The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1894-04-27
INDIANS REAL ANDIDEAL
The Halo Which Romance Has
Given Poor Lo.
When the Truth Is Told the Noble Red
Man Becomes Anything but the
Grand Creature imagination
Has Painted Him.


The student of ethnology finds no
more fascinating branch of humanity
than the Indian. Not the race a. de
picted by Catlin, Schooicraft and
Drake, who have painted him in glow
ing eDIors, bpt the Indian as he exists
to-day The time has come when the
truth about Indian life should be told.
The gentlemen mentioned gave much
thought to the subject of which they
are the accepted authorities, but he
who goes among Indians as a student
VIII al pnep perceive that the whole
study of the red men has been one of
eNternals to the exclusion Of the more
secret and inner life that discloses the
real character of the race. The fol
lowing paragraph appears in the intro
ductinn nf DFake's masterpieces
There was found ia him tthe In
diam an unbounded hospitality, a
friendship vouched for with life itself,
an unfailing remembrance of kind
ness done him, inability of sngl that
held II firmly to his ideas of honor
filled him with reverence for the saces
and heroes Of the tribe and inspired in
him an ardent longing to emulate
their renown. In social and domestic
life kindness aud self-control were
constantly manifested, wranyling and
strife being unknown in the Indian
dwelling"
1t is difficult. says the Pittsburgh
Dispatch, to CONCEIVE of a more incor-
rect statement of the case regarding
tho mental attributes of the Indian.
In addition to the error that has been
constant in the minds of the people.
through such statements and ideas as
romantic and prejudiced writers have
given out as chronological data, there
has been fundamental error in the
study of Indians in chasing or group
ing them all together 1t is true tina.
there are certain constant character
istics among the Indians. just a. Their,
are in the Caucasian race. but il is also
true that the mental and physical diff
ferences between tribes are more
marked than between the European
nations.
1t is through reading such authors
as viewed the outside or apparent life
of Indians that the world to-day know.
almost nothing abQut the dominant
characteristics of the red man. In
civilized circles the belief is current
that the perceptive faculties of the
Indian are highly developed; that he
Is acute in; all things, and that hi,
mind almost intuitively graaps phil
osophical subjects; that he is born
orator with "a natural rhetoric: that h
pierces the fallacies of sophistry with
almost divine powers of analysis; that
he has evolved a religious system an
worships one God under the title q
Great Spirit. These are the mental al
tributes with which he has been
clothed by those who have been accept
ed as authority. His physical powers
are no less those of a demigod. He is
supposed to be a bundle of muscles
and nerves, capable of almost super
human endurance His eve ~ true
that he distinguishes objects and tells
their characteristics before they come
within the range of vision of the
whites. Owing to his unerring aim his
Workmanship is phenomenal. His idea
of location is so highly developed that
he finds his way over untr"d plains
and mountains, and notices the slight
est displacement of stick or stone
What are the facts? The Indian i.
not an orator. He expresses himselI
with extreme difficulty and in the sim
plest manner. lie has neither rhet-
orical nor analytical power. Iii
philosophy is of the crudest sort, an
he has no religion. He does not wor
ship great spirit except as he has
been taught by the whites. His men
tai powers have nothing supernatural
in them. Physically he Is the inferior
of the whites as he j. mentally. Iii:
muscles are weaker and his nerve:
more easily unstrung; his eye is les
keen than that of the white plains
man. and he is a tyro at marksman
ship; his idea of location is bounde"
by his environments. He sees few
sights. hears few sounds, smells few
odors and tastes few flavors. The re
suit is that his whole life is narrow. a.
the facts. presented to him are few
His perceptive faculties are of a low
order and his powers of discrimination
small This. however, is a rule which,
like all other rules. has exceptions, for
there are now, and have been in the
past, elevated minds among the In
1ianS