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John Trudell Quotes

Powerful John Trudell for Daily Growth

About John Trudell

John Trudell (February 15, 1946 – December 8, 2015) was an influential Native American poet, actor, and activist of the Santee Dakota and Mexican descent. His life and work were significantly shaped by his experiences with loss, resistance, and resilience in the face of adversity. Born on the Santee Sioux Reservation in Nebraska, Trudell's early years were marked by a nomadic existence as his family was relocated multiple times due to government policies. This upheaval and displacement would become recurring themes in his poetry and activism. In 1968, he moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico, where he became involved with the American Indian Movement (AIM). In 1979, a tragic event occurred when his wife, three children, and mother-in-law were killed in a bombing at their home. This tragedy inspired Trudell's political activism and artistic expression, culminating in his powerful poetry and music. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Trudell released several albums with his band, the "Trudell Medical Band," blending contemporary rock with traditional Native American sounds and themes. His most influential work, however, may be his poetry collections, such as "Rolling Thunder: Poems" (1970), "A Karankawa Bean Feast" (1980), and "Living Above the Ground" (1992). Trudell's legacy lies in his ability to articulate the struggles, resilience, and spirituality of Native Americans through powerful poetry and music. His work continues to inspire a new generation of Indigenous activists and artists today. Despite facing adversity throughout his life, John Trudell remained a steadfast voice for Indigenous rights and a beacon of hope and strength in the face of oppression.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"The earth does not belong to man; man belongs to the earth."

This quote suggests a perspective that human beings are not the masters or owners of Earth, but rather we are part of it. We are not superior entities ruling over nature, but one of its many inhabitants. It emphasizes our interconnectedness and dependence on the planet for our survival. In essence, it's a call to respect the natural world, recognizing that we are merely temporary stewards responsible for preserving and protecting it for future generations.

"They can take our lives but they'll never take our freedom."

This quote by John Trudell expresses a profound sense of resilience and determination in the face of adversity. It suggests that although one's physical life can be taken away, the intangible yet powerful essence of freedom - the spirit to think, feel, and act independently - cannot be seized. It's a testament to the human will to persevere and retain control over their thoughts and actions even when faced with oppression or hardship.

"We are the people of the day after, and we will set our own course."

This quote by John Trudell signifies a sense of self-determination, resilience, and independence among indigenous communities. They view themselves as the "people of the day after" - those who persist beyond the struggles and challenges faced in the past. By setting their own course, they assert their right to chart their future, free from external influences or limitations imposed by history. This quote highlights their strength, unity, and determination to forge their path forward on their own terms.

"My hope is that you find your own path to truth and understanding."

This quote by John Trudell suggests a personal journey towards self-discovery, truth, and wisdom. It encourages individuals to seek their unique paths to enlightenment, emphasizing the importance of personal growth and introspection. In essence, the message is that everyone's path to understanding the world, themselves, and ultimately finding truth, will be different, and it's crucial to embrace and trust one's own journey.

"When the last tree has been cut down, the last fish caught, the last river poisoned, only then will you realize that money cannot eat."

This quote by John Trudell is a powerful statement about the value of nature and its resources. It suggests that monetary wealth alone cannot provide sustenance or satisfaction when there's no natural world left to support life. In essence, it urges us to consider the long-term consequences of our actions and prioritize sustainability over short-term financial gain. The message encourages a balanced approach to development that respects the delicate equilibrium of the planet and preserves its resources for future generations.

When one lives in a society where people can no longer rely on the institutions to tell them the truth, the truth must come from culture and art.

- John Trudell

Art, Tell, Lives, Institutions

For us, it's a matter of just staying alive and getting the best deal we can now. Eventually, this will all straighten out. It may be two generations away or 10 generations away, but time is irrelevant in that sense. As long as we, as a people, stay alive, we will survive.

- John Trudell

Alive, Deal, Away, Irrelevant

I am just a human being trying to make it in a world that is rapidly losing its understanding of being human.

- John Trudell

Human Being, Being, Am, Being Human

We cannot change the political system, we cannot change the economic system, we cannot change the social system, until the people control the land, and then we take it out of the hands of that sick minority that chooses to pervert the meaning and the intention of humanity.

- John Trudell

Political, Hands, We Cannot, Intention

I appreciate all of your expressions of concern, and I appreciate all of your expressions of love. It has been like a fire to my heart.

- John Trudell

Love, Appreciate, Been, Expressions

I don't write as much now as I used to, but I write. The lines still come, maybe periodically, and I'll go through these little bursts of time where I write a lot of things then a long period of time where maybe I don't write anything.

- John Trudell

Through, Maybe, Long Period, Bursts

When I left politics in the early Eighties and started writing and recording, my idea was that I could have an influence further down into other generations. That Natives could come into the culture through arts and music.

- John Trudell

Politics, Through, Other, Natives

There have been some positive things that have happened for the tribes, but it's a constant, vigilant fight about protecting what resources we have in terms of land and rights.

- John Trudell

Some, Been, Protecting, Tribes

I have experienced within my own lifetime the attack of my winter camp and the killing of the women and children. It left me even angrier than I was - and I was never too calm to begin with.

- John Trudell

Own, My Own, Within, Camp

For decades, my identity was political, but I've come to understand that there's no political solution when you're dealing with someone else's rules.

- John Trudell

Understand, Dealing, Come, Decades

All politics to me - Indian or white - is an illusion preventing us from being authentic because we're communicating through something that isn't real to us.

- John Trudell

Politics, Through, Being, Indian

I'm a member of the American Indian Movement, and I'm from the indigenous nations of the Western Hemisphere.

- John Trudell

Member, Western Hemisphere, Indian

I consider the electric guitar to be like a drum with strings. It became the drum of the Baby Boom generation. And the drum has always been the center of the tribe, a new electronic tribe.

- John Trudell

Generation, Always, Became, Electronic

Before Little Bighorn, Sitting Bull had dream of soldiers falling from the sky.

- John Trudell

Sky, Falling, Before, Sitting

Every song I've ever written always starts with the words because I want the music to be the musical extension of the feelings of the words, and not the words being the emotional extension of the feeling of the music.

- John Trudell

Song, Always, Extension, Feelings

Everybody interprets things differently with their own perception, and I want poetry to pull out of them their own feelings.

- John Trudell

Want, Own, Everybody, Feelings

Whatever their reasons, Hollywood, or the entertainment industry, is saying something about Indians. I don't see the rest of the media knocking down any doors to do that.

- John Trudell

Rest, Hollywood, Reasons, Knocking

You go back and you read your Constitution. You read your Declaration of Independence. And you will see that the only people who could decide these freedoms were white males who owned property, and all the rest of us were excluded.

- John Trudell

Constitution, Back, Decide, Males

I wasn't interested in having to live with a camera - I have a hard enough time getting along with myself. I don't need cameras around and all that action.

- John Trudell

Myself, Need, Having, Camera

In a personal context, I'm not in the ground, and I'm not in an institution. So I guess I'm doing pretty good.

- John Trudell

Doing, Pretty, Institution, Context

Because we are all of an oral tradition in our beginning histories, the voice of the poet in this particular society will be heard.

- John Trudell

Beginning, Voice, Will, Histories

I wanted to take the power of thought and the word, along with the power of speaking and heart, and see if we could wire what was coming out of us as humans with electric instruments.

- John Trudell

Thought, Electric, Could, Wire

What I view life like is about energy. Everything is about energy - everything. We physically are little units of electrical energy, and we vibrate and project electromagnetic thought.

- John Trudell

Thought, Like, About, Energy

White people don't seem to have many Elders. They do have a lot of oldsters.

- John Trudell

White, Lot, Many, Elders

They took all our land; I don't have any land to toil. My crops have to grow somewhere else.

- John Trudell

Grow, Took, Somewhere Else, Toil

The average human being in America is going through some sort of hard times - physical, emotional, psychological. Everybody's carrying a bit of bone days in them.

- John Trudell

Through, Average, Some, Carrying

I knew I had to stop running. I had to be in a place. Los Angeles became that place.

- John Trudell

Running, Los, Became, Los Angeles

The whole point is to take from our native culture and from contemporary culture without using one art form to mimic the other, so that our native identity remains the native identity, the contemporary identity remains the contemporary identity, and the mixing of these two musical identities creates a third musical identity.

- John Trudell

Other, Mixing, Whole, Mimic

I was going mad. One day, I just started writing, and it was like therapy because I was in a position where I couldn't rage. I never expected to be a writer; it's a different world than I ever expected to be in.

- John Trudell

One Day, Different World, Rage

I have a real interest in working with younger Native artists. I think it's a very important way for Native people to communicate the realities of our culture and remember our ancestors.

- John Trudell

Think, I Think, Very, Ancestors

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