Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-07-14
THE INDIAN CHRIST.
The Curious Delusion Which Prevails
Among the Red Men.

Among the Red Men.
A curious contribution hes been received a
the Indian Office to the stories that have been
anoet among the Indian tribes for several
months past relative to the, reappearancs Of
Christ This dsiusion seems to have been very
general, and in one instance Q request
vac received at the Indian Office
from Indians in Montana to make
Journey in search Of the Christ, who was re-
ported to them to be IN Oregon. The Indians
undertook this quest, but on their return re-
ported that they had been uRsuccessful Re-
Gently the Indian Office has received through
the War Department from Maj. Carroll. first
cavalry, In command Of the camp at Tongue
River agency. Montana, narrative of q
OF his travels in search of the Indian Messiah
or new Christ.
MEDICINE MANS STORY.
In company with two Indians the medicine
man states that he travelled as far as Walker 3
lake, an agency in Nevada. What happened
there the medicine man recouuts with n great
many details. all OF which, however, are prob
ably the product of his vivid imagination.
Near the agency he says hundreds of Indians
mad gathered In anticipation of the appearance
OF the Christ. just after dusk the medicine
man was told that the Christ had come and he
went into the circle of Indians where tho
Christ was seated. His description of the man
represented to be Christ is given
IN HIS OWN WORDS:
81 had always thought the White Father was
white man, but this man looked like an In
dian. He sat there long time and nobody
went up to speak to him. He sat with his head
S bowed all and the as time +. After whale aas
to see his children. L have sent for
You and am glad to see you. l am going to
talk to you after while about your relatives who
are dead and gone. My children, want you
to listen to oil that have to say to you. Twill
teach you, too, how to dance u dance, and then
when the dance is over / will talk to you.
He was dressedsin white cont with stripes
The rest OF his dress was white mans. except
that he had on pair of moccasins. Then he
commenced dance, everybody Joining in. the
Christ singing while we danced"
IN THE DAYLIGHT HE LOOKED DIFFERENT.
The medicine man says he saw the Christ
the next morning and came to the conclusion
that his impression of the night before that
the Christ was an Indian was a mis-
taken one. In the daylight he looked
an Indian" continues the narrative
.'nor 80 light as a white man. He had no
beard nor whiskers, but very heavy eyebrows.
He was good-looking man. ] had
heard that Christ had been crucifed and 1
looked to see, and saw u scar on his wrist
and one Oh his face and he seemed to be the
man. l could not sec his feet"
DISCOURSE OF THE CHRIST.
The medicine man reports a discourse of the
Christ as follows: II am the man who made
everything you see around you. am not
lying to you, my children. I made the earth
and everything on it. I have been to heaven
and seen your dead friends and have seen my
own father and mother. In the beginning,
after God made the EARTH they sent me
back to teach the people, ana when came back
treated me badly. This is what they did
to me (showing his scars.) I did not try to de-
fend myself. found my children were bad
so went back to heaven and left them. told
them that in SO many hundred years
end Of this time was sent back TO try to teach
them. My father told me the earth was get
ting old and worn out and the people getting
bad. and that was to renew everything as 1t
used to be and make 1t better"
NEW VERSION OF THE RESURRECTION.
The Christ further told the Indians, accord
ing to the medicine man, that oil the dead were
to be resurrected and were to live again on the
earth. Az the earth was at present too small
he would do away with heaven and en-
large .h the t srr'A to ,ss x ,as space ,Ss
Christ snid, the youth OF all good
people would be renewed 30 that nobody would
be more than forty years old and that il they
behaved themselves we'll after this the youth
OF every one would be removed in the spring
He advised the Indians to be good anu 70 live
peaceably with all men,
COULD 40 AND SEE FOR THEMSELVES.
The medicine man said that if the Indians
did not credit what he had said in regard to
the Christ they could 20 and see him for them
selves. He assured them that after they had
seen the Christ once and shaken hands with
him that he would appear to them in their
sleep. The medicine man told his hearers
that he spoke from experience, since he had
seen him frequently in his sleep.
The Indian Office officials state that this delu-
sion does not seem to have had much influence
with the Indians. 1t occasions some talk
among the members of the different tribes
when first mentioned, but whatever interest IL
excited is not maintained