--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There have been periods where the folks…" description: "\"There have been periods where the folks who were already here suddenly say, 'Well, I don't want those folks,' even though the only people who have the ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/009/barack-obama-17_folks_there-have-been-periods-where-the-folks_704656.jpg" --- # There have been periods where the folks who were already… ![“There have been periods where the folks who were already here suddenly say, 'Well, I don't want those folks,' even though the only people who have the right to say that are some Native Americans.” quote by Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/009/barack-obama-17_folks_there-have-been-periods-where-the-folks_704656.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/009/barack-obama-17_folks_there-have-been-periods-where-the-folks_704656.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/009/barack-obama-17_folks_there-have-been-periods-where-the-folks_704656.jpg) > “There have been periods where the folks who were already here suddenly say, 'Well, I don't want those folks,' even though the only people who have the right to say that are some Native Americans.” [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People sometimes claim authority over others' presence, ignoring that true authority lies with indigenous peoples. **In simple terms:** Authority should belong to original inhabitants. Key Takeaway Respect indigenous rights and voices. Themes social justice indigenous rights politics Mood serious empathetic Type political educational When to use this quote - policy making - community advocacy - education - media reporting Key Concepts authority legitimacy colonial history Questions to Reflect On - What steps can ensure indigenous voices are heard? - How do we balance historical rights with present realities? A Different Perspective May overlook complexities of modern demographics. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Native american](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/native-american/) [Native americans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/native-americans/) [Obnoxious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obnoxious/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) ## Related quotes > [Because of the Civil Rights movement, new doors of opportunity and education swung open for everybody ... Not just for blacks and whites, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/because-of-the-civil-rights-movement-new-doors-of-opportunity-and/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [We also recommit to supporting tribal self-determination, security, and prosperity for all Native Americans. While we cannot erase the scourges or broken promises of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/we-also-recommit-to-supporting-tribal-self-determination-security-and/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [“Fine Folks were people who did the best they could with the sense they had,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/fine-folks-were-people-who-did-the-best-they-could-with-the-sense/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [These are folks that keep people out of hospitals, out of emergency rooms, out of nursing homes. And not only that, they help people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atul-gawande/these-are-folks-that-keep-people-out-of-hospitals-out-of-emergency/) [Atul Gawande](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atul-gawande/) > [I want folks to take horror seriously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-g-tremblay/i-want-folks-to-take-horror-seriously/) [Paul G. Tremblay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-g-tremblay/) > [I just want to have folks be comfortable and just share and have a good conversation. To me, that's kind of a lost art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-eisen/i-just-want-to-have-folks-be-comfortable-and-just-share-and-have-a/) [Rich Eisen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-eisen/) > [More than anything else, I want the folks back at home to think right of me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-presley/more-than-anything-else-i-want-the-folks-back-at-home-to-think-right/) [Elvis Presley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-presley/) > [I'll be damned if I want most folks out there to do unto me what they do unto themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-cade-bambara/i-ll-be-damned-if-i-want-most-folks-out-there-to-do-unto-me-what-they/) [Toni Cade Bambara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-cade-bambara/) > [Like most kids, you don't want to do what your folks want you to do. You've got your own thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bridges/like-most-kids-you-don-t-want-to-do-what-your-folks-want-you-to-do/) [Jeff Bridges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bridges/) > [The Navajo Generating Station in Page, for example, employs hundreds of people, mostly Native Americans, and provides nearly all of the power for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-kirkpatrick/the-navajo-generating-station-in-page-for-example-employs-hundreds-of/) [Ann Kirkpatrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-kirkpatrick/) > [I think most Native American literature is unreadable by the vast majority of Native Americans. Generally speaking Indians don't read books. It's not a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/i-think-most-native-american-literature-is-unreadable-by-the-vast/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [I have had vegan Thanksgiving of tofurkey and soy gravy. 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We’re the people, we’re the human beings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-trudell/we-re-not-indians-and-we-re-not-native-americans-we-re-older-than/) [John Trudell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-trudell/) ## More by Barack Obama > [So here's what I want you to know, and here's what I want all our men and women in uniform to know: Because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-here-s-what-i-want-you-to-know-and-here-s-what-i-want-all-our-men/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The peaceful transition of power is one of the hallmarks of our democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-peaceful-transition-of-power-is-one-of-the-hallmarks-of-our/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [As opposed to getting into arguments about, well, these folks have been treated fairly so now we're going to be doing things that, very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/as-opposed-to-getting-into-arguments-about-well-these-folks-have-been/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Donald Trump is temperamentally unfit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/donald-trump-is-temperamentally-unfit/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [What we've said to the girls is: 'If you guys ever decide that you're going to get a tattoo, then mommy and me will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/what-we-ve-said-to-the-girls-is-if-you-guys-ever-decide-that-you-re/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Nobody is listening to your telephone calls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/nobody-is-listening-to-your-telephone-calls/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [All of us take offense to anyone who reaps the rewards of living in America without taking on the responsibilities of living in America.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/all-of-us-take-offense-to-anyone-who-reaps-the-rewards-of-living-in/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The world is complicated and full of grays, but there's still truth there to be found.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-world-is-complicated-and-full-of-grays-but-there-s-still-truth/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [ That is another theme in the book \[Dreams from My Father\]. How do we exercise more empathy in our public discourse? How do we… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/that-is-another-theme-in-the-book-dreams-from-my-father-how-do-we/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I can say across Europe that many principles that have been taken for granted here around free speech, and around civil liberties and an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-can-say-across-europe-that-many-principles-that-have-been-taken-for/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [So Americans understand the costs of war. Yet as a country, we will never tolerate our security being threatened, nor stand idly by when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-americans-understand-the-costs-of-war-yet-as-a-country-we-will/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I want to thank the Greek people publicly for their humanitarian response to the crisis of so many migrants and refugees seeking safety in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-want-to-thank-the-greek-people-publicly-for-their-humanitarian/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [We had a farewell dinner for some of my senior staff, and generally everybody likes to talk about how cool I was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/we-had-a-farewell-dinner-for-some-of-my-senior-staff-and-generally/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [ It's good to get fresh legs in \[the White house\]. I think that it refreshes our democracy. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/it-s-good-to-get-fresh-legs-in-the-white-house-i-think-that-it/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Believe it or not, entertainment is part of our American diplomacy, it is part of what makes us exceptional, part of what makes us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/believe-it-or-not-entertainment-is-part-of-our-american-diplomacy-it/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) [Explore all 3,624 Barack Obama quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) ## More Folks quotes > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [The image of blacks usually is one of people who are suffering from hunger, unemployment, and poverty. The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/) [Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/) > [That's something a lot of folks don't know about me - I'm pretty darn funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jai-white/that-s-something-a-lot-of-folks-don-t-know-about-me-i-m-pretty-darn/) [Michael Jai White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jai-white/) > [My folks tried to make a preacher of me and missed by a narrow margin… I would have made a good one if I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/my-folks-tried-to-make-a-preacher-of-me-and-missed-by-a-narrow-margin/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Life as we know it is fundamentally unsatisfying. I think most folks feel this to be true. They know that a life of aimless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-yates/life-as-we-know-it-is-fundamentally-unsatisfying-i-think-most-folks/) [Michael Yates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-yates/) > [Some of the folks on both sides might be sincere, but it does seem as if it is only the opposition that cares about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bovard/some-of-the-folks-on-both-sides-might-be-sincere-but-it-does-seem-as/) [James Bovard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bovard/) > [As opposed to getting into arguments about, well, these folks have been treated fairly so now we're going to be doing things that, very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/as-opposed-to-getting-into-arguments-about-well-these-folks-have-been/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [This cold weather has set all the young Folks to providing Bedfellows. I have signed two or three Licences every Day \[as a Fairfax…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-mason/this-cold-weather-has-set-all-the-young-folks-to-providing-bedfellows/) [George Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-mason/) > [Sometimes you have to stop telling folks about themselves and leave it up to them to figure out where they went wrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-lobbins/sometimes-you-have-to-stop-telling-folks-about-themselves-and-leave/) [Danielle Lobbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-lobbins/) > [The Urban Literate Southern California Sub-Group of the Early Atomic Period has not yet produced a distinct body of folk music of its own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-hinton/the-urban-literate-southern-california-sub-group-of-the-early-atomic/) Sam Hinton > [Only two to three per cent of an audience is interested in words and pays attention to lyrics; most of the rest of it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-stewart/only-two-to-three-per-cent-of-an-audience-is-interested-in-words-and/) [Al Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-stewart/) > [Tis e'er the wont of simple folk to prize the deed and o'erlook the motive, and of learned folk to discount the deed and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-barth/tis-e-er-the-wont-of-simple-folk-to-prize-the-deed-and-o-erlook-the/) [John Barth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-barth/) > [You can't trust folk songs. They always sneak up on you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/you-can-t-trust-folk-songs-they-always-sneak-up-on-you/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [I was very engaged by the folk music movement.Bob Dylan; Joan Baez; Peter, Paul and Mary. And then I sort of discovered world music,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/i-was-very-engaged-by-the-folk-music-movement-bob-dylan-joan-baez/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [I want folks to take horror seriously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-g-tremblay/i-want-folks-to-take-horror-seriously/) [Paul G. Tremblay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-g-tremblay/) Browse all 2,417 Folks quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There have been periods where the folks who were already here suddenly say, 'Well, I don't want those folks,' even though the only people who have the right to say that are some Native Americans.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Barack Obama" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/there-have-been-periods-where-the-folks-who-were-already-here/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Folks" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/there-have-been-periods-where-the-folks-who-were-already-here/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/009/barack-obama-17_folks_there-have-been-periods-where-the-folks_704656.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/009/barack-obama-17_folks_there-have-been-periods-where-the-folks_704656.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/009/barack-obama-17_folks_there-have-been-periods-where-the-folks_704656.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There have been periods where the folks who were already here suddenly say, 'Well, I don't want those…” — Barack Obama", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Barack Obama", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "There have been periods where the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/there-have-been-periods-where-the-folks-who-were-already-here/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/there-have-been-periods-where-the-folks-who-were-already-here/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```