When the last deer disappears into the morning mist,
When the last elk vanishes from the hills,
When the last buffalo falls on the plains,
I will hunt mice for I am a hunter and I must have my freedom.
~Chief Joseph, Nez Perce
This, that and the other thing 
You’ve captured freedom to run well here!
One of the things I love about the west is the openness, Sue. We saw so many buffalo/bison in Yellowstone last year and it was wonderful.
janet
Wyoming, Janet? Very nice.
You’re right, Cathy–Yellowstone. Seeing all the buffalo makes me think how incredible it must have been when herds of them filled the entire plain!
janet
I so agree! What a sight that must have been.
But if they all panicked and ran, what a terrible sight!
True! And there aren’t many trees to climb on the plains. Believe me, I know!
Me, too. I grew up in Nebraska and we’re now outside Chicago. I sometimes think of what the Great Plains must have looked like when there were only grasses as tall as a person. Amazing!
Chief Joseph–so wise and courageous.
From all accounts he was a wise and brave man. Thanks for stopping by, Victoria. Nice to meet you via the haibun challenge. It was the first time I’d entered but I hope to be doing more.
janet
The freedom to kill?
I must be misunderstanding this quote of this man that all others here praise.
Thank you for your perceptive comment on my blog this morning.
Jo-hanna, I enjoyed visiting your blog and reading your haibun. I’m just getting started with haibun and you guys are quite good. As for the quote, at the time he said this, the end of the 1800’s or first year or two of the 1900’s, the government wanted to put him and his tribe on a reservation. He wanted peace with the whites but they never really allowed him to have any. Hunting was how the Indians got their food, like buying groceries is for us. Despite his best efforts, his tribe’s freedom to roam the plains as they had always done was curtailed and they were put on a reservation. His quote represents not merely freedom to hunt, but freedom to live as they had always lived. Here’s a bit of information about him: http://www.biography.com/people/chief-joseph-9358227#final-years&awesm=~oGdshs4dCknNgk.
I hope that explains a bit better and thanks for stopping by.
janet
I hope that
aha. didn’t realize this was about historic events. The word ‘chief’ didn’t make it cleato me that we are talking about displaced people. This puts a different slant on it.