Tecumseh: a Poet?

Recently, I watched a film entitled Act of Valor. The story is about Navy SEALs and their crazy missions, but that is not the concern of this post. The final scene was of a funeral with a poem being read in the background. The poem struck me as strange because it was written by Tecumseh. Yes, the Native American warrior who fought alongside the British against the colonists during the American Revolutionary War and later fought to prevent the expansion of white settlers into the West.

Here is the poem:

   "Live your life that the fear of death can never enter your heart.

Trouble no one about his religion.
Respect others in their views and demand that they respect yours.
Love your life, perfect your life, beautify all things in your life.
Seek to make your life long and of service to your people.
Prepare a noble death song for the day when you go over the great divide.
Always give a word or sign of salute when meeting or passing a friend,
or even a stranger, if in a lonely place.
Show respect to all people, but grovel to none.
When you rise in the morning, give thanks for the light,
for your life, for your strength.
Give thanks for your food and for the joy of living.
If you see no reason to give thanks, the fault lies in yourself.
Abuse no one and no thing, for abuse turns the wise ones to fools
and robs the spirit of its vision.
When your time comes to die,
be not like those whose hearts are filled with fear of death,
so that when their time comes they weep and pray for a little more time
to live their lives over again in a different way.
Sing your death song, and die like a hero going home."

I have not seen too many Native American poems but there must be many out there. I do not know if this poem is word for word how Tecumseh said or wrote it but the knowledge and advice provided within it is quite interesting and inspiring.

I thought that the use of a poem, written by an enemy of the U.S. military, by a Navy SEAL was some kind interesting.

Maybe I will look up some more Native poets in the future!