The earth is the mother of all people, and all people should have

"The earth is the mother of all people, and all people should have equal rights upon it." Thus spoke Chief Joseph, the leader of the Nez Perce, whose voice carried the sorrow of a people torn from their land, and the wisdom of one who knew the sacred bond between man and the soil beneath his feet. In this saying is contained not merely a plea, but a profound truth: that the earth does not belong to us—we belong to her. She is the great mother, eternal and generous, whose rivers flow without asking whom they shall quench, whose sun shines upon the just and unjust alike, whose valleys and mountains welcome every living soul with equal breath.

When Chief Joseph uttered these words, he was speaking not only for his people, but for all humanity. For in his time, the Nez Perce were forced from the lands of their ancestors, pursued relentlessly despite promises made by those who hungered for territory. In his grief he saw the folly of man: that though the earth is vast and abundant, men fight to possess her as if she were stone and metal rather than a living mother. His voice rose as a cry against injustice, but also as a reminder of a higher law—that of equality upon the land, granted not by kings nor governments, but by creation itself.

Think of the farmer in the ancient valleys of the Nile. The silt of the river came each year, renewing the fields with life, and it did not ask whether the farmer was rich or poor, whether he was Egyptian or a foreigner living near its banks. The soil simply gave. Yet throughout history, men have fenced, divided, and claimed dominion, setting brother against brother for what was meant to be shared. This is the wound that Chief Joseph named, the tearing apart of human kinship by greed, by the illusion that one may own what belongs to all.

Consider also a story from more recent times. In the 20th century, Mahatma Gandhi led the people of India in their struggle for independence. Among his teachings was the principle of “trusteeship”: that the wealth of the earth is held in trust, and those who have more must use it for the good of all. Gandhi, like Chief Joseph, understood that land, resources, and life itself were not commodities to hoard, but sacred gifts to be shared. The echo is clear: whether in the voice of the Nez Perce or the Mahatma, the truth is eternal—the earth is the common ground of all humanity.

This truth calls us to humility. For what arrogance it is, that one man should say, “This mountain is mine,” when the mountain has stood for millennia before his birth and will stand for millennia after his dust has returned to the soil! What pride it is, that one nation should say, “This river belongs to us alone,” when the river flows wherever gravity pulls it, heedless of borders drawn on parchment! Chief Joseph reminds us that our possession of the earth is fleeting, like a shadow at sunset. We are but guests, and guests should walk with gratitude and respect.

The lesson, then, is clear. If we see the earth as mother, we must treat her with reverence. If we see all people as her children, we must treat one another with fairness and compassion. To live otherwise is to dishonor our origins, to trample upon the very womb that bore us. Chief Joseph’s words were spoken in a time of betrayal and sorrow, yet they endure as a guide for us: to share, not hoard; to honor, not exploit; to embrace, not divide.

What practical steps, then, should we take? First, we must care for the land as if it were family: planting trees, preserving waters, treading lightly. Second, we must strive for justice, ensuring that no people are cast aside, denied their share of the earth’s gifts. Third, we must live with generosity—whether by sharing food, opportunity, or compassion—knowing that when one suffers, all are diminished. These actions, though humble, are the seeds of harmony.

Let the words of Chief Joseph be a torch carried forward: the earth is mother, and her children must walk as one. Remember this in your choices, in your dealings with others, and in your care for the land. For only when we honor this sacred truth will we live as true sons and daughters of the soil, bound together by the eternal bond of equal birthright upon the earth.