Before our white brothers arrived to make us civilized…
““Before our white brothers arrived to make us civilized men, we didin't have any kind of prison. Because of this, we didn't have any delinquents. Without a prison, there can't be no delinquents. We had no locks nor keys therefore among us there were no thieves. When someone was so poor that he couldn't afford a horse, a tent or a blanket, he would, in that case, receive it all as a gift. We were too uncivilized to give great importance to private property. We didn't know any kind of money and consequently, the value of a human being was not determined by his wealth. We had no written laws laid down, no lawyers, no politicians, therefore we were not able to cheat and swindle one another. We were really in bad shape before the white man arrived and I don't know how to explain how we were able to manage without these fundamental things that (so they tell us) are so necessary for a civilized society.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
The speaker argues that pre‑colonial Indigenous societies lacked prisons, property concepts, and formal laws, suggesting they were not dependent on these institutions for order or value.
In simple terms: Indigenous peoples lived without prisons, money, or private property, yet functioned as a society.
Key Takeaway
Recognize diverse social structures beyond Western norms.
Themes
culture
colonialism
law
property
civilization
Mood
reflective
critical
Type
historical
anthropological
When to use this quote
- anthropology research
- policy debates
- education curricula
- community building
Key Concepts
Anarchism
communalism
indigenous epistemology
Questions to Reflect On
- How did conflict resolution work without formal law?
- What are the risks of idealizing pre‑colonial societies?
A Different Perspective
The claim may romanticize or oversimplify complex social dynamics and ignore internal conflicts.