Good words will not give me back my children.
I hope that no more groans of wounded men and women will ever go to the ear of the Great Spirit Chief above, and that all people may be one people.
All men were made by the Great Spirit Chief. They are all brothers.
We soon found that the white men were growing rich very fast, and were greedy.
Governor Isaac Stevens of the Washington Territory said there were a great many white people in our country, and many more would come; that he wanted the land marked out so that the Indians and the white man could be separated.
We gave up some of our country to the white men, thinking that then we could have peace. We were mistaken. The white man would not let us alone.
For a short time we lived quietly. But this could not last. White men had found gold in the mountains around the land of winding water.
My father was the first to see through the schemes of the white man.
When an Indian fights, he only shoots to kill.
I will obey every law, or submit to the penalty.
My people were divided about surrendering.
A chief called Lawyer, because he was a great talker, took the lead in the council, and sold nearly all the Nez Perce country.
I would have given my own life if I could have undone the killing of white men by my people.
It required a strong heart to stand up against such talk, but I urged my people to be quiet and not to begin a war.
Some of you think an Indian is like a wild animal. This is a great mistake.
A man who would not love his father's grave is worse than a wild animal.
We did not know there were other people besides the Indian until about one hundred winters ago, when some men with white faces came to our country.
