“Possession and loving are concepts that damn each other.”

“Her hope was to preserve what she called The Way, to keep it alive, for that future moment when the current obsession with excess and hierarchy imploded. Wilma said many Native people believed that the earth as a living organism would just one day shrug off the human species that was destroying it—and start over. In a less cataclysmic vision, humans would realize that we are killing our home and each other, and seek out The Way. That’s why Native people were guarding it.”

“I loved the feeling of freedom in running, the fresh air, the feeling that the only person I'm competing with is me.”

“In Iroquois society, leaders are encouraged to remember seven generations in the past and consider seven generations in the future when making decisions that affect the people.”

“The secret of our success is that we never, never give up.”

“I don't think anybody anywhere can talk about the future of their people or of an organization without talking about education. Whoever controls the education of our children controls our future.”

“We must trust our own thinking. Trust where we're going. And get the job done.”

“I want to be remembered as the person who helped us restore faith in ourselves.”

“Winning is great, sure, but if you are really going to do something in life, the secret is learning how to lose. Nobody goes undefeated all the time. If you can pick up after a crushing defeat, and go on to win again, you are going to be a champion someday.”

“Never underestimate the power of dreams and the influence of the human spirit. We are all the same in this notion: The potential for greatness lives within each of us.”

“When the sun is shining I can do anything; no mountain is too high, no trouble too difficult to overcome.”