The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-12-22
Ignorance About Indians

We cannot deal with the Indian OF to-
day unless we know the Indian OF yeste--
day, says George Bird GrsnneIi ia the
January Atlantic. The average man sell
dom thinks about Indians. and when he
does he thinks of them either with entire
Indifference or with contemptuous dislike.
He IS moved in part by that narrowness
which leads us TO desplse those who In
appearance or BY birth or tradition are
different from ourselves.-the feeling
" hieh leads many white man 70 SPEAK
with contempt OF negroes or Cinnamon.
More weighty than this feeling. howevGr,
- the inherited one that the Indian : an
enemy. who from the time he was first
known has oeen hostile US Even now
adays most people seem 10 tnink 81 the
Indian only IS ] warrior. wko i chiefly
occupied in killing women and children,
burning homes ana tortur.lig capt YES
From the days when they fought the Phi
grim Fathers. and then the settlers Of
the Ohio Valley. and later still the emil
grants crossing the plains, nne-tenthS q
all that has appeared in print about In
dams has treated them from this point
of view; and the newspapers, which now
constitute so great a portion of the read
ing matter OF the American public. seldom
print anything about the Indians except
in connection with massacres and upris-
ings. The effect Of all this literature on
the popular estimation in which the In
dian is held has been very great.
The popular Impressions are entirely err
rineous. The Indian was a fighter. Vet
war was only an incident Of his life Like
any other human being, he Is many-sided,
and he did not always wear his war paint.
II he has a repulsive aspect, there are
other sides of his character. and some
of them pleasing. IL from one point of
view he may appear TO the civilized man
ferocious and hateful, from another he
seems kindly and helpful The soldier
sees the Indian from one point of view
only, the missionary from another. the
traveller from a third. the agent from a
fourth. Each of these is impressed by
some salient feature Of his character, yet
each sees that one only or chiefly and
the image shown is imperfect ill-prepor-
toned, and misleading.
The Indian Is not. as the popular idea
figures him, stolid taciturn or even sui
len in ms everyday life. He may be
shy and silent in the presence OF s6rang-
ers, but in his home life he Is talka-
tive,-eager 10 give and receive the news,
and TO gossip about IL. He is Of a merry.
laughter-loving people. and likes 10 make
6VpH-lAS LII CT ia VI dnbk4tl fttuAldll-
ties. Thus. one Of her companions may
jeeringly call a very slender woman the
shadow of a moccasia string. once. on
the prairie. in the bright hot sunlight.
heard an Indian say 10 another who was
very stout. My friend. stand still for a
little while L want 10 sit down in the
shade and cool off"
Some years ago l was on the reserva-
ton of a tribe known as the Big Bellies
eros Ventres-at Fort Belknap, Montana:
and while / was there a new agent came
to them. He was a fat man. and one OF
the Indians, who met the agent for the
first time in my presence. said. as he
shook hands with him "Ah. you are one
OF our own people. You. TOO. are Big
Belly"
Indians are not ashamed 10 show their
affection to one another. Chums who have
been separated for any length of time
are likely, when they meet. to put their
arms around and hug and kiss and hug
one another. Often two young men will
be seen standing or sitting close tOgeth-
er and holding hands, or with the arm
of one about the neck of the other. Ny
old father among the Blackfeet always
puts his arms around me and hugs me
when We meet after an absence. The
purely social side OF life in an Indian
camp could not fail 10 interest any one
who might be introduced 10 il.
In the family relation the Indian shows
a side which is attractive. lie loves
his wife and family as We love ours. and
he thinks of them before thinking OF him.
self But besides the natural affection
that any animal has for its young the
Indian cares for his children for another
reason. He is intensely patriotic. His
pride in his tribe and its achievements
is very strong. He glories in the prowess
if its braves and the wisdom Of its chiefs;
his soul thrills as he hears told over
and over again the stories of the victories
which his people have won over their
enemies; he rejoices at the return OF a
successful war party In the children
growing up in the camp, IN the boys
shooting their blunt-headed arrows az
the blackbirds and ground squirrels. or
Yelling and shouting with excitement IN
the mimic warfares which constitute a
part OF their sport; in the girls whom h
sees nursing their puppies or helping their
mothers at their work, he recognizes those
who a few years hence must bear the
OF the tribe. uphold its
past giories or protect Il from danger, as
Re and his ancestors have done. No Won
der ne loves theIn. InolabS seluom pun
sh their children. yet usually these are
" ell trained THOUGH chiefly by advice and /
counsel. When a tiny little boy. VINO has
list received his first bow and arrows. /
starts out OF the lodge to play with his I
fellows his mother Is likely 20 say 10 /
him. BE careful now; do not do any !
thing bad do not hit any one. do not /
shoot any one with your arrows. You /
may hurt people with these things. If you /
are not careful. Pay attention 20 what /
! say"
Perhans The frst thing rhat innrsssed |