The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-07-07
FATHER URBALDI GRASSI.
"a Companion of Perc De Smet-Twenty-
Six Years a Missionary with Indians.
Some Account Of the Work of the Jesuit
Fathers in the Notwithstanding
Life Of Jealous Preacher.


years as missionary among the Indians of the
Northwest. having been sent to his field of labor
by the celebrated Father De Smet, with whom
he for some time COMPANION. Fatner
Grassi is about fifty-fve years old, with clear
and kindly blue eye. benign countenance, MS
Z naturally rudy face being Drowned by exposure.
II am native of Piedmont Italy said
Father Grass in answer to the reporters IN
nuiry. II went TO Paris from Italy in 1882 to
meet Father De Smet and from there, crossing
the Atlantic to this country, went to St Louis,
preparing for the priesthood. From there
went to Maryland to continue my preparation,
and in 1854 went to California, going by the Mic
Aracua route In 1860 went to the mountains,
and from there I visited and worked among
twenty six different Indian tribes in Washington
Territory, Idaho and Montana. My travels
among the tribes have been on foot and on
horseback, and frequently for months at time
without seeing a white MY most recent la
bcrs have been among the Crows and Cheyennes
on the Tongue river, on Little Horn and Big Horn
sIf the Indians were treated with fairness and
honesty there would be little trouble with them
ard they would yield to Christianity and become
civilized. The Indian agent Is usually dishon-
est person. at least inefficient and unsatisfac-
tory Occasionally there is a good one, but for
the most part they are bad. They are Indian
agents not for the benefit they may do the In
dians but for the money there is in the Office
Among all the Indian agents have ever seen,
General Williamson. at the Grow agency, pleases
me best Under his direction the Crows have
taken great pains to cultivate patches of garden
stuff. Each family has two acres, and under his
instruction they take great interest in growing
things. He told me that next year he intended
try to arrange it that each family should
have cow. His object is to accustom them to
domestic life. The Cheyenne agent is we'll
intentioned, but he has little means at hand.
II find the Indians ready TO accept religious
instruction. They are naturally religious and
given to generation. Father Brando who
labored among the Crows and Cheyenues. was
loved By them as father. | have spent most of
my time among the Yakimas Winaches and
Okinagias. All these tribes now pretty well
civilized. The Sgoeilpi or Colville Indians are
civilized. They have good farms. There are
about six hundred in the tribe. In one day
baptized go Kootooney Indians the next day
married forty couples of them"
What did you get for marrying them?7 asked
tho reporter.
The father laughed: "Noshing at ALL and
hal to furnish each bride ring. The jewelry
was Of the Cheap John variety, and quite good
enough for Indian ideas of ornamentaton. The
Coeur dAlenes are among the most cultivated In
dams have met They have good farms. They
raise grain crops, and have plows, moving and
reaping machines all earned by their own exer-
tons. All they ask of the government is the
land they cultivate.
The Indian can be civilized, and civilization
will settle the Indian question. OF course
Christianity, preceding civilization, will make
the work easier. You can depend upon the H.
dans when they have good treatment. They
are only ugly when pushed and goaded by wrong
The Indian. agents method Of making good In
diaus is very different from ours Indian
mitch the same. The reason that the
Indians of the Northwest. those with whom
have been, are better than those of Arizona,
New Mexico and other places to the south, is
because they have had better treatment. The
Indians east of the Rockies, especially those ]
have Indicated, have had no fair words no
honest treatment, nothing bu. pursuit and out
rage Many of the Indian tribes among whom
have been have a high standard of morals.
Among the Cnur d'Alenes drunkenness is Sc
verely punished. If man steals woman he
is put in prison for month. with other penal.
ties added. The Crow Indians are naturally
unchaste but their habits in this particular are
improving The Cheyennes, on the other hand,
are chaste people
"Last year the Catholics were given permits
sion TO establish themselves on a number of
reservations. At one time there were thirty
seven reservations given to Catholics but we
were driven away from thirty of them by hos
tile administration. Now we are being given
GONE of them back again--not exclusively to US,
but to all religionists who interest themselves in
missionary work among the Indians. We Jesu-
its have the Colville, Flathead, C9ur
dAlene, Blackfoot, Assiuiboine, Crow and Chey
enne agencies west of the Rocky mountains,
where we have charge. | was on the mission
only one year with Father De Smet He was the
greatest missionary ever among them after
Father Marquette.
ibid you carry firearms when among themq'
The father smiled in benignant surprise.
nnpto galry Mt lid
weapon of any kind. That would lose me my
prestige priest. My cassock is the only
weapon need never had but attempt
made upon my lifo That was in 1870, on the
Okinagan river in Oregon An Indian had taken
my horse and baggage across, but when he came
to take me across he upset the canoe to drown
me so that he could have the horse and baggage.
1 grabbed the canoe and, with water up to my
chin, admonished him for his breach of hos
ptality, called to his mind that / had chosen
him from several who offered for the service
and had paid him well. He would probably
have completed the job Of drowning me
il he had not been afraid OF losing
his canoe Beside that Kizeque would have
been missing and he would have had difficulty
In accounting for the disappearance of his cm-
ployer. What does Kizeqne meant In the
Okinagan tongue it means left handed 1 am
leIt-handed, and that is my name among all the
tribes have been with am called Nawazina'
in the Blackfoot dialect. At one time l spoke
seven dialects well. now speak only four, be-
ing out of practice in the other three. What are
our religious services among the Indiansl We
have common prayers, the mass, the canticles
and the beads Some of them sing we'll have
taught many of them. the last tribes among
which / have been, the eleven cantcles. We
have schools among the Colvilles, the Cour-
dAenes and the Flatheads, and they are
doing very we'll. The girls are taught by the
Sisters of Providence. and the males by the
Jesuits. We teach the boys English reading and
writing. arithmetic and geography
Il don't suppose you teach them German,
music and drawing" said the reporter.
This allusion to the advantages of the In
diauapolis public school was lost upon the good
priest, who. continuing, said: I'VE do not make
philosophers of them. The girls learn the same
things. with sewing and some other domestic