The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1880-10-16
Religion OF the Dakota Tribes.

Colonel Fl. B. Darlington spoke abou,
| the Dakota tribes, particularly with re-
| gard to their religion. All nations seem
to have some traditions about their orr
gin, and these are often as strange as the
most active fancy could invent or the
strongest imagination conceive. The
Chief of the Japanese Legation, while in
this country, said: "We have tradition
in Japan that our people came from the
skies in a boat, and we have pictures
which try to represent our ancestors. ]
know enough now to see that our people
could not sail ont of the sky; but when
see people here, who for the first time
remind me of the pictures of our fore
fathers, wonder with awe whether
America was not their home and the
ocean waves took them to Japan" He
referred to the red man of America.
Perhaps some of the traditions will find
their explanation when the study of an
thropologv, ethnology, and some other
sciences or sources of knowledge has
been followed by few years more; and,
indeed, we must admit that some of these
traditions are of such character as to
indicate an origin for them which is more
than mere fancy or imagination. Colonel
Darlington includes among the tribes of
which he speaks, not only the Dakotas,
but also the Pawnees, Winnebagoes,
Sioux and some others. In no case has
he found any words in the Indian lam
guage for cursing God. The Indians
reverence for the Great Spirit is above
that of some white men who claim to be
his superior. The Indian idea of the
spirit land is that it is ply
sical paradise, where every taste
and longing is promptly met. If
he wants food, it is near at hand; water
springs up ready for use; ponies and game
abound; blossoms, leaves and fruit never
fail; all is perennial and perpetual The
Indian conception of hell is quite different
from our own. There is the same pro-
fusion of mercies and good things there,
but, like Dives, who saw the happiness
of heaven beyond his reach, the bad In
dian cannot partake of the pleasures
which surround him after death. Chief
Joseph was once asked if he desired to
have schools and churches on the Wal
Iowa Reservation. He replied that he
did not, and gave as his reason that they
would teach us to quarrel about God,
as the Catholics and PIotestantsdo, We
fight each other, but we don't want to
fight about God" Their mode of burial
by raising the dead upon platforms be-
yond the reach of wild beasts, until the
dust returns to earth, is full of strange
fancies. The problem of what shall be
done with the red man demands our at
tention a. this time. The past has shown
that when he enters upon treaty with
the white man iunderstandingly he is as
faithful tn his aoreement ac u,,a ora orr-
selves. We call him savage, but he can
be friend. This has been true of the
Narragansetts, the Delawares, the Paw
nees, the Winnebagoes, the Crows. Spot
ted Tail, with his 10000 companions, has
kept the pledges made in 1866. Red
Cloud and followers are true, in spite of
of numerous deprivations they have suf-
fered. Since the year 1865 there has not
been border campaign which did not
have its impulse in the aggressions of
the white men,