The sun., 1890-11-23
THE INDIAN MESSIAH CRAZE.
SIGNS or 1HE PRESENT MOTEMENT
INDfCA7HD 7WO YEARS 400.
The toB,ing OF the Great Spirit Announced
ny Runners TO Tribes That Might de-
sire TO prepRre tor the Advent-A Weird


II is not difficult TO trace the origin Of
tho fictitious Messiah whose anticipated
coming has ngita,ed the Indians of the
West to tine point oi frenzy. to two causes
native tradition. aud tho influence Of white
missionaries laboring among the various
tribes. A casua, study OF the crazy belief during
the last three years has proved conclu-
sivoly to tho mind OF an observer that
the rod man has confounled his own peculiar
doctrines with those introduced to his vague
perception bv sectariaus who havo tried 10
snve his soul. The various crceds have b.
como hopeessly tangled and mixed up in his
cluuie brain. and out Of the chaos thus
wrought he has evolved n skein OF reason
which. however improbnbe to those more
civilized, is to him the only logical solution OF
the mystery.
He has been told that his Great Spirit and
that of the White man are one and the same,
and representatives OF religious enthusiasts
whose b.liet is founded on the second advent
OF Christ, have impressed thor teachings 30
firmly on his untutorcd mind that he has be-
gun to believe them to be true. and has I'm
proved on the original information impaired 10
him by IMPLYING a date for this advent Cer-
tain mission aries have told him Just enough
greatly to inflame his curiosity regarding the
advent of the Messiah. whose g hing he has
been informed Is to result in dhitc us much
Denent 10 n Ill us u MS WLitc
The belief OF the Indian of Western North
America is purely literal. 1t cannot be eN-
planned by metaphor, nor explained on the
basis OF spritualistic theory. An Indian likes
action not theory. and has supplied a basis for
his present crazy belief by drawing from the
recesses OF his memory traditions which ac-
tompish the desired result. Fertility of i'm
agination is not an Indian characteristic. but
the elements which were lacking in tho
character OF the Divinity. whose APP
pearance the entire native population
now await, were easily obtained from
individual members Of the tribes. who saw
possible prestige or profit in encouraging such
fanaticism. Alien whto men adopted among
the tribes were important factors in formuiat-
ing the new doctrine Various representations
which have been made by native pupils re-
turned from the Eastern training schools, aud
but vaguely understood by the uncnlightcned
braves in remote regions. have also been
largely responsible for this mania.
Wandering bands in the Southwest appear
first to have cleaned rumors of II second advent
from reservations In that locality, visited dur
ing hunting expeditions. These fragments
they pieced together and evolved theory.
1hen 1t became belief, first with the Jicca-
rilla Apaches in New Mexico. Following this
came the fanatcal teachings of the Jiccaras
among tho Pi-Utes in Nevada. and there it be-
came deep-rooted. and deveopeI into fanati-
cism which resulted IN the weird manifesta-
tious ut Walker Lake in August. 1889. KunnerS
were sent out by the Jiccari!las and
1i.utes to spread the news of the
coming OF the Messiah. and most OF
the tribes visited by these runners sent
envoys to attend it and bring back reports.
The council reused the Indians TO a point of
frenzy never experienced by them since " The
Alarm of tho Great Sentinel" fired the Della
wares sixty years ago. The only information
regarding the more recent council Porcupine
Il Cheyenne gave TO Lieut.. Robertson at the
Cheyenne agency n few days ago That 1t bore
rich fruit. however is evident from the fact
1hat to-day every tribe west Of the Mississippi
River is on the alert for the appearance Of the
Deing who is to restore to them their lost
fortunes. The extent and Significance OF this
1renzied fanatacism on the part OF the Indians
has not been overestimated. 1t embraces all
tho Tribes from the Indian Territory 10 tho
Saskatchewan River in British Columbia.
An Uncompahgre Ute Of more than ordinary
Intelligence WAS the first Indian to call the
writer's attention to the expected advent Of the
itdins HH ugh rom Goden tity. rtah. to The nitaS
reservation in Utah. in August. 1891: There
tes in western Colorado and this Indian was
employel as courier to bring the renegades
&C. siui in this mission. however. aud explained
iiat most Of tho runawnys bad broken away,
%a asis ssni eS.Ssn S s Co h
tnat the Mud Warriors >" ,Jicrariasl,
Two suns below the Southern % lite ties; "a. awa,sd
Indian heaD land and bu ialo." He although
graduate from tho reservation school, ex-
Volunteered the assurance that when that per
tonage should alr!ve; white man no follow
soldiers is the Indian title for negro troops.
OF whom there were four companies on the
s'urier did not Know ' very mu abo%t Tie
hs mahh put ,houGh he must S
lad heen SsGsV BY had tod M
him that tho white mans God would como
Iretty soon. aud that the In,ter and tho In
5Ee Indian acknowledged that he did not know
how soon the 'iroat Spirit would come. but
.srnpnho brave had told him that the tribes
}sar water prairie .,he @,;ean, we're even then
tn:ti way and pretty ,ooE all lodges would be
TO u ,S h Il You'd ~. srsss from hs
Walkers Lake ak was was @ n"t hsi Until Until "y Two Years rs
later; that the expected coming was delayed.
h wSSon Of
sneTohen NaIion Ths s at MnrS shrmngo re,
Gerri'9ry to the III Get that a trea: s. irI WAS WAS
I" come. amnns lhem IN sh2it time and
q ,hr nation, hal heard some Sncs discussing
tsr."sarinG them that the Great Spirit was
.era;;4iy expe ted. An Ogallala Sioux
tney sad. mad roms from his lodge.
Tour cay lourney away, and hai
warned them to le ready. Tho writer's
! dormant had sought to trace this Sioux. but
lad no; succeeded The Sacs were confident
tIat he had told them the truth. and that the
treat spirit was about TO visit them in human
form; The Oga llala said the Great Spirit was
nr d man a. % in4ian IRON ON, & northern tribe.
the, range. The Cherokee had derlded thr
!eliel; but the Shcs stuck to It, and in relating
hI- talk WITH them the former said he learned
that AL III, Indians had benn informed OF the
expected advent and were excited over II.
La the fall OF 1889 the Nez perce Indians, on
The Lapwai reservat Jon. in northwestern
Idaho. became excited over some crazy mo-
non" as the settlers about Lewiston. on the
snake liiyer. termed 1t. Chief Joseph, the big
snan of the AeH Prrc"s, was away at the time
and it appears that Il couple Of hundred OF his
l,rnveS hai gone away from the reservation to
the north with u hand from other tribes made
up oil l.emhl. Sheepeatcrs, Blanali, and rene
gndr Shoshone-. From h hall cresd who lives
the Great spirit" WAS t. occur some-