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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.

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
Shall
White
Chiefs
Tell
Indian
Place
Sees
Cannot
Authority
Great
Asked
Going
Please
Men
Stay

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I labored hard to avoid trouble and bloodshed.
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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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The first white men of your people who came to our country were named Lewis and Clark.
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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.
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I saw clearly that war was upon us when I learned that my young men had been secretly buying ammunition.
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My father... had sharper eyes than the rest of our people.
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The Indian race is waiting and praying.
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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.
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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.
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An Indian respects a brave man, but he despises a coward.
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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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We damaged all the big guns we could, and carried away the powder and the lead.
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I know that my race must change.
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It makes my heart sick when I remember all the good words and the broken promises.
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I am tired of talk that comes to nothing.
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All people should be treated the same way on earth.
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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.
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Big name often stands on small legs.
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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.
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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