--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: On 20 July 1969, Neil Armstrong and Buzz…" description: "\"“On 20 July 1969, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the surface of the moon. In the months leading up to their expedition, the Apollo 11 astrona..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d76/yuval-noah-harari-100_old-man_on-20-july-1969-neil-armstrong-and-buzz_1753083.jpg" --- # On 20 July 1969, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on… ![“On 20 July 1969, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the surface of the moon. In the months leading up to their expedition, the Apollo 11 astronauts trained in a remote moon-like desert in the western United States. The area is home to several Native American communities, and there is a story…” quote by Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d76/yuval-noah-harari-100_old-man_on-20-july-1969-neil-armstrong-and-buzz_1753083.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d76/yuval-noah-harari-100_old-man_on-20-july-1969-neil-armstrong-and-buzz_1753083.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d76/yuval-noah-harari-100_old-man_on-20-july-1969-neil-armstrong-and-buzz_1753083.jpg) > ““On 20 July 1969, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the surface of the moon. In the months leading up to their expedition, the Apollo 11 astronauts trained in a remote moon-like desert in the western United States. The area is home to several Native American communities, and there is a story – or legend – describing an encounter between the astronauts and one of the locals. One day as they were training, the astronauts came across an old Native American. The man asked them what they were doing there. They replied that they were part of a research expedition that would shortly travel to explore the moon. When the old man heard that, he fell silent for a few moments, and then asked the astronauts if they could do him a favour. ‘What do you want?’ they asked. ‘Well,’ said the old man, ‘the people of my tribe believe that holy spirits live on the moon. I was wondering if you could pass an important message to them from my people.’ ‘What’s the message?’ asked the astronauts. The man uttered something in his tribal language, and then asked the astronauts to repeat it again and again until they had memorised it correctly. ‘What does it mean?’ asked the astronauts. ‘Oh, I cannot tell you. It’s a secret that only our tribe and the moon spirits are allowed to know.’ When they returned to their base, the astronauts searched and searched until they found someone who could speak the tribal language, and asked him to translate the secret message. When they repeated what they had memorised, the translator started to laugh uproariously. When he calmed down, the astronauts asked him what it meant. The man explained that the sentence they had memorised so carefully meant ‘Don’t believe a single word these people are telling you. They have come to steal your lands.”” [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A tale of cultural misunderstanding and hidden motives, warning that even seemingly noble missions may conceal exploitation. **In simple terms:** Beware hidden agendas behind grand projects. Key Takeaway Question motives before trusting. Themes cultural clash colonialism trust miscommunication Mood cautious reflective Type historical cautionary When to use this quote - space missions - indigenous communities - policy negotiations - media reporting Key Concepts anthropology colonial critique secret motives Questions to Reflect On - What hidden interests might influence scientific endeavors? - How can we ensure respectful collaboration with indigenous peoples? A Different Perspective The story may be apocryphal, limiting its factual reliability. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Aldrin Landed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aldrin-landed-1623427/) [Asked Astronauts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/asked-astronauts-1623425/) [Astronauts Asked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/astronauts-asked-1623426/) [Buzz Aldrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buzz-aldrin/) [Encounter Astronauts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/encounter-astronauts-1623428/) [Important Message](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important-message/) [Man U](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-u/) [Neil Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/neil-armstrong/) [Old man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old-man/) [Single word](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/single-word/) [Space](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/space/) ## Related quotes > [On July 20th, 1969, Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong took the most expensive selfie in history. 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The area is home to several Native American communities, and there is a story – or legend – describing an encounter between the astronauts and one of the locals. One day as they were training, the astronauts came across an old Native American. The man asked them what they were doing there. They replied that they were part of a research expedition that would shortly travel to explore the moon. When the old man heard that, he fell silent for a few moments, and then asked the astronauts if they could do him a favour. ‘What do you want?’ they asked. ‘Well,’ said the old man, ‘the people of my tribe believe that holy spirits live on the moon. I was wondering if you could pass an important message to them from my people.’ ‘What’s the message?’ asked the astronauts. The man uttered something in his tribal language, and then asked the astronauts to repeat it again and again until they had memorised it correctly. ‘What does it mean?’ asked the astronauts. ‘Oh, I cannot tell you. It’s a secret that only our tribe and the moon spirits are allowed to know.’ When they returned to their base, the astronauts searched and searched until they found someone who could speak the tribal language, and asked him to translate the secret message. When they repeated what they had memorised, the translator started to laugh uproariously. When he calmed down, the astronauts asked him what it meant. The man explained that the sentence they had memorised so carefully meant ‘Don’t believe a single word these people are telling you. 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