You have driven me from the East to this place, and I have…
![“You have driven me from the East to this place, and I have been here two thousand years or more. [...] My friends, if you took me away from this land it would be very hard for me. I wish to die in this land, I wish to be an old man here. [...] I have not wished to give even a part of it to the…” quote by Standing Bear](https://sms4smile.com/q/i/d35/standing-bear-40971_aboriginals_you-have-driven-me-from-the-east-to-this_1644739.jpg)
““You have driven me from the East to this place, and I have been here two thousand years or more. [...] My friends, if you took me away from this land it would be very hard for me. I wish to die in this land, I wish to be an old man here. [...] I have not wished to give even a part of it to the Great Father [the President]. Though he were to give me a million dollars I would not give him this land. [...] When people want to slaughter cattle they drive them along until they get them to a corral, and then they slaughter them. So it was with us. [...] My children have been exterminated; my brother has been killed.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
He expresses deep attachment to his ancestral land, refusing to sell it even for great wealth, and likens his people's suffering to cattle driven to slaughter.
In simple terms: He values his homeland over money and resists oppression.
Key Takeaway
Protect cultural heritage and resist exploitation.
Themes
land rights
identity
resistance
colonialism
Mood
determined
somber
Type
historical
political
When to use this quote
- Land negotiations
- heritage preservation
- legal advocacy
- community healing
Key Concepts
Indigenous sovereignty
ethical stewardship
historical trauma
Questions to Reflect On
- What would you sacrifice to protect your homeland?
- How can oppressed peoples negotiate without losing identity?
A Different Perspective
His perspective may overlook potential benefits of strategic compromise.