thanks, but no thanks

In 1744, the government of Virginia offered a college education to some of the young Iroquois men. Below is the reply from one of the Iroquois (unnamed), as recounted by Benjamin Franklin (and was read at my college graduation).  Here it is:

“We know that you highly esteem the kind of learning taught in colleges, and that the maintenance of our young men, while with you, would be very expensive to you.  We are convinced, therefore, that you mean to do us good by your proposal, and we thank you heartily. But you who are wise must know that different nations have different conceptions of things; and you will therefore not take it amiss if our ideas of this kind of education happen not to be the same with yours. We have had some experience of it: several of our young people were formerly brought up  at the colleges of the northern provinces; they were instructed in all your sciences; but when they came back to us, they were bad runners; ignorant of every means of living in the woods; unable to bear either cold or hunger; knew neither how to build a cabin, take a deer, or kill an enemy; spoke our language imperfectly; were therefore neither fit for hunters, warriors, or counselors; they were totally good for nothing.  We are, however, not the less obliged by your kind offer, though we decline accepting it; and to show our grateful sense of it, if the gentleman of Virginia will send us a dozen of their sons, we will take a great care of their education, instruct them in all we know, and make men of them.”

Source:
Blaisdell, Robert. Great Speeches by Native Americans. Mineola, NY: Dover Publications, 2000. 15. Print.