Great Speeches By Native Americans

Remarkable for their eloquence, depth of feeling, and oratorical mastery, these 82 compelling speeches encompass five centuries of Indian encounters with nonindigenous people. Beginning with a 1540 refusal by a Timucua chief to parley with Hernando de Soto ("With such a people I want no peace"), the collection extends to the 20th-century address of activist Russell Means to the United Nations affiliates and members of the Human Rights Commission ("We are people who love in the belly of the monster"). Other memorable orations include Powhatan's "Why should you destroy us, who have provided you with food?" (1609); Red Jacket's "We like our religion, and do not want another" (1811); Osceola's "I love my home, and will not go from it" (1834); Red Cloud's "The Great Spirit made us both" (1870); Chief Joseph's "I will fight no more forever" (1877); Sitting Bull's "The life my people want is a life of freedom" (1882); and many more. Other notable speakers represented here include Tecumseh, Seattle, Geronimo, and Crazy Horse, as well as many lesser-known leaders. Graced by forceful metaphors and vivid imagery expressing emotions that range from the utmost indignation to the deepest sorrow, these addresses are deeply moving documents that offer a window into the hearts and minds of Native Americans as they struggled against the overwhelming tide of European and American encroachment. This inexpensive edition, with informative notes about each speech and orator, will prove indispensable to anyone interested in Native American history and culture.

This collection of notable speeches by early-day leaders of twenty-two Indian tribes adds a new dimension to our knowledge of the original Americans and their own view of the tide of history engulfing them. Little written record of their oratory exists, although Indians made much use of publics address. Around the council fires tribal affairs were settled without benefit of the written word, and young men attended to hear the speeches, observe their delivery, and consider the weight of reasoned argument. Some of the early white men who traveled and lived among the Indians left transcriptions of tribal council meetings and speeches, and other orations were translated at treaty council meetings with delegates of the United States government. From these scattered reports and the few other existing sources this book presents a reconstruction of contemporary thought of the leading men of many tribes. Chronologically, the selections range from the days of early contact with the whites in the 1750’s to a speech by Quanah Parker in 1910. Several of the orations were delivered at the famous Medicine Lodge Council in 1867. A short biography of each orator states the conditions under which the speeches were made, locates the place of the council or meeting, and includes a photograph or copy of a painting of the speaker. Speakers chosen to represent the tribes at treaty council were all orators of great natural ability, well trained in the Indian oral traditions. Acutely conscious that they were the selected representatives of their people, these men delivered eloquent, moving speeches, often using wit and sarcasm to good effect. They were well aware of all the issues involved, and they bargained with great statesmanship for survival of their traditional way of life.

This is a collection of 10 famous speeches given by a number of well known and respected Native American Chiefs. Middle school students, in the Connections cycle will find this set of speeches particularly useful as they explore the various cultural references that have influenced the Native American tribes throughout the Americas. Each speech is identified, and then through a set of questions, students are encouraged to further analyze and explore the concepts that are touched upon.

The teachings of the Native Americans provide a connection with the land, the environment, and the simple beauties of life. This collection of writings from revered Native Americans offers timeless, meaningful lessons on living and learning. Taken from writings, orations, and recorded observations of life, this book selects the best of Native American wisdom and distills it to its essence in short, digestible quotes — perhaps even more timely now than when they were first written. In addition to the short passages, this edition includes the complete Soul of an Indian, as well as other writings by Ohiyesa (Charles Alexander Eastman), one of the great interpreters of American Indian thought, and three great speeches by Chiefs Joseph, Seattle, and Red Jacket.

The history of the United States has been characterized by ferventidealism, intense struggle, and radical change. And for everycritical, defining moment in American history, there were thosewhose impassioned voices rang out, clear and true, and whose wordscompelled the minds and hearts of all who heard them. When PatrickHenry declared, "Give me liberty, or give me death!", when MartinLuther King Jr. said, "I have a dream", Americans listened and wereprofoundly affected. These speeches stand today as testaments tothis great nation made up of individuals with bold ideas andunshakeable convictions. The American Heritage Book of Great American Speeches for YoungPeople includes over 100 speeches by founding fathers, patriots,Native American and African American leaders, abolitionists,women's suffrage and labor activists, writers, athletes, and othersfrom all walks of life, featuring inspiring and unforgettablespeeches by such notable speakers as: Patrick Henry * Thomas Jefferson * Tecumseh * Frederick Douglass *Sojourner Truth * Abraham Lincoln * Susan B. Anthony * Mother Jones* Lou Gehrig * Franklin D. Roosevelt * Albert Einstein * Pearl S.Buck * Langston Hughes * John F. Kennedy * Martin Luther KingJr. These are the voices that shaped our history. They are powerful,moving, and, above all else, uniquely American.

Tracing the struggle for freedom and civil rights across two centuries, this anthology comprises speeches by Martin Luther King, Jr., Marcus Garvey, Malcolm X, Barack Obama, and many other influential figures.

Subtitled: The classic speeches of Red Jacket, Chief Joseph, and Chief Seattle. Published by New World Library, 58 Paul Drive, San Rafael, CA 94903. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

In the first complete collection of a Native American orator’s speeches, Granville Ganter presents the speeches of Red Jacket or Sagoyewatha (Shay-gó-ye-wátha), a formidable diplomat and one of the most famous Native American orators of the nineteenth century. As a representative of the Seneca and the Six Nations, Red Jacket negotiated with American presidents from George Washington to Andrew Jackson, establishing a legacy that continues to influence discussions of native sovereignty and cultural identity. In speeches spanning over forty years, he eloquently voiced the rights of Native Americans, opposing the encroachment of white man’s religion and culture and the sale of native lands. Presenting more than fifty speeches of Red Jacket, some previously unpublished and others revised using modern standards of textual editing, this volume encourages a wider readership of Red Jacket’s work. Ganter’s accompanying essays offer a detailed historical framework, presenting archival research about the interpreters and the circumstances of each speech. The great majority of Red Jacket’s speeches were interpreted by reliable translators who were often chosen by the Senecas for their accuracy. This edition spans Red Jacket’s political career from 1790 to 1830 and includes major addresses to Presidents Washington, Adams, and Monroe. Additionally, it contains original versions of his speeches to evangelical missionaries and land speculators, which circulated for nearly 150 years after Red Jacket’s death. This book will stand as the definitive critical edition of Red Jacket’s speeches and as a remarkable record of Native American political history. It will be of crucial interest to historians and literary scholars of Native American studies.