Quotes By Chief Joseph

I would give up everything rather than have the blood of white men upon the hands of my people.

War can be avoided, and it ought to be avoided. I want no war.

You might as well expect rivers to run backwards as any man born free to be contented penned up.

All men were made by the Great Spirit Chief. They are all brothers.

I know that my race must change.

I labored hard to avoid trouble and bloodshed.

We gathered all the stock we could find, and made an attempt to move. We left many of our horses and cattle in Wallowa. We lost several hundred in crossing the river.

A man who would not love his father's grave is worse than a wild animal.

Hear me, my chiefs! I am tired. My heart is sick and sad. From where the sun now stands, I will fight no more forever.

My father was the first to see through the schemes of the white man.

I saw clearly that war was upon us when I learned that my young men had been secretly buying ammunition.

General Howard informed me, in a haughty spirit, that he would give my people 30 days to go back home, collect all their stock, and move onto the reservation.

I believe much trouble would be saved if we opened our hearts more.

We had a great many horses, of which we gave Lewis and Clark what they needed, and they gave us guns and tobacco in return.

An Indian respects a brave man, but he despises a coward.

Good words will not give me back my children.

Governor Isaac Stevens of the Washington Territory said there were a great many white people in our country, and many more would come; that he wanted the land marked out so that the Indians and the white man could be separated.

It required a strong heart to stand up against such talk, but I urged my people to be quiet and not to begin a war.

My people were divided about surrendering.

We gave up some of our country to the white men, thinking that then we could have peace. We were mistaken. The white man would not let us alone.

The earth is the mother of all people, and all people should have equal rights upon it.

My father... had sharper eyes than the rest of our people.

I will obey every law, or submit to the penalty.

For a short time we lived quietly. But this could not last. White men had found gold in the mountains around the land of winding water.

I did not want my people killed. I did not want bloodshed.

I would have given my own life if I could have undone the killing of white men by my people.

I said in my heart that, rather than have war, I would give up my country.