Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-08-29
raE CeMrosIrres OF An IsDIAS
R0y


read BY one OF the boys from Puyal!up
Is beins-superior to anything In thsi
Inns which have heard from any of ths
Indians, obtained copy of IL. Think
ing that is might be worthy of publiea.
ton, and show what our Puget Soanc
boys are capable Of, send il to you. II
you do net think il worthy of pubIica.
tion, will 700 have the kindness 10 70
turn itgS
The composition in full appears in the
following:
oUB DUTY As STUDENTS
We were sent here by oor parents to
attend school in What they call higher
school than those on the reservations.
We have not come here for pleasure and
idleness. but fer study and work, which
We mnst accomplish IN the best manner
possible, because it is not for our per-
sonal benefit alone, but also for the In
dian race.
We must make study a pleasure. and
not task, as much as we can.
There Is a difference in this that NAV
be noticed between the white people and
most indians, and that is this, that a
white person is always eager TO learn
something new, while an Indian does
not care about what there is around him
that he does not know. / believe that
this difference comes from the fact that
q white man has always been learning
and Improving in learning from the
things of nature, and that he is going
higher and higher as time passes on,
while an Indian has been constantly 60
ing backward in the past, and Is still GO
nFlff - he
cause be does not notice and learn
from and about the little things which
surround him.
You all know that the Indian question
Is very important TO as vhs are Indians.
LIST of as know the importance of it,
and are trying to meet the demands of
our ignorant people. We are represent
atives of the tribes to which We respec
lively belong. IL is more important
that Indian children should study hard
than white children. because they have
their Indian parents and friends to ben
ent by their education. Ii We make
this Indian school a fixture by being
lazy. and indolent, it will be thought
that Indians can never learn the ways
of the white men, aud hence cannot be
educated like them. Many white men
who do not like Indians say that an In
dian can never learn the ways of the
white msn. IL We are lazy and disobe-
dient TO our teachers, il will be so; but
If We are diligent in our studies and in-
dustrious in our work, 1t will be far the
better. Ii Is necessary that We appre-
clate the great responsibility that Is
upon us while We are here; we cannot
think of it too much; for if We do our
duty here, il will decide the Indian ques-
tion In our favor.
We must remember our parents, who
sent us hero. are ignorant of the benefit
We co ne here for, and that il Was very
hard for them to let as come. because
they love Us; and since they have let as
come, they expect something that will
be of great benefit to them when We 90
back. We must endeavor to meet their
expectati ms. else they will net respect
us nor care anything for rs, and will not
be willing to send any more of their
children to shis school or any other
school. hey will think that il wastes
time for children to be in school when
they ought to be- vt home helping them.
We must bear in mind that most of as
at least will never have another such
opportunity as this to get what littls
Cd ucation we can. and many a time will
We regret .thst We did not study harder
and Improve our time more than We do.
White people are fast coming over from
Europe and frem the Z sstern States to
the Pacific coast. 1t will not be- long
before this country is full of white peo-
pie, and then it will be thing of ne.
cessity for the Indian to be An equal of
A.. ~ l..
will not be cheated out Of his land, his
mon y or property.
There will be no more reservations,
and an Indian will have to look after his
own welfare. We have come here to
learn to become as leaders, protectors,
teachers and workers for our people, to
guard them from the snares of bad
white ieen. If We can only see the
homes of the poorest of our people, af-
ter long absence from them, and SEE
the difference between the place in
which We now live and that of the res
ervations, We would appreciate the ne
cessity of our education far more than
we do. Think of the dirt and filth in
which most of our people live. This is
what gives them their weak and ignorant
minds, and consequently their poor
Judgment upon business affairs. They
think that they can make more money
by selling their land, which is not so.
they do not think OF the morrow, but
only for the day and its pleasures. /
have seen Indians who, when talked to
kindly and in q persuasive manner by
bad white men, yield to t;mptation and
become slaves to some degrading and
destructive habit, rs whisky drinking,
and Lose their money, their property,
and, in fact. everything else, besides
their health, which is the worst of all.
And why do they lose all this? Ii is
because the white man has the advan-
tage of him. he has all the education,
while the Indian is Ignorant of the
harm that such disgraceful aud de-
strueti,e habit does. Many of them
are. wicked and superstitious, and we
ought TO prepare to yet them cut of and
above such things. All these thing,
caased by their Ignorance, tend to de-
structiou.
II Gid made rs, aud IL We are fast
going down to destruction and lessening
IN numbers by net obeying His laws, He
has the power to bring M MP again, II
We obey His word. Most of rs know
that all this country was once owned by
the Indians, before it was discovered by
the bite man, aud that sinoe the dis
covery the Indian has dvindled away,
losing not only all the land, bat almost
his existence. which is far more precious
to him than the riches Of America.
This comes from the power of edaca-
ton over ignorance. The white man
has nov the possession Of this whole
con nj 30 n nd hfs kuouvtadaa n ~ srA,xa