Response to reading by Chief Seattle

Wow! What an incredibly beautiful speech by Chief Seattle. When I sat down to read these two passages (by Sa-Go-Ye-Wat-Ha and Chief Seattle) I truly did not anticipate how much these speeches would affect me. This last one by Chief Seattle brought tears to my eyes. I am so saddened to learn of history being so cruel to the Native American people. White man have been so unfair with their lack of compassion to these beautifully spiritual people.
When I read this speech from Chief Seattle addressing Governor Stevens, I cannot fathom how the Chief's words would not be well taken and accepted. I suppose I just didn't ever consider how brutal and forceful our history with the Native Americans really was. We basically quarantined the Native Americans to what what white man called "reservations", and never accepted their pure, untainted love for the earth. If only we could appreciate the wisdom that the Native Americans held, our earth could be a much better place. If the majority of modern Americans could respect the earth as the Native Americans clearly did, I feel we would have far less suffering today. Modern American society as a whole has grown to be glutenous and unappreciative. As a culture we are wasteful and narcissistic only caring about ourselves and forgetting to take notice in the simple beauty of our earth.
Chief Seattle also speaks of the differences with the ways of worship between his people and white man. He tells about white man's God being "an angry God", writing His religion on "tables of stone by the iron finger", so it would not be forgotten. Chief Seattle continues by explaining that the Native Americans Great Spirit would never need to do this, because their people remember their religion which has been written in the hearts of their people. Chief Seattle states that "I think my people will accept it and go to the reservation you offer them", he continues explaining "we will live apart, and in peace".
Chief Seattle then goes on to conclude that the "Indian's night's will be dark", and when there are no more children of the "great tribes" left in the wide world, their spirits will still live among the earth. He warns, "the white man will never be alone...so let him [the spirits] be just and deal kindly with my people...the dead have power too.".
It is clear Chief Seattle was very well spoken and had a way of allowing his heart to be seen with his words. I feel a sense of change within myself after reading his speech.

Response to reading by Sa-go-ye-wat-ha

I truly enjoyed reading this short speech from Sa-Go-Ye-Wat-Ha. The reading begins with a brief couple paragraphs describing the setting for the reader, which was very helpful. After reading the first few paragraphs, I was unsure where the remainder of the story was going, but I already felt a sense of frustration for the narrator.
In the second paragraph, when the bigoted Christian minister states, "all your lives have been in great errors and darkness", I instantly sensed closed mindedness from him. I realized from reading this, he was horribly judgemental and I felt anticipation to read on to find out who he was addressing.
The story continues with a beautifully written speech from a Native American man, Sa-Go-Ye-Wat-Ha, who is responding to this Christian minister. From reading about the setting for this story, it is clear that that Sa-Go-Ye-Wat-Ha has come to address the Christian minister and his followers in peace.
In his speech, Sa-Go-Ye-Wat-Ha explains how the Native American people showed compassion for the white man when first arriving in America. Sa-Go-Ye-Wat-Ha explains that the white man found "friends and not enemies" when they arrived. White man had spoke about leaving their own country to escape religious persecution, and the Native American people grated their request for a "small seat" in the Native Americans land. Sa-Go-Ye-Wat-Ha spoke of giving white man corn and meat to help them establish in here in America and then receiving "poison" (rum) in return. Sa-Go-Ye-Wat-Ha also explains that his people saw the white man as friends, and white man began to call the Native American People brothers. White man began to bring more and more of their people over from Europe, and the Native Americans gave them a larger "seat". Soon white man's numbers had increased so much that they wanted all the Native Americans land. Sa-Go-Ye-Wat-Ha states, "our minds became uneasy". From there many wars took place, and many Native Americans were killed. Sa-Go-Ye-Wat-Ha describes vividly that now their own seat which once was so large, is very small. The Native American people request only enough space to "spread our blankets".
The conclusion of this reading explains how Sa-Go-Ye-Wat-Ha extends a hand in friendship to the Christian minister which is now received, and instead the minister tells the Native Americans, he will not shake hands because "there is no fellowship between the religion of God and the devil.".
I simply was outraged when I read this! I can remember in elementary school being taught that when white man came to America, it was peaceful. I think we are preached a "sugar-coated" version of what really seems to have occurred. I don't ever recall being taught the Native American side of this story. When we are children, it's all about cartoon images of pilgrims learning from the Native American people...and never a story of the wars and brutality that we obviously created for the Native American people. We stole their land away from them, and then when they requested to be free spiritually, white people denied them of that right.

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