11+ Black Hawk Quotes (Resistance, Conflict And Leadership)

Black Hawk was a leader of the Sauk Native American tribe in the early 19th century. He led a band of Sauk and Fox warriors in the Black Hawk War of 1832, a conflict with the United States over land in the Midwest. He was eventually defeated and forced to surrender, and he died in 1838.

A Native American grandfather was talking to his grandson about how he felt. He said, 'I feel as if I have two wolves fighting in my heart. One wolf is the vengeful, violent one, the other wolf is the loving compassionate one.' The grandson asked him, 'Which wolf will win the fight in your heart?' The grandfather answered, 'The one I feed.' — Black Hawk

How smooth must be the language of the whites, when they can make right look like wrong, and wrong like right. — Black Hawk

The path to glory is rough, and many gloomy hours obscure it. May the Great Spirit shed light on your path, so that you may never experience the humility that the power of the American government has reduced me to. This is the wish of a man who, in his native forests, was once as proud and bold as yourself. — Black Hawk

My reason teaches me that land cannot be sold. The Great Spirit gave it to his children to live upon. So long as they occupy and cultivate it, they have a right to the soil. Nothing can be sold but such things as can be carried away — Black Hawk

I got my best foot forward onto greener grass, cause there ain't no future living in the past. — Black Hawk

[Black Hawk] has fought for his countrymen, the squaws and papooses, against white men, who came year after year, to cheat them and take away their lands. You know the cause of our making war. It is known to all white men. They ought to be ashamed of it. — Black Hawk

When I get home and people ask me,'Hey, Hoot, why do you do it, man? What are you? Some kind of war junkie? I won't say a goddamn word. Why? They won't understand. They won't understand why we do it. They won't understand that it's about the men next to you. And that's it. That's all it is. — Black Hawk

If you treat a sick child as an adult and a sick adult as a child, it usually works out pretty well. — Black Hawk

Nobody asks to be a hero, it just sometimes turns out that way. — Black Hawk

You know, a friend of mine asked me before I got here... it was when we were all shipping out. He asked me, 'Why are you going to fight somebody else's war? What, do y'all think you're heroes?' I didn't know what to say at the time, but if he asked me again, I'd say no. I'd say there's no way in hell. Nobody asks to be a hero. It just sometimes turns out that way. — Black Hawk

The white men despise the Indians, and drive them from their homes. But the Indians are not deceitful. The white men speak bad of the Indian, and look at him spitefully. But the Indian does not tell lies; Indians do not steal. An Indian, who is as bad as the white men, could not live in our nation; he would be put to death, and eat up by the wolves. — Black Hawk

Life Lessons by Black Hawk

1. Black Hawk's story teaches us the importance of standing up for what you believe in and fighting for the rights of your people.
2. He also demonstrates the power of resilience and perseverance in the face of adversity.
3. Lastly, his story is a reminder that the fight for justice and equality is ongoing and must be supported at all levels.