Seattle 1854

"I will not dwell on, nor mourn over, our untimely decay, nor reproach my paleface brothers with hastening it, as we too may have been somewhat to blame." -Chief Seattle 1854

In the pre-wartime America, the Native American populations were almost extinct except for the last few tribes on the western coast. During this year the governor of Washington state brought a treaty that was to be given to one of these tribes. When Chief Seattle was greeted by the governor he gave a very eloquent speech to his people about his thoughts on the treaty and the fate of his people.  This speech was one of the last from the great chiefs of the the Northwest Coast Indians although its authenticity is a very questionable. It was written down by a man who did not speak the language and was published 33 years after the actual speech was given.  Since then many publications of the variations of this speech have emerged, even with some of them completely contradicting themselves. 

But who is to say what the original truly sounded like? I think it is a matter for each person to decide for themselves. 

http://www.chiefseattle.com/history/chiefseattle/speech/speech.htm <-- the "original" speech

http://www.jstor.org/stable/1185598?seq=1 <--- a book describing the controversy of authenticy.