Charles Eastman

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

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

“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.”

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

“Every soul must be a law unto itself.”

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

“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.”

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

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

“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.”

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

“All animals are our brothers and sisters.”

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

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

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

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