The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1896-10-01
RUINED REDSKINS.
civilization IL Too Much for the
Poor Indian.
The Sudden Transition from wiid Life
70 . Tame Existence Has Bssu Fatal
20 HIS Morals ~ Wen -
Constitution

married TO Elaine Uoodale, the poet, In
the Church OF the Ascension In this city
four years ago. on u visit to New York
with his wife made an address before
the Harlem branch of the Young Mems
Christian association. DIR. Eastman
told his large audience many interest
ing things about the Indians.
| Il fnd," he said. shat the Indian an
man is very much the same as the men
| of other races. Their habits and their
| faculties are the same. and when they
are developed they have as much man.
illness, godliness and self-respect rs the
men of other races. II is surprising the
| amount of faith in God you will find
among some Of the most ignorant and
uneducated Indians. ] could mention
dozens of remarkable cases II had
time, but. as am limited. will only
tell you of one. This one was an old
Indian who was converted long ago.
Ever since his conversion he has made q
practice of rising every morning at
seven o'clock and saying his prayers.
When l asked him why he did this he
told me that II gave him first chance
with the Lord. and he was thus enabled
to be heard alone.
"The great trouble with our young
men to-day Is that they have been pre-
cipitated into modern civilization with
such suddenness that they have alb
sorbed most of the evil of it and little
Of the good. They are mostly drunk
ards, rustlers and oilers and are phys
ical and moral degenerates. They are
not the same men that the Indians of
my day were. Then, our young men
thought nothing of ten or twenty -mile
runs, and il was common amusement
with them to race and beat feet ponies
across the prairies.
To-day you can scarcely find an In
dian who can run as much us two miles,
while In the old days it was nothing to
do from so to 10 miles day in foot
travel, and to go for as many as three
days and nights without food. This diff
ference between the Indian OF old and
the Indian of to-day only serves 10
illustrate the fact that the race has de-
generated physically and morally since
civilization has been thrust upon it.
"They say TINT the Indian is dying
away. Ii the Indian is, II Is a good
thing. What we want to save il the
man. the good in the young men. and
by doing this we can save the race. IL
Is going to be hard work. for the small
tribes are scattered all through the
west, and. harassed and driven nearly
crazy as they nre by the government, it
is difficult to win over their confidence.
They are absolutely without ambition
now. and the only way that that can
ever be effected is through the medium
OF the Gospel. The Indian is known in
the east as stoical and sad individual.
but that is mistake. Before strangers
he is stoieal. but that is only diplomacy
and not his real nature. Get him
around the camp fire and he is good
fellow. He will talk and laugh with you
and tell funny stories the same as a
white man. What he likes more than
anything else is joke, and II you want
to earn the contempt of an Indian you
have but to show anger over joke in
his presence. He will take a joke ON
himself and laugh as heartily over it
as il IL was on another. so he has no use
for any man who cannot do the same.
MY idea of converting the Indian Ii
to start in by improving him physically.
Then improve him mentally and you
win find self-respecting. noble and
gentlemanly man. The Indians were
originally the most gentlemanly race
extant. The Sioux were famous for
their gentlemanly behavior among
themselves, and | know II was the same
with many of the northwestern tribes.
The best evidence of this is the fact
that the young Indians were never AZ
lowed 10 address their elders until thew
were "a years of age, and no male cou.i
smoke until he had proved himself \
grown man and had been admitted 10
the councils of the tribe. 1t was such
laws as these that made the Indian de-
voted husband and fearless warrior.
For such Was the original Indian. To-
day the race is ruined one--ruined by
civilization. Every game with them $
medium for gambling. There are
none of the manly contests of the oil
days now. They're all beggars. too.
| and even the very youngest is not
ashamed to ask for aims. They live
only to eat and sleep. aud their Thoughts
are always OF the present. The Indian
| spirit Is broken, and nothing but fys
tematic work will ever revive tn. Y.
Sun