Thomas Yellowtail Quotes

Modern civilization has no understanding of sacred matters. Everything is backwards.

— Thomas Yellowtail

“Spiritual matters are difficult to explain
because you must live with them in order
to fully understand them.”

— Thomas Yellowtail

“It is not through the great skill of the hunter himself that success
is achieved, but through the hunter's awareness of his place in
Creation and his relationship to all things.”

— Thomas Yellowtail

“Prayer is the best answer to all of the trials that face us, because without prayer, even if we succeed in accomplishing some great goal in the eyes of men, we have failed in our sacred responsibilities, and thus we have failed in what is truly important.”

— Thomas Yellowtail

Words alone are inadequate to express spiritual realities. This book expresses the Red Indian spirit because it combines the best photographs ever taken of the old-time chiefs with some of their best words. You can meet these old-timers and share their wisdom. People who read this book will better understand our sacred ways.

— Thomas Yellowtail

“But one should pray in one's heart during a sacred ceremony; this is the purpose of the ceremony, to purify the participants both inside and outside.”

— Thomas Yellowtail

Each day, whatever I am doing, I am always praying and thinking of
God.

— Thomas Yellowtail

“People think other things are more
important than prayer, but they are
mistaken.”

— Thomas Yellowtail

You must be prepared and know the
reason why you dance.

— Thomas Yellowtail

The manner with which we walk through life is each man's most important responsibility, and we should remember this with every new sunrise.

— Thomas Yellowtail

“Without a sacred center, no one knows right from wrong.”

— Thomas Yellowtail

“To be able to greet the sun with the sounds from all of Nature is a great blessing, and it helps us to remember Who is the real provider of all of our benefits.”

— Thomas Yellowtail

“A vision could put you on a path you don't want to follow.”

— Thomas Yellowtail

“In our modern world today, we may seem like drowning men because of the loss of much of our spiritual tradition.”

— Thomas Yellowtail

“Today, what is important for us is to realize that the old sacred ways are correct, and that if we do not follow them we will be lost and without a guide.”

— Thomas Yellowtail

Once you know about these things, you will also love them, because you will see that without a sense of the sacred, you are less than a man.

— Thomas Yellowtail

“Humility is probably the most difficult virtue to realize.”

— Thomas Yellowtail

“Each person's prayers can help everyone.”

— Thomas Yellowtail