TOW #11 – Chief Seattle’s Speech by Chief Seattle

TOW #11 – Chief Seattle’s Speech by Chief Seattle

                In 1887, still-developing America proposed to buy the land territory of current day Washington state and Oregon from the native inhabitants, ruled by Chief Seattle. Seattle himself, described as eloquent, powerful, strong, and wise, responded to the proposition with a speech. He outlined Native American feelings, wishing to be friends with the “pale-faced” white men while also conflicted about cultural conflicts. In the speech, he does not give an answer to the president’s proposition, but rather, prefaces it with the complicated feelings both he and his tribe are feeling. At the end, he artfully presents a condition that must be accepted for his tribe to agree to giving away their land. His build up to this condition includes eloquent personification and carefully chosen diction to sway his white audience.

                Chief Seattle, a mastery of speaking, included beautiful personification in his speech in order to beautify the land that the Americans wanted to buy from his tribe. He says, “Sad-voiced wind moans” and “…the very dust under your feet responds more lovingly to our footsteps than to yours” (Chief Seattle). This personification gives the nature emotions and feelings that every human can relate to, making the nature not only beautiful, but relatable to the American audience. It makes the nature graceful, beautiful, imperfect, as a human is. This, then, helps to demonstrate to Seattle’s audience why the Native Americans feel a connection to the last they are being asked to give away. Since the condition is developed around a connection to the land, Seattle knows that this demonstration will pull out feelings in his audience, encouraging at least sympathy. This sympathy creates understanding of the condition being presented and, hopefully, acceptance.

                During his speech, Seattle carefully choses beautiful, descriptive diction to create a tone of superiority among his American audience. He uses words such as “fond”, “sacred”, “hallowed”, “mighty hosts”, “dusky spirits”, “solitudes”, and “throng with the returning hosts” (Chief Seattle). This diction creates a superiority complex surrounding the Native Americans. By describing themselves as “hosts”, they claim that they belong to this land. This states to the citizens of a new nation that they cannot simply buy this sacred area, which is beautified by Seattle’s words. He states that the Native Americans have more rights to the land than their “pale-faced” brothers. In terms of the presented condition, this gives American a more forceful push. It states, without directly stating, that they must accept the condition or they will only get the land when the tribe dies.