Fight No More

From the info blurb on PatchMusic: "The story of Chief Joseph's surrender after miles and miles of retreat hoping to cross the Canadian border after promises and treaties were broken time after time."

I've taken a few Native American classes in college, and I completely agree Klal. Traditional Native Americans see the land as belonging to itself, and see themselves as part of the land. European cultures (with the elaborate gardens we find in nations such as England and France) teach of conquering and owning the land, forcing it to submit and shape it to your desires.

This song is pretty much completely about Chief Joseph's troubles as the united States basically ran him, along with the rest of the native americans out of their own land. In a famous quote of the Chief's he says at the end, "I will fight no more forever." He also had a few people in his tribe of high rank who were killed in battles against the american troops, one being looking glass. "Some will bleed like Looking Glass." and this trouble that the native americans encountered is blatantly shown in the lines: "we know not of your borders but you push us to your corners, this is not your land. this isnt anybody's land." Finally, Chief Joseph was able to lead his people in realative peace after he was granted land by the current president, Rutherford b. Hayes (though they had to share with other tribes). He died about 25 years later of a "broken heart."

Theres a book called "I Will Fight No More Forever."

This song is definitely about what Americans did to the Native Americans when we first arrived here.

Also "from where the sun now stands, I will fight no more forever" is a direct quote from Chief Joseph's surrender statement in October of 1877: "I want to have time to look for my children, and see how many of them I can find. Maybe I shall find them among the dead. Hear me, my chiefs! I am tired; my heart is sick and sad. From where the sun now stands I will fight no more forever."