Native Americans

Wes Studi is a native American Cherokee actor and Vietnam veteran.
You may have seen him in a few movies such as "Last of the Mohicans" or "Dances with Wolves". Aside from the movies, he is an activist for both Native Americans and wounded combat veterans.
His first language was Cherokee an Iroquoian language and he didn't learn English until he started grade school.
His native language is an endangered language.
In fact, most of the indigenous languages in the Americas are endangered.
More than one thousand separate languages still spoken in the Americas and most of these languages will be extinct by the end of the next century.
Thank you for your service Wes!

"We Indians know about silence. We are not afraid of it. In fact, for us, silence is more powerful than words. Our elders were trained in the ways of silence, and they handed over this knowledge to us. Observe, listen, and then act, they would tell us. That was the manner of living.
With you, it is just the opposite. You learn by talking. You reward the children that talk the most at school. In your parties, you all try to talk at the same time. In your work, you are always having meetings in which everybody interrupts everybody and all talk five, ten or a hundred times. And you call that ‘solving a problem’. When you are in a room and there is silence, you get nervous. You must fill the space with sounds. So you talk compulsorily, even before you know what you are going to say.
White people love to discuss. They don’t even allow the other person to finish a sentence. They always interrupt. For us Indians, this looks like bad manners or even stupidity. If you start talking, I’m not going to interrupt you. I will listen. Maybe I’ll stop listening if I don’t like what you are saying, but I won’t interrupt you.
When you finish speaking, I’ll make up my mind about what you said, but I will not tell you I don’t agree unless it is important. Otherwise, I’ll just keep quiet and I’ll go away. You have told me all I need to know. There is no more to be said. But this is not enough for the majority of white people.
People should regard their words as seeds. They should sow them, and then allow them to grow in silence. Our elders taught us that the earth is always talking to us, but we should keep silent in order to hear her.
There are many voices besides ours. Many voices…”

R. Carlos Nakai is a Native American musician of Navajo-Ute descent, renowned for his mastery of the Native American flute and his contributions to the genres of folk and New Age music. Born in 1946 in Flagstaff, Arizona, Nakai has embarked on a creative and influential journey throughout his musical career.Nakai's musical journey began when he learned to play the Native American flute from his grandfather at a young age. He later pursued studies at Northern Arizona University and the University of Massachusetts, where he developed his musical skills and conducted research on the culture and music of Native Americans.Nakai has recorded numerous solo albums and collaborated with other artists on various music projects. His albums often blend traditional Native American music with New Age elements, creating a unique and inspiring sound.
Beyond his music career, Nakai is also an educator and cultural researcher. He has authored many books and articles on Native American culture, history, and music, contributing to the preservation and transmission of the cultural heritage of his community.
R. Carlos Nakai's life and career are a testament to the diversity and strength of Native American culture in the arts and education. He has illuminated the values and traditions of the Navajo-Ute people and contributed to honoring and preserving the cultural heritage of his community.

Touch The Clouds (Lakota: Maȟpíya Ičáȟtagya or Maȟpíya Íyapat'o) (c. 1838 – September 5, 1905) was a chief of the Minneconjou Teton Lakota (also known as Sioux) known for his bravery and skill in battle, physical strength and diplomacy in counsel. The youngest son of Lone Horn, he was brother to Spotted Elk, Frog, and Roman Nose. There is evidence suggesting that he was a cousin to Crazy Horse.
When Touch The Clouds's Wakpokinyan band split in the mid-1870s, the band traveled to the Cheyenne River Agency. He assumed the leadership of the band in 1875 after the death of his father and retained leadership during the initial period of the Great Sioux War of 1876-77. After the Battle of the Little Bighorn, he took the band north, eventually surrendering at the Spotted Tail Agency, where he enlisted in the Indian Scouts. However, not long after being present at the death of Crazy Horse, Touch the Clouds transferred with his band back to the Cheyenne River Agency.
Touch The Clouds became one of the new leaders of the Minneconjou at the Cheyenne River Agency in 1881, keeping his position until his death on September 5, 1905. Upon his death his son, Amos Charging First, took over as the new chief.
Touch The Clouds. Mniconjou. 1877

Crowfoot stood and watched as the white man spread many one dollar bills on the ground.
This is what the white man trades with; this is his buffalo robe. Just as you trade skins, we trade with these pieces of paper.
When the white chief had laid all his money on the ground and shown how much he would give if the Indians would sign a treaty, Crowfoot took a handful of clay, made a ball out of it and put it on the fire.
It did not crack.
Then he said to the white man, Now put your money on the fire and see if it will last as long as the clay.
The white man said, No….my money will burn because it is made of paper.
With an amused gleam in his eyes the old chief said, Oh, your money is not as good as our land, is it?
The wind will blow it away; the fire will burn it; water will rot it. But nothing will destroy our land.
You don’t make a very good trade.
Then with a smile, Crowfoot picked up a handful of sand from the river bank, handed it to the white man and said, You count the grains of sand in that while I count the money you give for the land.
The white man said, I would not live long enough to count this, but you can count the money in a few minutes.
Very well, said the wise Crowfoot, our land is more valuable than your money. It will last forever.
It will not perish as long as the sun shines and the water flows, and through all the years it will give life to men and animals, and therefore we cannot sell the land.
It was put there by the Great Spirit and we cannot sell it because it does not really belong to us.
You can count your money and burn it with a nod of a buffalo’s head, but only the Great Spirit can count the grains of sand and the blades of grass on these plains.
As a present we will give you anything you can take with you, but we cannot give you the land.
Chief Crowfoot
Blackfoot Confederacy

Hollywood is mourning the loss of legendary actor Graham Greene. His close friend and co-star Gil Birmingham shared a heartbreaking tribute that shows just how much he respected and loved him.
Although they never appeared together in Yellowstone, their bond and collaborations in other projects left a lasting mark.