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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

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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
Life
People
Undone
Killing
White
Given
Would
Men

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The earth is the mother of all people, and all people should have equal rights upon it.
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It does not require many words to speak the truth.
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Big name often stands on small legs.
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We were like deer. They were like grizzly bear.
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Good words will not give me back my children.
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We were contented to let things remain as the Great Spirit Chief made them. They were not and would change the rivers and mountains if they did not suit them.
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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.
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A man who would not love his father's grave is worse than a wild animal.
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An Indian respects a brave man, but he despises a coward.
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I will speak with a straight tongue.
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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.
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My father... had sharper eyes than the rest of our people.
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Lawyer acted without authority from our band. He had no right to sell the Wallowa country.
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Some of you think an Indian is like a wild animal. This is a great mistake.
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From where the sun now stands I will fight no more.
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Our fathers gave us many laws which they had learned from their fathers. These laws were good.
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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.
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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.
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You might as well expect rivers to run backwards as any man born free to be contented penned up.
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I did not want my people killed. I did not want bloodshed.
Chief Joseph