Red Cloud
FameRank: 8

"Red Cloud" (1822 – December 10, 1909) was a war leader and a chief of the Oglala Lakota. He led as a chief from 1868 to 1909. One of the most capable Native American opponents the United States Army faced, he led a successful campaign in 1866–1868 known as Red Cloud's War over control of the Powder River Country in northeastern Wyoming and southern Montana.

After signing the Treaty of Fort Laramie (1868), Red Cloud led his people in the important transition to Indian reservation/reservation life. Some of his US opponents mistakenly thought of him as overall chief of the Sioux (Dakota, Lakota, and Nakota). The large tribe had several major divisions and was highly decentralized. Bands among the Oglala and other divisions operated independently, even though some individual leaders such as Red Cloud were renowned as warriors and highly respected as leaders.

If you enjoy these quotes, be sure to check out other famous statesmen! More Red Cloud on Wikipedia.

We do not want riches, we want peace and love.

219

Getting the goodness of light-skinned society ... Learn to live among them, learn their education, their language - all the goodness.

184

After the seventh generation, we would become self-sufficient by taking their goodness and that (goodness) of the Lakota.

172

I am poor and naked, but I am the chief of the nation. We do not want riches but we do want to train our children right. Riches would do us no good. We could not take them with us to the other world. We do not want riches. We want peace and love.

160

The fire of hope almost went out; we have to rekindle it.

123