The White God

Washington State Demographics

Chief Seattle said, "There was a time when our people covered the whole land as the waves of a wind-ruffled sea cover its shell floor. But that time has long since passed away with the greatness of tribes almost forgotten." A quick look at the demographics in Washington state schools will confirm Chief Seattle's remarks. As it turns out, he was right. But his speech addresses a way in which his heritage could be preserved.

Chief Seattle recalls a time of tribal elitism. When his people not only covered the land, but prospered in it as well. When the white man came, the tribes' traditional way of living was interrupted by Anglo-Saxon culture. Quickly, the lands began to fill with white settlements and these newcomers didn't live in the land, they consumed it. Soon the Native Americans found themselves facing these new settlers as a threat to their traditional existence, as competition.

He doesn't directly challenge the white settlers. Instead he makes a call to their humanity asking them if the white-skinned and red-skinned men are really brothers. This rhetoric sounds very similar to Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech. Chief Seattle doesn't fight the new and revert to "the good old days" but instead embraces the future and maneuvers his people into their place in it.

Of course the white men preached their religion to the "savage" Indians. Yet, this true religion didn't stop them from war with the natives of the land. Chief Seattle mentions the religion of the white men and indirectly challenges the values of their religion. What is more important? Having the best religion or living in harmony? I found this appeal to ethos quite effective but I'm not sure how well this message was received by those living at the time.