Quote

When my young men began the killing, my heart was hurt.

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
Began
Killing
Hurt
Young
Heart
Men

More quotes by Chief Joseph

Image
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
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
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
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
General Howard informed me, in a haughty spirit, that he would give my people 30 days to go back home, collect all their stock, and move onto the reservation.
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
Image
I am tired of talk that comes to nothing It makes my heart sick when I remember all the good words and all the broken promises. There has been too much talking by men who had no right to talk. It does not require many words to speak the truth.
Chief Joseph
Image
Good words will not give me back my children.
Chief Joseph
Image
I know that my race must change.
Chief Joseph
Image
Treat all men alike. Give them the same law. Give them an even chance to live and grow.
Chief Joseph
Image
I saw that the war could not be prevented. The time had passed.
Chief Joseph
Image
From where the sun now stands I will fight no more.
Chief Joseph
Image
If the white man wants to live in peace with the Indian he can live in peace.
Chief Joseph
Image
My father... had sharper eyes than the rest of our people.
Chief Joseph
Image
I believe much trouble would be saved if we opened our hearts more.
Chief Joseph
Image
Whenever the white man treats the Indian as they treat each other, then we will have no more wars. We shall all be alike-brothers of one father and one another, with one sky above us and one country around us, and one government for all.
Chief Joseph
Image
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
Image
Governor Isaac Stevens of the Washington Territory said there were a great many white people in our country, and many more would come that he wanted the land marked out so that the Indians and the white man could be separated.
Chief Joseph
Image
We ask only that the law shall work alike on all men.
Chief Joseph
Image
I have asked some of the great white chiefs where they get their authority to say to the Indian that he shall stay in one place, while he sees white men going where they please. They cannot tell me.
Chief Joseph