Komaahe vo’ėstaneo’o tsesaa’evahosėtseto’omeneheheo’o
So that nobody else will have to suffer similar hardships.
Killing civilians, kidnapping children, invading sovereign lands – the forces behind these government-sanctioned acts happening today in the United States are the same as those that drove the Sand Creek Massacre in 1864. We are again witnessing the dehumanization of targeted groups of people, the deputizing of an untrained militia given extrajudicial rights to attack civilians, egregious disregard for the rule of law, and the disintegration of human rights.
The Sand Creek Massacre Foundation exists to learn from our past so we can contend with our present. We call on our supporters to educate, bear witness, and document, keeping watch that such atrocities as the Sand Creek Massacre never happen again.
Hiiwoonhehe' niineh'eihi'i' hineniteeno', nenee'i' hoowuuni beniiinenno'; niihebii'iiteneihi'i' tei'yoonoh'o', niibisiitoneihi'i' heneesneniteeno'. Nuhu' hineniteeno' niineenee'eestoo'i' huutiino heetiine'etiino', xonouuwoo'iheihi'i' nuhu' hoowuxuunenno. Neneehii'eihi'i' nuhu' nihnoo'oohei'i' nuhu' noobeiniiciihehe', nuhu' 1864.
Hiiwoonhehe', hoo'oo'o' hineniteeno', wootii hoowuuni hinenteenino' heesi'ecooheihi'i'; hoo'oo'o' hineniteeno', hiihoowoe'inowuu niisbebiistootiini', 'oh niixouuwoo'iheihi'i' heetihbisiitonoo'i' toonhe'iitehinoo'i; hiihoowbobooteeneetowuu hooxuwuutono; nuhu' heniihenehiitooninoo, heniiyohou'unoo'ou'u.
Nuhu' noobeiniiciibeniiineniit heentou' heetih'iixoohootowuno' nuhu' nih'eeneistootiini' teecxo', heetihbebiistoono' hiiwoonhehe'.
Heeti'ee'i' nuhu' niinotoonoo'ei'ee'i', heetih'ei'towuunoo'i' heeneestootiini', noh heetihwo'onkuutii'i', heetih'ini cii'o'ce'nee'eestootiini' wootii nih'iistoo'i' huu'e' noobeiniiciihehe'.
Translation into Arapaho by Dr. Aldora "Dodie" White Eagle ('ii'ook) and Dr. Andrew Cowell
Eovoeho’no’otsėhovo Me’šeeseve’ho’e.
Nasaa’oxȯhe.
Otohpėso, nasaaMe’šeeseve’ho’evehe.
Nėhe’še ehosėho’no’otsėhovo Mo’ȯhtaeve’ho’e.
Nasaahoseoxȯhe.
Otohpėso, nasaaMo’ȯhtaeve’ho’evehe.
Nėhe’še eho’no’otsėhovo tseTsėhestȧhetsese.
Nasaanėšėhoseoxȯhehe. Nasaa’evaheoxhostovehe.
Nėhe’ėšė naho’no’ohtsae’e.
Hovanee’e vo’stane nasaa’evaeestsėstomotȧhe.
Hovanee’e vo’stane nasaa’evahoonevotaehe.
First they came after the Mexican people.
I did not speak out because I was not a Mexican person.
Then they came for the Black people.
I still did not object.
After all, I was not a Black person.
Then they came for the Cheyenne people.
I still did not say anything because by then my words were worthless.
When they came after me there was no one left to speak for me.
There was no one left to take my side.
Let us hope that the above does not happen ever again.
“No One Was Left to Speak for Me,” written in Cheyenne and translated by Dr. Richard Littlebear, based on a quote credited to Martin Niemoller, a German pastor and theologian who spoke out against Nazi rule.