I have a pretty good knowledge of the Indian world by virtue of living on several different reservations and being exposed to several different cultures and languages.

The turn of the century was the lowest point for the devastation of Indian culture by disease and persecution, and it's a wonder to me that they survived it and have not only maintained their identity, but are actually growing stronger in some ways. The situation is still very bad, especially in certain geographical areas, but there are more Indians going to school, more Indians becoming professional people, more Indians assuming full responsibility in our society. We have a long way to go, but we're making great strides.

Indians are marvelous storytellers. In some ways, that oral tradition is stronger than the written tradition.

A word has power in and of itself. It comes from nothing into sound and meaning; it gives origin to all things.

I wonder if, in the dark night of the sea, the octopus dreams of me.

Words were medicine; they were magic and invisible. They came from nothing into sound and meaning. They were beyond price; they could neither be bought nor sold.

Anything is bearable if you can make a story out of it.