Chief Seattle’s Speech

 

Chief Seattle’s Speech: Setting and Plot

Regarded as a great tribal leader, Chief Seattle was a wise man who could perceive the adverse effects of overall capitalization and human greed upon Nature, even way back in the 1800s. Born into the tribes of both Duwamish and Suquamish, Chief Seattle gained popularity as a dynamic warrior from a very early age. He grew up respecting the land and the forests around him, and he considered himself to be their protector. He gained the respect of his people by avoiding unnecessary bloodshed through regal diplomacy, and he also made many political friendships over time which always served him well.

In 1854, the Native American Chief delivered a letter to Sir Issac Stevens, the then Governor of Washington territory. The letter’s contents held an important message regarding the land treaty proposed to the tribal chiefs earlier that year by Sir Issac. According to many leading researchers, the letter, which has now taken on the title of a speech, had the potential of a powerful plea written regarding respect for Native American land rights and their environmental values. These values were considered sacred in their culture.

The white American Government’s move to acquire more land for industrial development was seen as a ploy to increase the Government’s political rule by the Native Americans. To control the rising unrest among his people and to make peace with the Government, Chief Seattle wrote his famous speech with the hopes of administering a public appeal to the Governor.

Chief Seattle’s Speech: Line by Line Summary

Environmental degradation and its effects on climate change were matters of deep concern to the Native American Chief, and he begins his speech with a direct remark on it. He discusses the various negative impacts it can have upon human civilization and how a man can suffer if proper precautions are not taken. The speech also includes a few endearing tribal legends and tales based on Mother Nature and how she has been a constant source of guidance and wisdom to all from the very beginning. The wise Chief points out all the aspects through which Nature has sheltered humans and provided sustenance to all living beings.

Then the text takes a dire turn, and the speaker admonishes the modern civilization for not showing due respect to Nature and ruthlessly exploiting the unrenewable resources. This is where he puts forward his opinions regarding the ecological responsibilities we all have towards Nature. Here, he mentions the Native American land rights he was fighting with the Imperial authorities. The Chief pleaded with dignity that the hostilities shown by the White Americans should end so that they can all live in peace and harmony together. With sad regret, he accepts that due to plague and famine, the tribal people have suffered a lot and are now much less in population. Keeping this fact in mind, he even proposes that the White Chief should look after the Native Americans and protect them like their own. The indigenous people should also abide by the rules of the Whites and live within the territory marked for them.

The Chief recognizes the Governor’s offer of friendship as an act of kindness because, in fact, the imperialist Government is far too powerful, and the smaller indigenous tribes are not matched in front them. If they want their land, they can very quickly take it from them through force. Nevertheless, with great determination and courage, the speaker decides not to accept the White Chief’s offer and come to terms with the land treaty because, as inevitable as it may seem, it was an act of treason against Mother Nature for him to do so. This is why Chief Seattle refuses to comply with Issac Steven’s proposal despite understanding that he was fighting for a lost cause. Chief Seattle, with absolute courtesy, thanks the White Chief, which is the Governor, for extending a hand of friendship towards his tribe and warns him about the future consequences of the land treaty proposal. The author then symbolizes the truth of his words by comparing them to the eternal stars. Hence, he says that just like the unchanging stars in the sky, his terms, too, shall remain faithful till the end of time.

In the next half of the speech, Seattle makes a positive statement for the Whites by saying that their proposition regarding the land treaty was not unjust. They were within their boundaries because they were respectable enough to ask when they could have invaded their lands. Nevertheless, the Chief was still apprehensive about the tribal lands being misused and exploited, which would be detrimental to the delicate ecological balance preserved by the Native Americans for thousands of years. The tribal leader also requests the Governor to allow his people to visit the graves of their ancestors as and when they wished. With this recourse, Chief Seattle ends his speech with a final entreaty that his people be treated with justice and kindness under the White man’s reign.

This piece of literature has been given a great deal of value, considering its role in the environmental movement. It was a heroic stance in the history of Native Americans, and most historians would agree that the city of Seattle in America was named in honor and memory of Chief Seattle. The charm of the Chief’s speech lies in its simplicity and humility, even while addressing important topics which are of indefinable value to us today. However, despite the immense popularity of the text, the authenticity of this speech has not been fully approved yet. The original text was written in the native dialect of Lushootseed, and it has been written and re-written by many different translators, which has resulted in the distortion of the text.

Chief Seattle’s Speech: Analysis

There is apparently still a lot of controversy surrounding Chief Seattle’s speech. Different scholars, historians, and literary critics have done much researches on it, and there is no one conclusion to the existence and authenticity of this Speech. It is not even clear if this was a written letter or an oratory speech. However, the majority of the critics seem to agree that it was delivered in Washington, in March 1854, in front of a large gathering.

The Suquamish language, which is a part of the Native American Lushootseed dialect, was used to deliver this speech. Although his words were translated into the Chinook Indian Trade language, no one alive today has any idea of what was exactly spoken on that occasion. Hence, all this confusion regarding the meaning of the actual speech is to date shrouded in mystery. But from what we can take from the available resources, the Chief was a proud man who spoke proudly of his country and its people while maintaining a cordial relationship with the more powerful White leaders.

According to the text, there was a time when Seattle’s tribe populated most of the land, which is now under the control of the White Americans. The chief remembers those days of glory and feels only sadness at how once a plentiful tribe is being driven away by infiltrators. It is all a mournful memory to him now, and he believes that since his tribe is no longer in need of an extensive country, the offer of the land treaty from Washington seems just and fair. He also believes that young leaders are prone to rash actions based on true or untrue facts, but the old and wise leaders like him must pay heed to logic and wisdom and conduct their actions accordingly.

Therefore, he considers the land treaty to be a practical decision that he cannot completely approve of due to his conscience. He hopes that with this decision, all the hostilities created by their forefathers between them be vanquished, and only harmony remains. Chief Seattle then goes to great lengths to establish the ancestral power and glory of his tribe, but even in the speech, we can see that his resolution falters because he realizes that the present no more reflects the greatness of the past. In the end, he blames the partiality of the White God, who could not protect and renew the strengths of the Native people for which they were now bound to bow before the Whites. 

Chief Seattle’s Speech : Character Sketch

The personality of Chief Seattle has been given importance whenever the text has been reviewed, as if the two are intermingled, and one cannot exist without the other. His spirit hovers within the lines of the text in his words of deep wisdom, and the reader can almost hear the powerful orator speak. The tribal leader shares his sorrowful memories of past glory through hauntingly beautiful diction and imagery, which creates a lasting impression upon the readers. We can perceive his character as a dutiful and proud leader who was both wise and valiant because he had the courage to stand up against the White Governor and speak his mind while also sacrificing his princely honor to plead on behalf of his people.

Issac Evans, the White Governor, appears very little in the text, but it has an important symbolic presentation. The White Chief represents all of the white civilization that seems to be gradually encroaching upon the lands of the Native Americans. They are both the enemy and fellow human beings to the Natives, and they resent their imperial presence and acknowledge their power over them. 

Chief Seattle’s Speech Theme

Traditionally, as far as the settler’s interpretation of history goes, the indigenous people of America were savage godless beasts. However, Chief Seattle’s speech opened up a new perspective for the world to see. This recorded piece of text is proof of the Native American’s rich culture and history and tells us of their share of the story. Therefore the oppression of the White Man over the Natives can be considered a major theme of the speech.

The Environment also plays a central role in the text, and the strikingly poignant manner in which Nature has been portrayed here appeals to the sentiment of the masses.

Chief Seattle’s Speech : Conclusion

Although the prose Chief Seattle’s Speech has great emotional value, especially in difficult times such as now when the whole world is threatened by the evils of pollution and climatic change, many critics believe that the language of the text is too flowery to have had any real impact upon the White Imperial Government at that time. We can sympathize with the author, but there is no substantial conclusion to the noble Chief’s appeal upon which Sic Issac or the other leaders could have acted. There is a mixture of resentment and goodwill in this speech, and the lines often get blurred between what seems fair and what seems unfair to the tribal leader.

On the one hand, he says that Nature is being neglected by the White people and his tribe as a race was once far more superior to them, but on the other hand, he also claims the big white Chief, referred to George Washington as – “our great and good father.” Considering all facts, we can safely conclude that Chief Seattle was a skilled diplomat who did what was best for his people under those circumstances. The speech has taken on different dimensions, with different versions being published over the years, but the apt emphasis on saving the environment has remained constant in all the versions.