Chief Joseph

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If the white man wants to live in peace with the Indian, he 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.
Chief Joseph
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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.
Chief Joseph
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Some of you think an Indian is like a wild animal. This is a great mistake.
Chief Joseph
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If the white man wants to live in peace with the Indian he can live in peace.
Chief Joseph
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Our fathers gave us many laws which they had learned from their fathers. These laws were good.
Chief Joseph
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A man who would not love his father's grave is worse than a wild animal.
Chief Joseph
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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
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I saw clearly that war was upon us when I learned that my young men had been secretly buying ammunition.
Chief Joseph
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Big name often stands on small legs.
Chief Joseph
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Cursed be he that scalps the reputation of the dead.
Chief Joseph
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I did not want my people killed. I did not want bloodshed.
Chief Joseph
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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.
Chief Joseph
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All people should be treated the same way on earth.
Chief Joseph
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The first white men of your people who came to our country were named Lewis and Clark.
Chief Joseph
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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
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I will speak with a straight tongue.
Chief Joseph
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It makes my heart sick when I remember all the good words and the broken promises.
Chief Joseph
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Finest fur may cover toughest meat.
Chief Joseph
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Good words will not give me back my children.
Chief Joseph
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I would have given my own life if I could have undone the killing of white men by my people.
Chief Joseph