I hope that no more groans of wounded men and women will ever go

“I hope that no more groans of wounded men and women will ever go to the ear of the Great Spirit Chief above, and that all people may be one people.”
Thus spoke Chief Joseph, the noble leader of the Nez Perce, whose heart was both warrior and sage. In these words, born from sorrow and longing, he gave voice to the deepest prayer of humankind—the yearning for peace and unity. His statement is not merely the plea of a defeated chief, but the eternal song of the soul that has seen too much suffering. It is a cry to the heavens that the blood of men and women should no longer stain the earth, and that all peoples, no matter their color or creed, should live together as one family under the Great Spirit.

The origin of this quote lies in one of the most tragic and heroic chapters of American history. Chief Joseph—whose name in his own tongue meant Thunder Rolling Down the Mountain—led his people across nearly 1,500 miles in an attempt to flee persecution and preserve their freedom. The Nez Perce, pursued by soldiers, fought bravely not out of hatred, but from a desperate desire to live in peace upon their ancestral land. Yet when they could flee no further, surrounded by the snows of Montana, Joseph surrendered—not in shame, but in sorrow. His speech that day was filled with dignity and compassion, and it was then that he uttered the wish that no more cries of pain would reach the heavens, and that one day, all nations might be as one.

This quote reveals the soul of a man who understood that war, even when fought for justice, leaves wounds deeper than victory can heal. Chief Joseph had seen the broken bodies of his people, the weeping of mothers, the silence of children who would never again laugh. He had felt the bitterness of betrayal, yet his heart did not harden into hatred. Instead, he looked upward, beyond the battlefield, and saw the truth that peace is the only true victory. To wish that no more groans reach the Great Spirit is to recognize that violence is not strength, but failure—a failure of love, of understanding, of humanity itself.

Consider the example of Abraham Lincoln, who during the Civil War—another time of terrible division—spoke similar words of reconciliation: “With malice toward none, with charity for all…” Like Chief Joseph, Lincoln dreamed of a nation united not by conquest but by compassion. Both men knew that healing begins not in triumph but in mercy, and that the only peace worth having is the peace that comes from forgiveness. Their words echo across time, reminding us that greatness lies not in the power to destroy, but in the courage to mend.

Chief Joseph’s plea also carries a spiritual weight, for in invoking the Great Spirit Chief above, he speaks not only to his people but to all creation. He reminds us that there is a moral order higher than human law, and that every act of cruelty sends its echo into the heavens. The groans of the wounded—of soldiers, of mothers, of the innocent—are prayers of pain that rise to the ears of eternity. To silence those groans is not merely to end war; it is to restore harmony between humanity and the divine.

From this wisdom arises the lesson for all generations: peace must be chosen, not awaited. It is not the gift of rulers or the outcome of battles, but the daily work of hearts that refuse to hate. If we would honor Chief Joseph’s hope, we must learn to listen—to the cries of the suffering, to the stories of those different from ourselves, to the quiet voice within that calls for unity. Every act of kindness, every bridge built across division, is a step toward that vision of one people under one sky.

So remember this, O listener of the ages: let no more groans rise to heaven because of your hand or your silence. Seek peace where there is conflict; bring understanding where there is fear. For the Great Spirit hears not only our prayers but our actions. And when the day comes that no man’s pain is caused by another, then Chief Joseph’s dream shall be fulfilled—the earth will rest, the heavens will rejoice, and all people shall indeed be one people, living together in the sacred light of peace.