Simple Philosophy by Seathl (FY B.com)

 Simple Philosophy by Seathl (FY B.com)

Summary:

Chief Seathl was a leader of a native tribe in the Washington territory in the nineteenth century. He belonged to the Suquamish tribe. He was a very prominent figure among his people. He was a warrior and defeated groups of tribal enemy raiders right from a young age. He is known to be a good orator and had a powerful personality.

The speech is a powerful bittersweet plea for respect for the rights and environmental values of Native Americans. It was delivered by Chief Seattle in his native language in 1854. There were many tribes in the land of America before the invasion of White colonisers. The Whites proposed a treaty of land to the Native Americans which asked them to give their land. In return, they will be protected from other tribes and will be given land at some other place. This speech is in response to this proposal stating the emotional and environmental value of the native tribe with their land. It was delivered in the native language and is considered controversial. This is a translated first version of the speech.

The city of Seattle in Washington in the United States of America is named after Chief Seattle.

Chief Seattle remarks that despite facing the usual existential crisis, God has blessed his tribe and his land for ages, but the future is uncertain. He is doubtful because he has received greetings from the White Chief (Governor) who has offered them a land settlement treaty. Native Americans can be easily outnumbered by the Whites. The Whites are like the grass in the prairies, whereas Chief Seattle’s tribe is like the standing trees on a storm-struck land. Seattle says that the White Chief has sent his wishes and asked for friendship, but he also wishes to buy their land in return. Native Americans, also addressed as Red Indians, are offered another place for their settlement. This offer seems wise, but Seattle thinks that the Whites do not understand that their place holds more importance to them than being just a piece of land.

Once upon a time, the number of people in the Suquamish tribe was plenty. They eventually became less as a result of conflicts and wars. He justifies the war fought by his men by saying that the impulsive nature of the youth is intolerant towards injustice. Their aggression is uncontrollable by old men and women. They are ready to sacrifice their lives for a just purpose. It is an accomplishment for them if they win at the cost of their lives, but the parents who lose their child gain nothing from this accomplishment. The value of their child’s life is more than the purpose for them. Seattle realises this part and therefore thinks that the proposal sent by the White Chief is wise and can be pondered over without any war.

Chief Seattle then speaks about George Washington. He addresses him as ‘good father’ who will protect the natives if they accept the treaty of land. The rivalry between the other native tribes, namely the Haidas and Tsimshians, is a matter of worry for the Suquamish tribe. These tribes will not harm the natives if the Americans protect them. Only then, Seattle would say that George Washington is fatherly to the natives too.

Seattle doesn’t agree that the God of the natives and colonisers is the same. The God of the Whites protects them and leads them well. However, He is partial towards the Whites and has forsaken His Red children. He says so as the Whites are dwelling and increasing in number, whereas the natives are reducing in number and will soon become history. The religion of the natives and the Whites are not the same too. They are two distinct races with separate origins and separate destinies. Because of these differences, Seattle remarks that the Whites and the natives cannot be brothers.

Chief Seattle acclaims that there is sacredness associated not only with the ashes of their ancestors but also with the land which is their resting place. This is not the same case as the Whites wander far from their ancestor’s graves. The natives are very closely associated with the dreams of the men. The ancestors of the Whites do not love them after death, but the ancestors of the native men do not forget their children and the land after death. They keep on loving its valleys, its rivers, its magnificent mountains and its lakes.

The future of the Reds is not very bright. Not a single star of hope hovers above their horizon. Grim fate follows them. Seattle has compared their situation to a wounded dove which is being hunted down, and the hunter is approaching it. Their doom is a few years away. The ultimate decay of the Whites also awaits them; however, it is distant. The end is evitable for both Red and White man. Both share a common destiny.

As Seattle proceeds with his speech, he announces that the proposition offered to them seems wise practically and they will ponder over it. If they happen to accept it, then they have a condition that they should never be stopped from visiting their land and tombs of their ancestors, family or friends. Everything about their land, be it living or dead, including the dust and stone, is connected to the lives of the native man and responds to him in its natural way. Their land is sacred and pure.

Seattle ends his speech by saying that the White man will never be alone. Even when the last native would have perished, the dead will be present and continue to bless the place. He says that ‘these shores will swarm with the invisible dead’. He requests the Whites to treat the dead with respect as they are not powerless. Their ancestors who have died still love and rejoice in their land. Lastly, he mentions that there is no death but only a change of worlds.

This speech displays Red Indian attachment to their land, clash of civilisations, the difference of cultures of the Whites and the Native Americans, the fading native tribe and the environmental concerns of the native man.

1. Why does the chief set a condition on accepting the president's offer in Simple philosophy?

Ans:  Chief Seathl accepted the white man's offer because he knew that if he would not accept the offer, they would march into their lands and occupy them by force.

2. 'Like a man dying for many days.....': what does the chief mean by this?

Ans:  The phrase "like a man dying for many days" is used by the chief in the essay "Simple Philosophy" by Albert Einstein to describe the feeling of despair and hopelessness that he experiences in the face of the destruction wrought by human beings.

    The chief is a Native American who speaks to Einstein about his people's reverence for the natural world and their belief that everything is interconnected. He tells Einstein that he feels as though he is "like a man dying for many days" because he sees the destruction of the natural world and the loss of traditional ways of life, and he feels powerless to stop it.

    The chief's words express the profound sadness and despair he feels as he watches his way of life and the natural world that sustains it being destroyed by human activities like pollution, deforestation, and climate change. The phrase also implies a sense of prolonged suffering and agony, as the chief's people have been witnessing the destruction of their environment for many years without seeing any meaningful change.

3. what does the native American chief mean when he says " I am a savage  and do not understand?

Ans : Chief Seattle is a Red Indian and loves the mother earth. He is someone who worships the nature and respects it .He says that he is savage because he lives in the nature and adapts its culture unlike the White who destroys the nature under the pretext of modernization and indoctrination. In fact the Red Indian is close to the nature and does not give up on it.

4. How does the chief compare the cruelty  of the white people towards animals and as well as the Native Americans?

Ans: Chief Seattle was proposed a treaty of land by the Whites. He was disturbed as the land was of high emotional value to him. He has shared his various worries, beliefs and bittersweet plea through this speech. He believes that the God of both races are not the same. According to him, both races are different on many grounds.

    The natives hold their ancestors in great esteem. They regard the ashes of their ancestors as sacred. The religion of the native people is based on the values imparted by the ancestors. The religion of Whites is completely different from that of the tribal people. The White people are indifferent to their ancestors, and they move away from their graves. The religion of the Whites is written by an iron finger by their God on a stone tablet so that they remember it.
    The Chief also feels that God is ignorant of the native people. If the God of the natives is the same as the God of the Whites, then He has abandoned His Red children. He favours His pale-faced children more than the natives.
    There is also a substantial difference in the population of both races. The population of the Whites is much more than that of the tribal people. Natives are decreasing rapidly and soon will be a mournful history. They will disappear completely from the sacred land of their ancestors. However, he thinks that the land has blessed them so far and will continue to bless them even after their death. The Whites are indifferent to the land and its sacredness. Hence, they will never be able to understand the value of the land as the natives.

5. In the Last paragraph, the chief states, " The white Man's dreams are hidden from us". what makes him say so?

    The chief says that the white man's dreams are hidden from them because they seem to live in a different world than the Native Americans. He believes that the white man's dreams are focused on material possessions and power, while the dreams of the Native Americans are centered around the natural world and the balance of all things. The chief also notes that the white man's dreams seem to be driven by a need to control and dominate nature, whereas the Native American philosophy is to live in harmony with nature. Therefore, the chief believes that the white man's dreams are not in alignment with the natural world and, thus, are hidden from the Native Americans.

6. When will men "die from great loneliness of spirit'?

    The phrase "die from great loneliness of spirit" appears in the essay "Simple Philosophy" by John B. Watson, where he attributes it to the chief of the Crow Indians. According to Watson, the chief predicted that someday, the white man would "die from great loneliness of spirit" because he had lost touch with nature and his own inner self. The chief believed that the white man's relentless pursuit of material wealth and progress had led him to forget the important things in life, such as love, compassion, and respect for the natural world.It's worth noting that this prediction is not a statement of fact or a scientific theory, but rather a philosophical perspective on the human condition. While Watson presents the chief's words as a warning about the dangers of modern society, others may interpret them differently or reject them outright.