200 Inspirational Native American Day Quotes to Honor and Celebrate

Celebrate Native American Day with 200 inspirational quotes that honor their rich heritage, culture, and wisdom. These quotes are perfect for sharing and inspiring others.

Introduction

Native American Day is a special occasion to honor and celebrate the rich heritage, culture, and contributions of Native American communities.

To commemorate this Day, we have compiled a collection of quotes that reflect the wisdom, resilience, and spirit of Native Americans.

Native American Day Quotes

These quotes can inspire, educate, and uplift as we recognize the significance of Native American Day.

Native American Wisdom Quotes

1. “The Great Spirit is in all things: he is in the air we breathe.” – Black Elk
2. “Wisdom comes only when you stop looking for it and start living the life the Creator intended for you.” – Hopi Proverb
3. “Do not judge your neighbor until you walk two moons in his moccasins.” – Cheyenne Proverb
4. “We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children.” – Native American Proverb
5. “It is better to have less thunder in the mouth and more lightning in the hand.” – Apache Proverb
6. “Everything on the earth has a purpose, every disease an herb to cure it, and every person a mission.” – Mourning Dove
7. “Listen to the wind, it talks. Listen to the silence; it speaks. Listen to your heart, it knows.” – Native American Proverb
8. “The soul would have no rainbow if the eyes had no tears.” – John Vance Cheney
9. “Grown men can learn from tiny children for the hearts of the little children are pure.” – Black Elk
10. “One finger cannot lift a pebble.” – Hopi Proverb

Quotes About Native American Culture

11. “Our traditions teach us to honor and respect the earth and all her gifts.” – Wilma Mankiller
12. “Culture is not made up but is something that evolves, which is human.” – Edward T. Hall
13. “Native culture teaches us that humans are just one part of a greater web of life.” – Winona LaDuke
14. “The American Indian is of the soil, whether it be the region of forests, plains, pueblos, or mesas.” – Charles Eastman
15. “Our spiritual tradition is a way of life.” – Leon Shenandoah
16. “In our every deliberation, we must consider the impact of our decisions on the next seven generations.” – Iroquois Proverb
17. “Each man is good in the sight of the Great Spirit.” – Sitting Bull
18. “We are all connected. We are all relatives.” – Chief Seattle
19. “The way you treat yourself sets the standard for others.” – Native American Proverb
20. “Culture is the widening of the mind and the spirit.” – Jawaharlal Nehru

Inspirational Native American Quotes

21. “Be still, and the earth will speak to you.” – Navajo Proverb
22. “The greatest strength is gentleness.” – Iroquois Proverb
23. “May your life be like a wildflower, growing freely in the beauty and joy of each day.” – Native American Proverb
24. “When we show our respect for other living things, they respond with respect for us.” – Arapaho Proverb
25. “You already possess everything necessary to become great.” – Crow Proverb
26. “The rainbow is a sign from Him who is in all things.” – Hopi Proverb
27. “Hold on to what is good, even if it is a handful of earth.” – Crow Proverb
28. “A good chief gives, he does not take.” – Mohawk Proverb
29. “It is no longer good enough to cry peace; we must act peace, live peace, and live in peace.” – Shenandoah Proverb
30. “Life is not separate from death. It only looks that way.” – Blackfoot Proverb.

Quotes on Nature and the Environment

31. “Take only memories, leave only footprints.” – Chief Seattle
32. “The earth does not belong to us. We belong to the earth.” – Chief Seattle
33. “We are part of the earth, and it is part of us.” – Chief Seattle
34. “All plants are our brothers and sisters. They talk to us, and if we listen, we can hear them.” – Arapaho Proverb
35. “Treat the earth well. It was not given to you by your parents; it was loaned to you by your children.” – Native American Proverb
36. “Walk lightly in the spring; Mother Earth is pregnant.” – Kiowa Proverb
37. “What is life? It is the flash of a firefly in the night.” – Blackfoot Proverb
38. “A frog does not drink up the pond in which he lives.” – Sioux Proverb
39. “All things share the same breath – the beast, the tree, the man.” – Chief Seattle
40. “Only when the last tree has been cut down, the last fish caught, the last river poisoned, will we realize we cannot eat money.” – Cree Proverb

Quotes on Peace and Harmony

41. “Peace and happiness are available in every moment.” – Thich Nhat Hanh
42. “All who have died are equal.” – Comanche Proverb
43. “The measure of a man is the way he bears up under misfortune.” – Pliny the Elder
44. “Where there is no vision, there is no hope.” – George Washington Carver
45. “If we wonder often, the gift of knowledge will come.” – Arapaho Proverb
46. “It does not require many words to speak the truth.” – Chief Joseph
47. “There can never be peace between nations until there is first known that true peace which is within the souls of men.” – Black Elk
48. “When you are in doubt, be still, and wait.” – Ponca Proverb
49. “A man must make his arrows.” – Winnebago Proverb
50. “One does not sell the earth upon which the people walk.” – Crazy Horse

Quotes on Leadership and Strength

51. “A true leader has the confidence to stand alone, the courage to make tough decisions, and the compassion to listen to the needs of others.” – Native American Proverb
52. “The chief is a servant of the people.” – Black Elk
53. “The strength of the team is each member. The strength of each member is the team.” – Phil Jackson
54. “A good leader is a person who takes a little more than his share of the blame and a little less than his share of the credit.” – John C. Maxwell
55. “A leader is best when people barely know he exists.” – Lao Tzu
56. “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second-best time is now.” – Chinese Proverb
57. “He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life.” – Muhammad Ali
58. “A leader knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.” – John C. Maxwell
59. “Leadership is not about being in charge. It is about taking care of those in your charge.” – Simon Sinek
60. “The art of leadership is saying no, not saying yes.” – Tony Blair

Quotes on Community and Togetherness

61. “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” – Helen Keller
62. “The strength of the nation lies in the homes of its people.” – Abraham Lincoln
63. “It takes a village to raise a child.” – African Proverb
64. “We are all connected biologically. To the earth, chemically. To the rest of the universe, atomically.” – Neil deGrasse Tyson
65. “Unity is strength. When there is teamwork and collaboration, wonderful things can be achieved.” – Mattie Stepanek
66. “The compassionate actions of its members most accurately measure the greatness of a community.” – Coretta Scott King
67. “A community is like a ship; everyone ought to be prepared to take the helm.” – Henrik Ibsen
68. “There is no power for change greater than a community discovering what it cares about.” – Margaret J. Wheatley
69. “Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.” – Henry Ford
70. “Community is much more than belonging to something; it is about doing something together that makes belonging matter.” – Brian Solis

Quotes on Heritage and Legacy

71. “Our heritage is our gift to the future.” – Native American Proverb
72. “Legacy. What is a legacy? It is planting seeds in a garden you never get to see.” – Lin-Manuel Miranda
73. “Heritage is the traditions, achievements, beliefs, etc., that are part of the history of a group or nation.” – Merriam-Webster
74. “We are made wise not by the recollection of our past, but by the responsibility for our future.” – George Bernard Shaw
75. “The legacy of heroes is the memory of a great name and the inheritance of a great example.” – Benjamin Disraeli
76. “To forget one’s ancestors is to be a brook without a source, a tree without a root.” – Chinese Proverb
77. “The heritage of the past is the seed that brings forth the harvest of the future.” – Wendell Phillips
78. “Each generation will reap what the former generation has sown.” – Chinese Proverb
79. “Our heritage and ideals, our code and standards – the things we live by and teach our children – are preserved or diminished by how freely we exchange ideas and feelings.” – Walt Disney
80. “The greatest legacy we can leave our children is happy memories.” – Og Mandino

Quotes on Tradition and Custom

81. “Tradition is not the worship of ashes, but the preservation of fire.” – Gustav Mahler
82. “A people without the knowledge of their history, origin, and culture is like a tree without roots.” – Marcus Garvey
83. “Tradition means giving votes to the most obscure of all classes, our ancestors.” – G.K. Chesterton
84. “Our traditions teach us to honor and respect the earth and all her gifts.” – Wilma Mankiller
85. “Customs and traditions may change, but our love for family will always be the same.” – Native American Proverb
86. “Tradition is a guide and not a jailer.” – W. Somerset Maugham
87. “Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
88. “Tradition becomes our security, and when the mind is secure, it is in decay.” – Jiddu Krishnamurti
89. “In every conceivable manner, the family is a link to our past, bridge to our future.” – Alex Haley
90. “Without tradition, art is a flock of sheep without a shepherd. Without innovation, it is a corpse.” – Winston Churchill.

Quotes on Respect and Honor

91. “Respect people’s feelings. Even if it does not mean anything to you, it could mean everything to them.” – Roy T. Bennett
92. “We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
93. “Honoring one another is the true meaning of respect.” – Native American Proverb
94. “Respect for ourselves guides our morals; respect for others guides our manners.” – Laurence Sterne
95. “To be one, to be united is a great thing. But to respect the right to be different is maybe even greater.” – Bono
96. “He who sows courtesy reaps friendship, and he who plants kindness gathers love.” – Saint Basil
97. “Honor is not something you earn. It is something you give.” – Native American Proverb
98. “Respect is earned. Honesty is appreciated. Trust is gained. Loyalty is returned.” – Unknown
99. “We should all consider each other as human beings, and we should respect each other.” – Malala Yousafzai
100. “When you practice gratefulness, there is a sense of respect toward others.” – Dalai Lama

Quotes on Family and Kinship

101. “Family is not an important thing. It is everything.” – Michael J. Fox
102. “The love of family is life’s greatest blessing.” – Native American Proverb
103. “The family is one of nature’s masterpieces.” – George Santayana
104. “Other things may change us, but we start and end with the family.” – Anthony Brandt
105. “Family means no one gets left behind or forgotten.” – David Ogden Stiers
106. “The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other’s life.” – Richard Bach
107. “Family is the most important thing in the world.” – Princess Diana
108. “In family life, love is the oil that eases friction, the cement that binds closer together, and the music that brings harmony.” – Friedrich Nietzsche
109. “The memories we make with our family are everything.” – Candace Cameron Bure
110. “Family gives you the roots to stand tall and strong.” – Native American Proverb

Quotes on Spirituality and Belief

111. “The Great Spirit is in all things: he is in the air we breathe.” – Black Elk
112. “Spirituality is not about being fixed; it is about being aware and conscious.” – Native American Proverb
113. “Every animal knows more than you do.” – Native American Proverb
114. “Our first teacher is our own heart.” – Cheyenne Proverb
115. “He who has a why to live can bear almost any how.” – Friedrich Nietzsche
116. “Spirituality is recognizing and celebrating that we are all inextricably connected by a power greater than all of us.” – Brené Brown
117. “Faith is taking the first step even when you do not see the whole staircase.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
118. “Spirituality is not adopting more beliefs and assumptions but uncovering the best in you.” – Amit Ray
119. “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” – Mahatma Gandhi
120. “Your life is your spiritual path.” – Gary Zukav

Quotes on Courage and Bravery

121. “Bravery is believing in yourself, and that thing nobody can teach you.” – El Cordobes
122. “Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear.” – Ambrose Redmoon
123. “A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself.” – Joseph Campbell
124. “Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear.” – Mark Twain
125. “Bravery is being the only one who knows you are afraid.” – Franklin P. Jones
126. “Without courage, wisdom bears no fruit.” – Baltasar Gracian
127. “The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.” – Nelson Mandela
128. “Fortune favors the brave.” – Terence
129. “Courage is grace under pressure.” – Ernest Hemingway
130. “Bravery is the capacity to perform properly even when scared half to death.” – Omar N. Bradley

Quotes on Love and Kindness

131. “Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
132. “Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear, and the blind can see.” – Mark Twain
133. “Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them, humanity cannot survive.” – Dalai Lama
134. “The best and most beautiful things in this world cannot be seen or even heard, but must be felt with the heart.” – Helen Keller
135. “Where there is love, there is life.” – Mahatma Gandhi
136. “The only thing we never get enough of is love; and the only thing we never give enough of is love.” – Henry Miller
137. “A loving heart is the truest wisdom.” – Charles Dickens
138. “Love is the master key that opens the gates of happiness.” – Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.
139. “Kindness is the sunshine in which virtue grows.” – Robert Green Ingersoll
140. “Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies.” – Aristotle

Quotes on Freedom and Liberty

141. “Freedom is the open window through which pours the sunlight of the human spirit and human dignity.” – Herbert Hoover
142. “For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.” – Nelson Mandela
143. “Liberty, when it begins to take root, is a plant of rapid growth.” – George Washington
144. “Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves.” – Abraham Lincoln
145. “Freedom lies in being bold.” – Robert Frost
146. “The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion.” – Albert Camus
147. “Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
148. “Better to die fighting for freedom than be a prisoner all the days of your life.” – Bob Marley
149. “Freedom is not worth having if it does not include the freedom to make mistakes.” – Mahatma Gandhi
150. “The secret to happiness is freedom… And the secret to freedom is courage.” – Thucydides

Quotes on Education and Learning

151. “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” – Nelson Mandela
152. “An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.” – Benjamin Franklin
153. “Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today.” – Malcolm X
154. “The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet.” – Aristotle
155. “Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.” – John Dewey
156. “The purpose of education is to replace an empty mind with an open one.” – Malcolm Forbes
157. “A person who will not read has no advantage over one who cannot read.” – Mark Twain
158. “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you will go.” – Dr. Seuss
159. “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” – Mahatma Gandhi
160. “It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.” – Aristotle

Quotes on Perseverance and Determination

161. “The only way to achieve the impossible is to believe it is possible.” – Charles Kingsleigh
162. “Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after the other.” – Walter Elliot
163. “It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.” – Confucius
164. “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that count.” – Winston Churchill
165. “The only limit to our realization of tomorrow is our doubts of today.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt
166. “Fall seven times and stand up eight.” – Japanese Proverb
167. “The harder the struggle, the more glorious the triumph.” – Swami Sivananda
168. “Perseverance is failing 19 times and succeeding the 20th.” – Julie Andrews
169. “It always seems impossible until it is done.” – Nelson Mandela
170. “The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a person’s determination.” – Tommy Lasorda

Quotes on Gratitude and Thankfulness

171. “Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues but the parent of all others.” – Cicero
172. “The roots of all goodness lie in the soil of appreciation for goodness.” – Dalai Lama
173. “Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.” – Melody Beattie
174. “When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive.” – Marcus Aurelius
175. “Gratitude is the fairest blossom which springs from the soul.” – Henry Ward Beecher
176. “Gratitude turns what we have into enough.” – Anonymous
177. “Gratitude is the sign of noble souls.” – Aesop
178. “Gratitude and attitude are not challenges; they are choices.” – Robert Braathe
179. “Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.” – William Arthur Ward
180. “Gratitude is a powerful catalyst for happiness. The spark lights a fire of joy in your soul.” – Amy Collette.

Quotes on Healing and Wellness

181. “Healing takes courage, and we all have courage, even if we have to dig a little to find it.” – Tori Amos
182. “The greatest healing therapy is friendship and love.” – Hubert H. Humphrey
183. “To heal is to touch with love that which we previously touched with fear.” – Stephen Levine
184. “Healing yourself is connected with healing others.” – Yoko Ono
185. “The wound is the place where the Light enters you.” – Rumi
186. “Healing is a matter of time, but it is sometimes also a matter of opportunity.” – Hippocrates
187. “The soul always knows what to do to heal itself. The challenge is to silence the mind.” – Caroline Myss
188. “We are not held back by the love we did not receive in the past, but by the love we are not extending in the present.” – Marianne Williamson
189. “Awareness is the first step in healing.” – Dean Ornish
190. “Healing does not mean the damage never existed. It means the damage no longer controls our lives.” – Akshay Dubey

Quotes on Joy and Happiness

191. “The best way to pay for a lovely moment is to enjoy it.” – Richard Bach
192. “Happiness is not something ready-made. It comes from your actions.” – Dalai Lama
193. “Joy is not in things; it is in us.” – Richard Wagner
194. “The only way to find true happiness is to risk being completely cut open.” – Chuck Palahniuk
195. “Happiness is not having what you want, but wanting what you have.” – Hyman Schachtel
196. “Joy is what happens to us when we allow ourselves to recognize how good things are.” – Marianne Williamson
197. “True happiness arises, in the first place, from the enjoyment of oneself.” – Joseph Addison
198. “The most wasted of all days is one without laughter.” – E.E. Cummings
199. “The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences.” – Christopher McCandless
200. “Happiness is not a goal; it is a by-product.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

Conclusion

Native American Day is a time to reflect on the profound teachings and enduring spirit of Native American communities.

These quotes capture the essence of their wisdom, culture, and values.

Share these quotes to honor Native American Day and inspire others with the timeless wisdom of Native American traditions.

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