The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1897-09-04
RUINED REDSKINS.
Civilization II Too Much for the
Poor Indian.
The sudden Trensieioa from villa Life
to . Tame Existence Has Been Fatal
to Hs Morals ~ Well %
C0nstltutlon.

DR.. Charles A. Eastman, the Sioux In
dian physician and missionary. who was
married to Elaine Goodale. the poet in
the Church of the Ascension in this city
tour years ago. ON a visit to New York
with his wife made an address before
the Harlem branch of the Young Men 9
Christian association. DIR. Eastman
told his large audience many interest
ing things about the Indiana.
Il find" he said. .'that the Indian n
z man is very much the same az the men
of other races. Their habits and their
faculties are the same. and when they
are developed they have as much mum
liness, godliness and self-respect as the
men of other races. 1t is surprising the
amount OF faith in God you will fiud
among some OF the most ignorant and
uneducated Indians. ] could mention
dozens of remarkable cases il l had
time, but, as ! am limited, l will only
tell you of one. This one was an old
Indian who was converted long ago.
Ever since his conversion he has made a
practice of rising every morning at
seven o'clock and saying his prayers.
When | asked him why he did this hs
told me that 1t 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-
cipituted 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 idlcrs 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 OF twenty-mile
runs, aud it Was u common amusement
across the prairies.
To-day you can scarcely find an ln-
dian tho can run AZ much as two miles,
while in the old days II was nothing to
do from 50 to 20 miles a day in foot
travel, and to go for as many az three
days and nights without food. This dif-
ference between the Indian of old and
the Indian of to-day only serves 10
illustrate the fact that the race has de-
kCuGA0NCu Puy 1ASoAIt 0Ao HtO10aS 0AS~
civilization has been thrust upon it.
'~rhey say that the Indian il dying
away. If the Indian is, II is good
thing. What we want to save is the
man. the good in the young men, and
by doing this we can save the race. 1t
is going to be hard work, for the small
tribes are scattered all through tho
west, and, harassed and driven nearly
crazy as they are 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 s1oical s1d saci individual,
but that is mistake. Before strangers
be is stoieal, but that is only diplomacy
and not his real nature. Get him
around the camp Are 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 il you want
10 earn the contempt OF an Indian you
nave but TO show anger over joke IN
his presence. He will take joke ON
himself and laugh an heartily over It
as If it was OH another, SO he has no use
for any man who cannot do the same.
'My idea OF converting the Indian Is
to start in by improving him physically.
Then improve him mentally and you
will find q self-respecting. noble and
qeutlemanly man. The Indians were
originally the most gentlemanly race
extant. The Sioux were famous for
their gentlemanly behavior among
themselves, and know it WAS the same
with many Of the northwestern tribes.
The best evidence of this il the fact
that the young Indians were never a'-
lowed to address their elders until they
were FL years Of age, and no male could
smoke until he had proved himself
crown man and had been admitted to
the councils Of the tribe. 1t was such
law. an these that made the Indian q de-
voted husband and a fearless warrior.
For sucn was the original Indian. To-
day the race IL ruined one-ruined by
civilization. Every game with them is
a medium for gambling. There arc
none of the manly contests OF the old
days now. They're all beggars, too,
and even the very youngest II nos
ashamed to ask for aims. They live
only to eat and sleep, and their thoughts
are always of the present. The Indian
spirit il broken, and nothing but sys-
tematic work will ever revive tn. I.
Onn