The Osceola times., 1882-06-10
INDIAN RELIGION.
The Noble Red Man and HIS Good AND
Had Medicine.
Dakota Cor. Troy Times.

Dakota Cor. Troy Times
The world has long been familiar with
the stories of barbarity, cruelty and ra
pine in connection with the Indians.
Good men have leisure to write human
tartan letters thousands of miles from
where scalps are lifted. Whatever the
inscrutable purpose for which the Indian
was created, he is doomed. He lacks the
instinct OF self-preseryation. He would
rather be aggressive end die, than peace
| ful and live. There is no freehold for
him save under the laws of civilization.
In the time 10 come the territory of the
world will be lawfully claimed only by
those who use it for Gods first purpose,
the tilling of the soil. The westward
march of civilization, with all of its at.
tendant evils and final results, is the
foreordination of the Almighty, and in
this piece of bad theology but stubborn
fact lies the final solution of the Indian
question.
The name of the Great Spirit figures
| largely in all reports of Indian oratory,
Just as the name of Deity is freely used
/ in the stirring appeals of sccond-class
politicians. TIE Great Idea is a. much
a myth to the one as 10 the other. The
system of theology which prevails among
the Indians is merely q superstitions fear
of something they cannot understand
Bob Ingersoll defines religion as the
dread of hereafter. In common with
every race, the Indian believes in the
Immortality of the soul, ard in hereafter.
What kind of heaven or hell he has
imagined for himself no man can tell.
There are no strictly religious forms
among them, and nothing that is regarded
as especially sacred. The religious idea
is far from prominent, and seems almost
entirely included in the medicine" bus
lnoss. Superstition Is different thing,
and of that there is plenty.
The Indian is great braggart, and he
who can boast longest and loudest is the
greatest man. 1t is to obtain an oppor-
tunity for this that "dance" of some
kind is always in progress. Their names
and objects are nearly innumerable, but
| have never been able to perceive any
great difference in the screams, leaps
and horrible hootings which characterize
them ALL Some of these dances are said
to be religious; but all there is of re-
! ligious sentiment is condensed in the
word medicine" Everything in Indian
life belongs to one of two classes it is
either good or bad medicine. Camping
places where calamity has befallen them
are ever afterward avoided as bad med
icine." The DAYS and places which wit
messed SINE defeat in arms are classed
| in the same category; and all things that
are fortunate are classed upon the oppo-
site side. The high priest of this religion
is the celebrated "medcine-man." The
"medicine-man" is usually raggedcr,
| Ia ,iar and ltrtinr than ole ~,
| the tribe Ihelped Little Raven and the
Arrapahoes make medicine" preparato-
ry to a raid upon the Osages in September
1857, in the Indian Territory, south of
Fort Dodge. This high honor was per-
mitted me because had Spencer re-
peating rifle. The Arrapahoes were
mostly armed with bows and arrows or
muzzle-loaders; had never before seen a
repeating breech- loader. My rifle was
"blg medicine" In the tepee declamed
"Rienzi's Address to the Romans" to
them in grandiloQuent style, and then
touched off a music box concealed in my
pocket. The Arrapahoes were successful
in their raid, and captured many ponies
from the Osages hence my medicine"
was good.
/ read the other day that the high
!
ney once century 10 the Atlantic ocean
to get water from the source OF the rising
sun for use in their religious ceremonies.
| have been through the Iuni villages of
extreme western Mexico. They live, /
used TO be taught by Mtchell's geography,
as the people Of Kamschatka do. They
believe that Montezuma will visit them
when he has worn out his golden slippers,
and they keep the sacred Ere burning
awaiting his return. To let the fire go
out would "bad medicine" and their he
reditary enemies, the Navajoes, would
come down upon them like wolves upon
| the fold. To use any water but ocean
water in their annual ceremonials would
also be bad medicine. But these are not
observances of religion. The Moquis. to
the west of the Xunis, live in caves in
cliffs, like sand swallows, but choose
these elevated habtation for the same
reason that birds build their nests in in
accessible places, the Instinct Of selfpre-
servation. The Navaioes used to depre-
date upon them generations ago The
Moqus would now prefer to live on the
plain below, but such would be bad
medicine, and they still perch. Any thing
contrary to tradition and conservatism is
bad medicine.