“The roots are where it starts… Sun, moon, land, animals are important… I am not the main thing here, the human.”
Ursula Länsman (oor-soo-lah lahnz-man), Inari Sami reindeer herder
Life was fond of us. The sun in heaven’s space and the earth sought in its arms gifts. The reindeer roamed, the salmon climbed.”
Nils-Aslak Valkeapää (neels-ah-slock fahl-kay-ah-pah), Sami poet
“The river cannot be separated from the families, and the families cannot be separated from the salmon.”
Pauliina Feodoroff (pow-leen-nah fee-oh-door-off), President of the Skolt Sámi Nation Council
“My grandfather knew the soul of salmon.”
Vladimir Feodoroff (vlad-ee-meer fee-oh-door-off), Skolt Sami fisherman
“The main thing is to reduce your desires and quiet your mind.”
Master Hsueh T’ai-lai (sheh tie-lie), Taoist monk
“Only when the mind is still can it see. And only when the mind can see can it reach the mystery of mysteries”
Yen-ch’eng (Yen-Chung), Buddhist abbott
“Once you've seen through the illusions of the world, hardships aren't important.”
Ch'uan-fu (Choo-En – Foo), Buddhist nun
“You can achieve something if you practice. If you don't practice, you achieve nothing.”
Ch'e-hui (chuh-hway), Buddhist nun
“I am an Aboriginal from mud, red mud. I am black, I am red, I am yellow. I will not take my people from here to be in these other places.”
Gawirrin Gumana (gah-wee-rin goo-mah-nah), Dhalwangu (daw-lay-wah-lah) clan leader
“My name, the languages of the islands and the seas, were given to us by the ancestors when they made the world.”
Laurie Baymarrwangga (law-ree bang-or-nah), Senior Traditional Owner of Yan-nhangu (yan-an-new) Islands
“If we are caring for our country, we’re caring for our people. If people are connected to country… we are healthy, our knowledge is healthy.”
Otto Bulmaniya Campion (oh-toe bull-mahn-yah cam-pee-yon), Senior Traditional Owner at Ramingining (rah-mon-ggin-ning)
“Our kinship connects us to whatever lies in the sea. It holds our family. And everything in the ocean is related. ”
Langani Marika (lahn-gahn-ee mah-ree-kah), Senior Traditional Owner for the Rirratjingu (reer-ott-jin-goo) clan
“It is the knowledge and contribution of the elders that gives us confidence to claim our inheritance and heritage.”
Anna Festus (ann-nah fess-tuss), Khomani San community leader
“The red Kalahari sand is like the blood of our people.”
Buks Kruiper (books cry-per), Khomani San master tracker
“I learned my knowledge of herbs from my mother. The knowledge was transferred from woman to woman, mother to daughter.”
Ouma Geelmeid (oh-mah ggee-yell-mide), N/uu (noo) language teacher
“I am a bushman. I am a GPS.”
Oom Dawid Kruiper (oom dah-weed cry-per), Khomani San leader