"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."
Eagle Chief (Letakos-Lesa) Pawnee
In the beginning of all things, wisdom and knowledge were
with the animals, for Tirawa, the One Above, did not speak
directly to man. He sent certain animals to tell men that
he showed himself through the beast, and that from them,
and from the stars and the sun and moon should man learn..
all things tell of Tirawa.
All things in the world are two. In our minds we are two,
good and evil. With our eyes we see two things, things that
are fair and things that are ugly.... We have the right
hand that strikes and makes for evil, and we have the left
hand full of kindness, near the heart. One foot may lead us
to an evil way, the other foot may lead us to a good. So
are all things two, all two.
Mourning Dove Salish 1888-1936
...... everything on the earth has a purpose, every disease
an herb to cure it, and every person a mission. This is the
Indian theory of existence.
Children were encouraged to develop strict discipline and a
high regard for sharing. When a girl picked her first
berries and dug her first roots, they were given away to an
elder so she would share her future success. When a child
carried water for the home, an elder would give
compliments, pretending to taste meat in water carried by a
boy or berries in that of a girl. The child was encouraged
not to be lazy and to grow straight like a sapling.