I know Great Spirit is looking down upon me from above, and will hear what I say.
Sitting BullRead
They claim this mother of ours, the Earth, for their own use, and fence their neighbors away from her, and deface her with their buildings and their refuse.
Interpretation
The quote critiques the way humanity exploits and damages the Earth, treating it as a possession rather than a shared home.
Sitting Bull's quote expresses a profound concern for the environment and the relationship humanity has with the Earth. It highlights how people often claim ownership over natural resources, isolating themselves from their neighbors and neglecting the communal responsibility to care for the planet. The imagery of 'fencing' and 'defacing' suggests that this possessiveness leads to harm, both environmentally and socially.
In practice
In an environmental advocacy speech to raise awareness about climate change.
I know Great Spirit is looking down upon me from above, and will hear what I say.
I want to tell you that if the Great Spirit had chosen anyone to be the chief of this country, it is myself.
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?
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?
Therefore, I do not wish to consider any proposition to cede any portion of our tribal holdings to the Great Father.
I wish it to be remembered that I was the last man of my tribe to surrender my rifle.
Environment is of supreme importance. It is greater than will power.
There is continual spring, and harvest there Continual, both meeting at one time: For both the boughs do laughing blossoms bear, And with fresh colours deck the wanton prime, And eke attonce the heavy trees they climb, Which seem to labour under their fruits load: The whiles the joyous birds make their pastime Amongst the shady leaves, their sweet above, And their true loves without suspicion tell abroad.
The sad thing about destroying the environment is that we're going to take the rest of life with us. The bluebirds will be gone, and the elephants will be gone, and the tigers will be gone, and the pandas will be gone.
When we retire from the conventions of society and draw close to nature, we involuntarily become children: each attribute acquired by experience falls away from the soul, which becomes anew such as it was once and will surely be again.
The stars are far brighter Than gems without measure, The moon is far whiter Than silver in treasure; The fire is more shining On hearth in the gloaming Than gold won by mining, So why go a-roaming? O! Tra-la-la-lally Come back to the Valley.
Only within the moment of time represented by the present century has one species -- man -- acquired significant power to alter the nature of the world.
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