--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Our task is to build cultural fortresses…" description: "\"Our task is to build cultural fortresses to protect our emerging nativeness. They must be strong enough to hold at bay the powers of consumerism, the p..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e2c/wes-jackson-26171_assuming_our-task-is-to-build-cultural-fortresses_814116.png" --- # Our task is to build cultural fortresses to protect our… ![“Our task is to build cultural fortresses to protect our emerging nativeness. They must be strong enough to hold at bay the powers of consumerism, the powers of greed and envy and pride. One of the most effective ways for this to come about would be for our universities to assume the awesome…” quote by Wes Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e2c/wes-jackson-26171_assuming_our-task-is-to-build-cultural-fortresses_814116.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e2c/wes-jackson-26171_assuming_our-task-is-to-build-cultural-fortresses_814116.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e2c/wes-jackson-26171_assuming_our-task-is-to-build-cultural-fortresses_814116.png) > “Our task is to build cultural fortresses to protect our emerging nativeness. They must be strong enough to hold at bay the powers of consumerism, the powers of greed and envy and pride. One of the most effective ways for this to come about would be for our universities to assume the awesome responsibility to both validate and educate those who want to be homecomers -- not necessarily to go home but to go someplace and dig in and begin the long search and experiment to become native.” [Wes Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wes-jackson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Building strong cultural institutions protects indigenous values from consumerism, greed, and pride, especially through university leadership in validation and education. **In simple terms:** Protect culture by empowering universities to nurture native identity. Key Takeaway Empower universities to safeguard cultural identity. Themes culture identity education resistance consumerism Mood reflective determined critical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - university curricula - community programs - policy development - grassroots activism Key Concepts cultural fortification indigenous empowerment academic responsibility Questions to Reflect On - How can universities balance cultural preservation with openness? - What defines “native” in a globalized world? A Different Perspective May overlook individual autonomy in defining “nativeness”. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Consumerism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consumerism/) [Envy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/envy/) [Experiments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/experiments/) [Fortresses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fortresses/) [Greed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greed/) [Home](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/home/) [Pride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pride/) [Responsibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/responsibility/) [Strong enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strong-enough/) [University](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/university/) ## Related quotes > [You cannot build a cultural identity without the images and sounds of your culture. Most countries in the third world - poor countries -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rithy-panh/you-cannot-build-a-cultural-identity-without-the-images-and-sounds-of/) [Rithy Panh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rithy-panh/) > [All dignified people in the world, whether Arabs or Muslims or others with dignity, are very proud of the speech made by president Bashar…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-galloway/all-dignified-people-in-the-world-whether-arabs-or-muslims-or-others/) [George Galloway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-galloway/) > [The two fortresses which are the last to yield in the human heart, are hope and pride.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-howard-latimer/the-two-fortresses-which-are-the-last-to-yield-in-the-human-heart-are/) [Lewis Howard Latimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-howard-latimer/) > [XXVIII "Truth," said a traveller, "Is a rock, a mighty fortress; "Often have I been to it, "Even to its highest tower, "From whence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-crane/xxviii-truth-said-a-traveller-is-a-rock-a-mighty-fortress-often-have/) [Stephen Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-crane/) > [The enemy and his allies are now at the gates of the capitalists' fortress. Is there any hope that the businessman will finally sense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-a-rogge/the-enemy-and-his-allies-are-now-at-the-gates-of-the-capitalists/) Benjamin A. Rogge > [Neither a Fortress nor a Maidenhead will hold out long after they begin to parley.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/neither-a-fortress-nor-a-maidenhead-will-hold-out-long-after-they/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [I love you Lord, you are my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior. And my God is my rock…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-carter/i-love-you-lord-you-are-my-strength-the-lord-is-my-rock-my-fortress/) [Gary Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-carter/) > [“When the world is storm-driven and the bad that happens and the worse that threatens are so urgent as to shut out everything else…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/when-the-world-is-storm-driven-and-the-bad-that-happens-and-the-worse/) [David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/) > [In scripture we are told of some trusting in God and others trusting in idols, and that God is our refuge, our strength, our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-newton/in-scripture-we-are-told-of-some-trusting-in-god-and-others-trusting/) [Isaac Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-newton/) > [Why not invest in the future of music, instead of building fortresses to preserve its past?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-byrne/why-not-invest-in-the-future-of-music-instead-of-building-fortresses/) [David Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-byrne/) > [“Defense mechanisms protect us. Fortresses isolate us. And far too often we begin with the former and end up constructing the latter.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/defense-mechanisms-protect-us-fortresses-isolate-us-and-far-too-often/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [What happened in Kosovo was the exact reversal of what happened in 'Fortress Europe' in 1943-45. Let me explain. Air Marshall 'Bomber' Harris used…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-virilio/what-happened-in-kosovo-was-the-exact-reversal-of-what-happened-in/) [Paul Virilio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-virilio/) > [Constantinople was the principal seat and fortress of Arianism; and, in a long interval of forty years, the faith of the princes and prelates…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gibbon/constantinople-was-the-principal-seat-and-fortress-of-arianism-and-in/) [Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gibbon/) > [Don't be pretentious is my first advice to young writers. This is the big problem - just because you're getting an MFA doesn't mean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-shteyngart/don-t-be-pretentious-is-my-first-advice-to-young-writers-this-is-the/) [Gary Shteyngart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-shteyngart/) > [ Their \[the U.S.’s\] defense budget in absolute figures is almost 25 times bigger than Russia’s. This is what in defense is referred to as… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-putin/their-the-u-s-s-defense-budget-in-absolute-figures-is-almost-25-times/) [Vladimir Putin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-putin/) ## More by Wes Jackson > [We the people, so to speak, need to realize that if we can keep ourselves fed, we might get through this long dark tunnel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wes-jackson/we-the-people-so-to-speak-need-to-realize-that-if-we-can-keep/) [Wes Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wes-jackson/) > [When people, land, and community are as one, all three members prosper; when they relate not as members but as competing interests, all three…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wes-jackson/when-people-land-and-community-are-as-one-all-three-members-prosper/) [Wes Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wes-jackson/) > [We recognize that our progress as a species does not have to be defined in terms of wealth or material and physical growth any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wes-jackson/we-recognize-that-our-progress-as-a-species-does-not-have-to-be/) [Wes Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wes-jackson/) > [Politicians are simply reflections of the public.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wes-jackson/politicians-are-simply-reflections-of-the-public/) [Wes Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wes-jackson/) > [Since nature has the most sustainable ecosystem and since ultimately agriculture comes out of nature, our standard for a sustainable world should be nature's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wes-jackson/since-nature-has-the-most-sustainable-ecosystem-and-since-ultimately/) [Wes Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wes-jackson/) > [“We have become a more juvenile culture. We have become a childish "me, me, me" culture with fifteen-second attention spans. The global village that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wes-jackson/we-have-become-a-more-juvenile-culture-we-have-become-a-childish-me/) [Wes Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wes-jackson/) > [Instead of trying to understand agriculture in its own terms, acknowledge that agriculture ultimately comes out of nature. Right now agriculture is the No.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wes-jackson/instead-of-trying-to-understand-agriculture-in-its-own-terms/) [Wes Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wes-jackson/) > [As we search for a less extractive and polluting economic order, so that we may fit agriculture into the economy of a sustainable culture,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wes-jackson/as-we-search-for-a-less-extractive-and-polluting-economic-order-so/) [Wes Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wes-jackson/) > [The agriculture we seek will act like an ecosystem, feature material recycling and run on the contemporary sunlight of our star.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wes-jackson/the-agriculture-we-seek-will-act-like-an-ecosystem-feature-material/) [Wes Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wes-jackson/) > [When we conduct agriculture, we are, therefore, altering the ecological arrangement that was responsible for our genesis as a species. I think that this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wes-jackson/when-we-conduct-agriculture-we-are-therefore-altering-the-ecological/) [Wes Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wes-jackson/) > [If your life's work can be accomplished in your lifetime, you're not thinking big enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wes-jackson/if-your-life-s-work-can-be-accomplished-in-your-lifetime-you-re-not/) [Wes Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wes-jackson/) > [If we don't get sustainability right in agriculture first, it won't happen anywhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wes-jackson/if-we-don-t-get-sustainability-right-in-agriculture-first-it-won-t/) [Wes Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wes-jackson/) > [If we are really serious about protecting the environment, the discharge pipes and stacks of industry would all plug directly into their intake side,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wes-jackson/if-we-are-really-serious-about-protecting-the-environment-the/) [Wes Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wes-jackson/) > [The farmer and the farm, like "the environment," are looked upon, for example, as means to offset trade deficits. The farm is a place…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wes-jackson/the-farmer-and-the-farm-like-the-environment-are-looked-upon-for/) [Wes Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wes-jackson/) > [A necessary part of our intelligence is on the line as the oral tradition becomes less and less important. There was a time throughout…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wes-jackson/a-necessary-part-of-our-intelligence-is-on-the-line-as-the-oral/) [Wes Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wes-jackson/) [Explore all 22 Wes Jackson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wes-jackson/) ## More Assuming quotes > [Some books are not read in the right way because they have skipped a stage of opinion, assume a crystallization of information in society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/some-books-are-not-read-in-the-right-way-because-they-have-skipped-a/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [Our young Marines of today are courageous, willing to make sacrifices, and are marvelous team players. I am confident our Corps, and indeed our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-t-conway/our-young-marines-of-today-are-courageous-willing-to-make-sacrifices/) James T. Conway > [Everyone assumes writers spend their time lounging around, writing and occasionally striking a pose whilst having a think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-sheridan/everyone-assumes-writers-spend-their-time-lounging-around-writing-and/) [Sara Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-sheridan/) > [Islam never differentiates between men and women as regards political rights and puts them on an equal footing. However, even if a woman is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yusuf-al-qaradawi/islam-never-differentiates-between-men-and-women-as-regards-political/) [Yusuf al-Qaradawi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yusuf-al-qaradawi/) > [Whatever your conscious mind assumes and believes to be true, your subconscious mind will accept and bring to pass. Believe in good fortune, divine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-murphy/whatever-your-conscious-mind-assumes-and-believes-to-be-true-your/) [Joseph Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-murphy/) > [Assuming normal winter weather, we currently anticipate the coal markets to remain difficult through 2015; while we always strive to operate a full capacity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-craft/assuming-normal-winter-weather-we-currently-anticipate-the-coal/) [Joe Craft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-craft/) > [A state of mind is something that one assumes. It cannot be purchased, it must be created.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/a-state-of-mind-is-something-that-one-assumes-it-cannot-be-purchased/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [One must believe that every living thing whatsoever must change insensibly in its organization and in its form... One must therefore never expect to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-baptiste-lamarck/one-must-believe-that-every-living-thing-whatsoever-must-change/) [Jean-Baptiste Lamarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-baptiste-lamarck/) > [I think the biggest problem working with me would be that I'm an only child, and so I have an internal dialogue that goes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maynard-james-keenan/i-think-the-biggest-problem-working-with-me-would-be-that-i-m-an-only/) [Maynard James Keenan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maynard-james-keenan/) > [It is worth noticing that those who assume an imposing demeanor and seek to pass themselves off for something beyond what they are, are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-whately/it-is-worth-noticing-that-those-who-assume-an-imposing-demeanor-and/) [Richard Whately](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-whately/) > [People just assume that if you're famous, you're in Hollywood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-fox/people-just-assume-that-if-you-re-famous-you-re-in-hollywood/) [Megan Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-fox/) > [The behavior of any bureaucratic organization can best be understood by assuming that it is controlled by a secret cabal of its enemies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-conquest/the-behavior-of-any-bureaucratic-organization-can-best-be-understood/) [Robert Conquest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-conquest/) > [Humans suffer from self-centred notions as to the nature of life. Humans assume that alien life forms should conform to standards that match our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-perry/humans-suffer-from-self-centred-notions-as-to-the-nature-of-life/) [Steve Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-perry/) > [We can use our art to become political, to become something you want to talk about. We make clothes, but we have the chance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivier-rousteing/we-can-use-our-art-to-become-political-to-become-something-you-want/) [Olivier Rousteing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivier-rousteing/) > [Everyone seems to assume that the unscrupulous parts of journalism will be the frivolous or jocular parts. This is against all ethical experience. Jokes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/everyone-seems-to-assume-that-the-unscrupulous-parts-of-journalism/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) Browse all 2,452 Assuming quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Our task is to build cultural fortresses to protect our emerging nativeness. They must be strong enough to hold at bay the powers of consumerism, the powers of greed and envy and pride. One of the most effective ways for this to come about would be for our universities to assume the awesome responsibility to both validate and educate those who want to be homecomers -- not necessarily to go home but to go someplace and dig in and begin the long search and experiment to become native.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Wes Jackson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wes-jackson/our-task-is-to-build-cultural-fortresses-to-protect-our-emerging/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Assuming" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wes-jackson/our-task-is-to-build-cultural-fortresses-to-protect-our-emerging/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e2c/wes-jackson-26171_assuming_our-task-is-to-build-cultural-fortresses_814116.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e2c/wes-jackson-26171_assuming_our-task-is-to-build-cultural-fortresses_814116.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e2c/wes-jackson-26171_assuming_our-task-is-to-build-cultural-fortresses_814116.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Our task is to build cultural fortresses to protect our emerging nativeness. They must be strong enough to…” — Wes Jackson", "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": "Wes Jackson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wes-jackson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Our task is to build cultural...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wes-jackson/our-task-is-to-build-cultural-fortresses-to-protect-our-emerging/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wes-jackson/our-task-is-to-build-cultural-fortresses-to-protect-our-emerging/#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 } } ] } ```