Voilà ce que nous avions... Voici ce que tu nous as laissé.
“This is what we had. This is what you have left us.”
Spoken while presenting fertile soil and then bare stones to the French colonial governor, protesting the land seized from the Kanak people before the 1878 uprising.
— Ataï, New Caledonia
Source: Attributed to Ataï, in his confrontation with Governor Léopold de Pritzbuer shortly before the 1878 Kanak insurrection; recorded in period and historical accounts of the revolt (French Wikipedia "Ataï"; Musée national d'Histoire naturelle exhibition records)
More Proverbs from New Caledonia
Do not reject the words of the elders.
The counsel of elders carries hard-won experience and should never be dismissed by the young.
The future is before you — do not turn back.
Face forward and keep moving toward what is ahead rather than dwelling on what is behind.
The bourao leaf is carried off by the current, not knowing where it goes.
A person without direction or purpose drifts through life at the mercy of circumstance, just like a leaf swept along by water.
The best defense against an enemy is to attack first.
Waiting passively for trouble to arrive is weaker than meeting a threat with decisive action.
Rid yourself of shame and timidity, and accomplish your will.
Excessive shyness or self-doubt holds people back; real progress requires the courage to act.
Think before you act.
Careful reflection before a decision prevents the regret that follows a hasty one.