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

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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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I saw clearly that war was upon us when I learned that my young men had been secretly buying ammunition.
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Cursed be he that scalps the reputation of the dead.
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Lawyer acted without authority from our band. He had no right to sell the Wallowa country.
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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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We were like deer. They were like grizzly bear.
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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.
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I saw that the war could not be prevented. The time had passed.
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I know that my race must change.
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Our chiefs are killed. . . . The little children are freezing to death. . . . My people have no blankets, no food. . . . My heart is sick and sad. . . . I will fight no more forever.
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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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We damaged all the big guns we could, and carried away the powder and the lead.
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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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My people were divided about surrendering.
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A man who would not love his father's grave is worse than a wild animal.
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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.
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Big name often stands on small legs.
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When my young men began the killing, my heart was hurt.
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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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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.
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