The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1893-10-27
1he indian Shaker Sect.


/The representatives of new and
uhique religion attended the meeting
(of the presbytery of Olympia at Cal
vary church. Wednesday night.
They were all Indians, and the rell-
gion which they represent is one all
their own, and one about which little
has been published, though it has
been the subject Of government in
quiry.
To the Indians the sect is known as
the "Tschadam" By the whites is
has been dubbed the Shaker religion,
though its doctrine is not the same as
that held by the Shakers OF the east
ern states.
The denomination was founded In
October, 1881, by John Slocum, Mud
Bay Indian. It now numbers about
600 members. comprising Indians
from all the tribes in Western Wash
ington, and is reaching out into the
Yakima country.
The way it came to be founded is
this: John Slocum was an Indian OF
sporty proclivities. He had power
| full and consuming thirst for fire-water,
which absorbed Jamaica ginger or
pain-killer in lieu of whiskey or alco-
hol straight. He also was the most
confirmed gambler of his tribe, and
there never was an Indian horse race
in which he was not prominent. One
October day he fell sick in his mind.
He thought about his wicked ways
and was sad. Then, at 4 o'clock one
morning to all intents and purposes,
he died. For six hours he remained
in this lifeless condition. Then he
sat UP and proceeded to tell his PEG.
pie his experience. He had died, SC
he said, and his soul had parted from
his body. AS it arose from the lifeless
clay itJooked back and saw its former
habitation as though it belonged to
someone else. John then went on to
say he went to heaven. There was a
big fence around it, and he looked
over. Inside were many of his friends
who had crossed the gloomy river OF
death, but the majority were not
there. John inferred they were in
another place. An angel came out tc
meet him and said, John, you've been
a pretty bad Indian"
John said he thought so too.
"There are just two things you can
do now, john" said the angel. "You
can go down to hell or you can &c
back to earth and preach to your peo
ple."
John preferred the latter proposition
as the angel pictured in burning Ian
guage a hell which even exceeded
John Calvin's idea. Then the angel
and the wandering Indian soul sat
down outside the fence, and the angel
told John what he must tell his PEG.
pie. In the first place he must in
struct them not to drink whiskey
That was foremost Then code OF
morals was laid down. Lying, gamb
ling, cheating and horse-racing, and
Righteousness were among the vices
prohibited. The code was simple
one and one which the Indian mind
could comprehend.
After John had learned it all he was
was put back into his body and i'm
mediately came to life, to the great
wonder of his people. He straightway
began to preach and within four weeks
had small church erected. That was
in 1881. Since then fhe denomina-
ton has grown, and is now very strong
among the Indians. 1t owns church
edi6ces at Mud Bay, Oyster Bay, Cow
litz, Chehalis and Puyallup. 1t has a
dozen ministers.
On June 9th and 7th, 1892, Judge
James Wickersham, who acts as at
torney for the Indians, assisted them
iu forming regular organization.
This was done. Louis Yowaluck was
elected head head man and John
Slocum, Louis Yowaluck, John Smith,
James Walker, Charles Walker, Jack
Simmons and Bill Jones were elected
elders.
The religion is combination of
Roman Catholicism, Professionalism
and "tomanamus" or Indian "medi-
cine" A report was sent the govern
ment by Agent Eells on the subject,
and one of the departments at Wash
ington pronounced the scheme OF reli
gion similar in some respects to the
messiah craze among the Sioux. The
sect acknowledges GOD, and His Son