Indigenous Perspectives Quotes

Joseph Obomsawin, the elder I lived with there, says that those who turn to animals do so because humans have let them down.

When I dig around in the roots of how we imagine ourselves, how we govern, how we live together in communities - how we treat one another when we are not being stupid - what I find is deeply Aboriginal.

"Embrace Of The Serpent" has been a big deal for Colombians outside the Amazon. It's been showing continuously there for more than three months. And the Oscar nomination, the film's producer says Colombians are comparing it to having the national team in the World Cup.

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Or, as it's known to Native Americans - Sarcastic You're Welcomesgiving.

My career means, if you're a non-Indian writing about Indians, at least there's one Indian in your rearview mirror.

Those traumas when it comes to the historical past generation to generation; our children, our grandchildren, our future grandchildren learn these behaviors. We have to know that they exist and we have to take care of those traumas and learn to heal from them. This movie shows that perspective from Scott's character, and I love it. It shows the American Indians as the ones who respect and help out when people are needed. It's a nice little twist.

So "Embrace Of The Serpent" is told from the points of view and in the languages of the indigenous peoples of the Amazon. He [Guerra] went there before shooting began, with a script written mostly in Spanish.

The bottom line about the information possessed by non-Western peoples is that the information becomes valid only when offered by a white scholar recognized by the academic establishment; in effect, the color of the skin guarantees scientific objectivity.

The first function of violence in Native American literatures is simply to acknowledge that violence is implicit, like gravity and sunlight, in the world and our relations with the world.

The way I think we were living is an invention. The truth is nobody can own anything. That was an unheard-of concept among indigenous people. We invented that.

Schools are good; it is right for everyone to learn all he can from everyone. But white people should be more gentle with the older Indians if we cannot understand. Our lives are sad – and we love our children. If I came to take your children to some strange place to learn things of which you knew nothing, would you like it?