Recently I attended stake conference. A general authority visited for the conference and admonished all those in attendance that "the main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing." Its a memorable phrase and one that evokes straightforward thinking. Its begs us to realize that simplicity is key.
Chief Seattle's words elicit the same mentality. His is the story of a people forced into passiveness. They cannot fight the white man. They can only submit to him and stand firm on what really matters to them: their faith and their family. Surely these sentiments were shared by the "pale-faced" brothers to whom he was speaking. His technique was to endear his oppressors to his plight and evoke their sympathy. But sympathy alone was not his goal. His words yearn the listener to respect the author. They may be beaten but their heritage fills the land.
The white man he cautions will never be alone. Even if all chief Seattle's people were driven out the spirits of their ancestors would remain. Certainly the listeners to such a speech would have been entranced by its other worldliness. In a time where scientific inquiry and objective thought were flooding the society's collective conscious Chief Seattle's words of ancestors and spirits must have stood in stark contrast. They represented a world apart and one that may soon be lost. The distinctive native American words and phrases he used must have created a curiosity of the unknown.
In the aftermath of Europe's fervor for exploration Chief Seattle (perhaps knowingly and perhaps not) presented his people and their ways as frontier still unexplored. And not only a frontier unexplored but a frontier in danger of never being explored if lost at this time. In chief's Seattle's words a listener might wonder what great secrets these ancient inhabitants of America might yet hold. Despite their lands being taken there was still something they held that the white man couldn't take - at least not with force. Their chief thing was survival of their people and way of life. Chief Seattle provided a compelling narrative designed to keep the chief thing the chief thing.
Well we must be in the same stake, and I totally agree with you. I really enjoyed your post because I think you nailed what I wanted to say, but couldn't quite wrap my head around. He truly has succomed, but doesn't let that take away from the purpose of his people. Those last lines in his speech about those who will remain really hit home the feeling that "he has done all he can", but this is how it's going to be. Great work.
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