I know Great Spirit is looking down upon me from above, and will hear what I say.
Sitting BullRead
When I was a boy, the Sioux owned the world. The sun rose and set on their land; they sent ten thousand men to battle. Where are the warriors today? Who slew them? Where are our lands? Who owns them?
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects on loss and the disintegration of a culture and its land over time.
Sitting Bull's quote captures a deep sense of loss and sorrow regarding the displacement of the Sioux people and their historical dominance over the land. It raises poignant questions about the fate of their warriors and the ownership of their lands, highlighting the contrasts between past glory and present reality. This reflection serves as a reminder of the struggles faced by indigenous peoples and the changes wrought by colonization.
Themes
SiouxWarriorsLandLossHistoryIndigenousColonization
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about indigenous rights and land ownership during a seminar.
More from Sitting Bull
All quotes →I want to tell you that if the Great Spirit had chosen anyone to be the chief of this country, it is myself.
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Is it wrong for me to love my own? Is it wicked for me because my skin is red? Because I am Sioux? Because I was born where my father lived? Because I would die for my people and my country?
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Therefore, I do not wish to consider any proposition to cede any portion of our tribal holdings to the Great Father.
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I wish it to be remembered that I was the last man of my tribe to surrender my rifle.
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God made me an Indian, but not a reservation Indian.
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