Bombay, May 28: A Red Indian chief foresaw over a century ago the ecological disaster the world would face if it remained content to make material progress at the expense of nature. In a moving letter to the then President of the United States, Mr. Franklin Pierce, Chief Seathi (later Americanised to Seattle) of the Suwamish tribe of Red Indians in Washington State wrote in 1855 “What is man without beasts? If all the beasts were gone, men would die from great loneliness of the spirit for whatever happens to the beats also happens to man...”

The letter was discovered by the World Wildlife Fund among a number of documents released by the United States Government.

The letter was a reply to the U.S. President’s “request” to Chief Seathi to “sell” his tribe’s land to the Government. Chief Seathi began his letter, “The great chief in Washington sends word that he wishes to buy our land. The great chief also sends us words of friendship and goodwill. This is kind of him since we know that he has little need of our friendship in return. But we will consider your offer... for we know if we do not do so, the white man may come with guns and take our land.”