I am a member of the Muskogee people. I'm a poet, a musician, a dreamer of sorts, a questioner. Like everyone else, I'm looking for answers of some sort or the other.
Joy HarjoRead
When explorers first encountered my people, they called us heathens, sun worshippers. They didn't understand that the sun is a relative and illuminates our path on this earth.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the importance of understanding different cultures and their beliefs.
Joy Harjo reflects on the misconceptions that outsiders had about her people, labeling them as 'heathens' and 'sun worshippers.' She highlights that the sun symbolizes guidance and enlightenment in their culture, indicating that true understanding comes from recognizing the deeper meanings behind others' practices and beliefs, rather than judging them superficially.
Themes
CultureUnderstandingBeliefsSunPhilosophy
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in discussions about cultural appreciation and respect.
More from Joy Harjo
All quotes βIt's important as a writer to do my art well and do it in a way that is powerful and beautiful and meaningful, so that my work regenerates the people, certainly Indian people, and the earth and the sun. And in that way we all continue forever.
Joy HarjoRead
A story matrix connects all of us._x000D_ There are rules, processes, and circles of responsibility in this world. And the story begins exactly where it is supposed to begin. We cannot skip any part.
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You just go where poetry is, whether it's in your heart or your mind or in books or in places where there's live poetry or recordings.
Joy HarjoRead
Bottom line, I have to follow what my soul says, or my spirit. And my spirit said that poetry and the arts should be without borders, should be without political borders.
Joy HarjoRead
I don't like this romanticization of Indian people in which Indian people are looked at as spiritual saviors, as people who have always taken care of the land. We're human beings. But I think different cultures have developed different aspects of humanness.
Joy HarjoRead
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