Charles Eastman

“We believe that the spirit pervades all creation and that every creature possesses a soul in some degree.”

“All animals are our brothers and sisters.”

“It was our belief that the love of possessions is a weakness to be overcome.”

“Every soul must be a law unto itself.”

“The true Indian sets no price upon either his property or his labor.”

“We did not think of the great open plains, the beautiful rolling hills, and winding streams with tangled growth, as 'wild'.”

“The original attitude of the American Indian toward the Eternal, the 'Great Mystery' that surrounds and embraces us, was as simple as it was exalted.”

“Guard your tongue in youth, and in age you may mature a thought that will be of service to your people.”

“Silence is the absolute poise or balance of body, mind and spirit.”

“The first American was an Indian, and the first American was a man of the soil.”

“I am an Indian; and while I have learned much from civilization, for which I am grateful, I have never lost my Indian sense of right and justice.”

“Long before I ever heard of Christ, or saw a white man, I had learned from an untutored woman the essence of morality.”

“The wise man believes in the Great Spirit, the unknown, the mystery.”

“The love of nature is a passion for the soul.”

“Knowledge is not in the books, but in the heart.”

“The Indian was a religious man from his mother's womb.”

“Children were encouraged, so that they might develop the spirit of generosity and thought for others.”