In-Class Writing

In the first part of the Luther Standing Bear statement, one of the major themes is the idea that all life is equal. The Lakota respected the land, the animals, and each other. Animals had rights just as Man did, and because of this, they could not look down on any creature. They didn't take advantage of anything and were grateful for everything.
One of the major themes of Chief Seattle's is the fact that "the White Man's day will come." He speaks a lot about his people and how they are being affected by the White Man. They know that it isn't smart to try fight them and that it would be beneficial to allow themselves to be protected by them. Although Chief Seattle makes this point, he also says that if the Red Man and the White Man are supposed to brothers, then that means that the day will come where the White Man will die off just as the Red Man will. His statements seem to foreshadow the eventual demise of the Indian, in which they all die off due to the White Man imposing his ways on them.
I think that the meaning of Chief Seattle's speech was merely a message to the White Man saying that his ways were wrong. His quote, "This we know - earth does not belong to man - man belongs to the earth," truly sums up the Native American's outlook on life, and the problem with the White Man's. I do believe he that he knew his people would die off simply because the younger generation only wanted to fight against the White Man when there was no way that they, as a people, could win. The older generation had lost all control and ultimately decided to sit back and allow the White Man to "protect them" from then on.