Rooted in mountains and river valleys, Cherokee words move with measured calm and resolve. They speak of harmony, keeping balance with kin, land, and one’s own heart, and of responsibility carried forward without boast. Story and song braid memory with instruction; humor softens hard truths without letting them slip away. The tone is steady, attentive, and practical, yet touched by reverence for what cannot be seen. Wisdom comes from listening, from work well done, and from going lightly while holding fast to what matters.
"Everybody is sitting around saying, 'Well, jeez, we need somebody to solve this problem of bias.' That somebody is us. We all have to try to figure out a better way to get along"
"In Iroquois society, leaders are encouraged to remember seven generations in the past and consider seven generations in the future when making decisions that affect the people"
"I don't think anybody anywhere can talk about the future of their people or of an organization without talking about education. Whoever controls the education of our children controls our future"
"There are a whole lot of historical factors that have played a part in our being where we are today, and I think that to even to begin to understand our contemporary issues and contemporary problems, you have to understand a little bit about that history"
"Poor Andy Nave was killed. He refused to surrender and was shot by Dick Fields. I felt sorry as he used to be quite friendly towards me before the war, but it could not be helped"
"I call upon my God to judge me, he knows that I love my friends and above all others my wife and children, the, oppinion of the world to contrary notwithstanding"
