The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1884-04-06
The Indians Views About Land.

The conference hold with tho Columbia
River Indians near Umatilia, the other day.
at once shows tho difficulty Of dealing with
their present grievances and throws light on
the origin Of some former wars In that region.
Tho homes Of the red men have been In
vadcd by an enterprlsing ferry company.
who are said to claim tho burial places
OF the Indians as well as other hand OF THERE.
Under ordinary circumstances Gen. MILES
or his deputy, Capt. UPHAM OF the Sixth Cav
airy. might settle the difficulty by arranging
either that the white claimants should 60
elsewhere and allow the Indians to take out
q regular legal title to the lands now occupied
by them. or else should pay tho Indians for
thoso lands md move them to Others. But
strange obstacle has como up. which was
explained by One chief at the conference.
Their religion, he said, forbade the Indians
to voluntarily either buy or soil land. since
from the dust Of tho Garth men are made and
to 1t they return. Dealing In land was for
for ALL
1t is worth noting that this isprcciseiy
the kind Of language which Chief JOSEPH, in
that same locality, employed eight years
ago. when like trouble arose. A Commits
sion was sent from Washington to try to
persuade the famous Nez Pcrce chief to aban-
don the Walinra valley. the home OF his an
ccstors, and To 20 upon the reservation with
the so-called treaty bands Of his tribe. The
Commissioners met at Iapusi agency, in
November, 1876, and JOSEPH and his fellow
chiefs were present. When tho subject OF
putting the Indians upon the reservation
was preached JOSEPH declared. as his funda-
mental proposition, that "the earth was Gre
ated by the assistance OF the sun, aud should
be left as 1t was" The Commissioners re-
! peatcdly asked him "what land he was talk
ing about. but only got this morsel Of Indian
doctrine in reply:
81" not for to trade of the land that IL not AIDED
OF. II Is marked The thought which above all
thought after the creation placed In the earth
consequently as was finished. must leave It.
With hands 1t Is not for to draw lines around my
| country Since tho earth was made, generation after
| generation has noticed the lan,i."
Another chief, OT-TAsH-Poo declared that
1.-THE way the land was finished by tho Crea-
tive Power, So We found 1t. My brother says,
let 1t remain so; so say l."
The Importance of calling up these records
consists in the fact that one OF the bitterest
and bloodiest wars OF the far Northwest
| grew utItCtly VI tuc TeluSbl Vi LilC SOW-
missioners to make my concession to Chief
JosEPH's ideas. Now We find these Same
ideas cropping out in the now troubles
among different set OF bands In the same
region. They arc ideas not to be found
among all or most tribes. but arc disseml-
mated by the so-callcd Dreamers, who in this
particular region have much influence. The
Commission OF 1876 developed these facts
which appeared in their report: "Thc
Dreamers, among other pornicious doctrines
teach that tho earth, being created by Cor
complete, should not no disturbed by man :
and even "any cultivation Of the soil or other
improvements to Interfere with Its natural
productions must be protested against.
1t Is true that the bands Interested In the
present trouble are only about 400 strong
and hence may seem unable to cause much
trouble; but Chief JOsEpH's Neg Perces
numbered only about as many rs that, anG
yet carried on sanguinary war.
On the other hand, 1t Is Of course prepos
ferrous to sanction the theory that lane
must not lie sold or cultivated. II wouiC
seem q not very difficult task for thoet
who should approach the difficulty in thu
right spirit, mindful Of past experiences, K
make some temporary concessions TO these
religious fancics OF the Indians, while quiet
ly bringing them under influences and ambi
tions that will gradually and peacefully
sweep away all simply destructive notions.