We do not want riches, we want peace and love.

Hear, O children of the earth, the words of Red Cloud, chief of the Oglala Lakota, whose voice rose in defiance and sorrow amid the storm of conquest: “We do not want riches, we want peace and love.” These words, simple yet eternal, reveal the essence of wisdom that has guided peoples from the dawn of time. They are not the cry of poverty, but the declaration of truth—that gold, wealth, and possessions are fleeting shadows, while peace and love are the enduring treasures of the spirit.

The origin of this wisdom is found in the clash between the Lakota and the encroaching settlers of the United States during the 19th century. Red Cloud saw his people pressed, their lands seized, their traditions threatened by those who sought after riches—gold in the Black Hills, wealth in railroads, dominion over the plains. To the Lakota, the land was sacred, life was bound in kinship and reverence. What they desired was not riches, but harmony with nature, fellowship among tribes, and love within their communities. Thus, his words were both a plea and a rebuke: a reminder that the pursuit of wealth at the cost of humanity leads only to ruin.

The ancients too proclaimed this truth. Did not the Stoics teach that riches cannot bring happiness, for true wealth lies in virtue? Did not the prophets declare that “better a little with peace than a house full of feasting with strife”? Even in the East, sages like Lao Tzu taught that grasping after gold leads only to unrest, while simplicity brings harmony. Across all cultures, wisdom converges: peace and love surpass riches. Yet men, blinded by greed, often forget.

History gives us countless examples. Consider the Spanish conquest of the Americas. The conquistadors sought gold and silver, hungering for riches beyond measure. But in their pursuit, they brought devastation, destroying civilizations, extinguishing cultures, and sowing centuries of grief. They gained treasure, but lost peace. In contrast, leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, who sought neither wealth nor power but peace and the love of his people, left behind a legacy that continues to inspire the world. One legacy perished in greed; the other endures in spirit.

Red Cloud’s words also serve as a warning to every generation. Wealth without peace is a gilded prison. Riches without love are ashes in the hand. Nations that chase after gold while neglecting the bonds of humanity soon find themselves broken from within. And individuals who labor only for possessions discover, too late, that the heart is starved when it is not fed by love and peace. His words strip away illusion and reveal what is eternal: relationships, harmony, compassion, and the unity of the human spirit.

The lesson, O listener, is clear: seek not riches first, but seek peace and love, for in them is the true abundance of life. When you pursue harmony with your neighbor, when you cultivate compassion in your family, when you labor for reconciliation rather than conquest, you plant seeds that endure beyond generations. Wealth can be lost in a day; peace and love can sustain a people for centuries.

Practical wisdom flows from this. Value people more than possessions. In your dealings, seek fairness, not advantage. In your work, strive not only for profit, but for the well-being of those around you. In your heart, measure success not by what you have gathered, but by the peace you create and the love you share. In this way, you walk the path Red Cloud sought for his people, and you become a builder of a world not of greed, but of harmony.

So remember, O child of tomorrow: “We do not want riches, we want peace and love.” This is not only the cry of a chief, but the cry of humanity itself, echoing across ages. May you heed it, may you live by it, and may you teach it, so that future generations inherit not merely wealth, but a world of peace, bound together by love.