QUOTES BY CHIEF DAN GEORGE

“The beauty of the trees, the softness of the air, the fragrance of the grass, they speak to me. The summit of the mountain, the thunder of the sky, the rhythm of the sea, speaks to me. The faintness of the stars, the freshness of the morning, the dewdrop on the flower, speaks to me. The strength of the fire, the taste of the salmon, the trail of the sun, and the life that never goes away, they speak to me. And my heart soars.”

“It is the great harmony of nature, the cosmic dance where all is in balance, that has captivated me.”

“When you go into the forest, who do you hear, the trees or yourself?”

“If you talk to the animals they will talk with you and you will know each other. If you do not talk to them you will not know them, and what you do not know you will fear. What one fears, one destroys.”

“The only true heritage is our relationship to the land, to the Earth herself.”

“When I die, I hope to go to heaven, whatever the hell that is.”

“The old people say, ‘You become what you think.’ That is so true.”

“The beauty of the land is what I hold dear.”

“The world is not a playground, it is a schoolroom. Life is not a holiday, but an education. One eternal lesson for us all: to teach us how better we should love.”

“Humor is a great weapon. It changes bitterness to love, anger to hope.”

“A story to me means a plot where there is some surprise. Because that is how life is. The only thing that makes it different is the plot.”

“My life is a never-ending process of self-discovery.”

“The true Indian sets no price upon either his property or his labor. His generosity is limited only by his strength and ability.” RODEO QUOTES

“The beauty and mystery of the world only emerges through affection, attention, interest and compassion . . . open your eyes wide and look at the world that surrounds you. Listen to the sounds that fill the air. Do not judge what you see and hear. Simply love.”

“We are as much alive as we keep the earth alive.”

“It is a good day to be indigenous.”

“Some people laugh when they hear the word tribe, but a tribe is about family and living together. Living together in harmony.”

“We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience.”

“If you see something that is not right, not fair, not just, you have a moral obligation to do something about it.”

“Love is something you and I must have. We must have it because our spirit feeds upon it. We must have it because without it, we become weak and faint. Without love, our self-esteem weakens. Without it, our courage fails. Without love, we can no longer look out confidently at the world.”

“The joy of living comes from inner peace. You cannot have inner peace if you are always struggling to make yourself be what you are not.”

“When you are in a dark place, remember that in the depth of winter, when there is no light, that is when the seeds of hope are sown, and they will sprout, and grow, and flower once again.”

“When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us.”

“May the stars carry your sadness away. May the flowers fill your heart with beauty. May hope forever wipe away your tears. And, above all, may silence make you strong.”