Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1895-09-18
THEINDIAN'S LAMENT
HE MouRNS FOR THE VANISHED HAP
PINESS OF HIS RACE.


A Chippewa Talks Familisrly CT the Gus
toms Of His Tri3e-He Feels That tho
whites Did the Indian GrievOus Wrong.
Tho Paradise That Is Gone.
Before the white men came we were
men," said Chippewa friend. These
people lcok back upon their past as upon
a lost paradise, in which there were
happiness and innocence. They rapudi-
ate tho descriptions Of them written by
white historians as the work OF enemies,
seeking to justify cruelties and wrongs.
"Our fathers always did what was
right. and they punished bad men. They
were kind and true to their friends and
terrible only to their enelniee. We were
great warriors. and we fought for our
own long time. 1t was not the white
mems :. arms, but their vices. which
ruined us" "
"What makes You think that the old
times were so much better? You have
good laws, 10 wars. and the government
will not let you go hungry. Is not this
better than the old psecarious and dan
gerous way of iiving:"
1--WE did not go hungry. We had more
than we wanted. You can see for your
self what we had from what is left after
SO much destruction. There was no end
to tho deer, moose. caribou, beaver,
lynx and all the smaller fur bearers, and
us for the .ish. you said there was no
fun catching them when you came. they
were too plenty-trout, bass. pike, pick
cf,,~ fkn t<av~1 n
with them. Then look ut the wild rice,
nuts, blueber1ies. wild plums-ocealis
Of them. And then we had corrfeids,
and for smoking the kinnikinic. Tho
plains were black with buffalo. We had
no hard work to do. What we did was
manly sport. while it provided Us with
food and clothing. And then we We're
free. tho freest people in the orld. with
q whole continent III which to enjoy it.
We are not now what wo were. Our
people have become drunl.ards, beggars
and towards. The white man has do
stroyed US, along with everything else.
see that you havo among your photo
graphs the picture Of Chippewa grave.
That is the grave Of the last Of the Fixe
Brothers, great Warriors You may1say
that is the grave of the last of tho Chip
pewns, because what were left after the
Seven Brothers and the Five Brothers
were no longer true specimens Of our
great and noble people. The Seven
Brothers were Tecumseh's best men.
They were known all over the Mississip-
pi valley, and the Five Brothers, who
came after them, were as good They
adopted me when my father dieh The
last ono died 80 years aSo, Il very old
man.
"Isuppose you think the Seven Broth
ers made president of the United
States because he beat them at Tppeca-
noe?''
'Yes. they made two, and the Chero-
l:ces made two. The white men thought
it was great thing when, four or five
to one, they could whip an Indian. and
they made heroes Of these wlo did it.
That is what the white man thought Of
the Indian.
"What about your sign lansudse and
picture writing?"
''Thst is nearly iorg0tea. Only a few |
know anything about it, nliti they arc |
Old men. The sign language was what |
deaf and dumb people hsve. only it vas |
simpler, and all the tribes understood |
it. For example. if you came stranger |
20 Il tepce of Il village, stamp Of tho |
foot on the ground meant that you were |
welcomc-two or three stamps, that you !
were very welcome. Hunting signals !
were made with tire hands. -Four fingers |
and the thumb down meant n bear
with the thumb up deer. If d lynx or
other climber. climbing signs. If tie |
animal were running, the hand with
fingers down made bounding motions.
Il u nial, the forefnger was held up. II |
the man were hiding, the finger was
closed down to the hand Picture writ
ing was dono ON bark and was a map
with various signs and animals hero and
there upon it. A circle meant a yell
by which the reader was instructed to
call when be reached certain Point"
"You had Il afreemasonry for your fam
lilies, did you not?'
Eyes, l can recognize relative,
though never met him before. The use
ior this has died ont, but we canrot
give it to any one not entitled to il. >"
"What was your to.em?"
1.-The alligator. The alligator can live
IN the water and on the1and He lives
TO be very old. 1t means long life and
good lack in hunting and fishing. 1t
was the totem Of the Five Brothers, and
they gave it to me when They adopted
me-"
My friend thinks that the Indians
would have developed civilization by |
this time If they had been let alone.
They were already cultivators Of the
soil and were no longer nomad!c. One
element of their success in war was
their endurance and speed on foot
When he was q youth, he led dog
team ON the snow e5 miles in one day.
He walked from the st. Croix to Bay
field, 72 miles, IN 2s hours. and this was
uot exceptional among them. The sud
denness of attack and swiftness in re-
treat rendered them the most difficult
native people ever conquered. Bpt their
paradise is gone. Chicago interior.