“It’s as if our history has been deleted because, when we go to a museum, there are rock paintings but it does not say that they are by the Sami. ”
Tuomas Aslak Juuso (too-oh-mahss as-lack joo-so), Vice-President of the Sami Parliament
“The Sami have no obligation whatsoever to explain every root and branch of our culture in order to justify our demand to be taken seriously.”
Petra Laiti (peh-trah leye-tee), Chairperson of the Sami youth organization
“We have always been forced to defend our rights. We refuse to look away while the Finnish state tramples on the rights of our people.”
Jussa Seurujärvi (juh-sah soor-ah-jog-ghee), Sami reindeer herder
“We live in a society where resistance takes place every day. It’s not anything new for us, and this railroad plan is not the first thing we must take a stand against.”
Petra-Biret Magga-Vars (peh-trah-beye-ret ma-gah-vahrs), Sami reindeer-herder
“Life is transient, like a flash of lightning or a dream. Eighty years pass like a cloud. We're born and then we die.”
Chi-ch'eng (chee-chung), Buddhist monk
“Monks or nuns who can preach live in the city. I can't preach so I live in the mountains and practice by myself.
Hui Yuan (hway-yuan), Buddhist nun
“After Liberation we weren't supposed to read old books anymore. But I managed to collect quite a few Taoist books and I hid all the important ones away.”
Master Yang (mass-terr yang), Taoist monk
“When the Red Guards came I told them to go away. I didn't let them in. If I had they would have destroyed Kumarajiva's stupa. I was ready to die.”
Yuan Chao (yoo-en-chow), Buddhist teacher
“Educate people (by) making videos, broadcasting radio to use Balanda (white) technology for Yolngu rom (culture). But first…you have to start to think and picture it in your mind.”
Bangana Wunungmurra (bahn-gahn-nah wuh-nung-moor-rah), Yolngu filmmaker
“We’ve had enough seeing conservation people… they all white fellas and they go and tell Yolngu stories. We want to change that and say ‘No this is our country. This is our story. This is me.’”
Marley Djandirri Dalparri (mar-lee jahn-deer-ree dahl-pahr-ree), Arafura Swamp ranger
“It’s my vision for (my grandson)… We are in two worlds… Carry on Yolngu knowledge and… meet with Balanda (non indigenous) knowledge.”
Helen Nyomba Gandangu (hel-len neye-ohm-bah gahn-dahn-goo), Yolngu Traditional Owner
“White people destroy all the native tucker (foods)... We don’t want to go to shop all the time… Sometimes we don’t have money… More better we just go here and eat free.”
Peter Djigirr (pee-terr jee-geer), Gurruwiling Ranger
“That which we do, we do not do for ourselves. We do it for these children because…it is the children of this day that will take us into a new way of life.”
Jan van der Westhuizen (yahn vahn-der-vest-hay-zen), Khomani San healer
“We're all power. We all have power - one has this knowledge and one has a degree.”
Belinda Kruiper (beh-lin-dah cry-per), author & widow of Khomani San artist
“I do not want to only talk about our traditions. I want to show people how to track and gather food... If I do not pass on what I know, who will?”
Andrew Kruiper (ann-droo cry-per), Khomani San tracker
“If a person who speaks our language dies then our language also dies. When you cover him with dirt the language is not like a plant that grows again.”
Ouma/Una Rooi (oo-mah oo-nah roo-ee), Khomani San leader