The Speech of Chief Seattle - The Great Chief in Washington
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- čas přidán 18. 03. 2016
- Apologies for my English accent and for the cover photo being incorrect.
Great poetic speech revealing the melancholy and tragedy associated with the fading of a civilisation and way of life in the face of the unjust and brutal 'Manifest Destiny' of the settlers. Gives also a wonderful picture of how the spirit was still seen as an objective reality in nature, a perceptual faculty now by and large lost to mankind in an overwhelmingly materialistic world. (Excuse the birds tweeting in the background btw...) Although there are many versions of this speech, and much controversy surrounding its origins and authorship, it does not take away from the artistry and truthfulness of the speech. As Chekov said when seeing one of his plays: 'That is not how I imagined my play being performed, but it is much better than I imagined it'. We need not be slaves to the material world and its events. Art originates from a different plane of reality and although none of the Seattle versions may have actually been spoken in material life in exactly the way recounted, it need not take away from their artistic beauty. Shakespeare's historical plays are in many aspects totally inaccurate historically, yet they are great works of art and capture a folk essence of English historical legend. Art speaks for humanity as a whole and not for a particular nation or fragment of humanity. This speech, whatever its origins, speaks to all.
This letter was sent in 1855 by Native American Chief Seattle of the Duwamish Tribe to Franklin Pierce, President of the United States in response to an offer to purchase the Dwamish lands in the North East of the US, currently Washington State. The Native Americans were powerfully bound to the earth; the idea of property was foreign to them, and they actually considered the earth to own humankind. This was the Chief’s moving, lucid letter:
The Great Chief in Washington sends word that he wishes to buy our land. The Great Chief also sends us words of friendship and good will. This is kind of him, since we know he has little need of our friendship in return. But we will consider your offer, for we know if we do not so the white man may come with guns and take our land. What Chief Seattle says you can count on as truly as our white brothers can count on the return of the seasons. My words are like the stars -they do not set.
How can you buy or sell the sky -the warmth of the land? The idea is strange to us. Yet we do not own the freshness of the air or the sparkle of the water. How can you buy them from us? We will decide in our time. Every part of this earth is sacred to my people. Every shining pine needle, every sandy shore, every mist in the dark woods, every clearing, and every humming insect is holy in the memory and experience of my people. The sap that runs through the trees carries the memories of the red-skinned man.
The dead among the white man forget their birthplace when they leave to walk among the stars. Our dead never forget this beautiful earth because she is the redman’s mother. We are part of the earth and she is part of us. The scented flowers are our sisters: the horned beasts, the horse and the majestic eagle are our brothers. The fields, the warm body of the foal and man, all belong to the same family. Thus when the Great Chief in Washington sends word that he wishes to buy our lands, he is asking for a great deal. The Great Chief sends word that he will reserve a space for us to live comfortably with each other. He will be our father and we will be his children. Because of this, we will consider his offer to buy our lands. But this will not be easy, because these lands are a sacred to us. The sparkling water that runs in the rivers and streams is not only water; it is the blood of our ancestors. if we sell you these lands, you must remember that they are sacred, and teach your children that they are, and that every ghostly reflection in the clear waters of the lakes speaks of the lives and memories of the life of my people. The murmur of the stream is the voice of my father’s father.
The rivers are our sisters, and calm our thirst. The rivers carry our canoes and feed our children. If we sell you our lands, you must remember and teach your children that the rivers are our kin and your kin; you must henceforth treat the rivers as kindly as you would your brothers and sisters.
We know that the white man does not understand our ways. One portion of land is the same to him as the next, for he is a stranger who comes in the night and takes from the land whatever he needs. The earth is not his brother, but his enemy, and when he has conquered it, he moves on. He leaves his father’s graves and his children’s birthright is forgotten. He strips the earth from his children and cares not. He forgets his father’s tomb and the rights of his children. He treats his mother, the earth, and his brother the heavens, as if they were things that could be bought, plundered and sold, as though they were lambs and glass beads. His insatiable hunger will devour the earth and leave behind a desert.
I do not understand. Our ways are different to yours. The sight of your cities pains the eyes of the redman. But perhaps it is because the redman is a savage and does not understand. There is no quiet place in the white man’s cities. No place to listen to the leaves of spring or the rustle of insect wings. But perhaps because I am a savage and do not understand -the clatter only seems to insult the ears. And what is there to life if a man cannot hear the lovely cry of the whippoorwill or the arguments of the frogs around a pond at night? I am a redman and I do not understand.
The Indian prefers the soft sound of the wind itself cleansed by a mid-day rain, or scented by a pinõn pine.
The air is precious to the redman. For all things share the same breath -the beasts, the trees, and the man. The white man does not seem to notice the air he breathes. Like a man dying for many days, he is numb to the stench. If we sell you our lands, you must remember that the air is precious to us, that the air shares its spirit with all the life it sustains. And, if we sell you our lands, you must set them aside and keep them sacred as a place that even the white man may go to to taste the wind sweetened by the flowers in the grasslands.
If I decide to accept your offer, I will make one condition. The white man must treat the beasts of this land as his brothers. I am a savage and I do not understand any other way. I have seen thousands of rotting buffaloes on the prairie left by the white man who shot them from a passing train. I am a savage and do not understand how the smoking iron horse can be more important than the buffalo that we kill only to stay alive. What is man without the beasts? If all the beasts were gone, men would die from great loneliness of spirit, for whatever happens to the beast also happens to the man. All things are connected. Whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons of the earth.
You must teach your children that the ground beneath their feet is the ashes of their grandparents. In order that they may respect the earth, teach them that the earth is full of the life of our ancestors. You must teach your children what we have taught ours: that the earth is our mother. Everything that affects the earth affects the sons of the earth. When men spit on the ground they spit on themselves.
We know this: the earth does not belong to man. Man belongs to the earth. Man has not woven the net of life: he is just a thread in it. Everything he does to this net he does to himself. What befalls the earth will befall the sons of the earth. We know this. All things are bound up in each other like the blood that binds the family.
Even the white man, whose God walks with him and speaks with him, cannot be excluded from a common destiny. We may even be brothers in the end. We will see. One thing we know that the white man may one day discover. Our God is the same God. You may think that you own him as you wish to own our land, but you cannot. He is the Body of man, and his compassion is equal for the redman and the white. This earth is precious to him, and to harm the earth is to heap contempt on its Creator. The whites, too, shall pass - perhaps sooner than other tribes. Continue to contaminate your bed, and you will one night suffocate in your own waste. But even in your last hours you will feel illuminated by the idea that God brought you to these lands and gave you a special purpose, and ownership over them and over the redman. When the buffalo are all slaughtered, the wild horses all tamed, the secret corners of the forest heavy with the scent of many men, and the view of the ripe hills blotted by the talking wires, where is the thicket? Gone. Where is the eagle? Gone. And what is it to say goodbye to the swift and the hunt? The end of living and the beginning of survival.
Beautiful!!! We need to read this to the present generation and instil these thoughts in their minds and hearts that WE MUST RESPECT NATURE!
"Brazil is not an invention! There were already 900 Indigenous Nations speaking the same language, when some foreigners and their slaves arrived." The word "Racism" first appeared written in a book by the chronicler Eanes Gomes de Azurara in the 20th century at the request of the king of Portugal to justify the slave trade. The time has come to end nationalist concepts. We are just one humanity in different geographical locations on planet Earth.
Probably the 900 Indigenous Nations speaking the same language didn't even have the opportunity to leave an appeal like this one.
Very truthful well said.
May those that have ears to hear and spiritual eyes to see what man has done with no remorse to unbalance the echo system. Let's us protect that what is left for future generations. Mother earth
is wounded, who will nourish us from here on?
Thank you! This speech moves me to tears . I wish humanity could have this reverence for the Earth and nature. I know things will be made right eventually . Oh what a lasting treasure he left for humanity! I will forever be grateful for Chef Seattle's speech. I will let this inspiration guide my future decisions and pass on these values to my children in hopes that the future can be better then the past. 🙏🏽💕
such a glorious race which knew how to live and respect nature around them and live with the utmost harmony with mother earth ..he knew everything from the start which is being crazily searched and researched for now to find answers which were already known by this beautiful peaceful race ...I cant fathom their plight at the hands of the European settlers
The messages within are as relevant today as they were then, If only the Chief was here now to deliver it once again. Many thanks for producing this, it matters not if these were his words verbatim. It's a powerful speech and should be spread far and wide
Do you truly believe that we would head his words if he delivered them personally, today? I don’t think we would, just as we didn’t then. We are even further from our connection to the earth that we are considering abandoning it for planets more hostile than our own, at its core. We live for the moment, not existence.
in seattle they finally put a statue of chief seattle
My children had the book Brother Eagle Sister Sky balsed on this speech read to them as toddlers this message is as relavent in the 21st Century as it was in the 1850s so sad that his words have been long forgotten by the purchasers of his sacred beloved land
Every part of this world is sacred to My People. I am a white man yes though I am part of this earth, this earth is a part of me. I will never stand witness to any form or disrespect to any land of this planet, never the mountains of my birthplace nor the waters of the islands. Care for our mother with honor for she will return with abundant gratitude & fruits of nutrient life.
Sabiduría. Belleza. Sensibilidad. Amor. Compasión. Coraje. Honor. Respeto. Filosofía pura.
Such a great man..
As the minute, the Hawaii turn into 51 state of United States is obvious the oldies was going to happen. They still have the same models. Listen to The Speech of Chief Seattle - The Great Chief
Thank you
It's very useful for the students going to appear in ICSE... nd I'm one of them...thnq from me...😃😃
Thank you !!
Yes I agree with you
great and insightful speech
😊👍
I heard the arguments of the frogs around the pond in Mukilteo tonight. Thank you mom 😘
Thank you chief. I needed that.
Thank you 🙏🏽
My inner self time kiss has always honored Chief Seattle's treaty with the United States government.
Beautifully explained#thanxx
Its a legendary speech
great presentation👏🏻👏🏻
Thank you so much :) Much appreciated !
Thank you❤️❤️❤️❤️
Many thanks for your kind comment 😊😊
Beautiful and unutterably sad.
great speech
thanks for the translated video in English
"we may be brothers after all, we shall see"
Wow… spoken like a true savage🥹
Heart breaking
Knowledge is infinite
❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Very good 👌 Sir
Many thanks for your encouragement! 😊
Wonderful
Thank you! Very kind of you!
Nice video from this I can understand the seattle speech
Thx
For upload
2023
👋
Thank you 😊
GOOD JOB...WORDS FROM THE HEART CAN TOUCH ALL HEARTS...
Many thanks for your comment! Much appreciated!
Nicely explained
we shall see
The speech is so beautiful and the pronunciation is so amazing..😘😘
Many thanks! That's so great! Thank you 😊
It is very helpful for me
Thank you! I'm happy it was of some help!
Where can I find this complete letter??? My father told me to check this out. Glad that I did.💖
Thanks :) I might have a photocopy somewhere (not a text file). If you want me to send that to you then send your email to my insta. the_thirteenth_glinski_grant
Thank You!
Sadly truer words have never been spoken...
Yes; beautiful words. Tragic but inspiring. It is always a struggle to change and evolve but hopefully we will get there in the end. The path is never straight, unfortunately, both for us as individuals and for humanity as a whole.
Good and clear voice...
Many thanks! That's very kind
Hello, I’d like to know what’s or was the language that the chief spoke in his letter. Thanks in advanced
According to Wikipedia the Chief probably spoke the Lushootseed language.....
@@performingpoetry Thanks for the information
awesome !
Awsome. SPEACH
Thank you so much! It really is
Being of a lifetime United States government beautiful family. We honor you.
thanks
its been such a help
thanks a lot
Many thanks! Good luck with everything!
Who turned out to be the real savage?
I have thought this for three years. I am glad someone else has the same idea. Thank you for being yourself.
THANK YOU
Lessons learned......as youmg
🇺🇸🔥🇺🇸✝️🔥🇺🇸🔥
nice explanation
Thank you so much !
i feel it as well
Is this the speech told by someone else or the chief seattle itself??
Vidhya Shwetha this was Chief Seattles response to Governor Stevens
Someone else orated it words are of chief seattle
she is using sarcasm.gineus
!!
good
Who is the red man and white man!!
Which version of the speech hv u used ......... This is completely different from the version given to us in the treasure trove book
Jitendra Kumar actually this is the elaborated version of the same..... i too am an icse student so i know
Really it's totally different...🤔🤔
Hello, im a street videographer from south korea and im making a travel video of Seattle. Can i use some part of your voice as my intro because it sounds really nice.
Yes, okay. That's fine. Thanks for asking
@@performingpoetry thank you for allowing l, when i finish my work, i will leave the link here! Thx again
thanks 😊
@@performingpoetry czcams.com/video/sxNQBm6h6KE/video.htmlsi=jUM15ymjFOVjEN9f
Great art! I have made a little peace of music and used a good part of your voice! If you would like, I send you a copy! But I do not know how to conact you. Is there a way on youtuibe?
I'm watching from my caper home in Clanton Alabama with my 2 dogs
Sounds great! Hope you're having a good time.
I liked the speech but he is spoke again and again🙂🙂😙🤗🙂😙😋🤗
It helped me during my exams
Thank you! That's great!
This is real speech or edit ?
Thanks for your comment. This is a recording with my voice which I made about 7 or so years ago 😊
The voice is very good
Many thanks !! kind of you to say so
Something's in it
I saved from exam because of this 😁😀😆😆😆🤗😜😝😛🤷🤷
? didn't understand ?
@performimgpoetry This is prescribed in the syllabus for many Englsih literature books in India for highschool
Is this voice is real voice of CHIEF SEATTLE.
Ah, no. Sorry. It is mine. I don't believe Chief Seattle spoke English. The speech is a translation.
where is this in the book?
I need people to understand that there is a majority opinion that Cheif Seattle never made this letter or speech. ESPECIALLY the Duwamish, which he was. Also his name was not "Seattle", and our people (my people) would never have spoken like this. "Sell our land", "our fathers father", the river is a "brother", returning to the stars, and using the word "consecrated", come on...we don't hold those views at all.
Yes. Entirely understandable reaction, especially when we increasingly identify personally through birth or descent with a particular nation or a group of people. There are also forces at large in the world that in any case wish to prevent us identifying with humanity as a whole. Much historical reporting of my own nation is entirely fictionalised, especially in the field of art which inhabits a different reality from the material plane (where facts are considered very important). As can be read on here, I wrote a few years ago in my introduction to this speech, after acknowledging disputes over the writing of this and various other 'Seattle' speeches (many consider this one to have been written by a European-ethnic reporter):
'Shakespeare's historical plays are in many aspects totally inaccurate historically, yet they are great works of art and capture a folk essence of English historical legend. Art speaks for humanity as a whole and not for a particular nation or fragment of humanity. This speech, whatever its origins, speaks to all.'
An understandable and justified reaction and observation however, especially given the times we live in. We all need to keep in mind that art, or an attempt at art, is rarely based on historical accuracy. Many historical tv dramas, for example, are actually mistaken by their audiences for factual documentaries. Hamlet, for example, is still (but for how long?) a popular play in Denmark despite being written by an Englishman with absolutely no regard for historical truth.
Whoever wrote this speech certainly had an artistic soul even if totally unqualified to be a member of a particular nation of peoples.
@@performingpoetry ya, my tribe is beginning to piece our culture back together. Se'ntl (Seattle) wasn't a chief in reality. The Salish, Chimikuan and other bands around us in the PNW are very different than most other tribes on our continent. We were far more matriarchal than others. Men moved to the wives tribe, we didn't have chiefs, all land and property follow the wives lineage, divorce ended with the man moving back to his tribe or he could remain in hers and become a hunter, fisher or warrior. Many became travelers on our trade routes. So...Se'ntl is recognized by "Duwamish -suquamish" tribes, But women are only recognized by one tribe. We had collections of many tribes elders in a type of council or representatives, and he was on that council.
When we were approached by US reps about treaties, Se'ntl was the oldest man on our council so the US assumed he was our chief, lol! That US rep was the one whom eventually wrote our treaties and also this letter. We were very cheated in those treaties. So most of us believe it was a white wash to present our approval to the US.
Oh thanks. So interesting. Injustice seems to be a human condition that is hard to eradicate. When we put ourselves or our group first it is usually at the expense of others. Better to put others first even at the loss of material advantage or even our own lives. Up until the 9th/10th Century, even in Europe, as well as in so-called North America, people in general were aware of the elemental beings living in nature. But then materialism increasingly took over as part of man's evolution and development of self-conciousness and Mother Earth and other human beings were increasingly regarded through those blinkered and limited eyes. Our only hope is to move forward into something new, uplifting and self-sacrificing. We need to consciously develop the vision that was lost and see each other and ourselves as we really are. Will humanity succeed? Who knows. Times are bleak with hatred, division and judgement everywhere. But in the darkest hour sometimes lies the turning point of times. Please excuse my monologue.
It's literally same with my book.. except it's not in my language
good
Many thanks!