Before the Whites

"We have taught our children, the Earth is our mother. Whatever befalls the Earth, befalls the sons of the Earth. This we know. The Earth does not belong to man. Man belongs to Earth. This we know. All things are connected like the blood which connects one family. All things are connected. Whatever befalls the Earth, befalls the sons of the Earth. Man did not weave the web of life. He is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself." - Chief Seattle

"From the coastlines to the mountains the abundance of the Earth determined the roots of culture. Each animal, each tree and rock has a spirit and a history. Our shamans and our priests knew the secrets and the powers of the natural world. Our identity was our landscape. And our landscape was sacred..."