Tribal wisdom

The following insightful proverbs come from different tribes of American Indians and reflect values that leaders should uphold:

It is better to have less thunder in the mouth and more lightning in the hand. —Apache

Plants are our brothers and sisters. They talk to us and, if we listen, we can hear them. —Arapaho

When you were born, you cried, and the world rejoiced. Live your life so that when you die, the world cries. —Cherokee

Do not judge your neighbor until you walk two moons in his moccasins. —Cheyenne

Force, no matter how concealed, begets resistance. —Lakota

Your children are not your own, they’re lent to you by the Creator. —Mohawk

Man’s law changes with his understanding of man. Only the laws of the spirit remain the same. —Crow

It is less of a problem to be poor than to be dishonest. —Anishinabe

He who would do great things should not attempt them alone! —Seneca

The rainbow is a sign from Him, who is in all things. —Hopi

When a man moves away from nature, his heart becomes hard. —Lakota

A good chief gives; he does not take. —Mohawk

It is easy to be brave from a distance. —Omaha

Wisdom comes only when you stop looking for it and start living the life the Creator intended for you. —Hopi

Take only what you need, and leave the land as you found it! —Arapaho

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