ICSE Students can refer to Chief Seattle’s Speech Summary ICSE below which has been prepared by expert English teachers of ICSE as per that latest syllabus and guidelines issued by ICSE. These Chapter summaries have been prepared to help students to understand the entire chapter easily. You can also refer to more study material for ICSE Class 10 on our website
ICSE Class 10 English Chief Seattle’s Speech Summary
We have provided below a summary of Chapter Chief Seattle’s Speech. This is an important chapter in Standard 10th ICSE English. The summary provided below has been prepared by expert English faculty for ICSE based on the latest ICSE books. You should refer to all Chapter Summaries ICSE Class 10 English which will help you to understand all chapters and to get more marks in exams.
Chief Seattle’s Speech ICSE Class 10 English
About the Author
Chief Seattle (1780 – 7 June, 1866), a famous 19th century American Indian Chief of Duwamish and Suquamish tribe. He was a prominent leader of his time, much respected for his Native American wisdom and commitment towards maintaining the ecological balance of the ancestral lands that fell under his tribes’ ownership. He was a brave and courageous warrior chief. Seattle’s speech gave him wide popularity. The speech favoured ecological responsibility of Native Americans. However, the actual content of the speech is uncertain and much has been lost through translation and rewriting.
Summary
Chief Seattle was an important figure in the early American History. He was the chief of the Suquamish and Duwamish tribes, fighting for the rights of his native people in the face of American Colonists.
This famous speech was given by
him when the American Colonists aggressively offered to buy the native land of his tribe and in return offered them the right to live there. His speech has been described as one of the most beautiful and moralistic words on the environment’s value.
In his speech, he stresses upon the importance of Nature and the need to respect it. He makes use of satire while describing the offer from the Great Chief of Washington. He says, that it is the benevolence of the Great Chief to offer their friendship, as the Americans are much powerful than the Red Indians who were once great, but now reduced to a handful. He reminds that the wars are destructive and they harm both, humans and nature. So they should be avoided. He also mentions that the God of the Whites is partial and He only protects them and not the Red Indians. He also points out at the difference of origin of both the races. Seattle very emotionally emphasizes on the holiness of the ashes of their ancestors, thus their land is very precious to them. Therefore, accepting the proposal of acquisition of land from the Governor of Washington, he makes a request to grant them permission to visit the land which contains the ashes of their forefathers. Concluding his speech he says that, the Red Indians have such a strong attachment with their land that even after the death of the Red Indians, their spirits will never leave the land and thus, makes an appeal to the Whites to treat their land sympathetically as the dead people have the power to change the world.
Word Meanings :
