Native American Quotes

We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children. – Native American Proverb

Walk lightly in the spring; Mother Earth is pregnant. – Kiowa proverb

Life is not separate from death. It only looks that way. – Chief Black Elk

The Great Spirit is everywhere; he hears whatever is in our minds and hearts. – Oglala Sioux proverb

Take only what you need and leave the land as you found it. – Arapaho proverb

When you were born, you cried and the world rejoiced. Live your life in such a way that when you die, the world cries and you rejoice. – Cherokee proverb

We will be known forever by the tracks we leave. – Dakota Sioux proverb

It does not require many words to speak the truth. – Chief Joseph

Regard Heaven as your father, Earth as your mother, and all things as your brothers and sisters. – Native American Proverb

Sometimes dreams are wiser than waking. – Blackfoot proverb

Do not judge your neighbor until you walk two moons in his moccasins. – Cheyenne proverb

Everything the power of the world does is done in a circle. – Lakota Sioux proverb

Be still and the earth will speak to you. – Navajo proverb

It is better to have less thunder in the mouth and more lightning in the hand. – Apache proverb

Treat the Earth well. It was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children. – Haida proverb

We do not inherit the land from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children. – Native American Proverb

Those who have one foot in the canoe, and one foot on the shore, are going to fall into the river. – Tuscarora proverb

We will be known forever by the tracks we leave. – Dakota proverb

Listen to the wind, it talks. Listen to the silence, it speaks. Listen to your heart, it knows. – Native American Proverb

The roots of a tree are as strong as its branches. – Iroquois proverb

To touch the earth is to have harmony with nature. – Oglala Sioux proverb

Do not speak badly of yourself, for the warrior that is inside you hears your words and is lessened by them. – Sioux proverb

A good chief gives, he does not take. – Nez Perce proverb

Remember that your children are not your own, but are lent to you by the Creator. – Mohawk proverb

To truly listen is to hear the voice of the Great Spirit. – Cherokee proverb

The Earth is the mother of all people, and all people should have equal rights upon it. – Chief Joseph

Those who have one foot in the canoe and one foot on the shore are going to fall into the river. – Tuscarora proverb

The soul would have no rainbow if the eyes had no tears. – Native American Proverb

Don’t let yesterday use up too much of today. – Cherokee proverb

When a man moves away from nature his heart becomes hard. – Lakota Sioux proverb

Before our white brothers came to civilize us we had no jails. Therefore we had no criminals. You can’t have criminals without a jail. We had no locks or keys, and so we had no thieves. If a man was so poor that he had no horse, tipi or blanket, someone gave him these things. We were too uncivilized to set much value on personal belongings. We wanted to have things only in order to give them away. – Native American Proverb

When you have learned something, remember that you have yet much to learn. – Ojibwa proverb

Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story. – Apache proverb

Those who have one foot in the canoe and one foot on the shore are going to fall into the river. – Tuscarora proverb

You must teach your children that the ground beneath their feet is the ashes of our grandfathers. So that they will respect the land, tell your children that the earth is rich with the lives of our kin. Teach your children what we have taught our children, that the earth is our mother. Whatever befalls the Earth befalls the sons of the Earth. If men spit upon the ground, they spit upon themselves. – Native American Proverb

When we show our respect for other living things, they respond with respect for us. – Arapaho proverb

The Earth was created in perfect harmony, and we are here to restore that balance. – Mohawk proverb

Always be respectful when speaking to the plants, animals, and rocks. They are our brothers and sisters. – Native American Proverb

Treat the Earth well. It was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children. – Haida proverb

The wind that gave our grandfather his first breath also receives his last sigh. – Native American Proverb

The water in a vessel is sparkling; the water in the sea is dark. The small truth has words that are clear; the great truth has great silence. – Sioux proverb

We will be known forever by the tracks we leave. – Dakota Sioux proverb

Listen to the wind, it talks. Listen to the silence, it speaks. Listen to your heart, it knows. – Native American Proverb

The roots of a tree are as strong as its branches. – Iroquois proverb

It is better to have less thunder in the mouth and more lightning in the hand. – Apache proverb