The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-03-22
QUEER RELIGION.
PUGE EFT so UND'S X Frs.
A Sect OF Indians Who Are the Despair 81
Missionaries and Doctors.

AItssiOnarics ana DoctOrs.
HooDsPoRT. Wash. March 21.-The North
American Indian is nothing IL not religious.
Piety. it is true. is not a distinguishing charao-
~teristic, but religion, pure and simple. Is as In
variable an impulse of his nature as is the love
of gambling. The original theology Of the In
dams of this region was peculiar. Their god.
or rather their principal deity, was known as
Dokibatt, the Changer. Many years ago this
powerful being walked the earth and performed
tho most marvellous transformations. Even
now hts influence is manifested on occasions
and his temperance in the flesh is confidently
looked for by many. When the white mis-
sionaries first told the story OF Christ the ma
tives were delighted.
The Changer" they cried. always
knew of this. Have the Boston men also
known the great Dokibatt. the Changerf' Nor
was II possible for some time 10 disaSsociate
the two ideas In the minds OF the Indians.
They listened. opeI-mouthed, TO the story OF
the, creation in six days. and then hurst out
with their own version; how Dokihatt made the
moon one night, intending II TO serve as the ORB
OF day. But In the morning when u rose, it
was so hot that 1t made Puget Sound boil. and
all the salmon died. Dokihatt then made the
sun, and com handed the moon 10 shine only
at night, when It could do no damage. Some
thousands OF years after the creation Dokihatt
revisited the earth TO see how his enterprises
were tiourishing. He found one man wlettins
VIVA you doingi" asked DokibNtt.,
RON 0h; netting ,Ss in no Part lYnn tbt MH' i, ,he ae renty;
~ ohth WV E'A Wv 'f''h ~
me, but I know well that you are preparing 70
Snatching the knife. he plunged it into the
mans leg. AS. the wounded man sprnng up
and ran away, he was changed into q deer ana
or. deer. Under similar circumstances an
other man was changed into a beaver, the
k naKiba SscS appponc q tai" Ian a AVN sinM'd in s'g grrot 'G fear.
AS he fled wings came Ia him. aud his cry
turned 70 that Of the mourning dove "Hum'o'
The worship of the sun was observed by
most of the Puget sound tribes. II was con,
coded to be the creation of n greater god. and
was always called the younger brother OF the
moon. yet daily prayers were, made TO It.
An odd religious revival took place several
years ago. 4 semi.civilized Indian whose
"Boston' name was John Slocum died or was
supposed TO die, nnd lay stark and m9tlonisss
and told a remarkable story Of ais adventures
IN tho. spirit world. Brought before the san
hai s Tyee Chinook. Cod tnc great Papa said;
well, Slocum, what are We going, 10, 30
about your You've been "A very bad Indian.
You've rI9ted and drunk hoochinoo even ln1Hs
gambling. sticks. and yon haven't paid your
nebts, Sow you may take your cholce You
about, or you may go back 10 the earth ana 10
a missionary Yourself to your own pHoptHGii
learn up here, AID make them righteous
slocum commenced his missionary lShors az
became known as the shakers, and spread So
rapidly that IN a few years II boosted nearly
hOO inelnhcrs. Az present There are. iH many
rs ten very. respectable church buildings AL
well ATTENDED.
The ceremonies consist Of prayer and cEhor-
tation, followed 10y congregational shaking OF
trembling. beginning radhcr slowly WITH a
rhythmiCal oscillation of head and hands. a."
motion becomes more and more rapid, Ehi'
outlines are lost and the eve secs OuIN "A h4H''
like, a revolving wheel. one rarely ]att"u.dea
shaker meeting twice, The effect Of tA9i
circle OF fat. hystcrical SiwRshcs shthiNg '"o
u set OF hobbtns In IA cotton mil Il rather toi'-
ical, but also singularly unpleasant,
z-ll0 Shakers are the DESPAIR at the mlsst''l'
aries. They Caunut be induced tu attend reg"
lar church services, as they totally reject no
Bible, while accepting God ana christ,
They are equally the despair of thr reserve
tion doctors, whose offices are ~eN,lud'd en-
tirely by the faithful. In CAsr Of Hines "A se-
lsct company OF dcNOtees meet ia the slrN room
ana shake In relays until the patient dies or
reCOycrs.
Even the missionaries admit that tie shak-
es are an unusually moral sct. They cS,heS
most OF the vices OF their people, drinking,
cheating, and thieying. They gamble ~ ar
IDENTITY, as the rest, strange u say. but gam
bling u. too strongly attractive 10 the Indian
disposition 10 DC easily abandoned b. ANY AuRa.