They say that perhaps it is not by love, but by blood, that land is bought. They say that perhaps my people had to die to nourish this earth with their truth. Your people did not have ears to hear. Perhaps we had to return to the earth, so that we could grow within your hearts. Perhaps we have come back and will fill the hills and valleys with our song. Who is to know? Kent Nerburn
About This Quote

This quote is from the poem, “Ngati Ruanui - A Song of Peace and Understanding” by Dora Ngahere. The song was written to commemorate the peace and understanding that was needed between Maori and European settlers. This peace and understanding has never been fully brought to Earth, and the relationship between European and Maori continues to be one of misunderstanding and fear.

Source: Neither Wolf Nor Dog: On Forgotten Roads With An Indian Elder

Some Similar Quotes
  1. When someone loves you, the way they talk about you is different. You feel safe and comfortable. - Jess C. Scott
  2. The man of knowledge must be able not only to love his enemies but also to hate his friends. - Friedrich Nietzsche
  3. You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection - Sharon Salzberg
  4. In youth, it was a way I had, To do my best to please. And change, with every passing lad To suit his theories. But now I know the things I know And do the things I do, And if you do not like me... - Dorothy Parker
  5. You can search throughout the entire universe for someone who is more deserving of your love and affection than you are yourself, and that person is not to be found anywhere. You, yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and... - Sharon Salzberg
More Quotes By Kent Nerburn
  1. They say that perhaps it is not by love, but by blood, that land is bought. They say that perhaps my people had to die to nourish this earth with their truth. Your people did not have ears to hear. Perhaps we had to return...
  2. Grover spit expertly between his teeth. "You know, Nerburn, " he said, "you're like those treaty negotiators we used to have to deal with. Always in a hurry. Sometimes there are preliminaries." "There are preliminaries and there are evasions, " I said. <span style="margin:15px; display:block"></span>"Look...
  3. Loneliness is like sitting in an empty room and being aware of the space around you. It is a condition of separateness. Solitude is becoming one with the space around you. It is a condition of union. <span style="margin:15px; display:block"></span>Loneliness is small, solitude is large....
  4. When we try to understand another, we reveal ourselves, and in revealing ourselves we are able to be understood. Our heart declares itself to another heart, and that which is common between us becomes the bridge over which understanding crosses.
  5. People should think of their words like seeds. They should plant them, then let them grow in silence. Our old people taught us that the earth is always speaking to us, but that we have to be silent to hear her.
Related Topics