Snohomish War Dance
As an amateur historian I like to collect bad ass sayings from history. Lines like the Spartan’s admonition to the hosts of Persia that they would fight in the shade when covered in arrow fire. Or if their foes wanted them to lay down their arms their enemies could come and get them. I found a new bad ass saying that I have to share.
I was visiting the fantastic Hibulb Cultural Center in Nature Preserve on the Tulalip Reservation the other day, go if you have the chance, it’s great. I was particularly drawn to the impressive and sobering Warriors We Remember Exhibit. As their website says, “This gallery tells the stories of the Tulalip Tribes military tradition that was born of a warrior spirit. Here, we honor the Tulalip men and women that served our country in times of conflict and peace, allowing us to endure freedom.” There were pictures of the men and women who served from the first world war to the current conflicts today and descriptive plaques of the different conflicts.
Displayed prominently on the panel for the First World War is a line from a Snohomish war dance.
We are Snohomish.
We have no enemies, only friends.
We already have taken care of all of our enemies.
– Part of a Snohomish War Dance
How bad ass is that? I love it so much. Equally as bad ass as laconic saying uttered by Sparta’s immortal 300 at Thermopylae.
