--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think we have powerful role-models…" description: "\"I think we have powerful role-models among us in the American West. Certainly the Hopis, a timeless civilization that understands sustainability and wh..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/527/terry-tempest-williams-835_american-west_i-think-we-have-powerful-role-models-amo_1035475.png" --- # I think we have powerful role-models among us in the… ![“I think we have powerful role-models among us in the American West. Certainly the Hopis, a timeless civilization that understands sustainability and what that means about living in harmony, in tandem with the natural world. We have much to learn from them, and they will survive us, I feel certain…” quote by Terry Tempest Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/527/terry-tempest-williams-835_american-west_i-think-we-have-powerful-role-models-amo_1035475.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/527/terry-tempest-williams-835_american-west_i-think-we-have-powerful-role-models-amo_1035475.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/527/terry-tempest-williams-835_american-west_i-think-we-have-powerful-role-models-amo_1035475.png) > “I think we have powerful role-models among us in the American West. Certainly the Hopis, a timeless civilization that understands sustainability and what that means about living in harmony, in tandem with the natural world. We have much to learn from them, and they will survive us, I feel certain about that.” [Terry Tempest Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-tempest-williams/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote highlights Indigenous peoples, especially the Hopi, as exemplars of sustainable living and harmony with nature, urging modern societies to learn from them before they disappear. **In simple terms:** Hopis teach sustainable living; we must learn before they vanish. Key Takeaway Learn from Indigenous sustainability practices. Themes environment indigenous wisdom culture sustainability learning Mood reflective respectful Type cautionary inspirational When to use this quote - environmental policy - education curricula - community planning - corporate sustainability Key Concepts ecology intergenerational knowledge resilience Questions to Reflect On - How can we integrate Hopi sustainability without appropriating? - What barriers prevent societies from adopting Indigenous practices? A Different Perspective Indigenous knowledge may be romanticized or oversimplified, ignoring internal complexities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [American west](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-west/) [Civilization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civilization/) [Environment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/environment/) [Harmony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/harmony/) [Natural world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/natural-world/) [Role models](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/role-models/) [Sustainability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sustainability/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Timeless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/timeless/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [“What I see especially among the Navajos and the Zunis and the Hopis is a culture of people who have been smart enough to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-dickinson/what-i-see-especially-among-the-navajos-and-the-zunis-and-the-hopis/) Rachel Dickinson > [-The reason we race isn't so much to beat each other but to be with each other. -The Hopis consider running a form of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-mcdougall/the-reason-we-race-isn-t-so-much-to-beat-each-other-but-to-be-with/) [Christopher McDougall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-mcdougall/) > [I know the struggle from the inside out and I would never be so bold as to call myself a writer. 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Both are sacred.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-tempest-williams/i-accept-the-organic-trinity-of-mineral-vegetable-and-animal-with-as/) [Terry Tempest Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-tempest-williams/) > [Good writing must stay open to the questions and not fall prey to the pull of a polemic, otherwise, words simply become predictable, sentimental,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-tempest-williams/good-writing-must-stay-open-to-the-questions-and-not-fall-prey-to-the/) [Terry Tempest Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-tempest-williams/) > [“I believe we must do things in our lives for the right reasons, because we enjoy doing them, with no expectation of getting something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-tempest-williams/i-believe-we-must-do-things-in-our-lives-for-the-right-reasons/) [Terry Tempest Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-tempest-williams/) > [A mother and daughter are an edge. 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