I’ve always held an interest in the thoughts of others, because the insight provided by a mind that is not my own has to potential to unlock new ideas for me to develop. With that being said, here are 10 of my favourite quotes:

1

Anyone who considers protocol unimportant has never dealt with a cat.

Robert a. heinlein

2

The beauty of the trees, the softness of the air, the fragrance of the grass, they speak to me. The summit of the mountain, the thunder of the sky, the rhythm of the sea, speaks to me. The faintness of the stars, the freshness of the morning, the dewdrop on the flower, speaks to me. The strength of the fire, the taste of the salmon, the trail of the sun, and the life that never goes away, they speak to me. And my heart soars.

Chief dan george, My Heart SOars (1989)

3

We can’t just consume our way to a more sustainable world.

jennifer nini, Ecowarrior princess

4

Those schools were a war on Aboriginal children, and they took away our identity. First of all, they gave us numbers, we had no names, we were numbers, and they cut our hair. They took away our clothes, and gave us clothes … we all looked alike.

Doris young, excerpt from testimony: the Truth & reconciliation Commission

5

Going back to the Creator doesn’t help very much… So he gave you a title. But did he draw on the land where your mountain stopped and someone else’s began?

Pierre elliott Trudeau, Dancing around the table (Film, 1988)

6

A nation that destroys it’s soils destroys itself. Forests are the lungs of our land, purifying the air and giving fresh strength to our people.

Franklin D. Roosevelt

7

Human use of fossil fuels is altering the chemistry of the atmosphere; oceans are polluted and depleted of fish; 80 per cent of Earth’s forests are heavily impacted or gone yet their destruction continues. An estimated 50,000 species are driven to extinction each year. We dump millions of tonnes of chemicals, most untested for their biological effects, and many highly toxic, into air, water and soil. We have created an ecological holocaust. Our very health and survival are at stake, yet we act as if we have plenty of time to respond.

David Suzuki

8

In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity.

Sun Tzu

9

Though my body may decay on the island of Ezo,
My spirit guards my lord in the east.

Hijikata Toshizō, untitled (‘Death Poem’, 1869)

10

Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect.

Chief Seattle

References

  1. https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/robert_a_heinlein_137023
  2. https://www.inspiringquotes.us/quotes/Ikmr_6PbTGdC3
  3. https://ecowarriorprincess.net/2016/01/60-great-quotes-about-sustainability-green-living-our-environment-2/
  4. https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2015/06/02/11-key-quotes-and-facts-in-the-trc-final-report.html
  5. https://www.toronto.com/news-story/10070299-10-canadian-leaders-who-contributed-to-indigenous-oppression/
  6. https://medium.com/the-green-blog/franklin-d-roosevelts-quote-7beffd56a745
  7. https://globalnews.ca/news/233616/top-10-memorable-david-suzuki-quotes/
  8. https://parade.com/1074916/kelseypelzer/sun-tzu-quotes/
  9. https://hakuouki-history.tumblr.com/post/151018162159/do-you-know-any-good-quotes-by-hijikata-toshizo
  10. https://teambuilding.com/blog/indigenous-heritage-quotes