“Certain things catch your eye,
but pursue only those that capture the heart.”
~ Native American Proverb
Thought for the Day
“Take only memories,
Leave only footprints”
~ Native American Proverb
Chief Seattle
(1780-1866)
“We do not inherit the Earth from our Ancestors,
we borrow it from our Children.”
“It is no longer good enough to cry peace,
we must act peace, live peace and live in peace.”
“What is life?
It is the flash of a firefly in the night.
It is the breath of a buffalo in the wintertime.
It is the little shadow which runs across the grass
and loses itself in the sunset.”
“Grown men may learn from very little children,
for the hearts of little children are pure
and therefore the Great Spirit may show to them
many things which older people miss.”
~ Native American Proverb
Black Elk
“Tell me and I’ll forget.
Show me, and I may not remember.
Involve me, and I’ll understand.”
“When you were born,
you cried and the world rejoiced.
Live your life so that when you die,
the world cries and you rejoice.”
~ Native American Proverb
Cherokee
“It is better to have less thunder in the mouth
and more lightning in the hand.”
~ Native American Proverb
Apache
“Man’s law changes
with his understanding of man.
Only the laws of the spirit
remain always the same.”
~ Native American Proverb
Crow
“Beware of the man who does not talk,
and the dog that does not bark.”
~ Native American Proverb
Cheyenne
“Regard Heaven as your father,
Earth as your Mother
and all things
as your Brothers and Sisters.”
“Seek wisdom, not knowledge.
Knowledge is of the past,
Wisdom is of the future.”
~ Native American Proverb
Lumbee
“If a man is as wise as a serpent,
he can afford to be as harmless as a dove.”
~ Native American Proverb
Cheyenne
“For what is one man that he
should make much of his own winters,
even when they bend him
like a heavy snow?
So many other men have lived,
and shall live that story,
to be grass upon the hills.”
“May the Warm Winds of Heaven
Blow softly upon your house.
May the Great Spirit
Bless all who enter there.
May your Moccasins
Make happy tracks
in many snows,
and may the Rainbow
Always touch your shoulder.”
Two Wolves – A Cherokee Parable
“An old Cherokee chief was teaching his grandson about life…
‘A fight is going on inside me,’ he said to the boy.
‘It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves.
One is evil – he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed,
arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies,
false pride, superiority, self-doubt, and ego.
The other is good – he is joy, peace, love, hope,
serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy,
generosity, truth, compassion, and faith.
This same fight is going on inside you
and inside every other person, too.’
The grandson thought about it for a minute
and then asked his grandfather,
‘Which wolf will win?’
The old chief simply replied,
‘The one you feed.”
Earth, Teach Me
Earth teach me quiet
as the grasses are still with new light.
Earth teach me suffering
as old stones suffer with memory.
Earth teach me humility
as blossoms are humble with beginning.
Earth teach me caring
as mothers nurture their young.
Earth teach me courage
as the tree that stands alone.
Earth teach me limitation
as the ant that crawls on the ground.
Earth teach me freedom
as the eagle that soars in the sky.
Earth teach me acceptance
as the leaves that die each fall.
Earth teach me renewal
as the seed that rises in the spring.
Earth teach me to forget myself
as melted snow forgets its life.
Earth teach me to remember kindness
as dry fields weep with rain.
“When all the trees have been cut down,
when all the animals have been hunted,
when all the waters are polluted,
when all the air is unsafe to breathe,
only then will you discover you cannot eat money.”
~ Native American Proverb
“Do not pray when it is raining
if you do not pray when the sun is shining.”
Hold On
Hold on to what is good,
Even if it’s a handful of earth.
Hold on to what you believe,
Even if it’s a tree that stands by itself.
Hold on to what you must do,
Even if it’s a long way from here.
Hold on to your life,
Even if it’s easier to let go.
Hold on to my hand,
Even if someday
I’ll be gone away from you.
“Humankind has not woven the web of life.
We are but one thread within it.
Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves.
All things are bound together.
All things connect.”
~ Native American Proverb
Chief Seattle, 1854
“When we show our respect for other living things,
they respond with respect for us.”
~ Native American Proverb
Arapaho
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Native American Proverbs — 24 Comments
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Wise and truth for daily living!
Amen I love it
Good councel,I have lived with natives who have treated me with no respect. They brought bad feelings to me. I pray I may find my peace with the land again and not let evil people take my peace. They surrounded me like I was being hunted by a wild animal. I pray that all the negative thoughts be given back to the rightful owner and I find my peace again. For they have hit my roots. They think I can’t see what they have done. I have been blessed by the spirit and that is my gift and curse at the same time. Oneida Wisconsin tribe is where I lived for 18 years and they threw me off my land l8ke the white people took them took theyre land. The woman out there are mean with know heart.they changed my lucks on my son’s four year anniversary of the day I buried him and I had until the day after Christmas to be out. They ripped my heart out of my chest. I owed them nothing and I made over double the amount of money to qualify. Pray for me to find peace again
Thank you for your understanding, for what you learnt from your life and the wisdom that you left behind for us. We have more to learn from you (the Indian Ancestors), then from our churches, temples, mosques, religious and political leaders. I am sincerely sorry for the hurt, the distruction, the disrespect to your communities, values and way of life and for the things that were taken away from you. I truly hope that one day those who respect Nature, Mother Earth, The Great Spirit of Goodness and who also follow some of the ways of your Ancestors, will put back and return those things that your Forefathers and People valued.
In the meantime I hope and pray that those who remain will also learn to understand, respect and value some of the things the Ancestors held dear, but most of all will live and be in peace and harmony.
Thank you once again.
I am Anikua Warcry of the Coyotero San Carlos Apache Nation Carrizo Clan.
Much of the wisdom written on this page have a value to be honored but we must remember to seek truth of origin. Some are not as they are written.
Maashje doo nadiltsee da. Le nadzistseego ashdiinii’ii “Shiichoo ma yelhii ch’idiinii”.
Literally: Spider not kill it not. One if one kills it what one says my Grandmother for her I killed it.
Translates: Do not kill a spider. If you should kill one you must say “I killed it for my Grandmother.”
This teaches children respect for life, also, since you should not kill for your Grandmother unless needed….teaches children not to play with spiders, as Apache children will do!
This is a sample of real Apache wisdom..
Do you have postings via EMail – that you would send to me?
Daily proverbs from American Indians?
Thank you for your response. Wishing you good days. Sam
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Thank you, Anikua Warcry. May the Mother bless you and yours forever.
very nice thoughts, i want to read much more thoughts in a day
You need to show the lighter side of the Native American. More humorous quotes. Like Confusious! ?
Ben, that’s a great idea. Do you have any suggestions?
The native american proverbs are very close to my heart and feelings are they truly wise and thought provoking.
Thank You for sharing this wisdom. Timeless words, everlasting knowledge
The Native American Indians I feel are the true minders of Mother Earth they are at one with nature what they take from the earth they give back and only take what they need they are , spiritual and wise , and are at one with the Great Spirit (God) I wish I could sit with them and learn , maybe leaders of nations could find answers to wars if they took guidance from great Chiefs of long ago . And who knows one day mankind may live in peace . And one day man may show mercy and compassion upon the animal kingdom and treat them with kindness and respect , and share the bounties of the earth instead of polluting it .
Not the tribe I am from not today the ancestors yes now they do what white people do I look at the proverbs like I look at the bible.
I just love the Native sayings. The Native people are very wise.
“The bird that is full can not fly with the bird that is hungry.”
i love the native sayings, great love & respect for caring
All the thought are Great ????
All of them are the best, jewels in my words. i shall be grateful if all of these ‘jewels’emailed to me at : and
God Bles You Gentlemen/Ladies.
Thank you,
CK BALU/Chelakkara-Kvsy-Dombi
130719
All the thoughts selected are really “thought provoking” and, as a teacher, I’ll make sure some are discussed in class with my students to help them develop a set of values.
i like your every thought:)
very nice thoughts…….
very nice thoughts, i want to read much more thoughts in a day