How Can One Sell the Air?: Chief Seattle's Vision [Paperback]

Eli Gifford (Editor), Michael Cook (Editor), Warren Jefferson (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 2005

Chief Seattle's impassioned plea to respect the "Sacred Web of Life" has been translated worldwide and has become a rallying cry for the environmental movement. But what did he really say? This edition features the version of Chief Seattle's speech that the Suquamish elders from Seattle's tribe include in their oral tradition, and gives valuable insight into the three most often quoted speeches attributed to Chief Seattle.. This revised edition also includes background information on Chief Seattle, the history of the region at the time, and the culture of the Suquamish then and now. Includes rare photographs from the Suquamish Tribal Archives of 19th century village life.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Eli Gifford was writing a masters thesis on Chief Seattle and his famous speech. Together with Michael Cook, who talked to the Suquamish elders, interviewed Robert Perry and contacted the estate of William Arrrowsmith, they were able to trace the evolution of the original speech to two popular 20th century adaptations. Warren Jefferson, a photographer and researcher, was given access to rare photographs from the Suquamish archives for this book.

Product Details

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Native Voices; Revised edition (March 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1570671737
• ISBN-13: 978-1570671739
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.8 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #204,036 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #6 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Nonfiction > Social Sciences > Special Groups > Native American Studies
  • #35 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Science > Nature & Ecology > General
  • #41 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > History > Americas > United States > State & Local

More About the Author

Warren works as a graphic designer, photographer, and research writer for the Book Publishing Company, which specializes in vegetarian cookbooks, alternative health, and Native American culture. He has edited and worked on numerous publications on a variety of subjects. He has has a keen interest in Native American history and culture since first reading Black Elk Speaks in the late 60s. Warren and his wife Barbara have four children and five grandchildren. They live in an intentional community called The Farm in rural Tennessee with their Jack Russell Terrier Max.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Sound environmentalism but nothing to do with Chief Seattle, January 10, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: How Can One Sell the Air?: Chief Seattle's Vision (Paperback)

This text is one of a number of environmental pleas which are variations on a speech written by a european american in the early 1970s for a film. The speech was erroneously attributed to Duwamish/Suquamish Chief Seattle ?-1866. An article purporting to be the text of a speech from Seattle to Territorial Gov. Isac Stevens in 1854 appeared in a Seattle newspaper in 1878 - It is accepted by many scholars, including the Suquamish Tribal Museum, as an Americanized translation of an actual oration. Probably, this text was the inspiration for the 1973 film script speech, but the two have nothing in common and are frequently in direct opposition. The 1854/1878 text is not an environmental treatise. The 1973 text is not "another Seattle speech" - it is patently bogus, since we know its origin and it includes things (railroads in washington, buffalo slaughter from trains) which hadn't happened in 1854, indeed until after Seattle's death. This is a great text, but it does no service to environmentalism, scholarship, or the memory of this Puget Sound leader to sell books having nothing to do with him by attaching his name. Incidentally, this mis-attribution has been known for years - why do reputable booksellers continue to promote it?

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A rallying cry for today's environmental protection movement, November 13, 2005

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: How Can One Sell the Air?: Chief Seattle's Vision (Paperback)

Chief Seattle, leader of the Seattle Native American tribe called the Suquamish, gave an eloquent speech to Isaac Stevens, the Territorial Governor on January 10, 1854 during treaty negotiations. His impassioned and moving plea to respect the "Sacred Web of Life" has been translated world wide and is a rallying cry for today's environmental protection movement. Now in a newly revised edition, How Can One Sell The Air?: Chief Seattle's Vision presents his timeless insights drawn from three of his most often quoted speeches, some of which had been included in the Seattle tribe's oral tradition and to which they gave their official endorsement for authenticity. This expanded addition for a new generation of readers is enhanced with background information on Chief Seattle, the history of the region at that time, and the culture of the Suquamish then and now. The informed and informative text is enriched with rare historical photographs (many from the Suquamish Tribal Archives) of 19th century tribal village life. How Can One Sell The Air? is an essential addition to any personal, academic, or community library Native American Studies collection.

5 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars How can one sell the air?: Chief Seattles's Vision, December 4, 1999

By 

Gert Rethage (97218 Gerbrunn, Deutschland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: How Can One Sell the Air?: Chief Seattle's Vision (Paperback)

Does it make any sense to discuss whether the speech is originally written by Chief Seattle or not? The most importent sense is to get thoughts we - the Europeans and the Not-native Americans - have lost in organizing our modern civilization and technics. By the speech of Chief Seattle we can find back to mankind's roots.