The Sweet Breathing of Flowers
Earth, Nature and Reverence
Hear me, four quarters of the world - a relative I am! Give me the strength to walk the soft earth, a relative to all that is! Give me the eyes to see and the strength to understand, that I may be like you. With your power only can I face the winds.
Black Elk (1863-1950) Oglala Sioux Holy Man
The outline of the stone is round, having no end and no beginning; like the power of the stone it is endless. The stone is perfect of it's kind and is the work of nature. No artificial means being used in shaping it. Outwardly it is not beautiful, but it's structure is solid. Like a solid house in which one may safely dwell.
Chased-by-Bears (1843-1915) Santee-Yanktonai Sioux
The soil you see is not ordinary soil - it is the dust of the blood, the flesh, and the bones of our ancestors...you will have to dig down through the surface before you can find natures earth, as the upper portion is Crow. The land, as it is, is my blood and my dead; it is consecrated...
Shes-his (late 19th century) Reno Crow
I have noticed in my life that all men have a liking for some special animal, tree, plant or spot of earth. If men would pay more attention of these preferences and seek what is best to do in order to make themselves worthy of that toward which they are attracted, they might have dreams which would purify their lives. Let a man decided upon his favorite animal and make a study of it, to learn it's innocent ways. Let him learn to understand it's sounds and motions. The animals want to communicate with man, but Wakan-Tanka does not intend they shall do so directly - man must do the greater part in securing an understanding.
Brave Buffalo (late 19th century) Teton Sioux Medicine Man
When I was somewhat past 10 years of age, my father took me with him to watch the horses out on the prairie. We watered the herd and about the middle of day came home for dinner...while we sat watching the herd my father said; "these horses are god like, or mystery beings."
Wolf Chief (late 19th century) Hidatsa Sioux
Of all the animals the horse is the best friend of the Indian, for without it he could not go on long journeys. A horse is the Indian's most valuable piece of property. If an Indian wishes to gain something, he promises his horse that if he will help him he will paint it with native dye, that all may see that help has come through the aid of his horse.
Brave Buffalo (late 19th century) Teton Sioux Medicine Man
When we go hunting, it is not our arrow that kills the moose, however powerful be the blow; it is nature that kills him.
Big Thunder (Bedagi) (late 19th century) Wabanaki Algonquin
The old Indian teaching was that it was wrong to tear loose from it's place on earth anything that may be growing there. It may be cut off, but it should not be uprooted. The trees and the grass have spirits. Whatever one of such growths may be destroyed by some good Indian, his act is done in sadness and with a prayer for forgiveness because of his necessities...
Wooden Leg (late 19th century) Cheyenne
I am going to venture that the man who sat on the ground in his tipi meditating on life and it's meaning, accepting the kinship of all creatures, and acknowledging unity with the universe of things was infusing into his being the true essence of civilization.
Luther Standing Bear (1868?-1939) Oglala Sioux Chief
When a man does a piece of work which is admired by all we say that it is wonderful; but when we see changes of day and night, the sun, the moon, and the stars in the sky, and the changing seasons upon the earth, with their ripening fruits, anyone must realize that it is the work of someone more powerful than man.
Chased-by-Bears (1843-1915) Santee-Yanktonai Sioux
The earth is the mother of all people, and all people should have equal rights upon it. You might as well expect the rivers to run backward as that any man who was born a free man should be contented when penned up and denied liberty to go where he pleases.
Joseph (Hinmaton Yalatkit) (1830-1904) Nez Perce Chief
...The voice of the Great Spirit is heard in the twittering of birds, the rippling of mighty waters, and the sweet breathing of flowers. If this is Paganism, then at present, at least, I am Pagan.
Gertrude Simmons Bonnin (Zitkala-Sa) (1876-1938) Dakota Sioux
The earth and myself are of one mind. The measure of the land and the measure of our bodies are the same...
Joseph (Hinmaton Yalatkit) (1830-1904) Nez Perce Chief